Stock shim stacks for the Marzocchi Shiver 48 on 4Ts

[Leon_RR250]

Hi!

That is great info here. Thank you! From what I remember my PFP springs were really loose having free play with the adjuster at 0 turns. I had them apart but I did not measure their length. Anyway in few hours I should change the inner chamber oil and I will measure the springs. It is not so hard to do. You mentioned versatility and that is exactly what I felt on the last ride. If I get my Sachs shock from service today I will have a ride on our very technical forest tomorrow. Otherwise this ride will take place on Saturday. I am pretty sure I will be really happy with the exact same settings.

It has been a very long time to feel a fork so versatile and good, (if I ever felt any)... I tried PFP at 1 turn previously as you remember, but the oil was at 340 ml and the valving much stiffer everywhere. It was not close at all to how it is working now and definitely it was not a versatile fork.

Leon

[GMP]

Leon,

What else I was playing with was balancing the shock with the fork using the HS comp adjuster in conjunction with the fork PFP. Interesting but I only started with it.

Last weekend was very technical almost trials like rocks in sections, this weekend a national harescrambles on a fast course including an MX track. You can't ask more from a fork than that!

[twowheels]

From what I remember my PFP springs were really loose having free play with the adjuster at 0 turns. I had them apart but I did not measure their length.

I've measured several sets of PFP springs at 102mm, which leaves a couple mm of freeplay when out of the cartridge. Once inserted into a cartridge with 210cc/140mm of oil you will have approximately 5mm of starting preload with your adjuster at 0 turns.

[Leon_RR250]

Thank you for the info!

Leon

[Leon_RR250]

Hi!

Yesterday we had a tough ride in our local technical forest. Marzocchi with the same settings that worked well in sand on Sunday. I just had a serviced with fresh oil shock and just greased swingarm bearings. The fork was still good through embedded sharp rocks with second gear but I felt it could be better and I think the problem comes from the not so good yet balance with the shock currently. It was really good at speed with all kinds of trail junk, especially when I was standing and keeping my body on the middle or slightly backwards to relieve pressure from the fork. It was worse immediately when my body was more than enough forward-in front, "above" the handlebar. I got things improved by playing with the high-speed compression on the shock but further work is needed. Also the dynamic sag felt to be closer to 100mm than to 105 which I like more, generally. Of course I forgot to take with me yesterday the measuring system to check sag when fully geared up.

I will get this fork working well everywhere with the same setting. I did not see any top rider in EWC to touch this fork before the very fast with deep sand MX test or before the slow and rough part of the extreme test.

Leon

[GMP]

The Beta just works better on the trail with more twist, no matter what I've done as far as adjustments this seems to be the case. Your likely closer than you think.

[Leon_RR250]

Hi!

Practice on Sunday on the same very rough MX track as sometimes before. +2 clicks on the rebound (8 out now) only on the fork and everything else the same as before (+1 turn in for PFP and 10 clicks out on compression). From the start, half turn less preload on the shock spring and after the first two short sessions of about 4 laps each I went way in for the high and low speed comp due to severe bottoming in a short whooped out section at the base of a whooped out uphill that you really need good momentum to go straight up. I knew this from other practices there, so it is not the slightly less preload causing this (I think I could even use one step harder spring at the back. I think I am on the very limit for the 5.4 spring being 94kgs fully geared up). During the last two much longer sessions I was quite comfortable with the bike and much more aggressive. The fork remained plush everywhere and never bottomed.

Now I am wondering a bit why at +2 turns in for PFP the comp and the rebound liked to be at -16 clicks out or more. I am pretty sure the rebound at 8 clicks out will be good in the woods on Thursday...

Leon

[GMP]

Now I am wondering a bit why at +2 turns in for PFP the comp and the rebound liked to be at -16 clicks out or more. I am pretty sure the rebound at 8 clicks out will be good in the woods on Thursday...

Leon

Because the oil is more stable from the higher initial cartridge pressure, therefore damping greater and more consistant, if my thinking is correct here.

As much as I like my forks performance, the right leg is in a self destruct mode. After a couple clean oil changes with the new anodizing, now the oil looks like gray/black paint again after only a few hours. I haven't pulled it down completely and examined the parts but its obviously anodizing being scraped off. Something is very wrong and has been from the start, but I'm done putting $$ into it.

[Leon_RR250]

Sorry to hear about it. My fork at 110 (it would be 126 but I used the WP for sometime) hrs is like new inside. I hope you find a cheap solution.

Leon

[GMP]

I'll nurse it along with frequent outer oil changes this summer but I'm done investing time and $$ into it. There must be something wrong dimmensionally with my right lower to cause it to wear into the upper, with all fresh bushings and new coatings. The bushing lands are tighter than other forks as Marzocchi has done for years, so perhaps with a little variation this causes the problem. I know that Terry Hay, the Racetech tuner in Australia, has been adamant about this for years now and recuts the lands like a KYB lower for more float. Being this is the second set of Zoke forks I've had with internal surface failure, and have seen many others, I'd say there is a good chance he is correct and it cant hurt. The same fork on my '12 GG was good but right before I sold it at approx 85 hrs started showing increased oil fouling. Love the performance but for such a premium fork with high parts costs, build and coating quality should be a lot better for a longer life.