Elka or Stock front conversion?

[woodsman250r]

This is probaly a stupid question but here it goes. My 450r has all stock suspension as of now. What would be more beneficial to get, Elka triple rates piggybacks with compression adjustment or get my front stockers serviced at GT Thunder. I plan on getting my rear stock revalved and add the link from GT but was wondering if I should do the fronts there too or just get the Elkas.

[CdaleXtreme]

Just go with the GT all the way around. It will be best to have a matching setup.

[treake]

If you can, save up the money to get Elka's all the way around with their linkage. If that's not an option, get the Elka long travel for the front and rear shock redone. Then, get the Elka rear down the road. It is my opinion, you will be wasting a couple hundred dollars by having the fronts redone and then a year later, getting the Elkas. I realize the up front money is quite a bit, but I think you will save some money in the long run.

[400exrider707]

Yeah thats my plans, is to get elka fronts, and a GT Thunder rebuild rear w/ linkage.

[fastrider450r]

ill tell you right now that my gt thunder rebuilds are the best shocks i have ever ridden on( i've never tried axis, but i have tried elka)
i believe they are better than elka.
just my opinion
plus Laz uses custom axis springs for his rebuilds.

[440ex kid]

I think you will be wasting money buying only compression adjust elkas. The Gt thunder rebuilds will work the same if not much better then the elkas, and you will have rebound adjustment also. You should get the Gt Thunder all the way around in my opinion.

[kazpr]

If getting elkas then go long travel if not stock conversion.

[woodsman250r]

Does anyone have any experience on the GT Thunder front conversions?

[WhiteZee]

Originally posted by woodsman250r
This is probaly a stupid question but here it goes. My 450r has all stock suspension as of now. What would be more beneficial to get, Elka triple rates piggybacks with compression adjustment or get my front stockers serviced at GT Thunder. I plan on getting my rear stock revalved and add the link from GT but was wondering if I should do the fronts there too or just get the Elkas.
get the gt thunder revalve on the front for 160lbs gncc style valving, and ill trade you my triple rate elkas!

[ajr400ex]

I have dual rate Elkas setup by GTT and the rear link/rebuild. This way they are setup to work together with the proper travel and valving.

[treake]

A couple of questions that need to be answered is, what type of riding are you doing and what can your budget afford? Maybe you don't need long travel. If your doing MX, I wouldn't waste your money on stock conversions. I would wait, save and get long travel. Whether it's Elka, PEP or Axis. If your just doing some play riding, then maybe the stock conversion will work for you. I can almost guarantee that if your doing any type of racing and you get the stock conversion, a year from now you will be getting one of the after market shocks and probably switching to long travel. Which typically means a new set of a-arms as well. I understand that money is a big issue in this sport/hobby but I am only speaking from my experience and if I would have just bit the bullet and purchased the good stuff from the get go, I would have a little more money in my pocket. I'm sure the stock conversions are better than stock, but I just don't believe that stock conversions are better than after market shocks. It's definitely not better than long travel.

[johnexrider]

finally the voice of reason, how can anyone tell you what to do without first asking what type of riding you are planning on doing. just as it doesn't make sense to revalve stock shocks to race mx it doesn't make sense to buy long travel if you are trail riding for fun. so, for trail riding for fun, i'm sure revalving your stock shocks makes sense, it is economical and will undoubtedly give you a better feel than your stock ones do currently. if you are planning on racing, what type mx or x country. it makes a difference, two completely different setups for the two styles, a-arm lengths, travel, shock setup, etc. if you are mx'ing long travel is the only way to fly, i don't care what anyone has posted previous to this. i have ridden both standard travel and long travel and there is a big difference, anyone who says there isn't doesn't know what they are talking about or hasn't ridden a properly prepped quad. i have never done x country but i would offer this as a final word. aside from your motor the suspension on your quad is one of the biggest improvements you can make. aftermarket shocks are a vast improvement over stock anything, revalved or not. don't make a mistake you will regret later by going the cheap route, if you are in fact planning on racing, which since no one has asked, before treake did, we do not know. good luck with your decision, and keep all the responses in prospective, including this one.