The Valving DataBase is for rider generated valve specs.  Please do not post valving specs from professional suspension companies. 

When comparing different valving setups, you will see more than just the shim stack configuration.  You will also see shim loads, velocities, leverage ratios and more. 

shimprogram.com is dedicated to providing in-depth, technically accurate suspension related concepts and information.  The free area has a basic analysis of valving shims, their characteristics and how they function in suspension units.  There is also a short tutorial that demonstrates how the Shim Analysis Program works.

Check out the section on the data acquisition equipment made by Delta Measurement Systems.  We will be using these units in our analysis of suspensions.

There is a Valving Discussion Board, which is an open forum for comments and discussions on shims and shim stacks. 

We have recently set up a new Valving DataBase.  The Valving DataBase is a collection of both stock and modified valve specs for dirt bikes.  The valving specs are submitted by riders and tuners from around the world.  Designed in the spirit of cooperation, registered members
can post their valving changes for both forks and shocks.  So, if you've tweaked your stack, get online and post what you've done and how it turned out.  Or try a posted stack and see how it works.  Then get back online and provide some rider feedback.  Through an on-going dialog between riders, valve stacks could evolve into respectable settings that are an improvement over stock.

The members area offer riders a more in-depth look at their suspension systems.  Not an overwhelming amount of information, but just enough to get the job done.  The stock valve stacks will be analyzed and adjusted for rider preference.  Check out the Members Area Table of Contents for a look at what's available.

The members area also includes a sophisticated computer aided analysis of valve stacks.  When comparing different valving setups, you will see more than just the shim stack configuration.  You will also see the shim loads, velocities, dyno results, leverage ratios and more.  All this information can be used to better understand how the suspension is performing.

The tuners area covers in-depth analysis of suspension systems.  Designed for those interested in going beyond the fundamentals and learning suspensions from the inside out. 

Suspension information:

• In-depth suspension related topics will be covered.   We have facts, formulas, theories, dyno info, test results and of course, very detailed information related to the Shim Analysis Program.
• Our analysis of suspension systems in a on-going process and new information will be added on a continuing basis.
• The Valving Discussion Board is expanded to include an area where Tuners Area members can get together to share valving specs and their related settings in private. 
• We have data acquisition equipment and information on how to use it.

The site will aspire to be the proverbial "Everything you ever wanted to know about suspensions, but were afraid to ask." 

If you don't see what you're looking for, ask.
If we don't know the answer, we'll try to figure it out. 
If we can't figure it out, we'll recruit some new members and let them come up with an answer.

The suspension tuning field is full of myths, misconceptions and guess work.  Most internal revalving is done by "educated guessing" followed by seat-of-the-pants testing.  The tuner makes internal valving changes based on his previous experience, and the rider tests the bike and provides feedback on its performance.  So in essence, the tuner is guessing at the valving change, the rider is guessing at the affect the change had on the bike, and finally, the tuner has to correlate the rider feedback to his valve stack changes.  Experienced tuners have spent hundreds of hours repeating this scenario to become proficient at their job.  There has to be an easier way.

The concept behind the Suspension Hotline is to put everybody's head together and use available technologies to explore, evaluate and simplify all the various elements involved in suspension tuning.  Misconceptions will be replaced with reliable, fact based information, giving riders and tuners the knowledge to dial in their bikes for optimum performance.   We're not trying to replace seat of the pants testing, just supplement it.

To develop this new methodology in long travel suspension tuning, we need riders and tuners who have the time, tools and desire to rework their suspension units.  The Suspension Hotline will provide detailed valving setups.  With the use of our suspension dyno and other technologies we will methodically evaluate and make step-by-step improvements to the settings.  The idea is for riders to test ride various valving setups and work with Suspension Hotline tuners to dial in the suspension AND to develop a new methodology in suspension tuning.

Note:  The Suspension Hotline is striving to provide reliable, fact based information, analysis and valve stacks on the most popular current model dirt bike suspensions.  Interest will dictate which models and the order the bikes are added into the database.   
As suspension technologies continues to advance, so does the need for riders to have a better understanding of how to dial in their bike for optimum performance.  Stock suspensions work fairly well, but great gains can be had by revalving the units to match the riders style and ability.   Often, it takes more than one attempt to get the bike set up properly.   The Suspension Hotline provides riders the opportunity to learn to rework their own suspension units, giving them the ability to make valving changes to suit their exact riding style and advancements in riding ability.

The suspension tuning field is full of myths, misconceptions and guess work.  Most internal revalving is done by "educated guessing" followed by seat-of-the-pants testing.  The tuner makes internal valving changes based on his previous experience, and the rider tests the bike and provides feedback on its performance.  So in essence, the tuner is guessing at the valving change, the rider is guessing at the affect the change had on the bike, and finally, the tuner has to correlate the rider feedback to his valve stack changes.  Experienced tuners have spent hundreds of hours repeating this scenario to become proficient at their job.  There has to be an easier way.

The concept behind the Suspension Hotline is to put everybody's head together and use available technologies to explore, evaluate and simplify all the various elements involved in suspension tuning.  Misconceptions will be replaced with reliable, fact based information, giving riders and tuners the knowledge to dial in their bikes for optimum performance.   We're not trying to replace seat of the pants testing, just supplement it.

To develop this new methodology in long travel suspension tuning, we need riders and tuners who have the time, tools and desire to rework their suspension units.  The Suspension Hotline will provide detailed valving setups.  With the use of our suspension dyno and other technologies we will methodically evaluate and make step-by-step improvements to the settings.  The idea is for riders to test ride various valving setups and work with Suspension Hotline tuners to dial in the suspension AND to develop a new methodology in suspension tuning.