WR Suspension Guide | Shock Setup & Tuning
Quick answers to common suspension setup questions for YXZ / RMAX / Fox RC2 / Fox X2 / Unicorn shock packages.
Note: The information on this page reflects our experience and opinions based on real-world testing and customer setups.
Every machine, driver, terrain, and loadout is different. Use this as a starting point, then fine-tune from there.
If you’re stuck, send us your ride height, photos, and a strong horizontal side video and we’ll help guide you.
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Common Symptoms (quick links)
Featured Setup: 2020 YXZ Performance Example
Unicorn Shocks • Cognito Long Travel • WR Stage 1 Turbo
Setup shown in this video:
This setup shows how a properly balanced suspension package stays planted, controlled, and predictable in real terrain.
Want help dialing yours in? Send us ride height, photos, and a strong horizontal side video.
Watch directly on YouTube ?
Want help dialing yours in? Send us ride height, photos, and a strong horizontal side video.
Watch directly on YouTube ?
Getting Help Fast (Clear Photos + Video)
For suspension help, a horizontal side video of the vehicle going over bumps/whoops is key. It lets us see ride height, body motion, shock travel, spring interaction, and front/rear balance.
Please send:
- Ride height front + rear (measured as shown in video)
- Total preload measurement (and spring lengths/rates if known)
- Tire size & pressure
- Photos: side, front, rear (on level ground)
- Horizontal side-view video of the vehicle moving
- Terrain type + what you want improved
Example videos:
• Ride height method: Watch
• Ride height demo (short): Watch
• Suspension basics: Watch | Watch
• Ride height method: Watch
• Ride height demo (short): Watch
• Suspension basics: Watch | Watch
Tip: If your springs show visible bowing, or you’re running over 2” of preload, that’s a strong sign the springs are too soft and can
lead to slider/shock body wear. We can recommend the correct spring kit for your weight and terrain.
Suspension Basics
What do the springs actually do?
Springs primarily hold the vehicle at the ride height you want. Once ride height is correct, the shock (valving + adjusters)
is what controls how the suspension feels over bumps, whoops, rocks, and landings.
If you need a lot of preload to reach ride height, the springs may be too soft and can bow—leading to slider/shock body wear.
Should I tune ride quality with springs or shock settings?
Use springs to achieve correct ride height with reasonable preload. Use shock settings/valving to tune comfort, stability, and control.
Rule of thumb: Springs = ride height. Shocks = ride quality.
Front/Rear Balance (The #1 Bucking Fix)
Why does the rear buck or bottom out even when the rear “feels” soft?
On SxS vehicles, front-to-rear balance is critical. If the front is too stiff, it won’t absorb the bump.
That forces weight transfer to the rear, and the rear ends up doing most of the work — often resulting in:
- Rear tire squish (sidewall compressing hard)
- Bottoming and/or harsh spike
- Buck / kick as the rear rebounds
In many cases, the fix starts by softening the front (or correcting front setup) so the vehicle stays level and both ends absorb the bump together.
Where do I start if the rear bucks?
Start in this order:
- Verify ride height front vs rear is reasonable for the kit and terrain.
- Verify total preload is in a healthy range (don’t “stack preload” to fix bucking).
- Verify front isn’t overdamped (too much compression) compared to rear.
- Then fine-tune rear rebound/compression as needed.
Ride Height & Preload
General Ride Height Targets by Tire Size (Rule of Thumb):
These are starting points. Final ride height can vary based on vehicle weight, terrain, driving style, and shock setup.
| Tire Size | Target Ride Height |
|---|---|
| 28” | ~ 13.5” |
| 29” | ~ 14” |
| 30” | ~ 14.5” |
| 31” | ~ 15” |
| 32” | ~ 15.5” |
| 33” | ~ 16” |
As tire size increases, ride height typically increases about ½” per inch of tire diameter.
These targets help keep suspension geometry, spring range, and shock travel in a healthy working window.
How much spring preload should I run?
Preload is used to set ride height, but it needs to stay in a reasonable range.
Preload rule of thumb:
• 0.5”–2.0” total preload is the healthy window for most setups.
• Under 0.5” at correct ride height = springs are likely too stiff.
• Over 2.0” to hit ride height = springs are likely too soft and can bow, leading to slider/shock body wear.
If you’re over 2” of preload, we recommend moving to our stiffer spring kit that holds ride height correctly without bowing.
• 0.5”–2.0” total preload is the healthy window for most setups.
• Under 0.5” at correct ride height = springs are likely too stiff.
• Over 2.0” to hit ride height = springs are likely too soft and can bow, leading to slider/shock body wear.
If you’re over 2” of preload, we recommend moving to our stiffer spring kit that holds ride height correctly without bowing.
Why is too much preload a problem?
When springs are too soft, people add a lot of preload to bring ride height back up. That can cause the springs to bow/deform.
Bowed springs can side-load the sliders and cause excessive wear on the shock bodies.
If you see visible spring bowing, or you’re constantly fighting ride height with preload, it’s time for a spring rate change.
How do I measure preload correctly?
Jack the car so the suspension is fully extended. Measure total stacked spring length from the top of the upper spring to the bottom of the lower spring.
Compare that to the combined free length of your springs + divider. The difference is your total preload.
Example: 6" + 12" + 0.5" divider = 18.5" free. If measured length is 17.25", that’s 1.25" preload.
Does tire size affect ride height and spring choice?
Yes. Taller tires raise ride height. For example, moving from a 29" tire to a 32" tire raises ride height about 1.5".
That can change what spring rate makes sense for your setup and intended ride height.
Crossover Rings
What is the purpose of the crossover ring (and why does height matter)?
In a dual-rate setup, the crossover ring determines when the tender spring “stacks” (binds up) and the shock transitions
from dual-spring rate to main-spring rate.
- Above the crossover: both springs work together (lower combined rate = typically softer/plusher ride)
- After the tender stacks: you’re mostly on the main spring (higher rate = more bottoming resistance)
General preference: We usually prefer the car to stay in the dual-spring zone longer for a lower effective spring rate
and a smoother ride—unless it’s too soft and bottoming.
What happens if I raise or lower the crossover rings?
Think of the crossover as “how soon the shock firms up”:
- Higher crossover (more dual-rate travel): stays softer longer, more comfort/traction, can bottom easier if too soft
- Lower crossover (less dual-rate travel): transitions sooner, firms up earlier, more bottoming resistance, can feel harsher in chop if too aggressive
If you are too soft / bottoming and your ride height + preload are already correct, lowering the crossover is a solid next test.
Make small changes and test—one change at a time.
Shock Adjusters (Clickers)
Where do you set the adjusters after service as a starting point?
We typically start at the midpoint. If there are about four total turns of adjustment,
that means about two turns out from fully seated on each adjuster as a baseline.
Important: The low-speed compression (flat head screw) affects rebound too.
On these shocks, the low-speed compression (LSC) adjuster (the flat head screw) influences
not only compression, but also rebound behavior.
Rear-specific note: If you open LSC up too far on the rear, the rear can feel very springy / bouncy.
That’s a common “pogo” feeling even when you think you’re only changing compression.
I’m in small chop / crossruts and getting shaken to death — what usually fixes that?
This is commonly a rebound-speed problem (rebound too slow), and it can also be influenced by LSC since it affects rebound as well.
What you’re feeling: the tire is “jumping” off the back side of a bump and then hitting the next bump in the face.
If you speed up the rebound (open rebound up), the tire can stay in contact with the ground and
roll down the back side of the bump and up the face of the next bump—making it dramatically smoother for the vehicle.
Try this: Open rebound a bit first. If needed, also open LSC slightly (because it can affect rebound).
Make small moves and test.
My rear feels bouncy / “pogo stick.” What is that usually?
That’s commonly a rebound issue (too fast), but front/rear balance, ride height, preload, and crossover should be verified first.
Don’t forget: opening LSC too far can also make the rear feel springy/bouncy since LSC affects rebound behavior.
Once those are confirmed, tune rebound and compression to control how quickly the rear returns after a hit.
How should I approach tuning changes?
Make one change at a time and test. Big jumps can make it confusing to diagnose.
If you’re unsure, return to a known baseline and work from there.
Nitrogen Pressure
What nitrogen pressure do you recommend?
We typically fill shocks to 200 PSI unless otherwise specified for a particular application.
Why does nitrogen pressure matter?
Nitrogen helps prevent cavitation and keeps shock performance consistent under heat and repeated hits.
If I need to rotate fittings/hoses on shocks, what’s the safe way?
Drain the nitrogen, crack the fittings loose, rotate/reposition, then tighten back up and recharge.
Typical recharge is 200 PSI.
Spring Stages & Fitment
Are Stage 2 and Stage 3 springs different upper and lower springs?
Yes — the Stage 2 and Stage 3 kits use different upper and lower springs. It is not only a tender spring change.
Should front and rear springs be the same rate?
No. Front and rear weights and leverage ratios are different, so it’s normal for the spring combinations to be different front vs rear.
Does a longer tender spring change ride feel?
A longer tender spring mainly changes how long the suspension stays in the tender portion before transitioning to the main spring.
It doesn’t automatically “carry more weight,” but it can change the feel early in the travel.
How do I know if I need different springs?
If you can’t achieve correct ride height without being outside the healthy preload window, it’s time to change springs.
• Under 0.5” total preload at correct ride height = springs likely too stiff.
• Over 2.0” total preload to reach ride height = springs likely too soft and may bow, causing shock body wear.
Our spring kits are designed to hold ride height correctly while keeping preload in a safe range.
• Over 2.0” total preload to reach ride height = springs likely too soft and may bow, causing shock body wear.
Our spring kits are designed to hold ride height correctly while keeping preload in a safe range.
Common Symptoms
Harsh ride even with compression backed out — what are common causes?
Common causes include too much preload, ride height too high, crossover set too aggressive, or springs too stiff for the setup.
Verify ride height and preload first before chasing clickers.
If everything checks out and it’s still harsh: In many cases this points to an internal valving issue (shock modifications)
rather than an external adjustment problem. If you’ve confirmed ride height, preload, and crossover are in a good range and the clickers aren’t giving you
the change you need, we recommend sending the shocks in so we can inspect them and make the internal changes here.
Rear bucking / bottoming — what’s the first thing to check?
Front/rear balance. If the front is too stiff, weight transfers rearward and the rear does all the work.
Often the fastest improvement comes from correcting the front setup so the vehicle stays level over bumps.
If you’re unsure, send a horizontal side video — it makes this easy to diagnose.
My springs are sagging / ride height keeps dropping
In most cases, the springs themselves are not “worn out.” This usually happens because weight has been added to the machine and the current springs are no longer the correct rate for the new setup.
Common weight additions:
People often try to fix sagging by adding preload. That can work temporarily, but it pushes the setup outside the healthy preload window and can lead to:
- Turbo kits
- Long travel suspension
- Spare tire / tools
- Bumpers, cages, skid plates
- Extra fuel, passengers, or accessories
- Spring bowing
- Slider/shock body wear
- Harsh ride
- Reduced usable suspension travel
Rule of thumb: If you need more than 2” of preload to hold ride height, that’s a strong sign the springs are too soft for your current weight.
This is where moving to our Stage 2 or Stage 3 spring kits is the correct solution.
Small chop / crossruts feels brutal (shaken to death) — what’s happening?
This is often rebound that’s too slow (and/or influenced by LSC). The tire “unloads” off the back of a bump and then smacks the next bump.
Speeding up rebound helps the tire stay planted and follow the terrain.
Try opening Rebound first. If needed, also open LSC slightly since it can affect rebound behavior.
My X2 shocks move about 1” when I lift the bumper — is that normal?
Yes. X2 shocks have internal springs. You’re starting to compress that internal spring during the initial movement.
I’m seeing wear marks on the shock bodies near the sliders — what causes that?
Some light wear can happen over time, but heavy/fast wear is often caused by spring side-loading.
The most common reasons are:
- Springs bowing due to too much preload (typically springs are too soft)
- Improper spring clocking / misalignment
- Extreme mud/sand contamination without covers/cleaning
If you’re over 2” total preload, we strongly recommend a spring rate change to prevent spring bowing and reduce slider/shock body wear.
Sending Shocks In
Do I need to remove the springs before sending shocks in?
No. You do not need to remove the springs. If you do remove them, please send all hardware with the shocks so we can reuse it as needed.
Can you do an install / revalve quickly if I bring the machine?
Often yes, depending on scheduling and having the setup planned ahead of time. If you bring the whole machine, it can help us verify setup quickly.
Shock Setup Sheet (Highly Recommended)
Want the fastest turnaround and best setup the first time? Fill out our Shock Setup Sheet before sending shocks in.
DOCX format — if you need a PDF, download then “Print to PDF” on your computer.
Wear, Clocking & Maintenance
How should spring ends be clocked?
The ends of the upper and lower springs should be clocked about 180° apart to help reduce side-loading and minimize wear.
Is some wear on shock bodies normal?
Light wear can happen over time depending on conditions and setup. Proper clocking, correct crossover settings,
and keeping everything clean can help reduce it.
If you’re seeing fast/heavy wear, check your total preload. Too much preload (often from springs that are too soft) can bow springs and increase slider wear.
Are shock covers worthwhile?
Yes — we recommend shock covers. They help keep mud, sand, and debris off the shock shafts and seals,
which reduces contamination and wear over time.
Tip: Rinse the covers and the shocks after muddy rides to keep everything clean and working smoothly.
Quick Start Checklist
- Set ride height using our measurement method.
- Measure total preload and keep it in the healthy window: 0.5”–2.0”.
- If you’re over 2.0” preload, springs are likely too soft — consider a spring rate change to prevent bowing and shock body wear.
- If you’re under 0.5” preload, springs are likely too stiff — confirm the correct spring combo for your setup.
- Check front/rear balance (rear bucking often starts at the front).
- Chop/crossruts tip: if you’re getting shaken, open rebound (and possibly LSC slightly since it can affect rebound).
- Confirm crossover positions are reasonable for your terrain and weight.
- Set all clickers to the midpoint (baseline).
- Make one change at a time and test.
- If you get stuck, send photos + ride height + preload + tire size + a horizontal side video.
