YFZ Shock Clearification/Question Help

[Danny T]

Ok so in general does raising the pre load (fully unscrewed shock at its highest position) mean you are LESS prone to bottoming out and a WORSE Ride?

Meaning compressing the preload (say half an inch) lower then fully extended would mean possibly bottoming out but a more comfortable stable ride?

I want to be MOST STABLE. The highest i will ever jump is 4 feet if that.

Any and all help appreciated

FYI i got YFZ Shocks ALREADY for a good price just to try (if i don't feel they helped i will get some 07 or 08SE). And some plus 2 arms. All to make my ride more stable handle & Handle better.

PS. Im riding stock 06 pogo sticks. Might as well put struts in their place!

[Mad Dog]

Preload is the spring tension you put on the shock when not under load.  More preload (more compression of the the spring) is used as weight or leverage increases.  More gives you a stiffer ride but leaves you with less travel to work with.  Less will give you a softer ride and more travel left.

Many shock companies will sell you a set of zero-preload shocks or set yours up for it, leaving you with a lower ride height and a more plush ride.


I have a lot of preload in mine because they are still OEM valved for the yfz but I'm using them with wider a-arms, a larger rider, and a heavier machine.  Without this preload I'd be bottoming out more often.

[Danny T]

Preload is the spring tension you put on the shock when not under load.  More preload (more compression of the the spring) is used as weight or leverage increases.  More gives you a stiffer ride but leaves you with less travel to work with.  Less will give you a softer ride and more travel left.

Many shock companies will sell you a set of zero-preload shocks or set yours up for it, leaving you with a lower ride height and a more plush ride.


I have a lot of preload in mine because they are still OEM valved for the yfz but I'm using them with wider a-arms, a larger rider, and a heavier machine.  Without this preload I'd be bottoming out more often.

So to clearify you have lots of preload (shock compressed more than normal) to compensate for extra weight/long a-arms, making your ride more stiff but not bottoming out. If you didn't jump, would you change your preload to less making for a more comfortable ride?

[Mad Dog]

Don't jump, just need the preload to overcome those factors.  Ideally if you can reduce preload just enough so you don't bottom out you'll have the softest ride.  The lower the better in your situation (less spring compression)

[Danny T]

thanks for the help. can't wait to get everything installed and feel the difference. going to measure how much it dropped by adding yfz shocks and +2 a arms and post it up

[Oilfield_Mafia]

So How much was the drop? I have a good line on a great deal on some YFZ shocks.. but I dont want to be lowered too much. I need SOME ground clearance for where I ride..  Did the shocks drop you more than an inch from the stock pogo sticks?

[wastednuts]

[Oilfield_Mafia]

They look all the same length.. So I assume there was no drop in ride height by just changing the shocks from pogos to YFZ's?

[wastednuts]

about 1/2 inch

[Krandall]

They look all the same length.. So I assume there was no drop in ride height by just changing the shocks from pogos to YFZ's?

pre weight they are the same length. where the YFZ ones fail, is notice the top of their spring, tightly coiled vs the pogo's pretty spaced coils all they way up.. that means the pogo's have more spring force to keep the weight up vs sagging.

when i put YFZ's on mine, I lost about 1-1.5 inches of travel.

[wastednuts]

depends on your weight too and yes to the travel but still a lot better than the pogos are

[Krandall]

depends on your weight too and yes to the travel but still a lot better than the pogos are

Mine sat 1-1.5 inches lower w/ no weight on it...... 

[wastednuts]

ok mine does not its the preload of the shocks

[wastednuts]

there is a bunch of ways to measure your front end i have both shocks here ill take pics if needed and as of travel sounds about right i weigh about 205 lb do you get what I'm saying

[Krandall]

ok mine does not its the preload of the shocks

Changing the preload on the shocks can make the ride sit higher yes. but then your' changing the dynamics of the shocks... I'd rather run correct settings on the shocks for my riding vs. making it sit like it should. just my opinion.