Ti Springs

Alright, what's the deal with Ti springs? I know that a lot of people are using ti springs in order to save weight, obviously. There are several companies that offer ti springs, yet no one really knows what's "the best" ti spring out there.

I've done a little bit of research lately but haven't found any valuable input so far. To me it seems like most people who buy a ti spring buy one for the sake of having a ti spring on their bike because "it's a ti spring" and "it's lighter than a steel spring".

There are several companies offering Ti springs. Nuke Proof, DSP, RCS and Obtainium seem to be the main players, right? Some other companies such as Manitou had been offering ti springs as well, but as far as I know they either don't offer them anymore and/or only label them anyway.

What's "the best" ti spring? The spring should run as close to the spring rate as possible and be as light as possible, right? Isn't that the main point in a ti spring? Yet it seems like there are huge weight variations betwen the different manufacturers.

Let's say someone needs a 400x3.00" Ti Spring for his Fox DHX 5.0
Obtainium - 321 grams + 39 grams for the Fox adapter -[HTML_REMOVED] 360g (Sicklines)
Nuke Proof - 363 grams (claimed)
DSP - 437 grams (claimed)
RCS - 395 grams (claimed)

So based on those numbers, I'd either get a Nuke Proof or an Obtainium Ti spring as they are a lot lighter than the DSP and RCS spring.

Weight is only one variable though, there's a bit more to that. Obtainium springs are said to rub the reservoir of the shock for instance.

What is your experience with those manufacturers? Did you weigh any of the springs? What about the quality of the spring?

It would be awesome to get some feedback. As I said, Ti springs are quite common and nothing excotic, yet it's really hard to find some reviews and opinions concerning which spring one should get and which spring one should avoid.

Any feedback is appreciated!

I've found Manitou and Progressive Ti springs to be the lightest. I've had a few of the springs tested(Manitou and Progressive)and the marked rate has been off, but by no more then 25#.
Most rub issues start to happen with the larger spring rates(450 plus), although the wifes 300# Obtainium did rub a little.
I've never used a any of the other Ti springs mentioned.
I have a few Ti-spring weights if you need any numbers to compare to the other manufacturers.

If it's all about weight, Mojo does offer a 350# race spring that is super light.

Claimed weight on a RCS DHX Ti 400x3.00" spring is 395g.

Ive used Progressive, Nuke Proof and Manitou. All save you weight over the steel equivalent. Ti will have a greater fatigue life than steel (should you ever reach that number of cycles) and of course there is the ever present need for the bling factor. If I were buying new (all mine were found used), Id likely go with DSP after having talked with them. I am not a fan of the adapter system for Obtanium. Ti springs use fewer 'coils' to achieve the same spring rate it seems, so side deflection can happen with longer ones (causing rubbing in some cases).

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the feedback so far!

Bryan - does Progressive exist anymore? I can't seem to find a website and ebay doesn't come up with any search reslts either.

Dogboy - thanks!

Shoreboy - Thanks for pointing that out. I'm aware of the benfits that a Ti spring offers with the main advantage being lighter weight. One of the main advantages that I see is the fact that you not only save weight but you save weight on the shock itself, therefore making it a bit more sensitive. Therefore I'd say the lighter the spring, the better.

What exactly did DSP tell you? Looking at the weights, it seems like the DSP springs are the heaviest ti springs (almost 80 grams difference between a Nuke Proof and a DSP). Given that a Nuke Proof and a DSP cost pretty much the same, I'd obviously go with the Nuke Proof. Which benefits does the DSP offer?

Also, any word on Obtainium? Ideally I'd like to get a 425x3" spring. I'm right in the middle between a 400 and a 450lbs spring, so a 425lbs spring would be perfect. They have been out of stock for what seems like forever.

Which of those brands (RCS, DSP and Obtainium) are available in BC or Washington? I'll spend some time there this summer and depending on what's available locally and how expensive those springs are, I might pick one up this summer. A Nuke Proof spring over here costs around $240. Would I be better off purchasing a Ti spring over here or in the states?

I have a Progressive Ti spring in a 375x2.5

It doesn't seem to rub on my shock body. The spring rate seems to be pretty accurate.

The spring itself weighs just around 380g. Over 1lb less than the 400x2.75 spring that it replaced.

I have heard nothing but good things about Nukeproof. Less so about the other companies.

You might look for a used ti spring, as you can really save some money that way. There seem to be a TON over on the RM classifieds.

FWIW I think the Ti spring feels a lot better than its steel counterpart. Seems to feel more lively to me.

DSP has also begun making a shock. You might hold out on one of those, as it comes with a Ti spring (probably of your choice, 425lb)

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=128960

Not sure what the release date is. Might be worth a try though.

DSP Ti spring in 3.0 x #350

Ouch on the spring weight. I've got a stock 400 X 2.8 steel Fox spring that weighs 400 grams. You saved 20 grams over a steel Fox spring. You running a Manitou coil shock?

I've ordered a ti-spring from Suspension Werx. It will save approximately 100 grams. Not much of a weight savings, but it's the last thing I want to do to "complete" my bike.

I have a Progressive Ti spring in a 375x2.5

It doesn't seem to rub on my shock body. The spring rate seems to be pretty accurate.

The spring itself weighs just around 380g. Over 1lb less than the 400x2.75 spring that it replaced.

Ouch on the spring weight. I've got a stock 400 X 2.8 steel Fox spring that weighs 400 grams. You saved 20 grams over a steel Fox spring. You running a Manitou coil shock?

I've ordered a ti-spring from Suspension Werx. It will save approximately 100 grams. Not much of a weight savings, but it's the last thing I want to do to "complete" my bike.

can you post a scale shot of that spring?

Edit: I am an idiot.

Just weighed my 400lb steel spring, and 375 lb ti spring on the same scale. I must be crazy/the scale at work must be off.

Steel 400x2.75 = 515g
Ti 375x2.5 = 204g

Not sure how exactly accurate my scale is, but those must be pretty close.

Assembled Manitou Swinger 6way with said Ti spring is about 700g

Here you go:

That's exactly the issue with ti springs: Most everyone thinks that they save a ton of weight but the reality is that 1) they don't always do that (especially with shorter stroke lengths) and 2) the weights of springs with the same stroke length / spring weight from different manufacturers vary quite a bit.

C.C. - I assume that James ordered a DSP ti spring for you, right? May I ask how much the Ti spring is going to cost you?

The reason I'm asking is because I'll head over to Washington and BC this summer (as stated above) so I thought this might be a good opportunity to save some cash on a ti spring. But now I'm leaning towards a Nuke Proof spring as they are available over here and not that expensive, plus they seem to be pretty light.

I've got a nukeproof 400lb 3" stroke ti spring and it weighed 351 grams.

Lookout! here comes a shameless plug!!

Buy my shock and get the spring too!
http://buysell.nsmb.com/showproduct.php/product/28132/cat/23

i just weighed a 350x2.8 Fox steel spring and it weighed 450 grams.

What you have to understand is that you save allmost a pound when your using a stock manitou spring that comes with manitou shock they are bloody heavy, fox springs your gonna save some weight but no where close to as much, so most people just buy it for the bling factor but the feel is obviously different steel does start to feel a lot softer after a few seasons but thats a bloody long time and a huge amount of strokes i personally love the feel of ti it really feels alive and more progresive . Ive only used DSP and havent had any rubbing issues..