# Dirt jumper 4 tuneable?



## Konarider22 (Aug 7, 2007)

I have an 07 kona shred with the stock dirt jumper 4 fork and have been trying to soften it up for xc style trails. I heard from someone taking out one coil would make it ride nice for trails and I tried it but haven't been able to get out to my local trails yet. It seems too soft with one spring though. Anyone heard of this method or tried it? If this doesn't work can I buy softer springs for it? When I took it apart it had no oil in it is it supposed to be like that or did it all leak out? I have searched high and low for info on this fork but I can't find any. I'm only 140 lbs so I may be too light for the stock springs. I'm looking for a quick fix to make riding more enjoyable until I can buy a pike in a few months. Any help you would have would be great.


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

The Dirt Jumper forks aren't supposed to be plush. They're made to be nice and stiff. It's only intended to take the edge off of things. If it has air preload, you can pop a spring out and load up on air preload.


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## todd_freeride (Aug 9, 2005)

I believe his fork is coil/coil. no air assist and I think rebound adjustment only? 

I dont think you should take one coil out of the fork, put it back in. I'm pretty sure that theres suppose to be more oil in there. you can get lighter springs, the DJ forks are suppost to be stiff. I run a stance with medium springs, and it feels kind of like a slightly stiff trail fork. it jumps fine, but is just a little more plush and soaks up the lips of the jumps a tad bit. did you buy the kona shred to use for dirt jumping or... to be an all around bike? make see if you can call kona first, they might have information on what springs they put in your size of bike.


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## Konarider22 (Aug 7, 2007)

todd_freeride said:


> I believe his fork is coil/coil. no air assist and I think rebound adjustment only?
> 
> I dont think you should take one coil out of the fork, put it back in. I'm pretty sure that theres suppose to be more oil in there. you can get lighter springs, the DJ forks are suppost to be stiff. I run a stance with medium springs, and it feels kind of like a slightly stiff trail fork. it jumps fine, but is just a little more plush and soaks up the lips of the jumps a tad bit. did you buy the kona shred to use for dirt jumping or... to be an all around bike? make see if you can call kona first, they might have information on what springs they put in your size of bike.


 I bought the kona originally for doing urban freeride type drops and dirt jumping, but I found I liked trails so much after trying it once for kicks that it has been pressed into the role of general trail bike. I've read that the dirt jam forks that were on the 06 shreds used ellastomer as the damping method? I'm think maybe this one uses the same ellastomer none oil setup. I'm not sure though. Does anyone know for sure?


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## todd_freeride (Aug 9, 2005)

I was guessing that it might be elastomer, but I'm about 80% sure that the DJ4 uses marzocchi's RV damping. Because the way that I saw it, was the lineup for marzocchi went DJ4-no adjustability, DJ 3, air assist, Dj2 aftermarket with 20mm and then the dj1/world cup.

the kona's are great trail bikes...the DJ forks aren't so much. you could look into something like a pike. lighter springs will make your DJ 4 more trail friendly, but it still wont be such a good trail fork. also look for rockshox revelation. you can get them cheap and they're QR so you wouldent have to buy a new wheel.


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

DJ4 is an OE fork, springs may not be available for it. There were no springs for the Dirt Jam forks. And no parts for the Dirt Jam forks either. So if you cracked the plastic spring preload-majig, you were SOL. It made the fork completely useless.


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## todd_freeride (Aug 9, 2005)

XSL_WiLL said:


> DJ4 is an OE fork, springs may not be available for it. There were no springs for the Dirt Jam forks. And no parts for the Dirt Jam forks either. So if you cracked the plastic spring preload-majig, you were SOL. It made the fork completely useless.


But this year, the dirt jam comp (4) isnt an elastomer fork. my buddy last year put dirt jumper springs in his dirt jam pro, I'll see how its doing. I'm really hoping that marzocchi did away with dirt jam technology in the dirt jumper 4 and dirt jumper 3.5 and made every dirt jumper created equal


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## Konarider22 (Aug 7, 2007)

M dj4 has the plastic ends on the springs for the preload adjustment is that what you mean? Also is there anyway I can tell if the fork is supposed to have oil?


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Konarider22 said:


> M dj4 has the plastic ends on the springs for the preload adjustment is that what you mean? Also is there anyway I can tell if the fork is supposed to have oil?


Call marzocchi, they should know.


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## trailville (Jul 24, 2006)

I would just adjust the preload all the way up/back (no preload) and ride it like that until you can get a better fork. I have a DJ4 and weigh 160 lb, and when I first picked up the bike they had had it set with no preload and I thought it was rather soft so I don't think you should have too much of a problem at 140. A DJ fork isn't supposed to be plush, but more importantly, the DJ4 is an oem entry level fork and you really are not going to get great performance in this price range. You can make a cheap fork soft, but that doesn't necessarily result in a plush ride since there is a lot more to suspension than just the softness of the springs. 

I have not idea if there is supposed to be oil in the fork. I assumed there would be but you're right about marzocchi having zero maintenance info available on it. Maybe it's just a no-maintenance throw-it-away-when-it-stops-working fork.


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## bio-smear (May 16, 2007)

Marzocchi is super tight lipped about any kind of spring crossover compatibility because they want to upsell you on an aftermarket fork. I emailed with them to ask about the part number on a heavier spring kit for my DJ4 and they said it doesn't exist, but they could give me a discount on a new fork.

That is the shittiest customer technical service I've ever encountered. A spring is a spring! It only has and outside diameter, a wire diameter, a relaxed length, and coils/inch. I have a hard time believing that one of their other springs doesn't perfectly mate up in the stanchions of the DJ4. 

If anyone has a DJ1/2/3 I'd like to pick your brain about the dimension of your coil springs. I measured mine up:

238mm long relaxed, 28.2mm OD, wire thickness 3.6mm

If I can put the DJ3 aftermarket heavy springs in there, I'd be happy. Marzocchi will not tell you that information.


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