The accompanying chart comes from the engineers and service people at Yamaha Motor Corp. and is full of suggestions and ideas on how to tune a suspension to get an optimal ride.
While the chart deals specifically with the FX Nytro, the theories presented can be applied to many other snowmobile models. None of the suggestions involve major mechanical work or changes so you can experiment to see what might work on your particular model
The key is to do a little at a time instead of making any major changes all at once. Change a little, ride, see how it feels and go from there.
Another good source of information is your particular sled's owner's manual as well as the your dealer or favorite aftermarket shop.
Tuning Charts & Suspension Settings
| Symptom | Front Skis | Center Shock | Rear Shock | Rear Limiter Strap | Front Limiter Strap | Trade-Off |
|---|
| Skis following ruts in trail |
1) Reduce front preload or air pressure |
2) Increase preload |
|
|
|
Understeering |
| Understeering |
1) Increase front preload or air pressure |
2) Reduce preload |
|
|
3) Shorten Strap |
Skis following ruts in trails or heavy steering |
| Heavy steering |
1) Reduce front preload or air pressure |
2) Increase preload |
|
|
3) Extend Strap |
Understeering |
| Oversteering |
1) Reduce front preload or pressure |
2) Increase preload |
|
|
3) Extend strap |
Understeering |
| Front bottoming |
1) Increase front preload or air pressure
2) Select stiffer spring |
|
|
|
|
Too harsh over bumps, excessive ski lift, too stiff |
| Too harsh over small bumps |
1) Reduce rebound
2) Reduce Compression
3) Reduce preload or air pressure |
|
|
|
|
Too soft over bumps or loss of feel |
| Front bouncing over bumps |
1) Increase compression
2) Increase dampening or air pressure |
|
|
|
|
Too harsh over bumps, excessive ski lift, too stiff |
| Excessive inside ski lift during cornering or tippy |
2) Reduce preload or air pressure
3) Adjust sway bar |
|
|
1) Shorten limiter strap |
3) Shorten strap |
Front bottoming or too soft |
| Rear suspension is bottoming out at feet (center) |
|
1) Increase preload
2) Select stiffer spring |
|
|
|
Too stiff, bounces over bumps |
| Rear suspension is bottoming out at rear end (rear) |
|
|
1) Increase preload
2) Select stiffer spring |
|
|
Too stiff, bounces over bumps |
| Rear suspension bouncing over bumps (center) |
|
1) Increase rebound
2) Increase preload |
|
|
|
Harsh over bumps |
| Rear suspension bouncing over bumps (rear) |
|
|
1) Increase rebound
2) Increase preload |
|
|
Harsh over bumps |
| Rear suspension too harsh over small bumps (center) |
|
1) Reduce rebound
2) Reduce compression
3. Reduce preload |
|
3) Lengthen limiter strap |
4) Lengthen strap |
Bouncing, loss of feel |
| Rear suspension too harsh over small bumps (rear) |
|
|
1) Reduce rebound
2. Reduce compression
3) Reduce preload |
|
|
Bouncing, loss of feel |
| Track will not hook up/traction issue |
|
2) Increase preload |
2) Reduce preload |
|
|
Bottoming out or too soft |