Rear shock dampening.

[Gyrogearloose]

Howdy all. How's it? Anyway, wanting to set the dampening feature on my 80 Special's rear shocks. Is it clockwise for more dampening...or counterclockwise? I can't see any numbers so want to start from the least and maybe go to the third click. My Clymers doesn't give this information, and I can't find any past threads that do either. thanks.

[DeanR]

There are four clickstops for dampening adjustment. 1 being minimum, 4 maximum. You need to be able to see the numbers. Turn the dial either direction as long as it clicks into the position you want.

[Ken Talbot]

My Clymer's has a table #4 in Chapter Three (Front Shocks and Rear Shocks) that gives a bit of a correlation between total load and spring preload setting on the rear shocks, as well as a part that talks about matching the front fork air pressure setting to the rear shock damping adjuster setting. Does that look like it is what you're looking for?

[XSPastor]

Ther are 4 settings.Clockwise is higher/greater dampening and counter clockwise is lower/less dampening. There are no half settings. If you're between numbers, the shocks will act the same as if they were set to the higest dampening number. (4)

[egleaves]

Does this adjust the overall dampening effect? Or does is only adjust either the bound or rebound? I thought compressing the spring affected your overall dampening and the adjusting wheel adjusted the rebound.

[boyat68]

Gyrogearloose:

See Clymers Chapter nine (9) page 223 Removal/Installation paragraph 2
Adjust both shocks to their softest setting, completely counterclockwise. Also see page 222 under Rear shocks. The rear shocks are spring controlled and hydraulically dampened. Spring preload can be adjusted by rotating the cam ring at the base of the spring (Figure 23) - clockwise to increase preload and counterclockwise to decrease it.

[XSPastor]

Does this adjust the overall dampening effect? Or does is only adjust either the bound or rebound? I thought compressing the spring affected your overall dampening and the adjusting wheel adjusted the rebound.

Maybe someone who knows more about shocks can answer your first question more fully but I'm pretty sure the number is for overall dampening. I don't thing these shocks are sophisicated enough to have seperate adjustments for bound and rebound. Just dampening and spring preload. Compressing the spring just stiffens the ride and gives you better handling with heavier loads. The higher settings are for riding two up with or with heavy loads. We're all getting heavier!

[Gyrogearloose]

Question anwered.

Thanks all who replied. I did get the info I was requesting about which way I should turn the dampening dial, now I can adjust with some confidence. Again, as always, this site and it's members are a WEALTH of information.