Ranger 900 ELKA Stage 4 Suspension

[Chris]

You may have misread the codes ?? The spring rate should be determined by how heavy your bike is...I have 525 lb on the rear of mine.

You've really got me thinking on this one. I've pondered your question for a while. I did some research and found some information on the RZR site.
My Elka springs have the following codes printed on them:

Front R4.2X300
Rear B4.9X356

4.9 and 4.2 are kilograms per millimeter.
1kg = 2.2 lbs, 1mm equals .0395 inches or 1inch = 25.4mm.

4.2 x2.2 =9.24 lbs x 25.4 mm= 234lbs/inch spring rate for the front.
4.9 x2.2 = 10.78lbs x 25.4mm = 274lbs/inch spring rate for the rear.

The last numbers printed on the spring, 300 and 356, should be the length of the spring in millimeters.

I could be completely wrong on this data, but the numbers seem to make sense. The stock Ranger 900 XP has a 200lb front springs and 240lb rear springs.

[scottwv]

I couldn't find any numbers on my old springs . Not long after I bought them, I had them rebuilt by an Elka shop...they told me mine were 300lb front; and , 430lb rear . I know they were right on the rear ; because , I called Elka , gave them my serial #'s , told them how heavy my bike was ; and , they told me the same lb # , and what rate I needed (525lb) . I dunno...maybe the po-po's use different numbers ?? Regardless, they're badd-azz shocks !! I just hope you didn't have to do any funeral services to get the coin !!

[Chris]

Elka Stage 4 Ride Update #2





I have since put close to 100 trail miles on the new suspension. Many of you know that on the mud/trail spectrum I tend to fall more toward the mud side. However, in setting up these new shocks I have ridden strictly trails so that I can cover as many miles as possible. I also wanted to test the shock settings as thoroughly as I could. I've found this tuning and learning process helpful: drive the same section of trail, make changes to the rebound and/or compression, then ride the trail again noting the alterations.

Some people have questioned whether my Stage 4 shocks have separate High and Low speed compression adjustments. No, the Stage 4 shocks now only have low speed compression adjustment. Elka redesigned their shocks around the early part of 2016. The new style shocks are visually distinguished by their black aluminum bodies and black stickers that more closely resemble the flagship Stage 5 shock; this is the only Elka shock that now features both high and low speed compression adjustments.







The rear suspension was almost 100% perfect directly from Elka. I backed out the rear compression an additional 5 clicks softer so that it is currently at 10 of 23 clicks. I also backed out the rebound an additional 4 clicks so that the rebound is at 21 of 40 clicks. The rear spring preolad is at the minimum setting. Overall, the rear suspension is very good. It rides plush and handles good.

The front suspension was good but needed far more tuning from the factory settings. Elka had the front preload set at 0.75". The front ground clearance was good but the ride felt a bit stiff at low speeds as I mentioned in post 15 of this thread. The handling was good, the ground clearance was good and matched the rear ground clearance. But the low spreed ride was a bit firm and felt "bouncy." The front seemed to run out of travel in a harsh manner on the big impacts to really nit pick at the front suspension. But when you have a high end set of shocks you expect the ride quality to reflect that high end shock.

Here is a pic of the front preload from Elka.




I tried a few things, first loosening the preload adjuster ring. The front ground clearance quickly fell too low. I ended up with 0.50" of preload. My front ground clearance is now about half inch lower than the rear but the ride quality is more plush at low speeds.

The other area that needed adjustment on the front suspension was that the front seemed to bottom out more than I liked, and when it did bottom out, it bottomed harshly. Again, this is really nit picking and I am already driving harder and faster over rougher ground than with the stock suspension. But again, I knew the Elka shocks were capable of better. The front suspension still didn't feel as good as the rear suspension.

I decided to back out on the front rebound adjustment 3 clicks so that the rebound was at 22 of 40 clicks. That was the magic recipe for me! Perhaps the front suspension was "packing" up; it wasn't able to fully rebound to ride height before a big hit so that the shock didn't have the proper travel to dampen the bump. Regardless, quickening the front rebound made a positive difference in getting that legendary Elka ride. I still want to try and increase my front ride height. My next step will be to increase the front preload a small amount and test again.

Overall, I am pleased with my purchase. Setting up these shocks has been more tedious than I imagined. However, the ride quality at all speeds has paid off.

[Timmi]

Elka jumped prices big in 2016 also. I am saving for Elka 5's for the wolvy. Once you get 'em dialed in you'll love them even more.

[Chris]

Elka jumped prices big in 2016 also.

Yep, less than a year ago I could have bought a set of the old style stage 4 shocks with high and low speed compression dampening for $500 less. I don't know what all internal changes they made to the shocks, though. All I know is that they all have aluminum bodies now.

The Wolverine has excellent suspension right from the factory. Those KYB shocks are worlds better than the Polaris spec'd Sachs shocks. The Polaris springs are even worse!

[Timmi]

The Kayaba's are about the nicest factory shock I have ridden on a low priced machine. Elka's are in a class of their own though.

Yep, less than a year ago I could have bought a set of the old style stage 4 shocks with high and low speed compression dampening for $500 less. I don't know what all internal changes they made to the shocks, though. All I know is that they all have aluminum bodies now.

The Wolverine has excellent suspension right from the factory. Those KYB shocks are worlds better than the Polaris spec'd Sachs shocks. The Polaris springs are even worse!

[Chris]

Ride Update # 3

I have put 400+ miles on the Elka Stage 4 shocks. I have changed and adjusted settings numerous times. My tire size and lift has also changed since the last report. I removed the 2" lift and the +1.5" forward A-Arms. Suspension geometry is now 100% stock. The 28" Intimidators were replaced with 30" Bighorns on the MSA Vibe wheels, and I eventually replaced the 30" Bighorns with 27" Maxxis Bighorns on stock aluminum wheels. This wheel and tire combination bolted to stock suspension geometry on Elka shocks is extremely good.

Front Suspension
This has been the hardest for me to dial in. Out of the box the suspension was too firm; it felt harsh at any speed below race mode, lol! I experimented with various compression, rebound, and preload settings. The magic, for me, came from removing those heavy Intimidators and finally those forward a-arms. For whatever reason, the ride is buttery smooth with the stock arms. I have 5 clicks of compression, 0 clicks of rebound dampening, and stock preload as it came from Elka. I'll bottom out the front shocks once or twice per outing, but it never feels harsh.

Rear Suspension
The rear suspension has been much easier to tune. I now run 0 clicks of compression and 2 clicks of rebound dampening. Preload is set at 1 additional turn from minimum. The rear sway bar is reconnected. I am satisfied with how the rear handles big and small ruts, bumps, and, yes, even small amounts of air. There is almost no kick or buck from the rear suspension. I have yet to feel the rear suspension get unsettled and try to pass the front end.


Conclusions
Elka shocks have not turned my Ranger 900 into a RZR XP. I didn't go into this with such an expectation. What I did gain was an incredible ride and improved handling at all speeds. I also gained ground clearance as the stock springs were fatigued and sagging. With no lift and stock preload dialed into the Elka shocks, my Ranger has 12.5" of ground clearance on 27" tires. The suspension has got to be as good as it gets on a UTV with 10" of travel and a high center of gravity. It may not be, because these shocks keep getting better all the time. I won't say it's "flickable" and better than anything out there on the market. But is is the best riding and handling Polaris Ranger 900 XP that I have come across here in South Texas.

I believe that the shocks have broken in, and they ride better when I got them. This isn't easy to accept because I like instant gratification, and I don't want to admit that I didn't have them set up perfectly within the first ride or two. It has taken me a lot of time and a lot of trying different setups until I found what suited me the best.

If you want to ride around on 30" mud tires and drink beer and hit every mudhole, spending all day in Low Range - don't spend $2,500 on premium shocks! Buy some portals and a 24 pack of cans. I wanted a utility SxS that has good power to do trails and creeks and rocks, and even some mud. The bench seat is nice for cruising with my kids, and the massive rear bed is useful around the property for hauling whatever you can imagine. In stock form the Ranger 900 has more power than its chassis and suspension can handle, especially once you tune it to the RZR 900 parameters. Good suspension makes this UTV feel like a premium SxS that rides smooth no matter how fast or slow you drive.

[WV Hot Rod Rhino]

thanks chris!

[Chris]

thanks chris!

I remember an old Hot Rod quote which went something like this,
"I don't like to run lifts because they don't hold up." Well, lifts also screw up your suspension geometry! I can't see having that much money in shocks and not getting to fully realize how good they are because I've got some lift brackets installed that stand my shocks up at weird angles.

[Brian lee Rhino450]

Wish i had elkas on my new to me 700, loved them on the 450. Mayb in a year or so ill get some stage 5's😁


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