How have you ajusted your m-10?

Bob Quale

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Nov 24, 2004
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I have a m-10 in my 99 sx 700. I have fox shocks and a yellow main spring(the normal one). The main spring pre load is set at 5/16 and the fra is at 1. With me and all my gear on it,(lugage for a few nights stay), I get just four inches of sag. I weigh 200 lbs. Does this sound right to you guys using m-10s'. I tend to bottom a little more than I would like, but like the sag so as to keep a low center of gravity. Any thoughts would be great!!

The ski rides great, I just wounder if I can get it better!!

Bob
 

If you bottom out too much, bump up your FRA. All of my M-10's are at least 136, so being tippy is not as much of a problem for me. My sag, w/ cold shocks is 0, but when they warm up it gets to 2 in or so
 
Bob I have the oliens adjustable shocks and had my first ride on the M-10 yesterday. Same settings same sag height problem, I am going to try backing off on the preload and then increasing the fra setting to get at least 5" of sag., then fine tune with the shock adjustment. Try working with the crossover tube adjustment if bottoming is your main problem. How many miles do you have on your skid?
hopefully I can get out next week and do more testing. Let me know how your testing goes.
 
Thanks guys for the response!

Grapeape, what do you mean buy your m-10s' are at least 136? is that a long track? the sx has the short suspension so if the back is too high it gets alittle tippy.

Sledderbob, I have the fox shocks, they are good but not ajustable, I may put a little heavier oil in them when I rebuild them, I have about 1500 miles on the m-10. it is GREAT! don't get me wrong, I just think I can get it better. Now about the X-over tube, if I bottom too often, would I want to hit the x-over spring sooner in travel, or later?

I was running with the fra at 2 and the pre load at 7/16, it had about 1in of sag. It was good but tippy in the tight turnes, my buddy with his viper could take me in the tight stuff and we can't have that!!! With four inch of sag he can't touch me, of course his sled is faster then mine on the straight.

Maybe softer is better and the secret is in the x-over tube?

Bob
 
adjusting m-10

If your ride is to stiff then you need to back off the fra. If you do this and it bottoms to easily then lenghten your x over tube. Preload ? I run a 1/4 inch on my wifes sled an about 1/2-3/4 on my sleds she is 110 and I am 185lbs. I like more preload than fast says because it helps keep the sled from bottoming out as much. I have ace on my m-10 and I have worn out the button because I am always pushing it. A brand new m-10 takes a while to soften up so if you have a new one I would say every hundred miles you will be adjusting just because its softening up. I have been on m-10's since 1993 and back then they were a huge advantage over the oem stuff. The oem has closed the gap, but I feel the m-10 still offers comfort light years ahead of the oem
 
Bob, I do have all long tracks, with 136 as the shortest, imo the best trail ride as well. If you go say from 4-4 to 3-3 on the limiter straps, you will increase your ski pressure which will help with the tippyness as well. If you want to bottom out less, hitting the x-over sooner in the stroke will help you.
 
There was a very good article about m-10 set up in winter 2001-02 issue of snowtech magazine. Mike Lehmam does a very nice job of explaining the features and adjustments of an M-10 suspension. Go to www.snowtechmagazine.com and search...sting. Merry Christmas to everyone at T.Y.
 
Sledderbob,

Great link to snowtechmagazine, I think I am going to subscribe.

Here is my set up,

1999 SX 700 with the short travel. I weigh 200lbs.

Front spring set to softest preload recomended by Fast, three threads showing.
Pull down strap at 3/3.
Rear spring preload at 7/16.
Plastic black blocks milled down 1/4 inch.
X-Over tube at 134mm.
FRA is at 1 with only 2 1/2 inch sag, I don't know why there is not more sag. It seams like the sag increases a little as you ride, maybe the shock needs to warm a little?

Front shocks are at 3/4 inch sag.

I am going to leave it like this and mess with the FRA. I can get the FRA to 2 and it rides well, but not alot of sag at all.

We lost snow, so now I will have to wait for further testing. My feeling is that I am going to end up with the FRA at 2 or so. At its worst, it is still a 100 times better then the stock skid!!

Bob
 
Bob Just came back tonight from 300 mile trip. All I can say about M-10 is SWEET------. Try setting your rear spring to 3/16" Move your fra to 1.5 and test. I was able to get very good sag and a very good ride. Move your fra in small increments from here. I realize you don't have the oliens adjustable shocks so there could be some variance I had clikers fully open. If I stand on the sled and bounce up/down I can get about 6" of movement. You would think it 's going to be to soft but rode nice with occasional bottomming. I have not changed x-over tube lenght from stock. Limiter Strap is at 4/4 Probably going to change to 3/4 I do have some front end handling issue's to work out but thats just a matter of testing. won,t be back on the trails until Sunday. The guy I was riding with was on a 2000 SX-R 600 He could not believe how good a ride it was. Keep your front ski springs soft I think that makes everything work better. (Keep testing this thing is a work in progress)
 
Sledderbob,

If your getting lift on your inside ski, pulling down the limiter seems to stop it. I am currently at 3/3. I softened the preload all the way on the front shock and the rear shock. It gives me 3 in of sag with the fra at 1 3/4. With all my gear and pack filled I get around 4in of sag. The x-over tube is at 138mm. Fast tells me you really want the fra at 1 1/2 or more so the rear shock dampens properly. This set up seems better than the last. I need more snow so I can test more.

I don't want to be overly optomistic but I think this is going to be the set up for me! When I had it set up all wrong, the ride was still 100 times better than stock! Glad you like it! Me too!

Did you shim your front skis?

Bob
 
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Bob
Inside ski lift is a minor probem. I'm more concerned with darting and nervous ness of the front end it's been about 1500 miles since the last alignment so I will start there and yes I have the skis shimmed but maybe a little more might help, I need to look at the wear pattern on the carbides also. It's raining outside now who knows when the next oppertunity will come to ride. Hope to go north on Sunday. Good luck with yours good to hear it's getting better.
 


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