BOX1

P500 Elka stage 1

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Yomama101

Well-Known Member
Feb 6, 2022
139
1,021
93
Mesa AZ
Ownership

  1. Looking to buy

  2. 520
Any issues with doing the adjustments without removing the shocks?

I'll be sure to make notes/measurements of my starting points.

Sure am glad they ask all those questions. Maybe I should have said I race it, instead of trail riding. Which is hilarious to anyone that's ridden with me!
Same here. The fronts seemed real soft. Coming off some small shelf's it would bottom out hard. Never had to remove to adjust. I usually lift the Honda up enough to take the weight off the tires for maximum droop in the suspension then adjust the preload collars. I use a 1/4 drill bit with heat shrink on it and just use the shank. Fits the collars perfectly. This with an Allen wrench is all I need. This little kit with the lug socket stays in the glove compartment.
IMG 8448


IMG 8447
 
DocBo

DocBo

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2022
46
367
53
Pennsylvania
Ownership

  1. 520
Got mine installed today and took a ride over some high speed bumps. WOW! What a difference. Where I used to pogo, the machine felt planted and in control. The stock settings from Elka were a 1/2 inch higher than the stock shocks. I will leave them set until I can get out on some trails.

by the way, Elka included an adjusting tool and hex wrench that I placed with the owners manual under the seat.

Cannot wait for the Pioneer takeover!

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slimshaney

Member
Jun 10, 2016
8
38
13
idaho
Ownership

  1. 500

  2. 1000-5
Weighing my options for shocks. Would there be any issues or benefits of running stage 3 fronts, and stage 1 rears? I do plow very very rarely, so thought the adjustabliity of stage 3's in front would be good? Any thoughts?
 
crewcabrob

crewcabrob

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Lifetime Member
May 7, 2018
1,029
4,038
113
Omaha
Ownership

  1. 520
Hi,

I'm not sure that there would be any real benefit to running the more expensive shocks up front. You can adjust the preload on Stage 1, which is what you would need to do to compensate for the weight of the plow, Rebound and compression would make little to no difference... it would also be highly unlikely that you would get the benefit from the external oil reservoir. If you were going with a new set, I would either go all stage 1 or all stage 3.

Just my opinion...
 
trigger

trigger

Old Ironsides
Vendor
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Feb 13, 2016
20,470
150,964
113
Bay City, Michigan
www.quickshieldutv.com
Ownership

  1. 500
My stage ones haven't gotten touched after I installed them..... I also have a 66" plow on the front in winter. It does just fine.
That was going to be my comment too. I put WE's on all four and had to tweak them a couple of times but since then they've been at the same setting for yrs now.
 
JCart

JCart

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Lifetime Member
Jul 14, 2014
897
2,024
93
Kamloops, BC Canada.
Ownership

  1. 500
May have been noted in here already, when new I undid the lock ring Allen head bolt and put quality anti-seize paste on the threads (suggested by nuther member in here who I can’t remember, apologies). My thoughts over time as the Allan’s are stainless(?) and the lock rings are aluminum plus water and other keerap may work in there anti-seize can’t hurt. As I recall I have only adjusted the lock ring ride height once and have fiddled with the valving a couple times, (stage 3 Elkas). Adjusting valving does make a difference mine are set to no Pohgo… smooth controlled pillowy ride…. Yaaaas!
 
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slimshaney

Member
Jun 10, 2016
8
38
13
idaho
Ownership

  1. 500

  2. 1000-5
Hi,

I'm not sure that there would be any real benefit to running the more expensive shocks up front. You can adjust the preload on Stage 1, which is what you would need to do to compensate for the weight of the plow, Rebound and compression would make little to no difference... it would also be highly unlikely that you would get the benefit from the external oil reservoir. If you were going with a new set, I would either go all stage 1 or all stage 3.

Just my opinion...
Great feedback! Looks like a will be ordering a set of stage 1. thanks
 
Markdale

Markdale

Member
Jul 27, 2020
13
43
13
Kitchener
Ownership

  1. 500
Elka stage 1 installed all four corners. Big improvement, I would rate the factory shocks at 3 out of 10 and the Elka's at 7.5 out of 10

Elka factory sugested a minimum of 7 psi on the tires. I was running the tires at 5 psi just to make the ride a little softer. With the Elka's I now have the tires at 7 psi, much better steering and about 1" higher ground clearance

I think it is worth every penny if you are going to have the SXS for a long time.

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S

skynoodle

New Member
Oct 7, 2022
1
10
3
Montana
Ownership

  1. 520
Finally pulled the trigger on stage 1's Super excited. Well my back is super excited once all of this snow melts and can test them out! I have to say they look amazingly well made. Almost sexy even. Thanks for everyone who chimed in here
2023 04 17 080417
 
Smitty335

Smitty335

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Oct 3, 2016
35,361
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113
NWA Arkansas
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  1. 1000-3

  2. 1000-5
Finally pulled the trigger on stage 1's Super excited. Well my back is super excited once all of this snow melts and can test them out! I have to say they look amazingly well made. Almost sexy even. Thanks for everyone who chimed in here
View attachment 383815
You will like them!
 
Smitty335

Smitty335

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Oct 3, 2016
35,361
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NWA Arkansas
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  1. 1000-3

  2. 1000-5
I have Elka stage 3, much much better than original. Very like it!
I'm not saying a darn thing, Stage 5's. The set up manual really had me confused at first, low and high speed adjustment has nothing to do with the speed of the buggy. It's referring to the speed of the shock travel, so lets say you take your sway arm off, you can set slow speed shock travel stiffer to help with the sway, won't eliminate it. But when your in the woods the lack of a sway arm helps with articulation on a P1 anyways?
 
futzin

futzin

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Lifetime Member
Sep 10, 2019
2,951
21,060
113
Kentucky
Ownership

  1. 500

  2. 520
After more seat time on the E1s, I thought I'd add some thoughts.

-Stock 2021 P520 rode better than stock 2018 P500 (IMO).
-the 520 on 26" (actually 25.5", but labeled 27) 6 ply Bighorn 2.0s rode better than the P500 on 27" 8 ply HTRs.

-After adding the E1s, the 500 rides drastically better, but bottoms out somewhat easily and I'm scraping, hitting more easily than I did before.
-While I tried to be accurate, I tended toward overstating the weight of the items I added to the stock machine in the retailer's questionnaire.

I've adjusted 4 turns to the front shocks; still hitting bump stops way too often and easily at very moderate speeds. Not happy about that.

I called Elka; they recommended adding up to 1/2" of preload (and maybe more) or, if that doesn't work then changing the spring rates of the fronts. The rears seem fine.

I'll add a significant amount of preload and test again, probably this Saturday.
 
The Green Goat

The Green Goat

LGBTQ Compliance Officer -Lotta gays in this place
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2020
1,705
12,042
113
Ohio
Ownership

  1. 520
I've adjusted 4 turns to the front shocks; still hitting bump stops way too often and easily at very moderate speeds. Not happy about that.

I called Elka; they recommended adding up to 1/2" of preload (and maybe more) or, if that doesn't work then changing the spring rates of the fronts. The rears seem fine.

I'll add a significant amount of preload and test again, probably this Saturday.
I think I added like 15 turns to my WE shocks.
 
BOX2
box3

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