For those that have actually done the switch!! Did you notice any change in the counter steer pull over from low speed. I'm looking at backing the spring pressure off to the minimum and like the idea of adjustability.
Raptor shocks, question
- Thread starter Roly
- Start date
I only have the rear shocks with front springs added. The rear is a world of difference! The front is nicer with the springs but not great. After putting the rears on I know I will be putting the fronts on soon. The front springs def. helped bottoming and is plusher on stutter bumps. Just wish I could adjust damp.
I am watching this thread thinking of putting raptors on also. Maybe pol will have raptors in 14 never been fan of walker-Evans.
M
milo303
Well-known member
I'm Raptor'd on all 4
I noticed a world of difference in all aspects... Just sitting on flat ground the sled will squish from side to side if you lean side to side... My Walkers didn't do that. I'm mostly amazed by my front Raptors, the rears I'm not as blown away by but they still RIP!
That's where I'm at. Spoke with Jake @ raptor for a while about this. It's not the shocks, it's the skid geometry. Considering going to a full kmod but having a hard time justifying the expense right now.
Shocks flat out rock. I've never ridden a sled where the harder you pound the shocks the better they perform - and you can actually feel them working.
I may have a set of rear shocks for sale, still on the fence though.
I'm blown away on the rear firmer than stock triple rate springs on my 13 bang for buck I don't think it can be beat...I'm 205 pre gear half turn more preload on the settings he suggested for the rears after bottoming once and haven't happened since and I ride hard to, jumps and g-outs and I don't slow down for whoops I speed up 
no bucking no bottoming.
I have his fronts with triple rates as well but I'm on a 36" zbroz stance no sway bar so yea...it rolls over extremely easy and I love it.
420 miles on this setup 0 on stock though so......
no bucking no bottoming.I have his fronts with triple rates as well but I'm on a 36" zbroz stance no sway bar so yea...it rolls over extremely easy and I love it.
420 miles on this setup 0 on stock though so......
M
milo303
Well-known member
Ya spoke with Jake about it and he brought up the skid geometry.
Ya I should've been more specific, the raptor shocks rip but the skid geometry doesn't do them a lot of justice... Still wayyyyyy better than the we's
Ya I should've been more specific, the raptor shocks rip but the skid geometry doesn't do them a lot of justice... Still wayyyyyy better than the we's
Well nothing from pol to buy a 14 k-mod with raptors any one run this on a pro looking for more info on this combo. Thanks in advance.
Talked with Jake today and ordered raptors all way around going to ride it this way for a while see how it is maybe do k-mod next rear if I have to.
I have Raptors and KMOD on 2 sleds. Full set up just got here for the Pro. You can recover half or more of the cost by selling your stock stuff or keep the stock stuff and take the KMOD off when you sell. His skids are pretty universal, with a few small changes they will fit on anything. If you are on the fence about the full KMOD get the stocker kit.
Thought id be happy with just the rears but just ordered the fronts! Love them
250 miles on raptors all around. It's a major improvement on the sled. When running 3 to 4 foot holes its realy amazing. When sidehilling it just absorbs the bumps and will not pitch you near as easy. Builds confidence on sled ability to pound the rough.
Roly,
If you back off the spring pre-load to the point where it is easier to "pull over".. you are actually compressing the shock and and using up valuable suspension travel.
When you are riding, and you have the sled "pulled over" with a compressed shock... and you encounter an obstacle (bump, ice chunk, track-rutt, tree, rock... etc) you will have no available travel to absorb the impact and have to work harder to control the sled.
Getting the sled on edge... and collapsing one side to do this are two different things.
I spoke with Jake about this at the SLC show last fall.
The Raptor shocks are top notch... but if you are relying on collapsing the shock the "get it on edge" then the shock properties pretty much become a moot point.
From a previous post of mine... AGAIN>>> IMO...
If you back off the spring pre-load to the point where it is easier to "pull over".. you are actually compressing the shock and and using up valuable suspension travel.
When you are riding, and you have the sled "pulled over" with a compressed shock... and you encounter an obstacle (bump, ice chunk, track-rutt, tree, rock... etc) you will have no available travel to absorb the impact and have to work harder to control the sled.
Getting the sled on edge... and collapsing one side to do this are two different things.
I spoke with Jake about this at the SLC show last fall.
The Raptor shocks are top notch... but if you are relying on collapsing the shock the "get it on edge" then the shock properties pretty much become a moot point.
From a previous post of mine... AGAIN>>> IMO...
Have a look at this video...
Rasmussen at :50 and Whelpton at 1:39
You can see that the sled is on edge as compared to having the shock compressed on that side... This allows the shock to still have travel to do work if you hit irregularities in the snow.
It is more work to learn it... but worth it IMO.
Have a look at this one...
at :28 , :48 1:13, 1:18 ... you will see that on the extreme side-hill... the uphill front suspension is basically still fully extended... the sled is on Edge... not "squatted" on that side.
THEN, FINALLY HAVE A LOOK AT THIS ONE...
Bret, at 1:54 seconds... "bumps" the tree on an extreme side-hill... the shock/suspension absorb the impact and then extends agian... If the shock was "squatted" on that side.. there would have been effectively no travel left to deal with that obstacle and he would have been bucked down the hill.... Pretty amazing move!!
,
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MH i totally get your point and think its a good one
so if a guy wants a super easy pull/layover setup does that mean
fox evol Xs with the slow speed/high speed dampaning ?
how do you get both?
so if a guy wants a super easy pull/layover setup does that mean
fox evol Xs with the slow speed/high speed dampaning ?
how do you get both?
Sincere question...Both of what?
As a sidebar.. low and high speed compression controls are not related to actual vehicle speed... it has to do with how rapidly the "spike" in compression comes... long g'd out whoops and square-edged moguls are diff... the DSC type of controls help to deal with this.
Getting the sled on edge and keeping it there is a balancing maneuver... pretty difficult and I'm still working on it... but working on this has transformed MY riding. Collapsing the front shock on one side when you "pull it over" does not require that you balance to the same degree....IMO.
There are many better riders out there than me... many of them have a different style all their own that works very well for them.
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As a sidebar.. low and high speed compression controls are not related to actual vehicle speed... it has to do with how rapidly the "spike" in compression comes... long g'd out whoops and square-edged moguls are diff... the DSC type of controls help to deal with this.
Getting the sled on edge and keeping it there is a balancing maneuver... pretty difficult and I'm still working on it... but working on this has transformed MY riding. Collapsing the front shock on one side when you "pull it over" does not require that you balance to the same degree....IMO.
There are many better riders out there than me... many of them have a different style all their own that works very well for them.
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MH
i understand the high speed/low speed compression deal
but what would be great would be a shock that lets you initiate the roll into
a carve or side hill but still keep enough travel to eat up holes/bumps and the
compression to keep up
i thought that was one of the perks to fox evolXs slow/low speed comp.
while leaning into carve then fast/high speed comp. when encountering rutes/bumps/drops
i guess with an air shock you maybe able to find the perfect pressure settings to acomplish that ?
coil shocks ?
i don't know just thoughts i am really looking at new front shocks since i plan to keep my sled another year at least
i understand the high speed/low speed compression deal
but what would be great would be a shock that lets you initiate the roll into
a carve or side hill but still keep enough travel to eat up holes/bumps and the
compression to keep up
i thought that was one of the perks to fox evolXs slow/low speed comp.
while leaning into carve then fast/high speed comp. when encountering rutes/bumps/drops
i guess with an air shock you maybe able to find the perfect pressure settings to acomplish that ?
coil shocks ?
i don't know just thoughts i am really looking at new front shocks since i plan to keep my sled another year at least
