Learning about suspension...

CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268
Edited Date/Time 7/31/2013 3:02pm
Alright so I realized how little I knew about how suspension really worked...and I have been riding for 15 years and ride Intermediate...sad I know.

Anyways, I had a few questions...

1. Does all motocross suspension contain a shim stack on top and bottom of the piston or do some use something different?

2. The valve is different from the piston right? So say you get a Gold Valve from Race Tech...that would sit on top of the piston and is a separate item from the piston?
|
bvm111
Profile picture for user bvm111
Posts
10185
Joined
7/1/2008
Location
Las Vegas, NV, USA
bvm111 7/23/2013 12:06am
7/23/2013 12:06am
Nope the gold valve is the piston, the valve or shim stacks go on either side of the piston. The piston controls the volume of oil and the shim or valve stack meters the flow controlling rebound and compression.

I highly recommend the gold valves if you want to learn how to do it yourself, you will be amazed at how easy it really is!
VET176
Profile picture for user VET176
Posts
1358
Joined
5/13/2011
Location
Brisbane, AU
VET176 7/23/2013 12:15am
7/23/2013 12:15am
How dare you start a non Alessi thread. Tongue
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/23/2013 12:37am
7/23/2013 12:37am
VET176 wrote:
How dare you start a non Alessi thread. Tongue
haha I have read enough about it today!
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/23/2013 12:39am
7/23/2013 12:39am
bvm111 wrote:
Nope the gold valve is the piston, the valve or shim stacks go on either side of the piston. The piston controls the volume of oil...
Nope the gold valve is the piston, the valve or shim stacks go on either side of the piston. The piston controls the volume of oil and the shim or valve stack meters the flow controlling rebound and compression.

I highly recommend the gold valves if you want to learn how to do it yourself, you will be amazed at how easy it really is!
Okay that is what I figured! I found this site that explained all about moto suspension...I have a pretty damn good understanding of it now which is cool! Not sure if I would want to tear my own suspension apart but I bet it wouldn't be too bad. I may get that Race Tech book on suspension. Seems like the shock is more complicated. Do people typically reshim when they get the gold valve?

The Shop

See All »
moto726
Profile picture for user moto726
Posts
378
Joined
1/5/2011
Location
Twin Falls, ID, USA
moto726 7/23/2013 6:40am
7/23/2013 6:40am
CC268 wrote:
Okay that is what I figured! I found this site that explained all about moto suspension...I have a pretty damn good understanding of it now which...
Okay that is what I figured! I found this site that explained all about moto suspension...I have a pretty damn good understanding of it now which is cool! Not sure if I would want to tear my own suspension apart but I bet it wouldn't be too bad. I may get that Race Tech book on suspension. Seems like the shock is more complicated. Do people typically reshim when they get the gold valve?
Don't be scared to tear your suspension apart, it's easier than you think...I can't believe I've been dumping money into my local shop to have my bike for 3 days and charge over a 100 bucks to do my fork seals when I bought the tools and Did it myself for a quarter of the price!
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/23/2013 11:34am
7/23/2013 11:34am
Yea I guess that is true....I bet the fork seals are the hardest part of the whole thing haha...I hear they can be a pain in the ass
moto726
Profile picture for user moto726
Posts
378
Joined
1/5/2011
Location
Twin Falls, ID, USA
moto726 7/23/2013 12:26pm
7/23/2013 12:26pm
They can be a pain in the ass, but if you take your time on the first fork and do things slow it will be super easy on the other one, doing my second fork only took me 20 minutes
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/23/2013 1:20pm
7/23/2013 1:20pm
Yea I would probably get one of those new motion pro seal drivers...what "special" tools do you need for the forks and shock anyways?
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/23/2013 1:32pm
7/23/2013 1:32pm
I went ahead and bought the Racetech Suspension Bible
BAMX
Profile picture for user BAMX
Posts
2904
Joined
1/22/2012
Location
Fallbrook, CA, USA
BAMX 7/23/2013 5:45pm
7/23/2013 5:45pm
CC268 wrote:
I went ahead and bought the Racetech Suspension Bible
It is a great book. Get the proper seal driver, you will thank me later.
xnationalwrench 7/24/2013 5:50am
7/24/2013 5:50am Edited Date/Time 7/24/2013 5:51am
Now you need to get some seat time so you can learn what the settings feel like, when your out practicing change up the different settings (1 adjustment at a time) so you know what too much sag feels like or the difference of a click on the shock feels like. One thing, perfect se setting. a practice track doesn't always match race day
TX24
Profile picture for user TX24
Posts
2767
Joined
5/7/2010
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
TX24 7/24/2013 12:02pm
7/24/2013 12:02pm
Forks are a little easier than shocks. With forks you also should have a fork cap wrench or you can really mess up the caps.

On a shock you have be careful when removing the nut on the shock shaft to change the shims or replace the seal. If you not, you can ruin the shock shaft. Their are numerous utubes that can give you an idea what it takes on both.
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/24/2013 12:30pm
7/24/2013 12:30pm
xnationalwrench wrote:
Now you need to get some seat time so you can learn what the settings feel like, when your out practicing change up the different settings...
Now you need to get some seat time so you can learn what the settings feel like, when your out practicing change up the different settings (1 adjustment at a time) so you know what too much sag feels like or the difference of a click on the shock feels like. One thing, perfect se setting. a practice track doesn't always match race day
Oh I definitely know those things haha
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/24/2013 12:30pm
7/24/2013 12:30pm
TX24 wrote:
Forks are a little easier than shocks. With forks you also should have a fork cap wrench or you can really mess up the caps. On...
Forks are a little easier than shocks. With forks you also should have a fork cap wrench or you can really mess up the caps.

On a shock you have be careful when removing the nut on the shock shaft to change the shims or replace the seal. If you not, you can ruin the shock shaft. Their are numerous utubes that can give you an idea what it takes on both.
Alright so if I ever took my suspension apart I would want to get a seal driver, and a fork cap wrench
moto726
Profile picture for user moto726
Posts
378
Joined
1/5/2011
Location
Twin Falls, ID, USA
moto726 7/24/2013 4:42pm
7/24/2013 4:42pm
CC268 wrote:
Yea I would probably get one of those new motion pro seal drivers...what "special" tools do you need for the forks and shock anyways?
What I have is a fork bullet( so you don't damage the seals when you put them on) a cartridge holding tool, fork cap wrench and a fork seal driver...minus a ratchet a few sockets and a wrench that's really all you need to change your seals
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/24/2013 11:07pm
7/24/2013 11:07pm
CC268 wrote:
Yea I would probably get one of those new motion pro seal drivers...what "special" tools do you need for the forks and shock anyways?
moto726 wrote:
What I have is a fork bullet( so you don't damage the seals when you put them on) a cartridge holding tool, fork cap wrench and...
What I have is a fork bullet( so you don't damage the seals when you put them on) a cartridge holding tool, fork cap wrench and a fork seal driver...minus a ratchet a few sockets and a wrench that's really all you need to change your seals
So that is everything you would need basically to say install RT Gold Valves and replace worn parts, etc?
moto726
Profile picture for user moto726
Posts
378
Joined
1/5/2011
Location
Twin Falls, ID, USA
moto726 7/25/2013 8:37am
7/25/2013 8:37am
CC268 wrote:
So that is everything you would need basically to say install RT Gold Valves and replace worn parts, etc?
Yes sir, unless you need to buy new bushings or anything like that, but to pull your forks apart that's all you need
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/25/2013 1:51pm
7/25/2013 1:51pm
Thanks!

Pit Row

See All »
TX24
Profile picture for user TX24
Posts
2767
Joined
5/7/2010
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
TX24 7/26/2013 1:48pm
7/26/2013 1:48pm
You'll want to watch some videos, you can't just take the cap off the top and get on it. Most people don't do their own shocks.
Riesenberg448 7/28/2013 7:51pm
7/28/2013 7:51pm
First off, here are fork and shock install videos. A bit dated, but a majority of it still applies.

Dirt Fork Installation
Dirt Shock Installation

Second, if you go for it and have any questions, Race Tech has a tech support line setup to help walk you through your questions or to double check that you are doing it correctly.

And finally, if you want to order the Suspension Bible or a Gold Valve kit or tools from Race Tech, shoot me a quick email to chris@racetech.com and I'd be more than happy to get you setup with the VitalMX discount.
CC268
Profile picture for user CC268
Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2013
Location
Surprise, AZ, USA
CC268 7/31/2013 3:02pm
7/31/2013 3:02pm
Riesenberg448 wrote:
First off, here are fork and shock install videos. A bit dated, but a majority of it still applies. [url=http://www.racetech.com/page/id/136]Dirt Fork Installation[/url] [url=http://www.racetech.com/page/id/138]Dirt Shock Installation[/url] Second...
First off, here are fork and shock install videos. A bit dated, but a majority of it still applies.

Dirt Fork Installation
Dirt Shock Installation

Second, if you go for it and have any questions, Race Tech has a tech support line setup to help walk you through your questions or to double check that you are doing it correctly.

And finally, if you want to order the Suspension Bible or a Gold Valve kit or tools from Race Tech, shoot me a quick email to chris@racetech.com and I'd be more than happy to get you setup with the VitalMX discount.
Thanks! I will. My friend is very good with suspension so if I did it I would probably do it with him

Post a reply to: Learning about suspension...