tuning the DUC32 for more compression

hey y'all

i know there are various threads around here with the details and suggestions, but i thought i'd focus my needs in a new thread instead.

my biking has 'evolved', with the result that my very linear, 'just bottoms out nicely' DUC32 has far too little low-speed compression.

air pressure, sag, small bump sensitivity, suppleness and bottom out behaviour are all about right, but it falls far too much into travel when i'm tackling 30cm+ step-downs (that can't be jumped). ethan lightened up the shim stack a while ago for my flyweight 160lbs (loaded).

which way do i go to boost low-speed compression with minimal affect on anything else? simply more air in the damper cartridge? or go from 5wt. to 7.5wt. oil too?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ragetty

hey y'all

i know there are various threads around here with the details and suggestions, but i thought i'd focus my needs in a new thread instead.

my biking has 'evolved', with the result that my very linear, 'just bottoms out nicely' DUC32 has far too little compression.

air pressure, sag, small bump sensitivity, suppleness and bottom out behaviour are all about right, but it falls far too much into travel when i'm tackling 30cm+ step-downs (that can't be jumped). ethan lightened up the shim stack a while ago for my flyweight 160lbs (loaded).

which way do i go to boost compression with minimal affect on anything else? simply more air in the damper cartridge? or go from 5wt. to 7.5wt. oil too?

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Hi Ragety,
5wt !!! it's very very light, how weight are you ? Do you have an IFP in the damper cartridge ? I'l 75kgs, IFP, 10wt, light shims and 85psi

70kg, IFP, 5wt, light shims and 65psi

so a heavier oil and more air everywhere ...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ragetty

70kg, IFP, 5wt, light shims and 65psi

so a heavier oil and more air ...

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Correct : by light shims to you mean 0.1mm thickness instead of the 0.15. I set mine with two 0.1 / 20mm instead of a single one, 10wt oil and 85psi. Travel control modified (green knob for major control / gray one for minor control, no travel lock-out - Ethan's modification). As I'm in 27.5, Specific AVR, 3cc or 15wt in air cartridge.

now set to:

70kg, 7.5wt, flat side down, 21/18/16 0.1mm shims, 85psi

where does the IFP sit? ethan apparently installed one, but i don't see it!?! where does it go when i refill with oil?

there are a few threads around here with infos on installing the IFP, but i'm having a hard time 'picturing' the process ... is there a 'how to' document somewhere?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ragetty

now set to:

70kg, 7.5wt, flat side down, 21/18/16 0.1mm shims, 85psi

where does the IFP sit? ethan apparently installed one, but i don't see it!?! where does it go when i refill with oil?

there are a few threads around here with infos on installing the IFP, but i'm having a hard time 'picturing' the process ... is there a 'how to' document somewhere?

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IFP is located at the bottom of the damper cartridge. Remove the shraeder cap and you will see it.

ah, got it - now the info in the other threads falls into place :-)

so this means the `refill with oil` procedure is cimpletely different - i have written to ethan, but i guess i can assume it is pretty much like this:

Someone with a DUC, please go check it- Mtbr.com

after reading some more, i have now changed the set up again:

72kg rider weight,
flat side UP (to keep things supple, as installed by ethan)
21/18/16 0.1mm shims (to keep things supple, as installed by ethan)
7.5wt & 85psi in the damper (to slow things up a little), was 5wt & 70psi)

i may try another (4th) thin shim, as this is a recommendation in the tuning sheet for slowing up compression (for a heavier rider and drops) - although i suspect the emphasis here is on high-speed compression.

does anyone else want to chip in with suggestions for slowing up the diving with minimum change to the other fork performance aspects?

so after talking to ethan i now have the refill procedure (with 'his' IFP).

after more reading it looks like i'm going to have a hard time dialing 'only' the low-speed compression. the one workaround is perhaps to perhaps set-up the lock-out feature so that it slows up the fork just a little (but enough to stop the hobby horse effect on step-downs.

ok, time to rebuild and see what can be done.

Hey Ragetty,

Just found this thread since MTBR did away with the Maverick forum (anyone else not happy about that?). I recently bought an ML8 that has the DUC32 rebound adjust mod mentioned above by Alpamayo, and even though you lose the travel adjust it makes a big difference in the action of the fork. I can't say that it will help you with what you are trying to do but I can tell you I have never bottomed out and the compression seems very controlled. With the mod, I also have an IFP and run the pressure in the damper at around 100 PSI.