Ebay Shocks - Anybody use them?

[Danp]

Found these on ebay. Just wondering if anybody has tried them on their carbide, fox, etc.

Ebay Listing

Thanks Dan

[2SlickNick]

These were used on motorcycle but here is a review.
http://chrislivengood.net/wp/?p=824

[2SlickNick]

http://chrislivengood.net/wp/?p=1167

[Danp]

Thanks slick.

[Masteryota]

Carbide? No. But here is a thread about using them on a spiderbox. Seems flushing the oil really helps.

http://www.buggymasters.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2985

[Danp]

Well, after grabbing a used pair from a 2005 blaster on ebay, they ended up being 1/2 longer than stock... I think that was the sellers fault because the listing said 13.5 and they came in at 14".

I had to shave down the eyes on the shocks and widen out the mounts on the buggy to make everything fit. Took it for a test run.... no huge difference. I guess I was looking for the 'wow' factor I've ready so many people talk about - but there wasn't. I set the springs on the softest setting also. There's a slight difference and by difference I mean, when I sit in the buggy, it actually drops down a bit now. With stock, there was no movement at all. (I'm 180 pounds)

Anyway, wondering if there's any advice out there.... the ride is pretty much killing me and if I can't soften it up some more... I'll have to sell the carbide.

I'm thinking of making some plates to have the bottom of the shock mount lower on the frame... not sure that will help at all.

[Masteryota]

Mounting the shock lower on the frame will stiffen them up, what you want is to increase the leverage on the shock via the swing arm. Since the shocks are 1/2" too long, put the shackle to the top of the stock mounts, and see what does.

It is rumored the blaster shock spring colors designate the stiffness, but I can not seem to find evidence supporting that statement. I know when I put them on my Yerf, and jump on the back rack, they feel much softer than the stock pogo sticks that were on there, and I had to bump the preload up a notch last time due to the engine getting close to the frame. I know they are too stiff for the front, but most everyone reports good findings when putting them on the rear of just about anything.

[Danp]

Oops... This was meant to be a new thread... Oh well.

Yota, not sure I know what you mean. Are you saying to change the mount so that the shocks are more vertical than horizontal?

I wondered about the colour of the springs. Mine are silver. Who knows.

[Masteryota]

Originally Posted by Danp

Yota, not sure I know what you mean. Are you saying to change the mount so that the shocks are more vertical than horizontal?

I wondered about the colour of the springs. Mine are silver. Who knows.

Yes.

My thoughts exactly, my Dazon has the blasters on the rear, with white springs, and they feel harder than the yerf, which has red springs. The yamaha forums claim they are the same, but colored differently according to color scheme on the quad.

[x-bird]

I know with polaris different colors are used for different spring rates. Not sure where, but i came across a factory chart with the ratings and colors. Same goes with some of the double and triple spring shocks. Works for one uses colors for rates with theirs.

[Danp]

OK, so more vertical... The way the buggy is designed, if I raise the shock mount on the motor frame, the ride height will increase. If I raise the mount behind the seat, the ride height will lower.... not sure which way to go.

[Masteryota]

Perhaps I wasn't clear above. I suggest making a shackle for the top mount, on the frame of the buggy, not the swing arm, and mount the shock more vertical. A 1" shackle may decrease your ride height by 1/2"(you stated the shocks were longer than stock), then you can decide whether you want to go further with those shocks, or they still don't do anything for you.

The other option is to have a set made to your specifications, which Works suspension can and will do, but they run about $400/pair. Other than that, ATV and sled shocks are the only other option. If you can come across a similar length shock made by Fox, Elka, Works, and sometimes Showa, you can tailor the insides and spring rate to your liking by buying different springs and valves, but you will likely spend more on a used set than to have Works make you a set.

Just food for thought, the blasters work on most of our buggies, but they are not perfect.

[Danp]

Do you know if the front shocks are softer? I may try those on the back and see. When I was taking everything apart, the buggy felt most comfortable with 1 shock! I know we can't ride that way, but it seems the shocks are way over done on these bugs.

Shackles... yup, Been thinking of that. Just not sure on how to go about making and fastening them. I don't want to weld new ones on.

[x-bird]

just an fyi, you'll find likely podium's off of a predator come with too stiff of springs for your liking. a nice, and not too expensive (for new shocks) option are the fox 2.0 airs, downsouthmotorsports will valve them to your spec, no coil spring, air adjustment. in the used market, fox Floats and evols off of arctic cat sleds and yfz 450s are abundant, same concept as the 2.0s but they run about the same as new 2.0s. $200-250 ea. for all the above mentioned.

[Danp]

Xbird. Thanks for the info... Not sure I want to dish out that kind of money. Maybe I can find some used ones.

[Masteryota]

Do you know if the front shocks are softer? I may try those on the back and see. When I was taking everything apart, the buggy felt most comfortable with 1 shock! I know we can't ride that way, but it seems the shocks are way over done on these bugs.

The 13.5-14" blaster shocks are from the front of the quad, the rear used a mono shock, it is much stiffer and shorter.

Here is a list of the popular quads and their shock lengths from Works. I use it to surf used shock deals on ebay and check length and single/dual spring rates and such.

I too, have been scoping used fox and works shocks, and the ones I could afford, would need to be rebuilt and revalved, and that puts the whole price range right back up to a new set from Works.

I have seen the 12.5" shocks on ebay with the remote reservoir used on the fronts of the Yerfs, but they too require some work to make function well. Nothing major, just changing the oil and bleeding the shock properly. Something like this.

[Danp]

Originally Posted by Masteryota

The 13.5-14" blaster shocks are from the front of the quad, the rear used a mono shock, it is much stiffer and shorter.

Here is a list of the popular quads and their shock lengths from Works. I use it to surf used shock deals on ebay and check length and single/dual spring rates and such.

I too, have been scoping used fox and works shocks, and the ones I could afford, would need to be rebuilt and revalved, and that puts the whole price range right back up to a new set from Works.

I have seen the 12.5" shocks on ebay with the remote reservoir used on the fronts of the Yerfs, but they too require some work to make function well. Nothing major, just changing the oil and bleeding the shock properly. Something like this.

Yota,

I meant the front shocks on the carbide. I'm wondering if they are softer... Anyway, I am still messing around with these shocks. They are softer because I could compress the yamaha shock with my body weight before installed them. When I tried the same thing on the stock ones, they didn't budge.

Yup, I've been looking those too..

[2SlickNick]

Originally Posted by Danp

Yota,

I meant the front shocks on the carbide. I'm wondering if they are softer... Anyway, I am still messing around with these shocks. They are softer because I could compress the yamaha shock with my body weight before installed them. When I tried the same thing on the stock ones, they didn't budge.

Yup, I've been looking those too..

The shocks on the front of my carbide are soft, I should probably stiffen them a tad because when I go fast and hit a big root they do bottom out.

Ohh I think I get what you are saying. Are you thinking of putting the shocks from the front of the carbide on to the rear?
I think my front and rear shocks have the same shock measurement and the same spring measurement, but the springs on the rear do appear to be more bulky (best bet is to take front and rear off and compare side by side. Unless it is jusr a figment of my imagination).

[Danp]

Yup. I just measured everything.

Stock fronts: 13.5 in (eye to eye) with 2-1/4 in springs.
Stock rears: 13.5 in (eye to eye) with 2-1/2 in springs.

Springs are smaller in the front. Not sure if the rate is less, but I know that if I stand on the front with one foot, I can compress them easily so the weight has to be less. I'm going to see if the yamaha's will fit in the front, and the front stock to the back. After all, your suppose to have heavier shocks in the front of things you jump. ;-)

[2SlickNick]

Haha true. These buggies do nose dive.

[2SlickNick]

If all works out why not just put the rears to the front?

[Danp]

That's what I was thinking....

These buggies ride at the top of the shock stroke... in other words, the springs are too heavy and even the drivers wait does not "load" the spring. You need to be riding on a loaded shock, just like in cars. If you raise a car on a hoist the shocks decompress and the tire hangs lower than it's riding position.

Loaded shock = good dampening = happy back.

[Danp]

Add the expense of some power, I may even add a 25 pound wait on the back of the backrest to "pre-load" the shocks.

[Masteryota]

Switching the fronts to the rear may work, but be careful about overloading the shocks, as they might not last very long. Putting the blasters on the front is a bad idea. With a swing arm set up in the rear, any and all articulation is in the front, and if you make it harder, then you will likely roll over going over rough terrain. Just ask anyone with seat time in a stock Yerf.

I'm not sure where you heard you need harder shocks for jumping, you really need softer springs and properly set valving to absorb the impact, otherwise the other components are forced to take the impact, and they are not meant to do so. Think about all the moving parts, tie rods, rack, ball joints, spindles, those things are not impact friendly. The spring is meant to absorb impact and imperfections in the road surface. The shock is meant to control the compression and rebound of the spring, thus making a stable and controllable vehicle.

Adding weight to soften up the spring is another way to experiment with shocks and spring rates. I would go that route before putting the blasters up front.

[Danp]

Good advise.