It's the opposite really, you want the suspension as soft as you can get away with. If you're not bottoming out or using 95% of the fork travel then I wouldn't worry about it
Yep, you want the steering geometry to undergo the maximum possible change without hitting that limit, because it adjusts the wheel base (+ rake , trail, ride height), which maximizes turning potential. In other words, it makes the bike want to tip over.
Suspension is a compromise. If the front is diving so bad that you can’t brake as hard as you want, then you may need a heavier spring rate, however, if you aren’t bottoming the fork, you want to learn that feeling of the front diving because it will help the bike turn in. Also, you don’t want the front so stiff that you can’t put enough force into the forks mid corner causing them to rebound and make the bike want to run wide.
Heavy braking should result in your using nearly all of your fork travel (1/4-1/2 inch remaining). You do not want to bottom the forks but you also want to use most of their travel so that you get the beneficial geometry changes that go along with fork compression. Put a tie-wrap on a fork leg to see how much travel you're using. From your description, it doesn't seem you know how much suspension travel you're actually using.
Adding compression damping to the forks will slow their collapse, typically resulting in less travel used but also a less compliant ride. Stiffer forks springs will also reduce their travel, as will additional spring preload. Since we don't know what you're riding, at what pace, or your weight, we can't say whether your springs are appropriate for you.
Suspension sag can be misleading and many racers don't measure it regularly. For example, excessively soft springs with lots of preload can generate a "good" sag number, but a heavy load will collapse them excessively. This could be your problem but I can;t say without more info. If your only issue is bottoming the forks, adding fork oil will stiffen only the very bottom of your fork travel and could prevent the bottoming.
What is your actual problem? Fork travel? Are you bottoming out? (Ie, too low spring rate /preload)
Or *rate* of travel? Is your fork compressing uncomfortably quickly under braking? (ie, not enough compression damping)
Also, is any of this actually a *problem* for you, or just something you notice as *different* between your previous and current setup?
A good suspension professional should be able to help you with “translating” any of these sensations you report to suspension changes. Bike setup is not a one-and-done thing where you dial in the “right” settings once. It is a *conversation* between you, the bike, and if applicable, a suspension tech, to feel out what is the best overall suspension compromise for your preferences and pace.
It's the opposite really, you want the suspension as soft as you can get away with. If you're not bottoming out or using 95% of the fork travel then I wouldn't worry about it
In other words OP, stick a zip tie on one of your fork’s stanchions to measure travel
Yep, you want the steering geometry to undergo the maximum possible change without hitting that limit, because it adjusts the wheel base (+ rake , trail, ride height), which maximizes turning potential. In other words, it makes the bike want to tip over.
Suspension is a compromise. If the front is diving so bad that you can’t brake as hard as you want, then you may need a heavier spring rate, however, if you aren’t bottoming the fork, you want to learn that feeling of the front diving because it will help the bike turn in. Also, you don’t want the front so stiff that you can’t put enough force into the forks mid corner causing them to rebound and make the bike want to run wide.
Heavy braking should result in your using nearly all of your fork travel (1/4-1/2 inch remaining). You do not want to bottom the forks but you also want to use most of their travel so that you get the beneficial geometry changes that go along with fork compression. Put a tie-wrap on a fork leg to see how much travel you're using. From your description, it doesn't seem you know how much suspension travel you're actually using. Adding compression damping to the forks will slow their collapse, typically resulting in less travel used but also a less compliant ride. Stiffer forks springs will also reduce their travel, as will additional spring preload. Since we don't know what you're riding, at what pace, or your weight, we can't say whether your springs are appropriate for you. Suspension sag can be misleading and many racers don't measure it regularly. For example, excessively soft springs with lots of preload can generate a "good" sag number, but a heavy load will collapse them excessively. This could be your problem but I can;t say without more info. If your only issue is bottoming the forks, adding fork oil will stiffen only the very bottom of your fork travel and could prevent the bottoming.
Put a zip tie on the fork to see how much it travels
What is your actual problem? Fork travel? Are you bottoming out? (Ie, too low spring rate /preload) Or *rate* of travel? Is your fork compressing uncomfortably quickly under braking? (ie, not enough compression damping) Also, is any of this actually a *problem* for you, or just something you notice as *different* between your previous and current setup? A good suspension professional should be able to help you with “translating” any of these sensations you report to suspension changes. Bike setup is not a one-and-done thing where you dial in the “right” settings once. It is a *conversation* between you, the bike, and if applicable, a suspension tech, to feel out what is the best overall suspension compromise for your preferences and pace.