How to Install Volume Reducers and Why You Should Try It! - Back to Basics

How to Install Volume Reducers and Why You Should Try It! - Back to Basics - MTB Suspension Set Up

Рет қаралды 64,901

Күн бұрын

In this video, The Loam Wolf discusses how to install shock spacers/volume reducers and why you should do it. From new to intermediate, we see riders damage their mountain bike suspension because they are unaware that they need bike spacers. We had an exclusive call with Fox to break down where you will see and feel the difference while riding with MTB fork spacers.
Intro - 00:00 - 1:24
Theory and Starting Point - 1:25 - 3:29
Do You Need Reducers? - 3:30 - 4:39
What Do They Do? 4:40 - 6:19
Fork Installation - 6:20 - 12:00
Rear Shock Installation - 12:01 - 16:59
Huck To Flat Test - 17:00 -17:59
Don't Give Up! Tuning Tips - 18:00 - 19:31
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Пікірлер: 106

@1luckyleppy Жыл бұрын

This is the best explanation of setting sag and using volume spacers I’ve ever watched. Thank you so much for taking the time to produce this video. 👍

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Wow thank you so much!! That’s quite a compliment.

@brettneuberger6466 3 жыл бұрын

One of the best set up vids I’ve watched. Very helpful.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Oh that's awesome Brett! Thanks so much for that.

@Don-Michael 3 жыл бұрын

I've 100% developed bad habits by not perfecting my tire pressure and suspension settings. Did a bunch of park laps this weekend and really felt how unbalanced things were. Pretty stoked to see how changing things affects my ride.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome feedback Don! Thanks for sharing and realizing that you have areas to improve in bike setup is a huge step to making those gains.

@marcusoutdoors4999 3 жыл бұрын

Superb video, extremely useful, especially the practical demonstrations and explanations as to which equipment to use. Also, strangely enjoyable for such a dry subject.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Definitely knew it had the potential to be snooze fest! Haha

@marcusoutdoors4999 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf Yes, but you nailed it. When taking things apart, sometimes it calls for a big bottle of bravery pills! But your practical explanation, especially the advice on the 32mm socket was really sound.... my god even saying that sounds dull... your charisma clearly carries it off!!!! Samuel L Jackson couldn't do better. Now imagine the script... Samuel L Jackson explains how to get your suspension to work... "First you prize open this muthaf..."

@stuartthomasson5027 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. I didn’t realize how simple it is to add spacers.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@ononewheel7 3 жыл бұрын

Great video!

@terdburglar 3 жыл бұрын

Well done, sir. Thank you 🙏

@paulbalmer6434 2 ай бұрын

Bloody brilliant video! Thanks

@TheLoamWolf 2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@jacksonkelleher7113 3 жыл бұрын

Such a great video thank you!

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@dubblearr7622 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. I added a bigger token because of excessive pedal strikes. Pedal strikes is No longer a issue. 😜

@mtbville 3 жыл бұрын

Quality video 🙏

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@danamesarchik3633 3 жыл бұрын

Great Video. Look forward to meeting you on the trail some day. Congratulations on your Baby.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! Greatly appreciate it and look forward to a high five on the trails!

@snat6299 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video.

@TheLoamWolf 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@daveandmerlin 3 жыл бұрын

Another Great Video lads. After Corona has calmed down it would be great to see you over in the big mountains in Europe or the world class trails in Golfie,innerleithan etc in Scotland.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

LOVE Innerleithan! We got lucky enough to have Joe Barnes tow us around to some of his secret stash and we couldn't stop smiling. haha. Thanks for watching and happy to hear you enjoyed the vid.

@kittykat7618 3 жыл бұрын

Nice!

@soakinoak 2 жыл бұрын

Pretty informative video, simply explained, just about anybody will get the basics. Very well done! If someone decides to work on his/her bike at home, please spend the money on a proper torque wrench, especially with a carbon frame. Not stripping your stem bolt or CST out - your investment already paid itself off. Don't feel like playing with tokens on your fork all the time? Ramp control might be your best friend. Btw, No one pays me to say this - one of the best investment I've done in a long time. Beside buying a bike, of course. Happy tinkering on your bike!

@TheLoamWolf 2 жыл бұрын

Great thank you very much and happy you got some good info from it.

@Alan-75 Жыл бұрын

I was between 2+3 so cut a token in half, got 2+1/2 in my lyrik now, job done.👍

@WhitewaterOutdoors Ай бұрын

Rumor has it he’s still pumping that hand pump on his fork 😂

@JaredHoff 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the vid!!! Yup, I always thought these were for the pros with dedicated mechanics LOL I run a 170mm Fox 38 Grip2 - 20% Sag PSI - 99 HSR (9) - 3 LSR (14) - 4 HSC (7) - 6 LSC (15) - 5 I rarely bottom out, but haven’t started sending big drops YET…

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Right on Jared! Stoked to hear it and sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on your set up! You'll be sending those drops soon enough!

@k1_dnb867 3 жыл бұрын

Smooth

@JCBike32 Жыл бұрын

Best vid I’ve seen explaining those shock issue!! Soooooo how different is RockShox???

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! Very similar. If you can do one, you can do the other.

@justinwilson7568 3 жыл бұрын

Great review guy's and perfect timing as well. I have a 2022 Levo Expert that I just picked up. It has the X2 shock but my question to you is, do you know how many reducers the X2 comes with in the stock form? Mine feels good for mellow trails but for more aggressive riding, I'm going to need more bottom out resistance if I'm going to ride this bike to it's full potential.

@murray1961 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Drew.. just watching you pump and pump.. you need to try a Lezyne digital floor shock pump. I’m loving your vids.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

I will check it out. And thanks for watching!

@cheres79 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! Very helpful and informative. When can we expect to see a full review on the Gen 3 Levo Pro? The video I saw from you seemed more introductory right? Or did I miss something?

@TheLoamWolf 2 жыл бұрын

Yes it was introductory and we've got well over a thousand miles on the bike now. Since so many people really want to know about motor/electronic improvements, we want to put some major miles on this bike before we report back. We still love it though.

@cheres79 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf a thousand miles wow! Can't wait to see your review. I always enjoy them and consider them the best reviews online. Hope it comes soon! I'm supposed to get my Levo Pro in September. But I'm worried about reliability since I'm on my 5th motor on my Gen 2 Levo 😱

@WildMidwest1 3 жыл бұрын

Add this video to the series by Kyle Warner and Doddy at GMBN Tech and I am starting to understand a little about suspension. Each video adds strategies that the others are missing. It’s a difficult topic to cover. Great job Drew!

@brandonreimer184 3 жыл бұрын

If you wanna get deep into it check out vorsprung suspension.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much David, glad you enjoyed it and honored to be among those other vids.

@WildMidwest1 3 жыл бұрын

@@brandonreimer184 That sure is deeper... enough to spend days / weeks / months learning.

@topspot4834 2 жыл бұрын

You guys should have more subs. I'd been critical of your channel in a few videos from 2020, but you guys really stepped up your game, especially the second half of 2021. We've noticed!

@marcinbalcer1772 7 ай бұрын

Volume reducers are not only for bottoming but also for dampening your fork and air shock making it more planted. More tokens means lower pressure and dampened suspension which leads to smoother, faster and controllable ride

@ericsn6158 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent vid! Which 7:00 shock pump make and model are you using?

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

It's a Fox digital pump. We like it!

@cheres79 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf will this pump work on all brands? I read somewhere that it wasn't working on rockshox 🤔

@Bianchiboy 3 жыл бұрын

I’m running a Cane Creek DB air rear shock…best thing I ever did was stick a volume reducer in it. Back end of the bike feels way more controlled and doesn’t wallow in its sag any more

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome to hear that and stoked you got your set up dialed.

@mechanicboimtb5775 2 жыл бұрын

What are your thoughts of Ramp control cartridge by MRP?

@fullpullmtb 3 жыл бұрын

Gimme all the reducers

@SeanKWhite-lk5zf 3 жыл бұрын

The Runt is the best of both worlds

@kevinnascimento8824 Жыл бұрын

helou nice vedeo! I have a fox 38 grip2 and i cant find de torque tightening specifications! can you help me?

@TonyDL Жыл бұрын

Great info here on Volume Reducers! In your review of the Norco Fluid VLT A1, you mentioned that "volume reducers do wonders and helped turn this modest bike into the most surprising bike in the lineup". But the Norco bike has a Rockshox 35 Silver R which is "spring" only, no air. So how do you use these spacers with springs and where do you get them? Many thanks!

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Thank you. The Fluid model we had, used an air spring not coil. So it will not work the same.

@TonyDL Жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf thanks for clarifying! 👍🏼

@brucehumphries6889 8 ай бұрын

What if you’re a smaller rider and riding a bigger bike on XC trails? I know, ride the best bike for the job, but I have a Stumpjumper EvO, but ride East Coast roots more than anything. I’ve taken the reducer out of the Fox36 and I still can’t get the bike to feel good over the spider web of roots. I pedal a lot and don’t do drops or jumps.

@rickelliott7653 2 жыл бұрын

Great content. I have a quick question. I’m a big guy (275) riding a full suspension with a rear travel of 115 and 130 up front. My current shock is a Fox DPS that has a .8 VS installed from the factory. I have rarely bottomed out but am using A LOT of my travel. The next size spacer is only a .95. I’m wondering if that is even going to be noticeable from the .8? Could I use more than one spacer or does Fox make a larger spacer than a .95? Keep up the great work.

@TheLoamWolf 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely give that .95 a try so long as your air pressure and shock are within Fox’s approval range. You will notice a difference, may not be night and day but definitely will

@rickelliott7653 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf definitely a difference after adding that .95. Thanks

@tonygreco9672 11 ай бұрын

Great video, I'm currently riding a 2022 levo comp alloy with a fox 36 rhythm. I'm 200lbs and running no volume spacers. What would you recommend. Thanks for your input!!

@TheLoamWolf 11 ай бұрын

Right on thanks Tony. Without knowing your terrain, riding level and what "issues" you're trying improve, it's tough to say but we'd guess that 2 would be a good place? Do 2 and then ask "Better or worse?" and focus on areas of the trail and ride quality. If it's better, you can evaluate trying three, if better in some and worse in others, try going to 1. Hope that helps.

@jeffgriffin1875 3 жыл бұрын

After changing from a .4 volume reducer to a .8 in my Fox DPS shock, should I be adjusting my rebound to compensate for the larger spacer?

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

You shouldn't need to make a ton of adjustments to rebound, but if you end up finding that it's helping your end of stroke and bottom out resistance, but you're now feeling a bit rougher off the top, you may want to open compression, or drop 5PSI and try that.

@steffenlee2960 Жыл бұрын

My Fox38 has 3 tokens from the factory but I'm considering to REMOVE one. I seem to need lots of pressure (115psi) to get midstroke support and anti-dive but now cannot near bottoming out. So removing a token should provide more linearity right? For context I'm 200lbs and the LSC is fairly open because any more makes the front feel dead and heavy.

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Yes you got it! If your sag is correct and both compression circuits aren’t fully closed, sounds like they’re not, then the progressivity of 3 could be too much.

@keystonerider1308 3 жыл бұрын

Yeti sb130lr fox 36 performance (110 psi) in front with one spacer and dpx2 rear (265 psi). Both feel very stiff and wayy too much pressure. Could I add a few spacers to both and be safe dropping pressure down some?

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Yes that's exactly the benefit of reducers! Try adding 2

@dannyalvarez1 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Alpha Wolf.!!!! what stand is that .???

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Yo! It's a Feedback Sports stand. Use LOAMWOLF15 and cross your fingers for a discount. www.competitivecyclist.com/feedback-sports-pro-elite-bicycle-repair-stand?s=a

@blangeleven Жыл бұрын

Lol the part where he's pumping up his fork and it cuts to trail riding with the dramatic music had me laughing. Pump pump pump...shredding...pump pump pump...

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Haha. Glad you got a laugh out of it!

@teephud369 Жыл бұрын

How many volume spacers do you have in the X2 on your Levo? Do they limit full travel? I've been running 2, tried 3 for a bit but thought it was limiting full travel. So went back to 2, and ran a bit more pressure. Just blew my shock, now I gotta send it back to fox...

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Honestly the amount depends on which bike we're on as different suspension platforms and bikes exert different loads. It sounds like you are right between the two. Perhaps try 3 with slightly lowering the air pressure or opening up the compression a couple clicks? Then possibly try 2 with normal air but add a click or two of compression damping. Sorry to hear about the shock, we've also blown a couple this year and have heard there may be some issues and we're hoping to find out exactly what...

@drlling8566 3 жыл бұрын

If you add a spacer do you reduce pressure? For instance if your running 90 psi with 2 spacers with 3 would you go down to 85 or no?

@vidwiz12345 Жыл бұрын

pretty sure the answer is no

@ioannisparaskevopoulos1120 3 жыл бұрын

Very informative video! What If, instead of adding additional volume reducers, just put more air (100psi in the fork-240psi in the shock)? Keep up the good work!

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. What we tried to explain in the video, if you just add more air, you will not have great traction or small bump sensitivity because the entire stroke of travel will be much stiffer! You only want to increase progression at the end of travel, but maintain small bump sensitivity and supple feel for traction and chattery trails!

@ioannisparaskevopoulos1120 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf Thank you, I thought putting more air would work as a quick fix to avoid the procedure of the spacers, however it doesn’t work like this. 👍

@Justforfun-ek7et Жыл бұрын

Where do I pick up these volume reducers? I never got any from the bike shop that put mine together, I ordered the bike from specialized and a local shop built it. Either way, I took my bike to my local bike park and bottomed out more than a few times on some jumps and drops. For the most part I had to adjust my riding style to prevent bottoming out. I’m on a specialized stump jumper comp alloy. With the Fox 34 Rhythm 140mm travel fork, and a Fox float DPS EVOL trail. Any suggestions are welcome. I’m not a professional or wanna be pro, but I enjoy riding and having the bike as functional as it can be.

@Justforfun-ek7et Жыл бұрын

Forgot to mention I’m 5’11” and 197 pounds. About 205-209 with jersey shoes and gear and 1 liter of water.

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Fox and all brands ship forks with volume reducers. Usually bikes come with them too, but not a common thing for rear shocks to come with them. At your weight and the travel of bike you will definitely benefit and have a lot more usable travel and fun with a few reducers installed. Any reputable bike shop should have a stack of these in the back. If not, Fox sells them directly as well or you could go to competitivecyclist.con and use LOAMWOLF15 for 15% off.

@Justforfun-ek7et Жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf fantastic, thanks for the input.

@mikenimmick3920 3 жыл бұрын

Just a general question...Is it OK to use an air compressor instead of a manual pump for airing up the fork and shock? If it is ok, should you air up at a lower psi (ie...20 psi, then 50 psi then 90 psi) and gradually add pressure or just add the 80-100 psi with one shot? My main concern would be blowing the seals out by using the compressor at high psi with one shot. Hopefully this makes sense.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Mike, No that will not work, much like a tire pump won't work well on suspension products. The reason is that shock pumps are very high pressure low volume pumps. so each stroke only shoots a small amount of air but at a high PSI. It's annoying, but that's the way it is for now...

@mikenimmick3920 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf Got it...Looks like I'm buying a suspension pump. TY for the quick reply.

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

@@mikenimmick3920 Yeah you got it! You may try a local bike shop as just about every dual suspension bike comes with a shock pump, and sometimes people don't need another or they forget 'em and you may be able to get a free one, or trade 'em for a burrito! Win win!

@davidkline4372 3 жыл бұрын

What does "ramp up" mean exactly? It doesn't help me when this jargon is not explained in layman's terms. I can guess from the context that you mean it gets harder to bottom out the suspension as it gets closer to its maximum travel and/or the suspension compression feels stiffer as it reaches the maximum travel. Is this right or wrong?

@TheLoamWolf 3 жыл бұрын

Hey David, Sorry we do try and eliminate as much of the insider jargon as possible and assume people are coming into these videos without much experience. Ramp up is exactly what you guessed. It is an increase in resistance as you push through the travel. The travel progressively gets stiffer, and "ramps up" towards end of stroke. Hope that helps!

@MTBTrailRider 3 жыл бұрын

Do volume spacers effect you setting up sag? If my fork comes with volume spacers installed, do i need to remove them first to set up sag and write down that PSI? THEN start installing the volume spacers to get the desired effect?

@brandonreimer184 3 жыл бұрын

Reset sag, rebound, and compression with the spacers installed. Record things so it's easy to switch between volume spacers and not have to start from scratch. You may find that you want to add or remove spacers for different riding areas. ie. Trails I run 1 or 2. Jump parks 2 or 3.

@marklouieadame Жыл бұрын

I find 3 volume reducer too harsh for a regular trail riding i use compression and rebound speed. Compression helps slowdown on down and slow going up. So it will be plush but not harsh at all.

@TheLoamWolf Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. If this video does anything we hope it encourages people to try their own tuning and see what works best for the riding style, weight and terrain. There isn’t one “right” setup. Only what’s best for you.

@marklouieadame Жыл бұрын

@@TheLoamWolf true thats why fox and rockshox made a smart suspension that can autoadjust based on terrain. My riding style is even out small to mid bumps and can still absorb drops. Thats why coil is coming back because they added superior dampening

@relaxn79 3 жыл бұрын

If I'm not using full travel should I just reduce pressure. Probably only using 80% travel max. Ever. I don't send it enough. 😪 lyrik ultimate 150 travel.

@Alan-75 Жыл бұрын

I cut a token in half, now running 2.5