help with new springs
  • Bukwheat535
    Posts:4
    Joined:Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:57 pm
    help with new springs

    by Bukwheat535 » Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:53 pm

    ok, I am getting very confused and hope someone here can add a little help. I had a stock front and rear spring on a 2006 crf 450r that I could set the sag at 98mm and the free sag at 40mm.I weigh 235 with gear. I bought recommended 6.1 spring and .49 front and when I went to set up sag I got 82.5 mm and for free sag I got 33mm. Something just doesn't seem right to me. Anybody have an idea if I am just looking at this wrong. Oh, I am 6'1". Thanks and hope someone can help, I will be using it for MX
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    motosicko
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    by motosicko » Tue Sep 10, 2013 9:15 pm

    You need to loosen the spring pre-load until you get around 105mm of race sag (gear on sitting balanced on seat). Then report back with free sag. Should be between 20-35mm.
    "There are old racers
    and there are bold racers,
    but there are no old, bold racers who don't walk funny."
  • Bukwheat535
    Posts:4
    Joined:Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:57 pm

    by Bukwheat535 » Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:09 pm

    Ok, So I adjusted the spring as low as I could go and the spring barely touches the collar and the best I could get for preload is 75mm. The best I could get for free sag was 52mm. I have no indication of what the spring rate was I took off so I don't know if it was stock or not. I went with the recommended 6.1 from FC. Any ideas. Should I be getting a lower rate spring? Thanks for any help.
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    JimDirt
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    by JimDirt » Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:55 pm

    I think you have too stiff of rear spring , at 235 WITH gear (about what i weigh in gear ,205-210 without) i am running the stock rear spring and have no issues with sag adjustments

    I am running 0.52 in the front on my 450X(but i re-valved my bike *myself* and valved it very soft for logs and rocks ,basically endurocross type riding) , but a 0.49 is in my 450R and a 5.5 rear , so you should be fine , at worst you would need a 5.7 rear , i think they recommended too stiff on the rear (who recommended the 6.1 ??) , the front they got about right or you could go to a 0.50 front and be fine if you are a B+ rider , but no more than a 5.7 rear , if you were 250+ with gear i would say go ahead with a 6.1

    I am not a pro suspension tuner , but i have messed enough with re-valving and springs to be confident in what i am saying

    Has your shock been serviced ??? , the oil may be done or the nitrogen may be low , that will affect your sag settings a lot
    Last edited by JimDirt on Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    2020 CRF450R
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    Weiser , Idaho
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    motosicko
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    by motosicko » Thu Sep 12, 2013 7:18 am

    FC will trade out that spring if you contact them. Make sure all linkage bearings and shock mount bushings are working freely and a shock service/rebuild is a good idea if it hasn't been done recently. A good test you can do is to throw 20 or 30lbs. of weight in a backpack and see if sag sets correct with the added weight.
    "There are old racers
    and there are bold racers,
    but there are no old, bold racers who don't walk funny."
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    JimDirt
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    by JimDirt » Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:09 am

    +1 on the linkage checking

    With the shock disconnected all linkage should move freely as well as the swingarm itself , any of this as motosicko said , is mandatory for achieving proper sag settings
    2020 CRF450R
    2006 CRF450X
    Image
    Weiser , Idaho
  • Bukwheat535
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    Joined:Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:57 pm

    by Bukwheat535 » Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:02 pm

    Thanks for the help. I called FC today and now going down to 5.9 rear and leaving the front at .49. He said the data base showed 6'1" my weight at 6.1 but could be a number of factors. I have the spring that came off and I looked around and found it may be a 5.8 according to a color code chart. Solid yellow no paint dots. I changed all the pivot bearings and checked it all to make sure there was no binding. The spring will be here tomorrow for me to install and try. I will let you know how it turned out. Thanks again
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    JimDirt
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    by JimDirt » Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:19 pm

    The stock springs should be 0.46/5.5 , i still think with the 6.0 you will be over sprung , i still think a 5.7 will be the stiffest you might want for your weight unless you are a A rider

    Usually the only spring changes up to 210 (without gear)would only be the fork springs and only to a 0.49 , so 0.49/5.5

    You STILL did not mention if you had the shock serviced (ever?) , IF that spring truly is a 5.8 it should be plenty enough to support you , i am thinking there is something else (like a shock service needed) as the sag issue unless the spring is less than a 5.5 which would mean someone swapped it out for a light rider , are you the original owner ??

    The STOCK spring should hold you up and give good sag numbers (at 235 in gear ,which is as i mentioned about what i weigh in gear) at worst a 5.7 as i already mentioned , i think your going in the wrong direction and putting a band aid on another issue like a oil/nitrogen re-fresh and that can be done far cheaper than a $100 spring i dont think you really even need (do the oil change yourself ,all the info is in the manual and at most a shop should only charge you about $10 to recharge it , so your out the cost of the oil *$20* and the $5-$10 recharge)

    I do ALL my own suspension work and have a Nitrogen bottle and gauges , so all i have to buy is shock oil , rebuilding the shock is as easy as doing the forks , with the exception of having the Nitrogen bottle and gauges which runs about $250 , but if you are doing your own *or friends* bikes , its worth the cost
    2020 CRF450R
    2006 CRF450X
    Image
    Weiser , Idaho

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