[Teamsuzukirm19z]

I have been riding a ti spring on my 2006 v-10 for a while now and decided to try out a steel spring and see what the diffrence was and to my surprise the steel spring made the bike feel more alive. Granted the v-10 has 10 inches of travel so it will not be as alive as other bikes but I feel like I like the ride of the bike better with a steel spring then a ti spring. I know the ti is lighter but, on a dhx shock it isn't that big of a diffrence because the stock steel dhx springs are tiny compared to say a stock steel 5th element spring.

Any one else feel like steel springs give the bike a more "springy" feel? That does sound stupid but I can't think of how else to describe it. The ti spring didnt have much of a springy feel it just felt very dead.

 

[Zark]

I feel no difference at all in the ride in between the same rate ti and steel springs. The only thing I noticed were my wallet and bike were a lot lighter.

 

[dhkid]

a few things could be going on here,

1)is the spring rate for the ti and steel spring the same? it means nothing if they are different. and even if they are the same, springs are rated prefectly. there is always a percentage error.

2)the ti spring could have been been used under alot of preload and have fatigued causing a change in the spring rate, so a 'fresh' spring that is actually the right rate feels good.

actually, both points are kinda the same point....

 

[FCLinder]

I feel no difference at all in the ride in between the same rate ti and steel springs. The only thing I noticed were my wallet and bike were a lot lighter.

Same here...

 

[NJHCx4xLIFE]

a 400lb spring would be the same rate ti or steel and would in theory feel the same since the same resistance is applied. coilspring.com will give you a good rundown between the difference of the two materials but is most likely biased since they produce ti springs. The real question is did you sell me a bunk spring? Just kidding thanks for a good deal.

 

[downhillracer]

yah there is no dif between ride quality, one thing to also note about Ti is that it wears out and loses its strenght at a much slower rate than steel

 

[Teamsuzukirm19z]

a 400lb spring would be the same rate ti or steel and would in theory feel the same since the same resistance is applied. coilspring.com will give you a good rundown between the difference of the two materials but is most likely biased since they produce ti springs. The real question is did you sell me a bunk spring? Just kidding thanks for a good deal.

haha nah the spring is fine, I just thought that the steel spring I had felt diffrent then the ti. I have heard people say they thought they felt different before but no one ever said how they felt diffrent. maybe im just trying to make my self feel better about getting rid of the spring haha.

 

[Teamsuzukirm19z]

Seems that it could be my old steel spring is worn out and that was what made if feel diffrent, because the ti spring was a few months old and the steel was about a year old when I took it off.

 

[davep]

The big difference is not in the material at all (there is a little, but it would be masked via the damping within the system), but in the tollerance, or allowed variation in spring values. IIRC fox springs are +- 10%, so a 500 lb spring could be 450 - 550 and still be considered OK for use (and be labeled 500). Most ti springs have a much smaller tollerance.


You are most likely just feeling the difference in two different spring rates.

 

[Avy Rider]

I totally agree. I was talking to Craig at Avalanche about this the other day and steel springs are often not even close to the supposed rating they are labled at. Ti springs are much closer to the actual rating. I did notice the other day that the original 450 lb steel spring that came with my Avy DHS stayed a little compressed when I put it beside the newer one I have. They were both the same length when I first compared them last year. I got the extra one because the original spring was rubbing the finish off the shock body. I believe the inner diameter was a little too close for comfort.

 

[altix]

Seems that it could be my old steel spring is worn out and that was what made if feel diffrent, because the ti spring was a few months old and the steel was about a year old when I took it off.

w8 how long do steel springs last????

 

[DHRracer]

w8 how long do steel springs last????

Depends on what type of Steel.

 

[StunZeeD]

anyone know what the lightest fox dhx 5 spring for a 400x2.25 spring would be?

 

[- seb]

anyone know what the lightest fox dhx 5 spring for a 400x2.25 spring would be?

Well I should imagine the ti version (if it exists at that stroke/rate) would be lighter than the steel one.

I recently replaced a 500x2.8" steel spring with a 450x3" ti spring, and only saved about 80g

I'm hoping to find someone with a 450x2.75/2.8 spring for sale because I don't need 3" stroke. Also I hear manitou ti springs are much lighter than RCS ones (I have an RCS one). Presumably because they are coiled at a steeper angle?

 

[RMboy]

uhmm i found my Ti spring made my bike more alive, and made the rear shock work much better...but i think the dhlik is right, spring rate cud have changed due to long term stress...

 

[ridea]

with regards to weight differences, i read a report on a uk site saying that the steel spring weighed about the same as the dhx with a ti(they measured it themselves) i think that was on a 3" stroke.

just had a quick look at the site i thought it was on and it isnt, but im sure i did read it somwhere, ither that or im making it up :/