400ex rear shock

[400exrider707]

Ok heres the deal. I purchased a used stock 400 rear shock with an elka dual rate ssd conversion already done to it. Long story short the guy on ebay lied about it and said it had been ridden for about 5 hours since a fresh rebuild. Well I bolt it on and I'm bottoming out off of a 10 foot table top with about 2 feet of air. I AM NOT HAPPY! :mad: What I want to know is if I just get a rebuild will this fix my problem or is it worse than that? Also am I better off sending it out to say elka or C&D, or can any one of my local race shops do just of good as a job? On a good note however I am very pleased with my Elka recreational shocks on the front end.:cool: Thanks for the help.

[dynofox]

Are you the same weight as the guy you bought it off and running the same lenght swinger? You can always have it re-valved stiffer.

[400exrider707]

It was valved for a 190 lb rider and I'm 180. The point is I dont want to have to send it out to have it revalved or I would have just done that to my stock shock in the first place.

[gojk]

Is this with the compression all the way up? Is the right height correct? You may just have to up the ride height. If it is too low it makes the shocks seems really soft. It is because it doesn't let it get into the main spring much.

[400exrider707]

No I haven't put the compression all the way up, although I did adjust it a little bit. My elka manual suggested 8-9 inch ride height and thats pretty much where its at. Ill have to play with it more I guess. Do you really think it will help it THAT much?

[gojk]

It really does help that much. If you have it at 8, try going to 9 and feel the diff. But try this first, turn up the compression all the way and try again. Then back off the compression till you are just starting to bottom out.

[400exrider707]

What are you talking about 8 and 9? Where are you getting any numbers from off of the shock?:confused:

[gojk]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
What are you talking about 8 and 9? Where are you getting any numbers from off of the shock?:confused:

Sorry, I meant 8 or 9 inch ride height.

[400exrider707]

Oh ok makes sense now. Ill have to give that a try this weekend. Thanks

[Colby@C&DRacing]

The shock does not need revalved. Try adjusting it, but if it is bottoming out that easy there maybe something wrong with it?

[400exrider707]

I dont know I just kind of assumed he didn't un-adjust it from the settings it was at when he took it off of his bike. It seems like he would have taken it off and left it where he rode it at. This guy was like 10lbs heavier than me, so when I bottomed out off of a 10 foot table with about 3 feet of air, I wasn't happy. Ill just have to try adjusting it this weekend.

[cdalejef]

Is there any oil residue on the shock shaft?
Always send your Elkas to a shop that has been through Elka's suspension training school when needing rebuilding.

[400exrider707]

Well when it first arrived in the box there was a little residue on the shaft which I thought for sure it needed to be rebuilt right then, but I cleaned it up and wiped it off, after riding it for a weekend I haven't noticed any more residue on the shaft so I dont know!? Jeff what would a rebuild on this shock run me as far as price? Thanks