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SP 154 suspension upgrades

6.4K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Caper11  
#1 ·
Hi guys,

I bought a 2020 summit 850 sp 154 last season and rode it stock all season. My last sled was a 2015 summit 800 sp 154 which was an awesome sled. My 800 had fox float 2's in the front(wasn't a big fan, took a while for me to set them up the way I wanted), stock center shock and stock rear shock. I ran torsion spring spacers in the rear which made a huge difference and only cost me $70cad. This sled handled well for my needs. Well long story short it's time to upgrade the suspension on my 850. I swore I'd never buy another set of floats as I've always preferred coil set ups (I'm a set it and forget it guy) but I found some fox float 3 evol qs3's online for a decent price so I decided to go with those.

In this years budget I planned to buy a rear shock and keep the stock center shock. I originally was going to buy cheaper front shocks and an Elka Stage 4 rear but after installing my new floats I can already tell I'm a big fan of the qs3. I like the quick adjustability of the 3 settings. I can't seem to find a place where I can get a 1.5 Zero QS3 rear without buying a center as well and at that point its more than I'd like to spend on suspension this year. Any thoughts, suggestions or other set ups I should look into? If I could buy something from Canada that would be preferred.

Some background information:

I think I didn't really care for my float 2's because they were either too stiff or way too soft. I could never get them dialed for what I wanted. Add in a few days with temperature swings and the front end always felt different. After messing around with my new floats 3's and doing some reading about how to set each chamber and rebound, I can already tell that these will be way more forgiving than my float 2's and I won't have to mess around with them every day.

The torsion spring spacers on my 800 worked great but I was always kind of scared if there was a potential to snap a torsion spring while jumping (hence why I want an aftermarket rear shock with some adjustability)

An Elka stage 4 rear shock is $912.50cad before tax and I can get a fox kit (float 3 evol r / 1.5 zero qs3) for $1300cad before tax. Again, didn't really want to spend that much at this point. The elka shocks used to be cheaper about a month ago but I see they went up in price since the pre season rush.
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
https://www.enzocanada.com/

Enzo racing Canada can get you into a upgraded KYB shock package. Properly setup, the kyb enzo tuning is amazing, they will customize the valving and springs to your weight, you would be looking at the SP upgrade kit. 2700can, and the shocks are yours.
This will be my third sled with enzo shocks, Im not sponsored by them, Im just a customer that truly believes in the product and service Enzo provides.

Im running these in my summit x turbo this year, I bought these shocks so I will just swap them into my turbo and keep the others for when I sell the turbo.
1bcb87295253f0ccf2d22b7fa58453b6.jpg


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#4 ·
https://www.enzocanada.com/

Enzo racing Canada can get you into a upgraded KYB shock package. Properly setup, the kyb enzo tuning is amazing, they will customize the valving and springs to your weight, you would be looking at the SP upgrade kit. 2700can, and the shocks are yours.
This will be my third sled with enzo shocks, Im not sponsored by them, Im just a customer that truly believes in the product and service Enzo provides.

Im running these in my summit x turbo this year, I bought these shocks so I will just swap them into my turbo and keep the others for when I sell the turbo.
1bcb87295253f0ccf2d22b7fa58453b6.jpg


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I'll check out enzo and see if he will sell a rear Pro40 for a reasonable price
 
#5 ·
I upgrading from 2017-20 SKI-DOO G4/RAS3 RAPTOR SKI SHOCK SET to all 2017-20 SKI-DOO SUMMIT [KINETIC SERIES] G4/RAS3 SKI SHOCK SET & ACE Coil Over Complete rear suspension to ACE [KINETIC SERIES] Coil Over & will have a a lightly used complete front and rear set for sale, that they can be setup for any rider weight & riding style. :ride: :revinmotion: PM if interested
As started above I already bought front shocks and I am looking for a rear, not a complete set. Not Interested
 
#6 ·
I put fox qs3’s on my expert all the way around last year and love it! I can smash trail as hard and fast as i could coming in and out of riding areas and never once bottomed out the front or rear. I bottomed out the expert oem kyb’s a few times on the same trails. I been running fox float dual piggybacks on my summits since 2006 and wouldnt ever change em!
 

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#7 ·
I put fox qs3's on my expert all the way around last year and love it! I can smash trail as hard and fast as i could coming in and out of riding areas and never once bottomed out the front or rear. I bottomed out the expert oem kyb's a few times on the same trails. I been running fox float dual piggybacks on my summits since 2006 and wouldnt ever change em!
Do you find yourself messing around with the center shock much throughout the season?
 
#8 ·
Honestly, no.. when i installed, i set it on the softer side of “middle of the adjustment” and it was plush. Havnt touched it since... might mess around with it this year a little to see if i can dial it in more, or might be lazy and keep it where its at. Haha!
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'll check out enzo and see if he will sell a rear Pro40 for a reasonable price
Its not cheap, the KYB is a quality shock, unfortunately the stock valving is a generic setting, that may suit a small amount of riders.
The x package and expert shocks are an improvement over the SP shocks.

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#10 ·
Just curious, seems like most people rate the center shock as the least important i.e the last one to upgrade. If I was upgrading ONE shock position on any modern rider forward sled I would think long and hard about upgrading the center first. I don't know if it's my style of riding but the center shock is the one I bottom out most often.

About torsion spring spacers. I have been running them since long before it was cool :biggrin_old: (about 15 years)

There is no increased risk for snapping springs from using them as long as they are the correct size. A few mm, 2-3, radial play and you are fine. A really tight fit between spacer and spring might, (not guaranteed), cause a problem.

I would say the risk for something to break is less with them since the spring is kept in the correct place and angle instead of capsizing to one side as it will do if the inne diameter of the spring is much larger than the shaft's.

Torsion spring spacers is a great upgrade,If your springs are a "sloppy" fit on the shaft, and I really recommend them. Buy spacers or make them yourself!

First time I tried it was on my then brand new ProXR 800. Was wrenching in my parents garage late a Friday night putting in Ă–hlins shocks and Polaris heaviest torsion springs. The springs were at least 25mm, (1 inch), too large for the shaft and were twisting in an unnatural way. Made the first spacers out of two bits of different diameter pvc pipe with bits of cut open garden hose in between. Was planning to make some proper ones later but ended up running with these "Friday night inventions" for two years without problems. On laters sleds I have had them machined out of solid plastic.
 
#12 ·
Just curious, seems like most people rate the center shock as the least important i.e the last one to upgrade. If I was upgrading ONE shock position on any modern rider forward sled I would think long and hard about upgrading the center first. I don't know if it's my style of riding but the center shock is the one I bottom out most often.

About torsion spring spacers. I have been running them since long before it was cool :biggrin_old: (about 15 years)
There is no increased risk for snapping springs from using them as long as they are the correct size. A few mm, 2-3, radial play and you are fine. A really tight fit between spacer and spring might, (not guaranteed), cause a problem.

I would say the risk for something to break is less with them since the spring is kept in the correct place and angle instead of capsizing to one side as it will do if the inne diameter of the spring is much larger than the shaft's.

Torsion spring spacers is a great upgrade,If your springs are a "sloppy" fit on the shaft, and I really recommend them. Buy spacers or make them yourself!
First time I tried it was on my then brand new ProXR 800. Was wrenching in my parents garage late a Friday night putting in Ă–hlins shocks and Polaris heaviest torsion springs. The springs were at least 25mm, (1 inch), too large for the shaft and were twisting in an unnatural way. Made the first spacers out of two bits of different diameter pvc pipe with bits of cut open garden hose in between. Was planning to make some proper ones later but ended up running with these "Friday night inventions" for two years without problems. On laters sleds I have had them machined out of solid plastic.
I agree with the centre skid shock being the most important along with the rear. The problem with the rear torsion springs is you only have so much you can do. But if you have a coil over or air shock you can fine tune it to the way you ride.

Live fast or die last
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I agree with the centre skid shock being the most important along with the rear. The problem with the rear torsion springs is you only have so much you can do. But if you have a coil over or air shock you can fine tune it to the way you ride.

Live fast or die last
Torsion springs give you way more adjustments than a coil over, more adjustments and torsion spring options, and I do not use torsion spacers.
Find the best spring rate for the shock valving and leave them alone. There is a reason sno cross sleds do not use coil overs on the rear.

Set the limiter strap at the stock length, back off the center shock spring than tension on the spring at the proper preload. A properly setup and valved rear shock makes the biggest difference.

There is no need to delete the torsions or buy aftermarket shocks. The factory KYBS when setup properly will handle big turbo HP.

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