[DirtMcGirk]

So we all know I am a "large mammal" at 240#

Does anyone know which spring I want to go to on this fork? Its getting slapped on a 2012 Yeti 303WCDH, but I need to order the spring for the build up. Do I want firm? Extra firm? Oprah firm?

 

[Huck Banzai]

So we all know I am a "large mammal" at 240#

Does anyone know which spring I want to go to on this fork? Its getting slapped on a 2012 Yeti 303WCDH, but I need to order the spring for the build up. Do I want firm? Extra firm? Oprah firm?

I would say extra firm; Im now a little lighter than you at ~220, but it steel feels good, and I was as much as 260 on it (avg 250).

Some would say get the firm spring and play with the oil height/viscosity - hopefully they chime in.

Rice has a stock ti spring in his RC3Ti WC at ~220 and I believe the only mod he has in an extra 25cc of oil (as well as a works tune) he should pop up shortly.

 

[marshalolson]

205lbs, need a firm spring in the stock configuration.

however i added the air-preload valve off an RCV to add 5psi to the leg, and run it with some extra fork oil ala riceh8tr, and can get away with the medium spring no problem.

 

[b.utters]

I would say go for the extra firm (7.7nm). I'm currently 85kg (187lbs) and I think the firm is perfect for me. I think having the right spring rate will make the fork feel much better than if you were to tweak it with oil levels etc.

 

[JohnnyC]

Extra firm for sure, I would put anyone over about 95kg/ 210 (?) lb on the X-firm straight off the bat

 

[blackohio]

Im about your Sasquatch size and run a firm, feels really awesome. Rode blackrock last weekend and it felt amazing.

 

[95d1]

205lbs, need a firm spring in the stock configuration.

however i added the air-preload valve off an RCV to add 5psi to the leg, and run it with some extra fork oil ala riceh8tr, and can get away with the medium spring no problem.

Where did you get the air preload valve? I have the 2012 888 cr and wqnt the air "tuneability"

 

[baca262]

rcv models have 2, i bet you can order it if you can't rob it off someones fork. or you can do it ghetto way like myself - remove the adjuster knob, drill and tap for a schraeder valve off a continental tube, add some plumbing teflon tape and voila, ugly but works.

 

[JohnnyC]

Where did you get the air preload valve? I have the 2012 888 cr and wqnt the air "tuneability"

It is available as a part but why not just go fora harder spring? It would work better

 

[marshalolson]

the part is $8. a ti spring is like $250 or something

define "better"? its opinion rather than fact.

you are adding spring rate regardless, and can tune easily (0, 2, 5psi), where mechanical pre-load just adjusts static sag. at such low pressure there is 0 additional stiction.

 

[baca262]

it would work better. i tried running a soft spring and air preload, there's no midstroke support. it's only good if you have some 5-10% too much sag or you want the fork to be very soft with correct sag in order to gobble up everything but don't expect you'll be able to hit anything hard and fast with that setup.

 

[marshalolson]

i am curious how much oil did you have in the leg? and what PSI did you run the pre-load?



i personally feel ample mid-stroke support, but dunno, i don;t like that much compression damping anyhow, so maybe i am weird, or just have very different riding style..

 

[DirtMcGirk]

How did a tread about springs turn over to you poncy bastards and your air shocks?

Spoke to Marzocchi. Out of the extra firm for 60 days. Gonna have to do some work with QBP it appears.

 

[Udi]

the part is $8. a ti spring is like $250 or something
define "better"? its opinion rather than fact.
you are adding spring rate regardless, and can tune easily (0, 2, 5psi), where mechanical pre-load just adjusts static sag. at such low pressure there is 0 additional stiction.

Going up a spring rate is always better than adding preload (whether mechanical or air) if the next highest rate is suitable for you.

Even 5psi of positive pressure is 5psi of force that you have to break past to get the fork moving at all, which translates to a fork that is harsher off the top. That resistance tends to result in a fork that feels deceptively firmer, but once that force is overcome, the added support is minimal. So what you've done is made your coil fork less linear (the real benefit of a coil fork in the first place in my opinion), harsher at the top, and not significantly more supportive in the area of the stroke that you actually need it.

I also think it's a bad idea on Marzocchi forks in particular, even the current Evo V2 has that age old Marzocchi feeling where the first half of the stroke is consumed quite quickly and strong ramp up begins afterwards, presumably due to lower internal air volume. Given that behavior I'd be running the hardest spring that worked for my body weight, and keeping the oil height towards the lower level of the allowable range.

On the other hand if you're a pretty close fit for the spring rate you're running then a small amount of air for fine tuning is probably fine, but comparing $8 for an air preload cap to the cost of getting the right spring rate for the rider is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

 

[Mo(n)arch]

This.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Udi again.

 

[baca262]

i am curious how much oil did you have in the leg? and what PSI did you run the pre-load?



i personally feel ample mid-stroke support, but dunno, i don;t like that much compression damping anyhow, so maybe i am weird, or just have very different riding style..

very much oil, when the fork was fully compressed, there was maybe 3cm of air under the top cap, this was only to prevent bottoming and 0.25 bar (3-4 psi). i liked it for a while too, even more so since this setup couldn't possibly buck me off the bike (i got bucked because of foamed up oil with no helmet on into a tree, knocked out cold for some 15-20min followed by a week of nasty headaches so that got some fear into me) but then i returned to firm setup and discovered i can trust the fork to take much more and faster hits.

that was about 6 months ago (return to firm), tried the soft setup again a couple of days ago and hated it. it does ride plush and really mutes the terrain but the bike wallows so much it's scary in the tight spots, also i wouldn't trust it on some of the drops. it is always better to have a firmer spring instead of the firmer comp damping imo.

 

[crawler7000]

Going up a spring rate is always better than adding preload (whether mechanical or air) if the next highest rate is suitable for you.

Even 5psi of positive pressure is 5psi of force that you have to break past to get the fork moving at all, which translates to a fork that is harsher off the top. That resistance tends to result in a fork that feels deceptively firmer, but once that force is overcome, the added support is minimal. So what you've done is made your coil fork less linear (the real benefit of a coil fork in the first place in my opinion), harsher at the top, and not significantly more supportive in the area of the stroke that you actually need it.

I also think it's a bad idea on Marzocchi forks in particular, even the current Evo V2 has that age old Marzocchi feeling where the first half of the stroke is consumed quite quickly and strong ramp up begins afterwards, presumably due to lower internal air volume. Given that behavior I'd be running the hardest spring that worked for my body weight, and keeping the oil height towards the lower level of the allowable range.

That's exactly how my 2012 feels, not much more support in the beginning, but it barely bottoms out. I'm less than 150lbs and I'm running the X-Firm so that I can get acceptable sag (~25%).

Has anyone done tuning to firm up the low compression? On steeps it still feels like I'm going to go over the bars on some parts, even running full compression clicks and full preload.

 

[tabletop84]

Wut? I thought the standard spring is just right for people around 150?

 

[staike]

I'm 140 lbs and I have 22,5% sag on the Medium spring... either he meant the medium spring or that he's 250 lbs.

 

[crawler7000]

I'm 140 lbs and I have 22,5% sag on the Medium spring... either he meant the medium spring or that he's 250 lbs.

No, I am actually ~145lbs, and it's the x-firm spring I got from from Marzocchi Canada. I don't see people heavier than me can get away with the stock spring...

 

[tabletop84]

Then it wouldn't make sense to have the softer spring rates in the first place. I can't believe that you have a x-firm spring since people way heavier than you couldn't ride the fork without bottoming out constantly.

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/f19/2010-marzocchi-888-evo-tuning-thread-225598/

 

[staike]

You clearly either have a different spring than what you're told or your bathroom scale is way off. My fork came with a Firm spring and it was completely useless for me, I would guesstimate I had 10% sag or something.

 

[Dunndog]

I am around 90kg (210?), had the stock medium in my 2010 RC3 Evo Ti's which felt ok with an extra 80cc in the spring side and full compression but still on the softer side and no real option for ramping up the mid and end stroke which I wanted. Bought the x firm spring and swapped it straight over. With compression full off I got the worst arm pump I've ever had. Quick removal of that excess oil and some quick fine tuning and the fork felt soo much better and I swear has sped me up. Have since had the nickel stanchions replaced under warranty and a service done on them and am yet to ride them but am super keen to see how they feel with this pring, new oil, seals and stanchions! If anything, at my weight, this spring feels on the stiffer side of right (unless this changed since service), there's no way at 150 odd you could feel right on this spring. But you've had almost a year to get it sorted I guess!
From me quickly, is there any good reason to update from 2010's to 2012's or 2013's? Are there any significant changes or are they still very similar?

 

[b.utters]

From everything I've heard the 2010's were the best out of the lot. Stay with them.

 

[Sandwich]

I thought 2010-2012 were the same, and 2013 featured new, "not quite kashima" stanchions.

 

[tabletop84]

these stancitons only came for the non-ti evo and are not tapered

 

[Dunndog]

So what, no advantage in updating from 2010 ti to 2012 non Ti? I'm not fussed about weight, and the new ones are almost the same price as I paid for the 2010s so there's almost no money difference, but if its a step backwards there's not much point huh...

 

[Huck Banzai]

So what, no advantage in updating from 2010 ti to 2012 non Ti? I'm not fussed about weight, and the new ones are almost the same price as I paid for the 2010s so there's almost no money difference, but if its a step backwards there's not much point huh...

AFAIK the differences are in the damper(s).

I made that a moot point with an Ava cart. Now I have a 2007 888 Stem on 2010 crowns & spring assembly, 2012 spring, 2013 legs and lowers and an Ava cart. (Bought in '12)

 

[IH8Rice]

So what, no advantage in updating from 2010 ti to 2012 non Ti? I'm not fussed about weight, and the new ones are almost the same price as I paid for the 2010s so there's almost no money difference, but if its a step backwards there's not much point huh...

itll be a step backwards in weight..279grams to be exact.