Making my Rock Shox Psylo SL more plush - suggestions?

[MMcG]

Hey everyone,

I have a 2003 Psylo SL on my Balfa Belair and it's decent right now, but I feel that it is a undersprung for my weight as it just isn't as plush feeling as I think it should or could be. Am I using the right terminology here? What I'm getting at is that it feels to me that the fork sags too much and dives into it's travel too much when I'm going down a steep section of trail or let's say lately off of a big curb when I'm riding around the apartment complex parking lot with my son Liam. I'd like the fork to be stiffer and plusher - moving through it's travel in a more regular fashion if you will.

It came with the stock red "medium" spring and I'm thinking that I need to try out a firmer spring. Is this an easy thing to do via a local bike shop? Also, people on MTBR.com recommend going to a heavier weight oil in the fork in addition to the firmer spring - going to a 10 weight oil vs. what I'm assuming is a stock 5 weight oil.

Have any of you modified your Psylos in such a way and if so, what were the results?

Oh yeah, and was the upgrade expensive or well worth it?

Thanks!

McAskalot

[CouchingTiger]

Undersprung yet not plush enough? You mean you wanna stiffen it up and make it a little "less plush", right?

You can do a few things. Changing the oil is one, though the SL uses a sealed PURE system for the lockout and compression damping adjustment. For the average person, you don't EVER want to mess with that system. It is impossible to fix (re-fill and bleed) w/out the right tools/fittings.

You should be able to firm the compression up by using the external compression adjustment. You can also swap springs. You could also have the oil changed (or attempt it yourself but download the service guide 1st). I did the latter after building the proper fitting to adapt a brake bleed kit to the PURE bleed.

-Couch

[MMcG]

Undersprung yet not plush enough? You mean you wanna stiffen it up and make it a little "less plush", right?

You can do a few things. Changing the oil is one, though the SL uses a sealed PURE system for the lockout and compression damping adjustment. For the average person, you don't EVER want to mess with that system. It is impossible to fix (re-fill and bleed) w/out the right tools/fittings.

You should be able to firm the compression up by using the external compression adjustment. You can also swap springs. You could also have the oil changed (or attempt it yourself but download the service guide 1st). I did the latter after building the proper fitting to adapt a brake bleed kit to the PURE bleed.

-Couch


I want it to be stiffer and smoother through it's travel. Right now it's not stiff enough and it goes through it's travel really fast.

If I do anything to the fork, I'll have it done at a LBS.

But perhaps I should start with a switch to a stiffer spring and see what that does to the performance of the fork and then take it from there. Whattya think?

[steve_b]

[What I'm getting at is that it feels to me that the fork sags too much and dives into it's travel too much when I'm going down a steep section of trail or let's say lately off of a big curb when I'm riding around the apartment complex parking lot with my son Liam.

Is the fork set at 80mm? Try clicking up to 100 or 125. As Couch suggested, play with the external compression adj. also.

[MMcG]

[What I'm getting at is that it feels to me that the fork sags too much and dives into it's travel too much when I'm going down a steep section of trail or let's say lately off of a big curb when I'm riding around the apartment complex parking lot with my son Liam.

Is the fork set at 80mm? Try clicking up to 100 or 125. As Couch suggested, play with the external compression adj. also.





I clicked up the compression adjustment about 5 clicks and it made a big difference tonight!

Running it at 115mm with about 5 clicks of external compression now and I like it a lot better.

Thanks guys!

I may just stick with the medium springs after all.

Damn, I'm stoked.............now I'm jonesin to put this new fork set up through it's paces. Wooo Hooo!! ;D ;D