Service » Rear Suspension Tuning


Before You Ride

  1. Clean the outside of your shock with soap and water and wipe dry with a soft dry rag. Do not use a high pressure washer on your shock.
  2. Inspect entire exterior of shock for damage. The shock should not be used if any of the exterior parts appear to be damaged. Please contact us for further inspection and repair.
  3. Check that rear wheel quick-release lever (or thru-axle and pinch bolts) are properly adjusted and tightened.
  4. Check that brake cables or hoses are properly fastened.
  5. Check that the front and rear brakes operate properly on flat land.

Measuring Sag

In general, sag should be set to 15 - 25% of bike’s travel, depending on riding conditions or personal preferences. To measure sag on your bike:

  1. Before sitting on the bicycle, measure and record the distance from a point on the back of the saddle vertically to the rear wheel.
  2. Sit on the bicycle in a normal riding position. Your weight should be distributed on the saddle, handlebars and pedals. It is also recommended that you are properly outfitted in your riding gear. It may be necessary to hold yourself up against a wall or post to steady yourself. Do not bounce on the pedals or saddle.
  3. Have an assistant measure from the same point on the back of the saddle vertically to the rear wheel. The difference is the SAG.
  4. Consult the air or coil springs settings from the manufacturer of your shocks.

Setting Sag on Air Spring Rear Shocks

Compare your sag measurement to the bike manufacturer’s recommendation. If your sag is lower than the recommendation, screw on the pump, note the current air pressure setting and depress the pumps bleed-valve to reduce the gauge pressure by 5 psi. Measure the sag again and repeat adjustment, if necessary. If your sag is higher than on the table, screw on the pump, note the current air pressure setting and pump to increase the gauge pressure by 5 psi. Measure sag again and repeat adjustment if necessary.

Setting Sag on Coil Spring Rear Shocks

Compare your sag measurement to the bike manufacturer’s recommendation. If sag is lower than in the table, turn the preload collar counter-clockwise one (1) full turn. Measure sag again and repeat adjustment if necessary. If sag is higher than in the table, turn the preload collar clockwise A motion that proceeds from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top, like the clock's hands. one (1) full turn. Measure sag again and repeat adjustment if necessary. There should be no more than 3 full turns of preload and no less than 1 full turn of preload. If the correct sag cannot be achieved by adjusting the preload, check the manufactures recommendations. You may need to change to a coil spring with a higher or lower spring rate.

Setting up the bike with the maximum amount of sag will give the bike better small bump sensitivity and will make the rear suspension more active, helping maintain better rear wheel contact with the terrain at high speed. Dirt jumpers will prefer a little less sag. Riders who want more control at high speed will prefer more sag.

Adjusting Rebound

Rebound controls the rate at which your shock returns after it has been compressed. The proper rebound setting is a personal preference, and changes with rider weight, riding style and conditions. A rule of thumb is that rebound should be as fast as possible without kicking back and pushing the rider off the saddle. As a starting point, turn the rebound adjuster knob all the way clockwise (full in) until it stops, then turn counterclockwise (out) to determine the range of adjustment. If the rebound is too fast the rear end of the bike will kick back , if its too slow the rear end will pack down and ride harshly.