Alpha coilover preload settings

[High Life]

Being new to the Alpha monorail and coilover springs, I'm not sure where to start with preload for my '17 MC Alpha conversion. There's a lot of info out there on pressures for the air shocks in the rear skid but not a lot about the guys running coilover shocks like on the Hardcore models. Sounds like there's a concern about running too little air pressure in the FTS and breaking the front end of the monorail with air shocks, is this even an issue with coilovers? Should I have a minimum amount of preload on my FTS to prevent this or does it matter?

The way I decided to outfit my skid with shocks was to go with a set of Fox coilovers directly from Fox. While I think they are a quality shock and have the QSL lockout feature, I'm having a hard time finding others running this same setup for a reference. I realize the coilovers the Hardcore comes with are valved pretty harsh and are a different shock/spring than mine, but what do you guys running them have for preload on the FTS and RTS?

I know I just need to spend some seat time on the sled and adjust from there, but I don't want to start out with too little preload in my FTS first ride, hit a bump and snap the front of my rail off!

To further complicate my setup, I'm running an Elevate kit on this same sled for the first time. Have already upped the pressure in the ski shocks to about 65 psi, but how does this change things in the rear?

I'm about 215 lbs ready to ride and do a lot of aggressive boondocking, climbing, sidehilling, etc.

Suggestions for a starting point?

 

[Jviper]

How did you get a set of those shocks ? I can’t find em anywhere.

 

[Frostbite]

Great looking shocks! I have had the very same questions. In fact, I was headed to my shop today to work on this exact thing. There was a post on it on the Alpha One forum on Facebook.

I see in pictures of the new Mountain Maxes there are roughly 25 threads visible below the lower lock ring on the FTS.

I had my FTS re-valved and re-sprung by Nextech and I was told 1/2" of preload on the springs is a good start and up to an inch is fine too.

I too have the Elevate kit on my 2020 165 Hardcore and want as light and nimble of a front end as is possible with a 165" sled. So I may go up to an inch preload on the FTS to help facilitate lift of the front end. I plan to drop the preload on my read RTS a bit to accommodate the ability to lift the front end as the RTS compresses.

 

[High Life]

How did you get a set of those shocks ? I can’t find em anywhere.

I bought them through Anchorage Suzuki Arctic Cat who is a Fox distributor. I think you should be able to get them through any Fox distributor... Fox part number for the set is 853-02-031. Global Distributors | FOX (ridefox.com)

Frostbite- Sounds like me. I'm tired of the heavy front end feeling of my '17 MC 162 and want to get more lift on the front end. Thank you for the info, that's exactly what I was looking for. I might try about 1" of preload in the front to start with and go from there. I've got a call into Anchorage Suzuki to see if they can tell me what the weight rating is on the coil springs so I can compare it to other coilover settings, like what is on the Hardcore models.

 

[High Life]

Update, after a day of riding this new setup, I really like it. Definitely more front end lift, but still predictable and capable of climbing. Very easy to over-ride and be too heavy on the throttle. Current settings are;
FTS- 16 turns of preload, 1 1/4" of threads showing
RTS- 6 turns of preload, 7/8" of threads showing
Rider weight- 210lbs w gear

Anybody have some tips for adjusting coilover shocks that have a external reservoir like these do? The spanner wrench I have doesn't fit between the main shock body and the reservoir, and I'm getting to the point where the preload on the spring is too much to do by hand (at least on the FTS). Does Fox or somebody make a slim spanner wrench that can be used to adjust shocks installed in an Alpha skid?

There's not a lot of room when these shocks are bolted to the side of a monorail...

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks for the setting update, I am very close to that!

As far as adjustment goes, it's probably not an approved method but, I have a very long and large old common screwdriver I put between the indentations on the shock lock rings and tap the rings around with a rubber mallet. It works great!

 

[High Life]

Thanks for the setting update, I am very close to that!

As far as adjustment goes, it's probably not an approved method but, I have a very long and large old common screwdriver I put between the indentations on the shock lock rings and tap the rings around with a rubber mallet. It works great!

Thanks for the tip Frostbite!

 

[Frostbite]

High Life, how many threads are showing on your skis shocks? I see my sled has 30 threads showing above the lock ring on each shock.
Is this close to what you have?

 

[BlueDevil]

I’ll be getting these tuned in this weekend maybe. I’ll let you know how they work.

 

[High Life]

High Life, how many threads are showing on your skis shocks? I see my sled has 30 threads showing above the lock ring on each shock.
Is this close to what you have?

I'm still running the Float Evol's up front. I'll have to double check pressures, but from what I recall, I was running 60 psi in the main chamber and then bumped it up to 70 psi this year when I did the Elevate spindles.

 

[dgibbons]

I will look at my elevated HC setup and try to get some specs for you on preload. I revalved all four shocks, and both rear springs have been replaced. FTS spring is Stingray Mods from Racinstation and RTS spring is the 210 lb cat spring as recommended by Ice Age. There's probably only 1/2" preload on the RTS, 1.5"-2" of thread on FTS I think.

Two closest riding buddies, both on fox floats, have noted how much they like the setup and how it reacts on the mountain.