Dumb questions about shocks

[DGR]

Dual rate meens dual spring right ??
What does Zero preload makes ??

[Cody_300ex]

Dual rate means theres two springs. One main spring and another to keep you from bottoming out. ;) Not sure what zero preload is tho.

[DGR]

ok the dual rate question was mainly because on the C&D racing website there's an image of a single rate shock and there's written dual rate shocks beside it . Thanks for your reply but
what does ZPS makes ???

[Cody_300ex]

I not sure what ZPS is eaither man sorry. You could e-mail elka, pep, or tcs or any other higher performance shock companies.

[toomeyshee87]

heres your info man!
http://www.atvconnection.com/editor/review/accessory/shocks/pep/review.htm

http://www.atvconnection.com/editor/review/accessory/shocks/pep/shocks.htm

http://www.atvconnection.com/editor/review/accessory/shocks/pep/pepshocks.htm

[daimon1054]

The shocks that come stock on your quad have a single rate spring. This means that the force required to compress your shocks is the same at the beginning of the wheel travel and at the end of the wheel travel. So if you increase the preload of your stock shocks to stop them from bottoming out they ride harsher but still bottom out just as easily because the spring rate is the same all the way through the stroke.

'''''The dual rate spring design allows the shock to have 2 distinct spring rates on the same shock! Dual rate springs allow the rider to have a plush ride for the small bumps but still have a stiffer spring rate for the big dips and jumps to prevent any bottoming out. For example a dual rate banshee for an average rider would begin at a spring rate of 147# per inch for the first half of the shock stroke and then "crosses over" to a 210# per inch spring rate for the second half of the shock stroke, which calculates to a 45% stiffer rate change or simply stated: the shocks are 45% more difficult to bottom out at the bottom half of the wheel travel.

ZPS means zero preload, the term was coined by Performance Engineered Products PEP.

OK in short have you ever dropped an RC car? it does not bounce it just sort of settles. The reason is it is riding on mid stroke. Look at it this way, if you have 10" of suspension travel when you sit on the quad you will compress the shock 1/2 way so that you only have 5" travel on the down stroke but 5" on the up stroke. So when riding the center of gravity is lower and the quad handles better but when you jump the shock extendes to full stroke so you have 10" to take the landing and because the spring is not preloaded the quad settles into a nice smooth landing and does not bottom because the multi rate springs. The system is really only worth it on MX tracks IMO because you loose to much ground clerance in the woods. But many say it works better because the tires stay on the ground, as you go over a rise because you can life the quad 5" before the tire get off the ground you can keep putting the power down and driving, turning braking etc. I agree that if you are racing GNCC that could help but for most it is not needed.

[dynofox]

You can have dual rate springs without having 2 seperate springs. Most snowmobiles come with dual rate front spings that are all one piece.

[daimon1054]

That is a progressive rate spring not a dual rate. What they do is start the winding tight and then open it up as they go down so that as the spring compresses it gets progressivly stiffer. The only way to get a true dual rate or tripple rate is to use different springs. I have seen progressive systems work great so it is not worse or better just different.