2022 Zeb Ultimate not at all plush.. how to fix?

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,626
5,104
Weymouth
I think for setting up any fork it helps to understand some basic principles.

Firstly, if you are using a 38mm stancion fork it will have been designed by RS or Fox for Enduro type riding. It will also assume the majority of riders will be pretty active and probably about 80 to 90 kg. The factory damper tune will be set in accordance with that, and is a fixed aspect of tune you cannot adjust unless you get the damper modified (usually a service offered by suspension specialists). It is unlikely to be as plush out of the box as a Lyric or Fox 36 for example.
If you are significantly lighter than 80kg your only option may be to get the damper re tuned. Similarly if your riding is more "trail" the same may apply.
For the same rider weight/expected use most forks come from the factory with 2 or 3 volume spacers depending on travel.
The brands recommended settings also assume those criterea.

The tuning of a fork consists of balancing the spring rate with rebound and compression settings so setting the spring rate is the first important step. That is done initially with SAG.....ie how much the fork compresses just under the weight of the bike and the rider when in the ready position. The usual guidelines are 20% for a firmer ride and up to 25% for a somewhat softer ride ( or in the case of Fox 38 15% and 20%). This is best set with all compression and rebound settings fully open/fast. It is this stage that will inform you whether more or fewer volume spacers are required to meet that criterea. SAG must be set in a way that overcomes any stiction and inertia.
Every air spring is naturally progressive so SAG makes a huge impact on fork performance.........and contrary to natural instinct a lower air pressure does not necessarilly mean a softer fork since what is actualy required to keep the first part of travel fairly plush is to ensure the fork is not sitting deeper in its travel.....which due to progression will be firmer.

Only then can you experiment with rebound and compression settings to prevent the fork acting like a pogo stick!!
My method is to leave all compression setting open and just do test rides with rebound set a bout midway....and then ride a gain with that setting faster and slower to see what feels best.
Repeat that process with the compression settings.
 

RustyIron

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Jun 5, 2021
1,865
2,925
La Habra, California
and contrary to natural instinct a lower air pressure does not necessarilly mean a softer fork

In the category of Most Useful Technical Tip of the Day, the award goes to...

@Mikerb!

Congratulations, sir.


achievement-trophy-surrounded-by-stars-clip-art-59657.jpg
 

brbr

Active member
Dec 28, 2022
529
270
France
What are your current settings (HSC/LSC/Reb)? What's your current Sag? What size is the fork? Do you have the bleed valves on your Zeb? How many hours on the fork? What are you running in the rear? And what are the settings there? Does the rear shock feel good?

I have something I've been working on that I'll post in a little bit that is designed for just these sorts of situations; I just lost power, so I need to switch over to the generator, and then I'll get it posted.
This is a 170mm Zeb with the bleed valves, sag around 30%
I’ve tried so many setting for hsc / lsc / rebound, I don’t know what is right now 😬
The rear is a DVO jade with coil, the coil is 450, but it looks firm
The fork has less than 40 hours
 

Arethustra

Active member
Subscriber
Apr 22, 2024
132
120
Bay Area, CA
I’m assuming that your frame is ok to handle the 170mm. That being the case, watch the video I shared—it should get you back to a starting point that you can build off of.

You should use the bleed valves to clear your lowers at the start but can probably skip the token part as it doesn’t sound like you have installed any. If there’s nothing wrong with the fork the approach in the video is basically what I do to get a baseline.

The key thing after you get the fork to start feeling right is to get the fork and rear shock to be in balance.

I like a plusher ride so I balanced out the Franken-Zeb I have with a Telum coil that is tuned to be on the more compliant side of the spectrum. If the front and rear aren't in balance and working together its going to result in things not feeling right so factor that into your thinking.

Good luck!
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

559K
Messages
28,287
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top