stock suspension preload? viper

Ola

Ola

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Jan 6, 2006
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145
Age
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Location
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I would like to know the standard setup on my viper.. Last owner has adjusted on everything he found i think :D

Hoping to get measurments of the preload,front and back, of a good setup.. Standard, or even better a setup for a little jumping and playing around..

Its a 02 viper with the standard suspension, not the "new" type..
 
I dont think the shocks are suited for my driving, thats for shure.. But my front shocks are preloaded MAX, and my rear suspension links are 100% gap on top, 0% gap underneeth the link..

Ski lift almost is a problem with this setup, since my skis never tuches the ground :D

Therefor, i would like to know preload and other settings from stock setup, to start over and make my own setup from that..
 
Sorry, I thought someone else would have answered this by now . . .

Front Shock Spring Length: 260 mm (10.24 in)
Center Shock Spring Length: 213 mm (8.39 in)
Rear Shock Spring Length: 368.5 mm (14.51 in)
Limiter Strap Thread Length: 25 mm (.98 in)
Full Rate Adjuster: Medium
Control Rod Adjustment: 3rd line
 
Ding said:
Sorry, I thought someone else would have answered this by now . . .

Front Shock Spring Length: 260 mm (10.24 in)
Center Shock Spring Length: 213 mm (8.39 in)
Rear Shock Spring Length: 368.5 mm (14.51 in)
Limiter Strap Thread Length: 25 mm (.98 in)
Full Rate Adjuster: Medium
Control Rod Adjustment: 3rd line
Click to expand...

Great reply!

The 3 first was easy to understand..

The last 3, would be NICE to get more details on, since me being a n00b in this sled suspension world..

Limiter strap, where on the limiter strap do i measure this?

full rate adjuster, this i dont know what is.. The mounting place for one of the rear shocks or something?

control rod? :D

Embarrasing, but true.. i need more help :oops:
 
Ola said:
Great reply!

The 3 first was easy to understand..

The last 3, would be NICE to get more details on, since me being a n00b in this sled suspension world..

Limiter strap, where on the limiter strap do i measure this?

full rate adjuster, this i dont know what is.. The mounting place for one of the rear shocks or something?

control rod? :D

Embarrasing, but true.. i need more help :oops:
Click to expand...

The limiter strap is measured at how much threads you have above your nut.
The FRA is the forward mountingplace for your rear shock.
Attaching a pic of the control rod.
Check out this thread http://www.totallyamaha.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22130 and especially BETHEVIPERs posts.
I hope i helped you straighten things out :)
 

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  • suspension.JPG
    suspension.JPG
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Thank you for the help!

My control rod seems to have almost 100% gap on top when i sit on it.. So i need to start from scratch and try the sled in the standard setup now i think..

Ola
 
Measured the suspension now..

Front is way off.. 205mm spring lenght... No wonder why its heavy to turn on hard surface? :D

Center spring are about 195mm long

rear spring about 350mm long..

Straps are showing 15mm threads above the nut (a little over 1/2")

FRA is in the low mounting..

transfer rods are approx 90% top 10% below..



So what do you think? move front springs preload to around standard specs, and move FRA to the middle as a start?
 
Just for clarity sake . . .

The limiter strap measurement is how much of the thread is above the bracket that the nut rests against. In other words, the thickness of the adjuster nut is included in this measurement.

It sounds like the rear preload is way up, the center is way down, and/or the limiter straps are pulled way up. Quite likely a combination of the three. The other links posted have some very good info in them. Like BTV posted it is well worth your time to go through the whole skid, replacing worn bushings and looking for damaged parts.

On the FRA, up is down and down is up. The bottom position is the stiffest rate setting. The top is the softest setting. Remember that spring preload does not affect the stiffness rate, but rather ride height and where coupling occurs. Because there is a center spring and a rear spring you can adjust the balance of the skid. The FRA however can affect stiffness to a degree. Any major changes to stiffness require changing springs.
 
I posted the above before reading you current measurements.

Something isn't making sense unless the rear spring has been changed. Can you take any pics of the skid?
 
Ding said:
I posted the above before reading you current measurements.

Something isn't making sense unless the rear spring has been changed. Can you take any pics of the skid?
Click to expand...

I dont think its been changed?

I`ll take pics tonight, after i have adjusted the front springs.. So they dont mess up with the other measurments..
 
Done some adjustments..

Front 230mm spring (dont want it too soft, and the springs probably lost some tension)

center: stock 210mm, but this is so loose, i can actually move the spring a little with my hands with the sled lifted of the ground! (around, not up/down)

rear: stock 370mm

FRA: middle position


Now.. When the sled is lifted, and set down again, the rear of the track is above ground, and center/front of the track is squeesed down a little..

When i lay my weight over the seat, to look at the control rod, the rear touches the ground again, but center/front of track is still squeesed down..
Cant say it looks like the front lifts.. I think it stand pretty still, or lowers a little by my weight perhaps..

controlrod.jpg


Here you can see the skid, but perhaps it doesnt show what you are looking for? got more pics of some details..

skid.jpg




Is the track supposed to touch the ground without squeesing any of the knobs more in one area than another? In that case, i have work to do i guess..

Please write what you think! :)
 
I THINK i have a solution..

Called a yamaha workshop today, and it seems that USA and europa has different setup..

He told me out of his book, what the suspension should be at..

Front 225mm

center 187mm

rear 310mm

FRA medium

Limiter straps 15mm, and he ment this was measured above the nut, not included the nut..

This means that my rear spring was 60mm off...
I`ll adjust it to these specs tonight, and then we`ll see..
 
Ola said:
I THINK i have a solution..

Called a yamaha workshop today, and it seems that USA and europa has different setup..

He told me out of his book, what the suspension should be at..

Front 225mm

center 187mm

rear 310mm

FRA medium

Limiter straps 15mm, and he ment this was measured above the nut, not included the nut..

This means that my rear spring was 60mm off...
I`ll adjust it to these specs tonight, and then we`ll see..
Click to expand...

Yea my books say measure above the nut too..
 
Ola said:
I THINK i have a solution..

Called a yamaha workshop today, and it seems that USA and europa has different setup..

He told me out of his book, what the suspension should be at..

Front 225mm

center 187mm

rear 310mm

FRA medium

Limiter straps 15mm, and he ment this was measured above the nut, not included the nut..

This means that my rear spring was 60mm off...
I`ll adjust it to these specs tonight, and then we`ll see..
Click to expand...


Now i`m about to throw tools around, so i think i`ll sleep on the problem :D


An easy q:
When measuring this preload lenght, is it with the shocks loose, mounted, or pressured by the sled weight?



310mm CAN be done on the rear, but it must be with the sled on the ground.. If i measure it when skid is in the air, then it almost cant be done, as it would be the maximum preload possible..

I first adjusted the center to 187, with skid in the air, and rear in the middle of its threads (about 350mm when in air).. Now the track was squeesed in the front, and 5mm above ground in the back..
Then i made the center 215mm when on ground, but now the spring was WAY loose when lifted.. Still the same, squeesed in front, above ground in rear.. almost MORE above then before #$%&*

Is it 187mm center, 310mm rear when ON ground ?? The rear was a pain in the a** to adjust, so i would like to know this before i do it..
 
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