xr 400 fork springs

[clamman]

I weigh 215 and put in the heaviest Eibach springs .49? Any ideas on putting a half inch spacer to increase preload? Compression damping around half way. What about heavier oil? I think I have the lightest in there Bel Ray. The forks still seem on the soft side. Thanx!

[JJRace]

spring rate vs valving are 2 seperate things. Are the springs you have correct for your weight? If not, get ones that are.

Now sag is why you would use a spacer in there. PVC is inexpensive and easily avaliable in the correct size diameter. Cut to fit.

For valving and oil weight, that is where it gets subjective there. 5wt is the oil you want to run in the cartridge forks. Then adjust the shims to get the correct valving. Fine tune with oil height and clicker adjustments.

what do you mean by soft? does it blow through the stroke? bottom out? nose dive to much?

[Baja trail Rider]

Wow .49 springs too soft,what kind of riding do you do.Im sure they are short,compared to stock springs.You just need a pvc spacer..49 should be way stiff for trail riding.

[Perc82]

Hey "BTR" , What spring size do you use in your XR's ?

Perc

[Trailryder42]

These guys bring up a question in my mind. You didn't just drop in the new springs alone did you, with no spacer to take the place of the length difference between the new and stock springs? If so, big oops.

[michigan400]

^^ Exactly. Racetech springs are quite a bit shorter in overall length compared to stockers. They usually come with spacer material though.

@ OP. Use spacers to get correct sag only, about 50mm with you on it. Then if it's all still to soft, try raising oil height to keep it from bottoming.

[WiNot]

I'm about 14st & found that some .43 springs of the same length as standard were sufficient for enduro & greenlaning here in the UK ( www.trf.org.uk ) I have also fitted some better Race-Tech compression adjusters & Ohlins 5w fork oil.

[clamman]

I put in the springs and spacer per directions(last year). Would they sack out that fast? The bike seems to ride low, MX track. I may put in a 1/2 in. spacer maybe 3/4. I am probably med. novice, ex mxer

[JJRace]

Eibach springs personally I have nothing good to say about them. In cars, bikes, trucks. Always poor quality and the customer service has some bad apples.

But ran the racetech spring calculator and well this the results of some guestimates with your weight:

Modifiers:

Riding Type: Desert / Enduro / Trail

Age: Standard Age - Up to 44

Skill Level: Dirt Amateur

Height: Standard Height

Gas Tank: Standard Gas Tank

FRONT FORK SPRINGS

Recommended Fork Spring Rate: 0.52 kg/mm (use closest available)

Stock Fork Spring Rate: 0.40 kg/mm(stock)

So you are to light on the spring rates.

[thosforce]

Hey "BTR" , What spring size do you use in your XR's ?

Perc

I have been looking forward to BTR responding about the spring weight he uses?

[DGrayman]

Hi, i am a noob here. Just want to know what springs suits me? My weight is 85kg. Any inputs greatly appreciated.

[Perc82]

I have been looking forward to BTR responding about the spring weight he uses?

I don't know if he does all this maintenance himself, so he may not know?

Perc

[michigan400]

Hi, i am a noob here. Just want to know what springs suits me? My weight is 85kg. Any inputs greatly appreciated.

.44 to .46 range would be good.

[jayc250x]

I weigh 215 and put in the heaviest Eibach springs .49? Any ideas on putting a half inch spacer to increase preload? Compression damping around half way. What about heavier oil? I think I have the lightest in there Bel Ray. The forks still seem on the soft side. Thanx!

What do you mean by 'soft'? Are you bottoming out often?

I run 0.46 Ebachs with 3/4" preload for 210-215 pounds, and it's perfect. I run my clickers pretty much wide open for trail riding, unless I'm planning on jumping for some reason.

You can make a spacer out of 1" PVC, with a metal washer on the spring side.

JayC

[jayc250x]

Eibach springs personally I have nothing good to say about them. In cars, bikes, trucks. Always poor quality and the customer service has some bad apples.

But ran the racetech spring calculator and well this the results of some guestimates with your weight:

FYI - that calculator is giving fork rate results now that are drastically different then what it gave for the past many years. The shock calculator is still consistent. I set my '98 XR4 up using the Racetech calculator years ago - for my 210#, the stock shock spring is perfect, and the recommended fork spring rate was 0.46.

I also revalved my XR400 with Gold Valves, and I can tell you that the bike is the best suspended bike I have ever ridden.

I used the calculator for my CRF250X and CR125 a year or two ago, and got 0.44 and 0.42 respectively, which is consistent with previous results. NOW, the same calculator recommends 0.48 and 0.485 respectively. It's AFU for some reason - I wouldn't use it.

JayC

[Perc82]

FYI - that calculator is giving fork rate results now that are drastically different then what it gave for the past many years. The shock calculator is still consistent.

I thought that calculator used to show numbers a lot different.

It now shows the stock springs are rated for a... 43# person ???

Perc

[Baja trail Rider]

Sorry Perc and others .I use .43 springs.Im only at 170 pounds.I have had guys 200 and over ride it.No one said it was too soft,but rides like a caddy.Someone here said he did not like the ebach springs,but likes the racetech springs.Dont get me started about racetech springs for the xr4,and the people at racetech not returning calls.The fit all spring from racetech that does not fit the xr4.We returned them all.

[DGrayman]

.44 to .46 range would be good.

Thanks. Just got a xr400 but the stock front forks are way too soft for me. They would dive for a bit under slightest braking. I was thinking of changing the oil and seals but might as well go with new stiffer springs.

Any idea to why is there a slight dive on the forks?

[michigan400]

Thanks. Just got a xr400 but the stock front forks are way too soft for me. They would dive for a bit under slightest braking. I was thinking of changing the oil and seals but might as well go with new stiffer springs.

Any idea to why is there a slight dive on the forks?

XR has serious engine braking. A little higher than stock oil level will also help some. Try running a high idle also and see if that helps.

[crazyfast]

I have had my forks in parts for some time now and I finally have some time to get them back together but where can I find all the bushings and seals at a reasonable price for quality stuff. I like the springs for my weight 155-160 and what kind of oil and weight do you guys recommend ?