2004 Polaris Touring Service Manual, Page 212Get this manual
SUSPENSION Front Suspension Setup and Adjustments
Spring preload is one of the adjustment options which affects ridePreload is the amount of pressure at which the spring is heldThe longer the installed length of the spring, the less the amount of pre-load; the shorter the installed length of the spring, the more the amount of pre-loadAn increase in IFS shock spring pre-load will result in an increase in ski pressureTo adjust front spring preload on threaded adjust models, grasp the spring and turn in clockwise direction (as viewed from the bottom of the shock) to increase the preloadTurn in counterclockwise direction to decrease preloadIn the adjacent illustration, high preload and low preload positions are depictedWhen adjusting, be sure springs on both the left and right sides of the machine are at the same adjustmentFor the best ride the spring preload should be as low as possibleSet the preload to use the full travel of the ski shock with occasional light bottomingCAUTION: If the plastic nut is unscrewed from the threaded body the nut will breakAlways leave one thread showing above the plastic nut or the spring coils will stack, resulting in damageFor the best ride the spring preload should be as low as possibleSet the preload to use the full travel of the ski shock with occasional light bottomingTo determine if your machine is using full travel, push the shock jounce bumper down as far as it will go on the shock rod and test ride the machineThe bumper will move up on the rod in direct relation to the amount of travelFor example, if the shock travel is full, the bumper will be seated at the top of the shockAlways leave at least one thread showing above nut