Both work well. For trails with lots of rock and roots, we recommend the coil setup as it will smooth these out and provide more traction, and for trails with lots of big hits, the air will always feel more bottomless.
Using our recommended spring rates will provide more bottom out resistance than the stock link, but if you want even more, try going up 50lbs in spring rate. Unlike the stock link, it is not necessary to over-spring the shock to prevent bottoming out so no need to run excessively stiff springs to avoid this!
This link will also feel more supple with the recommended spring rate listed below. However, for steep rough terrain, going down 25lbs in spring rate can be beneficial. The bottom limit for spring rate is really dictated by ride height. You will know you’ve gone too low if pedaling becomes awkward.
The BB is the same height as the stock linkage in the low position to keep the remainder of the bike's geometry unchanged.
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 +6 mm, the added chainstay length won’t be especially noticeable.
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.
Long travel or short travel. Which is which?
