[huckleberry]

what does a larger stroke do for performance.

 

[binary visions]

Your question doesn't make sense. The length of the stroke has nothing to do with better or worse performance.

A larger stroke on a given bike will provide more travel. A longer stroke doesn't mean more travel for every bike, though, because a bike's leverage ratio determines how much travel it gets. A bike with a 3" stroke shock and a 2:1 leverage ratio will get 6" of travel. A bike with a 2.5" stroke shock and a 3:1 leverage ratio will get 7.5" of travel, though.

 

[Wumpus]

A longer stroke should make the shock more supple. As a spring compresses(air, steel, etc) its spring rate should increase until full compression. The longer you have to the max should produce a more linear rate in the travel.

 

[huckleberry]

i guess my terminolgy isn't correct. what i'm trying to answer is what advantages does a shock 8"i2i 3.0" shock width have over a shock 8"i2i 2.5" shock width. i hope that makes more sense peaceout

 

[binary visions]

Originally posted by huckleberry
i guess my terminolgy isn't correct. what i'm trying to answer is what advantages does a shock 8"i2i 3.0" shock width have over a shock 8"i2i 2.5" shock width. i hope that makes more sense peaceout

It doesn't have an "advantage", as I stated above. If you were to mount both of those shocks on the same bike, the 3.0" shock stroke would give the bike more travel.

However, if the bike isn't designed around that shock, there can be lots of problems with that. It can cause linkages to contact with the frame for one. Also, many suspension designs are progressive, but if the stroke travels past the "progressive" part of the path, it'll become regressive and bottom out harshly.

Use whatever stroke and size shock the frame comes with - it's almost never worth messing with.

 

[Wumpus]

I wouldn't change the stroke unless you called the manufacturer, and they say it is OK.

There is a reason it was speced with the shock it came with.