Both work well. We prefer the coil for rougher trails with lots of roots and rocks and air for trails that are smoother but with big hits.
If you’d like even more bottom out resistance we’d recommend going up 25 to 50 lbs in spring rate. Here are some other numbers to consider though. With a 230×65 shock a spring rate that is 78% of the original spring rate will have the same bottom out resistance. So if you were running a 500 lb spring with the stock link a 400 lb spring would have the same bottom out resistance as that with a 230×65 shock. For a 230×60 shock a spring with 92% of the original spring rate will have the same bottom out resistance. Now we don’t necessarily recommend going that low unless you’re shuttling or riding park because it will sag low enough to make pedaling feel awkward, but it does highlight that for longer stroke shocks bottom out resistance is greatly increased using even the same spring rate as before.
With the stock shock size going down 50 lbs from the recommended spring rate will help here. With a 230×60 shock a spring rate that is as low as 92% of the suggested can be used and with a 230×65 shock a spring rate as low as 78% of the recommended can be used. When going with a lower spring rate just remember that if it sags to much it will make the bike less pedal friendly.
The BB is the same height as it is with the stock link in the low setting. This ensures that the bike climbs well and is comfortable to pedal while seated.
Longer chainstays will make the bike more stable at speed especially through rough terrain. They also make it harder to wheelie out while climbing. However, at +5 mm the added chainstay length won’t be noticeable unless you think specifically about it while riding.
There is not a grease port on this link. We have found that by the time the bearings need greasing they also usually need to be replaced. We chose to go with sealed Enduro MAX bearings and forgo the grease port because the bearings will last longer in harsh conditions. The bearings are the same size so you can still use the Santa Cruz lifetime bearing replacements, but they just won’t be sealed.