Shock Therapy

There are many very good ATVs and Side x Sides on the market today, and they truly are amazing vehicles, capable of taking us through some of the toughest terrain on the planet. With a little experimenting and adjustment, they can be made even better. One of the areas where the largest improvements can be made and immediately felt is with the suspension, but sadly, many riders overlook any suspension changes until after they’ve installed an aftermarket exhaust, air intake, or a larger set of tires and wheels. While engine modifications and larger tires can make a difference, we’ve always believed that the most important and easiest improvement you can make to your ride is to properly set up the suspension for where and how you ride. After all, if you’re bouncing down the trail and swapping through the whoops, more power is the last thing you need, and will only make you more out of control.

Most suspension designs on ATVs and Side by Sides today are rather similar, and they almost always control the ride through the use of a standard shock absorber with a coil spring on the outside. Even on bare bones units, there is usually some adjustability, while top-of-the-line racing models offer compression and rebound adjustment, and can be fine tuned even further. All you need to adjust your shocks is a little knowledge, and for that we went to Elka Suspension. Elka has been building high end aftermarket shocks for many years, and Jeff Horton was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on how to set up the stock suspension, and what to look for in an aftermarket upgrade.This shock features compressed air as a means to control the ride. Just as with an oil dampened system, the pressure is regulated as it passes through an orifice inside the shock.

ATVI: Thanks for helping us with our suspension setup Jeff. When a rider comes home with a new ATV or Side x Side, what would you recommend they do first to their suspension?

That depends on the model and which adjustments the OE shocks may offer, if any. Most of the utility ATVs and UTVs only offer spring preload adjustment, so you’re a little limited on what you can change. On those style shocks, it’s really a matter of compromise. By that I mean that if you want to increase the stiffness of the shock, your only option is to add preload which in turn will raise the ride height of the vehicle..

On most sport quads, and some of the Side x Sides, it’s a little easier to make adjustments because they have compression, rebound, and preload adjustments. John, the biggest mistake that I see people make is that they’re afraid to make adjustment to their suspension. I encourage everyone that I work with to get a notebook and write down where all of the adjustments are on their shocks and then start with one adjustment at a time… Let’s take compression for example, turn it all the way to the softest setting and then go out and ride, and then set it at the middle of the adjustment range and go out and ride again, and then turn it to the stiffest setting and repeat. Same process applies for the rebound adjustment. Just remember that when you make these adjustments that it will have a major impact on how the quad handles, so take it easy until you learn what feels best to you!! This not only gives you a much better understanding of how each adjustment changes the handling of your quad, but it will teach you to learn how to tune the machine to fit your riding style and personal preferences.

ATVI: Since what happens on one end of the vehicle affects how the other end reacts as well, do you have them work on both ends as a package?

These WORKS shocks feature 3 coils springs of varying strength to help control ride height, and in our 700XX test they worked excellent! Most of the work is done by oil passing through the internal passages or valves. Remember that over extended time the oil will break down, and it will be important to change it.

Definitely, without a doubt!!.....and like you said, what you do on the front can definitely have an impact on the rear and vice versa. You have to look at your suspension as a package because that’s exactly what it is. You can have the best front suspension setup on the planet, but if the rear shock isn’t up to par, you’re not going to be able to fully take advantage of it.

ATVI: Can stock shocks be reworked, and what are the pitfalls of doing that?

There are several companies that will rework your stock shocks, but to what extent depends on which models you’re talking about. Many of the sport ATVs and UTVs today come with a much higher quality shock compared to sport models of the past, and some companies have been successful at improving the performance of those shocks considerably. However, it’s very hard to beat the performance of a top end aftermarket shock, compared to reworked OE units in most cases.

ATVI: What are the biggest advantages of aftermarket shocks?

Concerning OE shocks, you have to remember that the factory has to set up the shocks to handle a very wide range of riders, whether you’re 100 pounds or 400 pounds, beginner level to pro level, and needless to say that’s a very difficult task. With most of the aftermarket shock companies, you should expect a more personalized setup given your particular a-arm and swingarm combination, rider weight, riding abilities and the type of riding that you do, be it MX, XC or just general trail riding. Also the materials used in manufacturing are of much higher quality compared to most OE units, and the level of adjustability should improve dramatically as well.

ATVI: We see the term “Long Travel” a lot, but is it really longer suspension travel, or just a shock with a longer stroke? Either way the ball joints in the suspension have a definite limit does it not?

Here is the internal valve stack. They look like washers but they are usually much thinner, precision ground, and they flex under oil pressure. By adjusting the valve stack the shock can be dialed in for your weight and ride style.

You’re right, it’s a popular overused term in our industry, and in many cases I think it’s misleading, but not always. If we’re talking about stock a-arms, swingarms, and linkages, then yes, you’re only going to be able to increase travel over the stock shock by so much because of the limitations you just mentioned.
However, the aftermarket a-arm, swingarm, and linkage manufactures combined with the shock companies have been able to resolve most of those limitations and in most cases have achieved more usable travel.

ATVI: Are there different levels of aftermarket shocks? Not everyone is a racer, and most guys just want a better ride whether it’s for the dunes, or on a Side x Side they use for work or to get back and forth to deer camp.

Absolutely, and using Elka as an example, we have shocks to fill almost any application on almost any machine, with different levels of options and adjustments. It’s important that we talk with the customer to get a full understanding of their needs and provide them with a shock that is personalized for them at a price that they can afford. The main goal is and always should be customer satisfaction, because we understand that purchasing a set of aftermarket shock is a fairly large investment for most, and it’s important that our customers feel the benefit of that investment.

ATVI: Thanks Jeff! Your advice should help a lot of people find a smoother ride!

Our rough suspension test for ATVs has always been to make our adjustments a little at a time, and when standing on the pegs bounce up and down as if you were landing a jump. You want the front end and rear end to go up and down evenly on both the down stroke, and when it comes back up. You don’t want one end springing back faster than the other. Also, when standing on the front bumper make sure it does not bottom out the shock. If your shocks have rebound adjustment (how fast it comes back up) make sure it does not spring back too quickly, or too slowly. When you feel you’ve done a good job of making sure it is even from front to back, and not too soft or overly stiff, it’s time to hit the track or trail for ride testing and to dial it in perfectly for you.Most stock shocks like this UTV unit offer limited adjustment, similar to the bottom of this shock. Don’t be afraid to work with what is available! You’ll often improve the ride over the generic stock setting.

Adjusting the shocks on a UTV will mostly have to be done by ride testing because no amount of bouncing on the seat will help you get a feel for what the suspension can do on the trail. We do occasionally bounce on the bumper to check for bottoming and rebound speed. The same rules for a well balanced suspension and both compression and rebound speed do apply however. You want the suspension stiff enough not to bottom, but not so stiff and harsh that it beats up the rider and driver. Once dialed in, you will be amazed at how much better the ride can be.

Whichever shock and suspension setup you choose, it is important that the suspension works together as a package. Don’t be afraid to play with it! Set the correct ride height, dial in any adjustment, and get your suspension reacting smoothly, with progressively firmer action over the larger bumps or jumps. You want to be looking straight ahead, concentrating on the trail or the track, and not worried about how the next bump is likely to spike you, sending you swapping into the weeds. See you on the trail!