What should I expect from coil overs?

AW10 · May 11, 2015

This is my 1st build I've ever had and I've never ridden in another buggy that has coil overs so the only thing I can compare mine to is a rzr and it rides a LOT rougher. I'm going to take it to get it tuned up soon but I'm just curious as to what I should expect out of them. If I get going 15ish over some small ditches it about wants to pitch me out of the seat and then I hit the same exact stuff in a rzr and I barley even feel anything. Same thing if I go over stuff faster. Am I comparing apples to oranges or should my coil overs be able to take the same amount of punishment and give me a smooth ride?

BUG-E J · May 11, 2015

I learned with coilovers you have to decide what you want. I got mine set up to haul ass up a hill with 3 footish ledges and not bottom out. It kinda rides like **** booze cruising going hill to hill. If you set them up to ride good at low speeds or hauling ass on flat ground they wont do good on hills. I figure if I could afford the triple bypasses it would get the best of both worlds but that wont happen no time soon.

Mortalis5509 · May 12, 2015

Re:

They can be tuned to do a lot very good. Springs are pretty much for ride height/up travel. 2.5" will be easier to tune than a 2.0. 2" worth of pre load, and set the cross over ring correctly, adjust bleed holes in the pistion, and change out shims.

4 tube bypass is better on soild axles than 3.

RustyC · May 12, 2015

They can be good or really bad depending on what you do before and after you bolt them on. If your link geometry is bad they will not fix that. If your geometry is good them you will be able to progress forward.
For what we do a 14" to 16" is plenty of travel. Try your best to get 6" of up travel or more, this makes hitting bumps or holes much more comfortable.
Spring selection. Lower spring 2" longer than shock travel. Upper spring same a shock travel. If you are guessing at what springs you need, you can expect your guess to be wrong without research.
So now you have them bolted on with springs. You can expect to hit the trails and they should feel pretty good.
From this point you can adjust several things on the shocks to make them exactly meet your expectations.
They can work wonderfully for a smooth ride but it is not a bolt on and done kind of deal.

Without knowing anything about your rig I would suggest ordering them with 50/50 valving.

Neal3000 · May 12, 2015

If i were you, i would get ahold of Wayne Iraelson (Zukizzy on pirate) he can get good prices on fox and pac springs and will get you setup right on springs/valving.

greenlion · May 12, 2015

It can ride smooth if set up that way.
Read this thread for selecting spring rates.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/1074029-spring-tech-thread.html
(They will be soft this way, maybe a little soft for bouncing, but very good for trail riding, bombing around, ect.)
For a fox 2.0 coilover 90/30 valving would be a good starting point. May still need air bumps if hitting stuff hard/ jumping.
HTH