I Want to Increase my Ride Height

Staticworth · 06-12-2009, 02:02 PM

yeah i figured, the main reason i really wanted to change mine was to be able to re-fit the rear shock directly to the swing arm and maybe get more ride height. Right now i have the set-up that is bolted together. I'd get a picture if i could but I've seen one on here before I'll look for it. it looks like two triangle pieces with three bolt at the lower shock mount

FastDoc · 06-12-2009, 02:12 PM

I'd bet the best solution would be a longer used shock off eBay.

You want more ride height? How tall are you? :!:

Staticworth · 06-12-2009, 02:21 PM

Yeah, more ride height would be nice. I'm 6'1" and from what i've encountered the rear shock doesn't like offroading

FastDoc · 06-12-2009, 02:39 PM

I'm also six one and I'm up as high as I can go. An interesting idea is that if you are mostly doing off road, change tires to the Kenda 760's I have been running. They are much taller than stock and raised the bike at least 3/4 inch while significantly helping it out in soft terrain. Just a thought.

FastDoc · 06-12-2009, 02:40 PM

You can also increase the shock's preload.

Staticworth · 06-12-2009, 02:59 PM

Hmm that's a great idea, how did you go about changing the preload on the shock?

FastDoc · 06-12-2009, 03:02 PM

Mine has a collar on the bottom that screws up or down to change the preload on the shock. Up makes it firmer and sag less (ie, be taller) when you sit on it.

knothead · 06-12-2009, 06:16 PM

Yeah but....

Increasing the preload to raise the ride height will kill the already poor suspension. You'll loose rebound travel which can be bad if you're carrying any speed on rough surfaces. The rear needs to compress about 1/3 of it's total travel with a fully geared up rider's weight in the saddle and an inch or so with only the bikes weight (race sag and static sag). I know my Lifan is sprung poorly, with the correct race sag there is no static sag, which means the spring wrong for my weight.

I had my preload cranked up, but had trouble maintaining traction on and off road (and the rear would bounce under heavy breaking), once I backed it down the bike handled much better and was a bit more comfortable to ride.

FastDoc · 06-12-2009, 06:18 PM

Also true. The Great Chinese Tradeoff!

Personally I run mine with the preload dialed 3/4 of the way to the 'soft' end and it ain't soft.

Staticworth · 06-12-2009, 11:03 PM

mine doesn't seem to have a collar on it to do that =[

Frog · 06-13-2009, 07:35 AM

Too much extra height (e.g. much longer shock) will also cause problems with the chain run - it will try to cut through the swinging arm where it pivots......... :(

Frog

06-12-2009, 02:12 PM	#2
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I'd bet the best solution would be a longer used shock off eBay. You want more ride height? How tall are you? :!: __________________ Happy to serve.
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06-12-2009, 02:39 PM	#4
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I'm also six one and I'm up as high as I can go. An interesting idea is that if you are mostly doing off road, change tires to the Kenda 760's I have been running. They are much taller than stock and raised the bike at least 3/4 inch while significantly helping it out in soft terrain. Just a thought. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

06-12-2009, 02:40 PM	#5
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	You can also increase the shock's preload. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

06-12-2009, 03:02 PM	#7
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	Mine has a collar on the bottom that screws up or down to change the preload on the shock. Up makes it firmer and sag less (ie, be taller) when you sit on it. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

06-12-2009, 06:18 PM	#9
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	Also true. The Great Chinese Tradeoff! Personally I run mine with the preload dialed 3/4 of the way to the 'soft' end and it ain't soft. __________________ Happy to serve.
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06-12-2009, 02:02 PM	#1
Staticworth Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 19	yeah i figured, the main reason i really wanted to change mine was to be able to re-fit the rear shock directly to the swing arm and maybe get more ride height. Right now i have the set-up that is bolted together. I'd get a picture if i could but I've seen one on here before I'll look for it. it looks like two triangle pieces with three bolt at the lower shock mount
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06-12-2009, 02:21 PM	#3
Staticworth Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 19	Yeah, more ride height would be nice. I'm 6'1" and from what i've encountered the rear shock doesn't like offroading
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06-12-2009, 02:59 PM	#6
Staticworth Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 19	Hmm that's a great idea, how did you go about changing the preload on the shock?
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06-12-2009, 06:16 PM	#8
knothead Join Date: May 2007 Location: In the land of the busted up ricebowl Posts: 815	Yeah but.... Increasing the preload to raise the ride height will kill the already poor suspension. You'll loose rebound travel which can be bad if you're carrying any speed on rough surfaces. The rear needs to compress about 1/3 of it's total travel with a fully geared up rider's weight in the saddle and an inch or so with only the bikes weight (race sag and static sag). I know my Lifan is sprung poorly, with the correct race sag there is no static sag, which means the spring wrong for my weight. I had my preload cranked up, but had trouble maintaining traction on and off road (and the rear would bounce under heavy breaking), once I backed it down the bike handled much better and was a bit more comfortable to ride.
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06-12-2009, 11:03 PM	#10
Staticworth Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 19	mine doesn't seem to have a collar on it to do that =[
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06-13-2009, 07:35 AM	#11
Frog Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hampshire England Posts: 191	Too much extra height (e.g. much longer shock) will also cause problems with the chain run - it will try to cut through the swinging arm where it pivots......... :( Frog
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