[jabba69]

How has everyone got there e150 forks set up i seem to be struggling to get a happy medium, i keep putting air in air back out playing with rebound and compression all the time.I live in Cwmcarn so i guess i ride agressive crosscountry mostly. How have people found the recomended setting by specialized.I am 185 pounds.

 

[Jisch]

I set my PSI so that I use all the travel on an aggressive ride. I checked the other day and I was surprised how little sag was there. Of course depending on your trails, the compression adjustment will impact how much travel you use to some degree. I would start there, then work with the knobs one click at a time (with a leaning towards the faster response).

John (make sure you have only 55 psi in the spike valve or you will go crazy trying to get small bump performance)

 

[jabba69]

How do you change the psi in the spike valve

 

[Jisch]

If you look at the bottom of your fork you'll see one side that has a standard schraeder valve cover, the other side has a hex nut cover. Take the hex nut covered one off and there's a schraeder valve under there - that's the Spike valve. It controls small bump performance - it shouldn't be below 55 psi, but mine was at 70 psi from the factory, reducing the pressure in there made a huge difference.

Some people report oil coming out when they released some pressure, I only got a little when I did it.

John

 

[PB Matrix]

Just flip the bike upside down when you adjust the spike valve pressure. Might even want to let it sit awhile so the oil that lubricates the o-ring of the spike valve piston from the bottom, flows down to the piston.

Hmmm, another reason to flip the E-150 equipped bike upside down ocassionaly.

Anyway, I am 210 on a good day with 95 psi in the fork, 45 psi in the spike valve, with two clicks of red knob and 3 clicks of blue knob from the minus side. I do not care what the sag is, and I usually use all of my suspension travel on the hard ride days.

 

[Jisch]

55 min?

I thought 55 was the minimun PSI in the spike valve?

John

 

[Speci- Suspension Tech]

55 factory set, 50-60 recommended range

 

[mark17]

Spike valve psi

This is very helpfull stuff as I am trying to learn the ins and out of my new e150. Can changing spike valve psi give us warranty problems some how?

 

[AndyRx7]

After much experimentation, and the upgrade to 2008 internals which keep feeling better (just about broken in I think), I've settled on 80 psi in the air spring and 45 psi in the spike valve. The latter was critical for me to get decent small bump compliance. Rebound full fast, and compression damping to suit the trail. I weigh 155 pounds. The bike is performing better than it ever has.

Interestingly, with the above settings, I rarely use full travel during a ride; however, if I set the air spring to 70psi, or even 65psi, I will use full travel but the ride itself feels less plush! I guess this is because compression ramps up midstroke, so with less air pressure I deprive myself of initial plushness. It was counterintuitive to me that higher pressure and less travel utilized would result in a plusher ride. I find the same with the AFR shock, incidentally.

 

[mark17]

So do you not worry about the sag when setting your pressures and go on travel and ride feel instead?

 

[MrAzeker]

So do you not worry about the sag when setting your pressures and go on travel and ride feel instead?

That's how I roll.

 

[Jisch]

Me too

That's how I roll.

Sag is a good starting point, but I want to use full travel.

John

 

[jabba69]

Thanks never new anything about the spike valve psi there was 110 psi in it changed it to 45 psi.

 

[AndyRx7]

Thanks never new anything about the spike valve psi there was 110 psi in it changed it to 45 psi.

Holy cow! That's going to feel like a completely different bike.

 

[jabba69]

Took it around Cwmcarn yesterday wow what a difference felt great. Thanks for the help.

 

[TooManyToyz]

Sweet! Just checked mine. It was set to 70psi. Maybe now it won't be beating the sh!t out of me on rough trails.

 

[JackJr]

I never knew about the spike valve pressure setting. My E-150 manual tells me not to take off that cap....but I did and there was the schrader valve. Checked the pressure and it was 45lb. Increased it to 55 lbs per "factory" setting and will ride and see how it behaves. I have never felt like the low speed "compression" knob dose very much. Maybe this will change that.

For the spike valve cap, hand tighten like a valve cap or wrench it tight? Anyone know the recommended torque?

 

[Speci- Suspension Tech]

Hi JS;

It needs to be more than hand tight, 40inchlbs should do it. Also the low speed compression adjust is just that, the firm setting does not approach a lockout.

 

[JackJr]

SStech,

Can the air pressure in the spike valve chamber have any effect on the low speed compression?

What suspension characteristics will be affected by the spike valve pressure? I have never really had any idea what the Spike valve was supposed to be doing since the low speed compression adjustment is nominal and high speed compression adjustment not adjustable.

 

[wally73]

the pressure should be adjusted to 50 psi but many are 55 or 60 psi. check the pressure and set at 50 psi.