[Closed] Pike RCT3 compression adjust dial modificaiton?

Just check you’ve got a charger 1 damper as they specifically say it doesn’t work on charger 2. The rct3 I’ve got has lsc in the middle of three dial which works in open mode. Presumably what j tech are doing is removing the rct3 ability so effectively it’s always in open but making the outer dial somehow adjust hsc? If so it sounds good tbh.

Yep, it's a charger one on a 2016 fork.
I forgot the LSC is only active on the open mode, so it would seem that there's a bit more to it than simply changing the dial- perhaps my bodge of drilling some more notches on the adjuster won't work...

I'm no expert on this, but, can't you tune the compression shim stack to tweak it a bit❓

i thought open/trail/lock was LSC
same as the knob on top but quicker to access, i thought HSC wasn't altered when moving the big 3 pos dial?
or does the 3 pos dial alter LSC and HSC simoultaneousy?

@alan, perhaps, if so I didn't realise that. But I think adjusting one always affects the other, so more LSC would also mean more HSC- but I might be talking complete balls there.

@qwerty yep, you can- that's a pretty complicated thing to do by yourself, or fairly expensive to get someone to do. I am considering it, but looking for some cheaper/easier mods first!

The RCT3 has three positions, yes. In open the LSC dial affects the LSC for that mode only.

If you're not getting enough LSC damping in open, with the LSC dial fully wound in - then you've got a problem with your damper.

Largely, it doesn't affect HSC, it has no adjustment on the RCT3. It has an indirect affect, in that the less LSC you have the faster the oil will hit the HSC shim stack.

Why do you want more HSC? Usually folk want less with the RCT3 or RC charger dampers.

The charger 1 rc sacrifices usable damping adjustments in favour of providing a lockout. It has an hsc shim stack that is ridiculously stiff so fully closed lsc results in lockout.

All Pike rc up to model year 2019 are like this. 2020 get the new ifp damper brought over from the revelation.

You're better off with an rct3 for almost all purposes. If you're trying to goldilocks a setting between open with lsc cranked in and trail mode then something doesn't sound quite right.

Thanks for the replies. I've heard lots of people wanting less HSC on these forks, I find this odd, some of the guys I ride with are having the same problems as me and also feel it's underdamped.

The fork has never felt quite how I want it to- in the open position it just feels underdamped when the going gets rough, or lacking a bit of support. It's used mostly as more of a mini-dh bike, so being ridden quite hard. I'm not running loads of LSC, three or four clicks I think, any more than that feels too much. I back it off on the wet and rooty tracks.

My previous fork was an x-fusion with adjustable everything so I could change the HSC, coming to the pike it always felt a bit 'soft' in the compression (I'm definitely not running too little air pressure, I'm at 20-25% sag depending on conditions, at the recommended 30% it felt terrible!).

just feels underdamped when the going gets rough, or lacking a bit of support.

Something isnt right. Rockshox released the RC2 damper with incredibly light damping because of the complaints of being overdamped.

How heavy are you, how much PSI, how much travel, how many tokens are you running?

It's be good to try to get your setup bang in before modifying anything and spending cash.

If it's more HSC you want, then you either need to re-valve, or easier, bleed the damper with a heavier oil. That will give you more LSC damping too, but you can wind that off with the adjuster, assuming you aren't running at the minimum already.

@rickon three years of tinkering with the setup has led me to the following! (maybe a bit unusual, but I find works best on the pike).

Weight: 73kg.
Sag: probably a bit less than 25% in an aggressive stance with a bit of weight on the bars, (off the top of my head somewhere around 70-80 psi).
Tokens: 2 (was running 3 for a while, but down to 2 now, to better use the last bit of travel).
LSC normally about 4 clicks, less if it's wet and rooty.
I'd say riding fairly fast and aggressive, frequently getting deep into the travel even with higher than normal pressures (steep and rooty, as well as some bigger jumps/drops).

The damping feels great in the first half of it's travel, but starts to feel a lot rougher in the 2nd half. (Rebound is pretty much full fast, so it's unlikely a packing down issue), although just feels like it lacks a bit of support. Hence the higher than normal pressure, keeping the fork higher in it's travel in the 'sweet spot'. If I run the recommended 30% sag it just gets too deep into it's travel and feels bad through the rough stuff. But I've never run 30% on any of the bikes and always lean toward a firmer setup.

I put a Manitou Mattoc on my hardtial the other week with adjustable HSC. Starting with it fully open it felt similar to the pike in the way it handled rough trails and big impacts. Adding some damping made a big difference, making it feel much more supportive through the rough bits and big impacts. You know when you land a drop with a hard impact and just feel like you're being gently lowered into the landing through the travel rather than blowing into it?

Fork is serviced regularly by me, recently had a full damper bleed etc.

Long term my solution is to buy a Mezzer, but was hoping to see if I can make some cheap improvements to the Pike first!

I find the damping feels great in the first half of it’s travel, but starts to feel a lot rougher in the 2nd half.

I'd remove all tokens, and up the pressure a bit. You could be hitting peak force load, I'd also add a couple of clicks of LSC to compensate.

Like you said, you want a higher dynamic ride height and the tokens will be stopping you getting that.

I'd then do as above and pop in a slightly heavier weight oil.

Not a bad idea. I've kept the tokens in to give it a good pop on jumps (I've been riding the Bulltrack a lot lately), but will give it a go without.

My first thoughts are that it'll make it quite harsh on small-bump sensitivity? I do have the upgraded debonair spring though, so might be OK.