How to Set UTV Shock Preload for Your Weight and Your Load

UTV shock preload is how much the spring is squeezed before the machine's weight sits on it, and its job is to set ride height. When passengers, a cooler, or gear push your side-by-side (SxS) down, adding preload lifts it back to where it belongs. On a straight-rate spring, preload does not change how stiff the spring is.

To set it, measure your ride height with the machine empty, load it the way you actually ride, and add preload in small, equal steps until it's back at that height. When the load comes off, take the extra preload back out. At High Clearance UTV, we install and set up UTV suspension in our shop in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This guide covers the part you can do at home.

What Does Preload Do to Your UTV Suspension?

Preload changes how high your machine sits on its suspension. Most UTV shocks have an adjustable collar or ring at one end of the spring. Tightening it compresses the spring a little before any weight goes on it, so the machine sits higher once the weight is aboard. With a straight-rate spring, preloading changes the height of the vehicle without changing the spring rate, which is how many pounds it takes to compress the spring an inch.

The ride can still feel different, though. Adding preload to an empty machine can make the ride feel firmer, because the extra squeeze makes the spring push back harder as the shock extends after a bump. On a loaded machine that has been sitting too low, bringing it back to height can make the ride less harsh. When a machine sits too low, the shock starts bumps already partly compressed. On many UTV shocks, that part of the travel is set up to resist bottoming out, so the ride feels stiffer. Progressive and dual-rate springs work differently. On a progressive spring, adding preload does make the spring act stiffer. On a dual-rate setup, preload and the crossover ring settings work together, so follow the spring maker's instructions.

You can usually tell which kind you have by looking at the shock. A dual-rate setup has two springs stacked on the shock with a divider between them. The crossover ring sets where the shock moves from the softer spring to the stiffer one, and it's a separate adjustment from preload. Many progressive springs have coils wound tighter at one end. A single spring with evenly spaced coils is usually straight rate. If you can't tell by looking, check the spring part number or your manual.

UTV Ride Height vs Suspension Sag: Which Number to Set

Ride height is the distance from a fixed point on the frame or skid plate down to the ground. Sag is how far the machine drops from its empty height once riders and gear are aboard. Ride height is the number to aim for when you set preload.

Your target is the machine's factory ride height. The simplest way to find it is to measure your machine empty with the preload at its factory setting. If you've turned the collars before and don't know where they started, Polaris and Can-Am both list factory preload settings in their owner's manuals. Some shock makers publish a target too. For example, Fox's setup spec for its Podium shocks on the Polaris RZR XP 1000 is 13.5 to 13.75 inches in front and 13.25 to 13.5 inches in the rear, measured from the ground to the frame rails. That spec only applies to those shocks on that machine, so use the figure for your own setup.

Find Your Preload Adjuster

Look at the top or bottom of the spring on each shock. Most side-by-sides use one of these setups:

• Threaded rings. An adjuster ring and a lock ring thread down the shock body against the spring. Polaris RZR models with Walker Evans shocks and the Fox shocks on the Can-Am Maverick X3 use this style.
• Cam or stepped collars. A collar with set positions changes the spring length one step at a time. Can-Am uses a five-position cam on the shocks it calls oil shocks. Your owner's manual will tell you which shocks your machine has.
• No adjuster. Some shocks have no preload adjustment. On those, changing ride height means changing springs or shocks.

If you own a Kawasaki Teryx KRX or a Honda Talon, check your owner's manual to see which type you have. Electronic systems like Fox Live Valve, Polaris Dynamix, and Can-Am Smart-Shox adjust damping. They don't replace the spring, so a machine that sits low under load is still a spring and preload problem. The compression and rebound clickers on many shocks are a separate adjustment from preload.

Tools You Need

• Tape measure
• Tire pressure gauge
• A preload spanner wrench that fits your shocks. Some manuals, like Fox's for the Maverick X3, call for a hammer and punch instead of a spanner to loosen and re-lock the rings.
• A jack and jack stands strong enough to hold your machine with all four wheels off the ground
• Eye protection
• A few zip ties, to check for coil bind on your test ride
• A notepad or your phone to record measurements and collar positions

How to Measure and Set UTV Shock Preload

If a passenger can't be there for the measuring, put weight close to theirs in that seat.

1. Park on flat, level ground. A slope throws off every measurement.
2. Set tire pressure to spec. Low tires drop the machine and throw off your numbers.
3. Pick your measuring points. Use the point your owner's manual or shock maker names, such as the bottom of the frame rail or the skid plate. Mark the spot at each of the four corners so you measure from the same place every time.
4. Measure the machine empty. Roll it forward and back at least 10 feet to settle the suspension, then measure all four corners. Write these numbers down. They are your target.
5. Load it the way you ride. Put your passengers in their seats and your gear where it normally rides.
6. Settle it and measure again. With everyone in their seats, start the machine and drive forward and back a short distance so the suspension settles to the height it rides at on the trail. Measure the same four points. The difference from your empty numbers is how much height your load takes away.
7. Record where each collar sits now. On threaded rings, measure from a fixed spot on the shock you can find again, such as the top of the shock body, to the edge of the adjuster ring. Use the same two spots every time. If your manual lists a factory preload measurement, use the point it names. On cam collars, note the position.
8. Take the weight off the shocks. Unload the machine, then lift it onto jack stands until all four wheels are off the ground and the shocks hang at full length. Do this every time before you turn a ring.
9. Loosen the lock ring and add preload. Back off the lock ring with the spanner wrench or a hammer and punch. Moving the adjuster ring toward the spring compresses it and adds preload. Moving the ring away from the spring takes preload out. The direction you turn depends on the shock. On Polaris machines with Walker Evans shocks, you turn the ring to the left to add preload. On the Fox shocks on the Maverick X3, you turn it clockwise. Turn both front shocks, or both rear shocks, by the same small amount, using the step sizes in the next section. On cam collars, move both shocks to the next position.
10. Re-measure under load. Lower the machine, load it again, settle it, and measure. Repeat steps 8 through 10 until you're back at your target height.
11. Lock the rings. Tighten each lock ring down against its adjuster ring so the setting holds.
12. Test ride and check for coil bind. Before the ride, put zip ties around several coils on each spring. Ride easy at first. If the zip ties break or show the coils touching, you have too much preload.

How Much Preload to Add for a Passenger or Cargo

There's no set number of turns per inch of ride height. The threads on the shock body are spaced differently from one shock to the next, so one turn moves the collar a different distance. The inches you move the collar also won't match the inches of height you get back. The shock mounts partway along the suspension arm, so the wheel moves a different distance than the shock does. That ratio differs front to rear and from one machine to the next. That's why you work in small steps and re-measure.

Passengers and cargo can take away a lot of ride height. In a magazine test on a Can-Am Maverick X3 Max four-seater, the empty machine measured 15.5 inches up front and 16.5 inches in the rear, and with every seat filled it dropped to 12 inches front and 14 inches rear. The same article says it can take about twice as much preload to raise the rear as the front. Your rear collars may need to move further than your front ones.

Owner's manuals and shock manuals give three kinds of numbers. Each one does a different job, and yours may list only one or two of them:

• Step size. Fox's Maverick X3 shock manual says to move the collar half an inch at a time, then re-measure.
• Load chart. On the two-seat Polaris RZR XP Turbo, Polaris's shock adjustment chart adds 0.2 inch of preload front and rear for every 100 pounds of cargo you carry with a driver and passenger aboard. That's a starting point for that one machine.
• Total limit. Polaris says not to add more than 1 inch over the factory setting on its RZR models.

Here's how those numbers apply to you. If your manual has a load chart, start with its numbers and then measure. If it doesn't, move the collar half an inch or less each round. On a Polaris RZR, two half-inch steps use up the whole 1 inch limit, so smaller steps give you more room to fine-tune.

Use this table to match your load to what you measure and adjust.

Your load	Who and what is aboard when you measure	What to adjust
Solo rider	The driver in the seat	Start at the factory setting. Polaris's RZR XP Turbo chart takes 0.2 inch of preload out for a driver alone, so a solo rider may need less than factory.
Two up	Driver and passenger in their seats	Measure first. Polaris sets the two-seat RZR XP Turbo's factory preload for a driver plus one passenger, so yours may already be at height. Add small, equal steps only if it sits low.
Four seats loaded	Every seat filled	Expect the biggest drop. The rear usually needs more preload to recover than the front, but the front can drop more, so measure all four corners and re-measure after every step.
Cargo only in the bed	Cargo loaded and strapped where you carry it	The bed sits over the rear, so the rear is the end most likely to sit low. Measure the front too, since it can change.
Permanent accessories (winch, roof, a full crew every ride)	The accessories installed and your usual riders aboard	If you can't reach ride height within the manufacturer's preload limit, you need stiffer springs, covered under When Preload Is the Wrong Fix, below.

Front vs Rear Preload, and Left vs Right

Front and rear are set separately, and they won't end up at the same collar position. On many sport side-by-sides the engine sits behind the seats, and the cargo bed and any back-seat riders sit over the rear too, so the rear often needs more preload than the front to get back to height. The front and rear also have different height targets. Fox's specs set the front slightly higher than the rear, as the RZR XP 1000 numbers above show.

Left and right should always match. Uneven settings from side to side can cause poor handling and loss of stability. If one side still sits lower after loading, check how the load is placed, then have a shop look at it.

Take the Preload Back Out When the Load Comes Off

Once the load comes off, put the preload back to the factory setting. The extra height makes the machine less stable when it runs empty. If you ride loaded one day and alone the next, write down both collar positions for every shock. Switching between them then takes one trip onto the jack stands. If you carry the same load on almost every ride, that loaded setting is your normal setting, and you measure again whenever the load changes.

Too Much vs Too Little Preload

Too little preload	Too much preload
Sits below its ride height with your normal load	Sits above its ride height. The shocks start out more extended, so the wheels may have less room to drop into holes
Bottoms out or scrapes the skid plate on hits	Feels less stable, especially running empty
Rear squats with passengers or cargo aboard	Front end feels light or lifts on climbs when front preload is too high
Can ride harsh, because the shocks start each bump already partly compressed	Coils touch each other (coil bind), which can break the spring

Raising ride height with preload has downsides, so add only enough to bring back the height your load took away. More height raises the center of gravity, and a higher center of gravity makes a side-by-side easier to tip over. Federal regulators describe this with the static stability factor, which is the machine's track width divided by twice its center of gravity height. The ride can feel firmer, and the higher stance changes the angle of the CV axles, which can put extra stress on them. Don't add preload to an empty machine just to gain ground clearance.

When Preload Is the Wrong Fix

Polaris tells RZR and General owners not to add more than 1 inch of preload over the factory setting. If your machine needs more than 1 inch to reach its ride height, that's a sign it needs new or stiffer springs. Other manufacturers may set a different limit, so check your owner's manual for yours.

You've run out of preload when either of these happens:

• You've reached the manufacturer's preload limit, and the machine still sits low with your normal load.
• The zip ties show the coils touching before the machine reaches its ride height, so you can't safely add more.

If the extra weight stays on the machine all the time, look at springs from the start. Fox's shock manual notes that added accessory weight, like a winch or a roof, may call for different spring rates.

The fix is a stiffer or dual-rate spring kit matched to your machine. Spring kits are made for a specific machine, so start with the kit that matches yours and check the listing's fitment details. Two examples we carry are the ZBROZ Stage 1 spring kit for the Kawasaki KRX 1000 and the ZBROZ Stage 1 dual-rate spring kit for the Polaris RZR Pro XP 4 with Fox Dynamix shocks. If you ride something else, you can find kits for other machines in our UTV suspension kits and parts collection.

Adding preload also doesn't let you carry more weight. Preload changes ride height. It does not raise your machine's rated payload or cargo capacity. That rating is a fixed number listed in your owner's manual. If your ride height measures right and the machine still rides poorly, the shocks may be worn, so check for the signs your UTV shocks are worn out.

Where DIY Ends

You can set preload in your driveway with hand tools. Swapping springs is a bigger job, because many shocks need a spring compressor to get the spring off safely. Sealed shocks aren't built to be opened up at home, so take them to a shop. Shocks that won't hold a setting and shocks that need a rebuild are shop jobs too. These signs your UTV needs professional repair can help you decide when it's time to bring it in.

How Many Turns of Preload Is Too Many?

There's no universal turn count, because thread pitch differs from shock to shock. Track collar movement in inches from your recorded starting point instead of counting turns, and stop at your manufacturer's limit, which is 1 inch over factory on Polaris RZR and General models.

Get Your Ride Height Set Right

Our shop installs spring kits and other suspension upgrades, and we can help you get your ride height right for the load you carry. Jonathon "Jon" Jeck has 20+ years of mechanical experience. If you're not sure whether your machine needs more preload or new springs, we'll take a look. Call us at 815-953-9346, email sales@highclearanceutv.com, or bring your machine to 1208 W Cato Springs Rd., Fayetteville, AR 72701. If you're within 30 miles of Fayetteville, we can come pick it up. We also handle winches, lighting, electrical, tires and wheels, and more, all listed on our UTV repair and service page.