Suspension setup, stetting the sag

Of all the mechanical things that people “mod” on an ATV, suspension is one that seems to be the most intimidating.  It seems to me that most riders I meet are afraid to mess with all those funky clickety screw thingys and rings with teeth on them.  I cringe anytime I see an obviously over or under sprung machine improperly setup for the rider.  Improper setup can in some cases make the ATV down right dangerous to ride.  If they only knew how much better/faster the ATV will ride and handle after proper setup.  It is almost like they think they will “mess it up” or break the machine, which is far from what will happen, so they just ride it thinking the current setup is the best it can be.   It is possible to “mess it up” without some basic knowledge of where to start.

 

First off the owners manual (and certainly the service manual) will have a section on the suspension specific to your machine.  It will identify each adjustment and where  it is located.  If it is a “race” machine it may even have a brief section explaining basically what each adjustment will do along with a very brief section on what adjustments to make for certain conditions.  I will add that what instructions or “tips” they do give in the manual are very vague even for me (although I am no suspension guru but I know how forks and shocks work as well as how the adjustments affect handling)  That is why in this article I will go through the first and most important step in setting up and adjusting your suspension, Setting the sag.

Tools needed:

Tape measure (preferably with metric markings)

Spanner wrench for your shock adjuster ring(s) or substitute a hammer and long punch, rod or screwdriver (more on this later)

Permanent marker

Pen and Paper

A friend to help

All your normal gear you wear while riding including any bags, racks, or other accessories that you take with on the ATV.

The idea of setting the sag is so when your riding your using all the suspension travel of the machine.  In doing so, the machine will handle and ride to the best of its designed abilities.  The procedure works for link-aged, link-less and IRS (with some variations to the process).  Most modern machines have about 10 inches~(254mm) of travel in the rear (give or take), the ultimate goal is to set the preload of the shock(s) springs so when the machine is under load (fully laden with rider and gear) the machine is using about 33% of the total travel.  In the case of  a machine that has 10 inches~(254mm) the sag should be set at about 3 3/8 inches~(84mm).

Step 1: Determine what your total suspension travel is for your machine.  This can usually be found on the INTERNET, service manual, owners manual, and sometimes the sales brochures.  Multiply the total listed travel of the suspension (rear) by .33 (33%) this will give you the approximate measurement for the sag you will want to achieve.  Write this down on a piece of paper for later.  This is where using metric units becomes easier and more accurate.

Step2:  With the ATV on a flat level surface (concrete floor).  Lift the rear end of the ATV off the ground and gently set it back on the ground.  The ATV should sag slightly under its own weight.  If it doesn’t this is an initial sign that the preload is set too tight or the spring is too stiff for the machine.  Unladen sag should be around 1/2 inch~(15 mm).

Step3:  Without disturbing the machine, measure from the floor to somewhere on the sub-frame.  A good place is on the grab bar.  Make a mark with a magic marker where you took your measurement as this is where all your subsequent measurements will be taken.  The actual location is some what irrelevant as long as you measure in the same place each time.  For better accuracy the tape measure should be as perpendicular to the floor as possible.  Write this down on the piece of paper.

Step4:  Gear up with all your gear you normally wear or take with you while riding your ATV.  This includes any bags, hydration packs, or racks.  Also it is best to have at least 1/2 tank of fuel.  Gently get on the machine trying not to bounce the suspension.  Sit in your normal riding position.  Have your helper measure from the floor to the mark you made previously and write down the measurement on the paper.

Step5:  Now subtract the laden measurement from the unladen measurement (Step3 – Step4 = current sag).  This gives you the current sag.  Write this number down on the paper.  If this number is the same or very close to the ideal sag number you calculated in step 1 you are done and the sag for you on your machine is correct, if not continue to step 6.

Step6:  In step 5 you determined if you had too much sag or too little sag.  To adjust the springs preload either stiffer or looser depends slightly on the type of preload adjustment your shock has.  It is best to use the proper spanner wrench for the adjuster and locking ring, but if neither is available a hammer and long punch or screwdriver can work if you are careful.  Be sure to drive squarely on the “ears” of the adjuster rings.  Tighten or loosen the ring and repeat Step 4 and Step 5 until you achieve the proper measurement.  When you are all finished be sure to tighten the locking ring (screw type) before riding.

 

With the step type adjuster (found on most inexpensive and low performance machines) it may not be possible to get the adjustment spot on.  Also if you find yourself adjusting the spring all the way tight or all the way loose, in both cases this indicates you need to change the spring to the next softer or harder spring to achieve the correct sag,  Most modern screw type adjustable shocks have enough adjustment unless you weight less than 150#’s or more than 230#.

The procedure is essentially the same for IRS machines as well as the the front suspension on all ATV’s.  The only real difference is you have two shocks to adjust and they must be adjusted the same.

Now with your sag set up properly for your weight it should ride and handle much better and now you can go the next more complicated (and sometimes subjective) process of adjusting the “clickers” for the  damping, but we will save that for another day.

 

Pro Rider Fitness Secrets Revealed

 Most of us have seen top-level racers in action.  For those of you that haven’t, it’s amazing to witness how long and fast these men and women can lay down the rubber.  To do that, they have to be SUPER FIT!  Tons of riding is an important ingredient for racer success at the top pro ranks but that is no longer enough.  To stay competitive these days, racers have to exercise intensely.  So what do these mighty riders do off-the-quad to get and stay at the top of their game?  I thought you’d like to know, and I had the pleasure to quiz some of the top guns to discover their secrets.   Apologies to several great riders that I wasn’t able to connect with for this article.

Dustin Wimmer

Q. Hours a day spent exercising on average?

A. I guess about 3 hours.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Ya, 2 hrs worth.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. I’m doing more training and more cross-training.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Running stadium stairs.

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Mountain & road bicycling, sport boating with my dad, golf, RC airplanes, boats, & cars.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. Rarely.

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. 9hrs.

 

Chris Borich

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. 1 hr plus.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. I lift weights but not often.  I train the same all year long.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. Yah, I’ve had to do more of it because it’s (racing) a job.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Not really, I run and mountain bike.

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Boating, Tubing, paintball.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. Yes, I can eat what ever.

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. 8+ hrs.

 

Joe ( The Professor) Byrd 

 
Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. I have different programs for training, and each one takes different times.  I workout off the bike several hours a week.  I don’t want to get too specific on that question because I don’t want to pass out my whole training program. Ha Ha.

Q.  Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. I use weights in the off-season, only some during the season.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. The more I have learned my body, the more I need to change my program.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Running with my dogs.

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. I like extreme sports like snow x, skydiving, SX, sand rails, roller coasters, bungee jumping…  (We think Joe likes to go fast!!)

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. I don’t eat junk food unless I win and that’s my Monday treat. ha ha.

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. I usually get 9hrs every night.

Joe asked to include his sponsors: Honda, IMS, Fly, Dunlap, Hardkor, Axis, Outerwears, Alpine, DWT, Uni, Walsh, Percision, TireBalls, DASA, Hinson, Scott, Streamline brakes, Scott, Quadteck, Works Connection, Web Cam, Power Madd, quadsouth films.

  

Harold Goodman 

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. I do about 2 hrs a day off-season, no training during racing season.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Yes.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. Back in the 90s I didn’t have to train, now I do cardio, and light weights for high reps (25+).

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Parachute Running for 30 minutes, and running without too.                    

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Hunting.

 Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. Yes.

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. 7.5-8 hrs.

Additional comment: Harold says that he uses an oxygen inhalant supplement “Oxygen4energy” to improve energy and recovery.

 

 Adam McGil

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. 2-3 hrs.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Yes, mostly free weights with light dumbbells, also core work

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. Yes, more intensity and more running.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Bender Ball.  (I looked this up and it’s a small rubber ball used for core exercises)

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Fishing, hunting, Mountain bike and BMX riding.  Adam also mentioned that he likes long walks on the beach, poetry, and horseback riding.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. YES, anything with apples and cinnamon in it, apple pies, apple cake, any apple deserts, and Coldstone ice cream! (Adam got very excited as he talked about this) 

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. Eleven hrs.

Adams closing remarks – “don’t be discouraged when you first go to the fitness center because you’re not as strong or fit as others.”

 

Angela Butler

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. 3 hrs a day for five days.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Yes.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. I spend more time on cardio, and I learned what types of things (exercises) to focus more on.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Elliptical trainer.

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Softball fast and slow pitch, roller blade, snow boarding.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. “I love junk food!  Chips & dip are my favorite”.  Angela also said “You can’t ever not be in the mood for a Whopper & Fries!”

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. At least eight.  “I hate naps.”

 

(Digger) Doug Gust

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. 1 hr.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Off-season yes.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. I’ve decreased the running because it was hard on my knees, and I’ve increased my (time on) cardio machines.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Elliptical trainer.            

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Snowcross, riding dirt bikes MX (but not racing), basketball, water & snow skiing.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. yah, once in a while.

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. 8-9 hrs.

Additional comment: “A lot of it is staying focused.  If you want it in your heart, it’s easier to stay focused.”

Digger

 

Chad Wienen

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. I would say around 4hrs with gym exercises.  Along with around 2-3 hrs of riding and exercising on top of that out of the gym per day.    Around 5-6 days a week. In-season I tend to do less, around 5 hrs total of exercises per day…

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. I use both; just try to mix it up all the time to keep it interesting.  A ton of cardio.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. Well before 05 it basically changed from just riding to doing a lot of off track work that has paid off big dividends for me. Training has changed so much over the years.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. I would have to say running is my favorite.

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Football, Basketball, swimming, biking, paintball, pretty much anything to do outdoors.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A. Huh… Nope I haven’t for ooh about 4 or 5 years…

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. I would say on average 8 hrs. It is so important to get on a good sleeping schedule.

Additional comments: “For all of you up and coming riders reading this, I get asked all the time on what I do for workouts and training. The best advise I can give you is.  It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. So, if you were to do anything to get where you wanna be, and as long as it is productive and has a positive affect on your body it is good for you in some way.  But riding is the best thing for you. But It helps a lot to do the off track stuff.  Thanks and looking forward to the New Ride for the 09 Season and doin work!  Lata, Wienen”

 

John (Iron Man) Natalie 

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A.  Seven days a wk, usually about 20hrs /wk.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Yep both.

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. Its intensified three fold!

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Yah curls.  (John is taking care of the guns)               

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. Water, snow, and jet skiing, dirt bike and horseback riding.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A.  Not as much as I used to but I still cheat once in a while

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. Probably 7hrs.

Additional comment: yah for a racer, I’m on the bike 20hrs /week also, that’s a huge part of training. 

John

 

Josh Creamer 

Q. How many hours a day do you spend exercising on average?

A. 2hrs + 1hr calisthenics/Core, off-season & on-season.  I try not to do a lot of wt training in-season to prevent over-training.

Q. Do you use resistance/weight training as part of your routine?

A. Yes

Q. How has your training changed over the years?

A. Increased core training, hired personal trainers & nutritionist. Over time I’ve dropped a lot of stuff and just do the things that work for me.

Q. Favorite exercise?

A. Swimming.  

Q. Other sports you like to do?

A. I played soccer in the past but everything revolves around racing now.

Q. Do you eat junk food, i.e. burgers, fries, sodas…

A.  ah…occasionally, I watch my diet as much as possible.  French fries are my favorite but I can’t remember that last time I ate a hamburger.

Q. How much sleep do you get on average per night?

A. 7-8.

Additional comment: A lot of outsiders see us riding 4-wheelers and assume we are lucky, and don’t work hard.  But we do a lot of work behind the scenes.  This is not the sport it was 5yrs ago.  Fitness is better, the competition level is higher, and the equipment is better prepared because there are more factory jobs and younger guys (racers). 

Josh C

 

 

Chain drives, too tight, too loose???

Ever since the ATVs inception,  the chain drive (adapted from motorcycles) was and still is the most affordable, lightweight, most efficient and easily engineered type of final drive system.  Sure they get a bad rap for being maintenance hogs compared to other types of drive systems, but seriously how much time does it take to spray some lubricant on that chain every ride or so?  Well this article deal specifically about proper tension or tightness of the chain on your chain driven ATV.

Many people replace their chains prematurely because they have never had their chain in proper adjustment.  More often than not the chain is too tight causing undo stress on the chain, sprocket teeth, axle bearings and the counter shaft bearing and seal.  With proper adjustment you can extract the maximum life from all these components.

You can look in your owners or service manual for the proper amount of play, but real problem is where do you get that measurement and under what circumstances?  The manuals usually state that you take the measurement at the center of the chain up or down, but are generally ambiguous about if the ATV is on a stand or the ground under its own weight.  What follows is the procedure to find the proper measurement for YOUR specific machine, regardless what the manual says.

How the stated measurement in the manual is ascertained is the engineer measures the chains free play when the position of the swing arm, swing arm pivot and counter shaft make a straight line.  The chain will always be the tightest at this point in the arc that the axle moves.  The actual figure will always be between 1%-3% of the total length between the counter shaft and the center of the axle.

The following procedure will outline how to arrive at a measurement that you can use when the bike is on the ground under its own weight.

1. You must remove the shock to properly ascertain the proper adjustment stated above.  So while your at it now would be a good time to grease up those shock and suspension bearings and bushings.

2. With your machine on a stand or jack so the swing arm can be moved freely up and down.  Place another jack or blocks of wood under the swing arm until the axle, swing arm pivot and counter shaft line up in a straight line.

3. Measure the distance between the counter shaft and axle best you can.  Now if you were not asleep or wearing a dunce cap in math class, some simple math will be needed.  Take your measurement and multiply it by .02 (that is 2% in decimal form in case you slept through that too).  In the example above, 2% of 24″ (the distance between the two shafts) is .48″.  Dividing by 2 gives you the distance of the chain slack up or down, in our example .24″.

4. Adjust your chain adjuster on the axle (an eccentric on some machines) while having a straight edge on the chain long enough to span from the counter shaft sprocket to the rear sprocket.  Adjust until you have the measurement you came up with in step 3 in the center of the chain.  Tighten the axle nut or adjusters and recheck as things tend to move a bit when you tighten them up.

5.  Now that you have the proper tension set at the most taught spot in the suspension arc.  Replace the shock and put the machine on the ground.  Now your chain will be tensioned properly.  BUT WAIT!!! your not done!

6. To keep from having to remove the shock each time you want to check or adjust the chain, build yourself a GO/NO GO gage out of a block of wood.  Mark a position on the top of the swing arm where you will always take your measurement.  A good place is just at the end of the chain slider.

7. Measure the distance from the top of the swing arm to the underside of a link on the chain while holding the chain taught(up).

8.  Take a block of wood and make an “L” shaped notch that is the exact dimension you measured in step 7.

There you have it!  An easy way to check to see if you chain is out of adjustment without having to remove your shock every time.  And now you can rest assured that your chain and sprockets will last as long as possible.

Save your brain, Always wear a helmet

The inspiration for this article comes from an unfortunate incident over the July 4th holiday weekend that I hope to never witness again.  A man and woman were riding two up on a section of trail near the trail head parking area.  Apparently the driver lost control some how overturning the ATV throwing the riders.  Neither riders were wearing helmets.  Subsequently the driver suffered a massive head injury, an open skull fracture.  EMT’s tried to get the man stabilized as a Flight-for-Life helicopter was flown in to airlift the man to the nearest trauma center (in this case 65 miles away).  As of this writing the man ended up passing away even after a miraculous improvement in his condition upon reaching the hospital (according to press releases)  Official press releases can be found HERE and also HERE.  My sympathy goes out to the family.

It was a sobering fact reminding me why I always ride with a helmet.  It is true that a helmet can not prevent every conceivable situation that could cause a head injury, but it has been proved that a helmet will mitigate the severity of head injuries versus no helmet at all.  Would a helmet have saved his life in this situation?  Well hindsight is always 20/20 and you can always play “what if” but I believe it would have at the bare minimum left him with a survivable injury.  Even though a helmet probably would have saved his life, nobody ever wants to see a fellow rider go down this way.  In his death this should be a reminder for the rest of us to wear as much protective gear as reasonably possible to mitigate possible injuries while enjoying our favorite sport.  If your interested in reading about other protective gear read Getting Geared Up!

The most important organ in your body is your brain.  Protect it with an approved helmet.

Best ATV Hunting/Fishing Destinations

Our upcoming September issue of ATV Magazine (mails out July 14th, newsstands August 4th) is our annual hunting issue and it’s packed with great stories, including a hunting-type build project on our new camo Grizzly 550 with power steering.

Putting it together, we spent a lot of time thinking about the greatest ATV hunting and/or fishing destinations – where a quad is a part of the journey, and not just for driving across a parking lot.

We’ve done turkey hunting in Oklahoma, lots of deer hunting and the Sept. issue has a great feature on bear hunting in Canada. But, what’s the greatest ATV hunting or fishing trip you’ve been on? Or, do you have one you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t found the time for?

I’m hoping to put together a fly-fishing trip in western Montana (potentially at the posh Resort at Paws Up) with the president of St. Croix Rods, Paul Schluter. He’s an old friend, and it’s a great excuse to try some awesome, top-end rods, do some riding and learn more about fly fishing.

We’re always looking for our next destination. What’s your ultimate ATV hunting or fishing trip? Where would it be, and what would you hunt?

Back to the old stomping grounds

As this holiday weekend approaches a lot of us will be celebrating our freedom to vacation when and where we choose by traveling to that hallowed riding spot that we have some eternal connection with.  For many the reason may be because it is with in a 5 minute drive from the house, a scenic place with good camping or in my case its the place where I grew up riding that WAS less than a 5 minute drive from my house, now that has stretched out to a 6 hour drive.

The place I am talking about is in Harlan County Nebraska at a little place developed by the US Army Corp. of Engineers in the early 80’s.  My memories of this place start back when my dad raced a few hare scrambles put on by a local racer that organizes motocross races in the same area.  The place had nearly perfect terrain for a hare scramble.  The terrain had hills, trees, and mud.  The hare scrambles were always fun to watch, and maybe that was mostly because my dad was in it.  As a matter of fact my dad was always racing on the oldest bike there a 1974 Yamaha SC500. Remember this was in the 80’s!  After a few years of hare scrambles the place would be nearly defunct as in it would be only ridden by locals such as us.  Even big holiday weekends would turn out less than 10 or so riders for the entire weekend.  The trail was never maintained at all during the entire time period that we rode it. 

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