How To Adjust Shocks on a Yamaha Blaster ATV
With the Yamaha Blaster's suspension there is not a great deal of fine-tuning available, which should make adjustment well with in the grasp of a do-it-yourselfer and not too time consuming. Since the Yamaha Blaster's stock shocks use spring preload to tune the suspension adjustment is a pretty straightforward process.
Preparation
- Locate the spanner wrench, which should have should have come with the ATV. If not, you can purchase one online or at your local ATV parts shop.
- Lift your ATV so that the wheel relating to the shock you are working on is off the ground. This will relieve the load from the shock and make it easy to adjust.
- Determine which setting you prefer on your ATV. On the front shocks the settings are described as A through E. With A being the deepest grove and the softest setting. Setting E is a shallow grove on the highest peak of the adjuster and the stiffest. Stock setting for front shocks is setting B, the second softest.
- Adjust both front shocks to the same setting, if not the left side will handle differently than the right side.
To adjust front shocks:
- Lift the ATV to relieve the load on the shock(s)
- Place your spanner wrench in the notches at the bottom collar of the spring
- Turn the adjuster collar clockwise to stiffen or counter clockwise to soften
To adjust rear shock:
The rear shock also uses only preload for tuning. However, the rear shock is adjusted with an adjustment nut and a locknut. The rear shock has no presets so adjustments are recorded by spring length. The standard spring length is 230 mm (9.1 in), maximum (softest) length is 234 mm (9.2 in) and minimum (stiffest) length is 222 mm (8.7 in).
- Lift the ATV to relieve the load on the shock
- Loosen locknut
- Turn adjustment nut clockwise to stiffen counterclockwise to soften.
- Retighten the locknut.
There have been complaints of very limited life of stock shocks (less than 2 years) under heavy use. If after adjustment you are still unsatisfied with the ride of your ATV you should check for damaged/bent shock damper rods, damaged shock oil seals and/or fatigued springs.