Making your ATV wider can have some benefits like improved handling and a more stable ride through corners. It’s no wonder this is a popular enhancement for professional and recreational riders. But there are a couple different routes you can take to widening your quad.
To make your ATV wider, you can either get some wheel spacers, flip the wheels around, or you can upgrade your axles and A-Arms with wider aftermarket parts. All options will give you a wider stance, but each come with their own pros and cons.
A very common approach is to put wheel spacers on just the front, or all the way around front and rear. Some people prefer longer A-Arms in the front and wheel spacers in the back, or leave the back as-is. And lastly, the most solid way to widen your quad, is to put longer A-Arms in the front and a longer axle in the rear.
There are easy ways to widen your ATVs stance, and spend less than 100 bucks doing so, which I’ll talk more about later. But first, you should know the pros and cons of widening your ATV, then you’ll have a better idea of which route you want to take.
There are some great advantages to widening your quad from handling improvements to safer riding. But the main reason many riders widen their ATV is for the stability improvements when cornering.
A wider quad will be able to take corners at higher speeds without the risk of tipping or lifting up one side on you. This is also a safety improvement, less chance of tipping means for a safer ride.
But what about the downside? Well for one, some of the widening methods put extra strain on your parts and require maintenance or repairs more often. For example, the wheel spacers method.
Adding a set of wheel spacers to your ATV is a quick and easy way to widen the quad. But it puts extra pressure on wheel on the outside edge of the spindle. This causes what some people refer to as bump steer. Hitting any little bump will pull your steering in ways you weren’t expecting.
Another problem is the added strain to your suspension system when using wheel spacers. You are basically extending the wheels out but keeping the suspension system in place, causing it to take on more of a load than it was originally designed for.
I don’t think any of these are reasons to stop you from getting wheel spacers if you’re just looking for a cheap and quick way to widen your quad. But if you ride pretty rough and want a more reliable option, go with aftermarket parts like widening A-Arms and axles.
Another thing to consider, is where you ride. Some trails have width restrictions on ATVs. Mostly trails with bridges or gates will have these restrictions, but you can get a fine if you’re riding a quad wider than the width restriction on a trail.
The front of the ATV should always be a little wider than the rear. This of course is personal preference and not all ATVs come stock with a wider front.
The front and rear should be pretty close in width either way. But if I had to choose, I would suggest a slightly wider front end.
In fact, a lot of people only widen the front of the quad and they leave the rear as it is, stock. If you only widen the rear, or make the rear wider than the front, the ATV will tip more easily and the handling won’t be ideal.
The reason is that when you’re riding, you’re not paying all that much attention to the rear of the quad. Your eyes are facing forward, in the direction you’re heading. If your rear end is wider than the front. You’ll have to worry about the back end hitting things you wouldn’t expect.
Lets say you make a close pass to a tree, another rider, or any obstacle. You think you’re in the clear because your front tires squeeze by. But if the rear of the quad is wider, your back tires might hit the obstacle and cause you injury, or worse, broken parts.
This may seem hacky, but is actually a pretty common mod.
What you do is flip the wheel around on the hub to give you a few extra inches of width. It’s completely do-able, people do it all the time and it works.
Most wheels will have a deeper inside of the rim than the outside. The wheel will bolt back on to the hub the same way with the same lug nuts. It will just be flipped so the shallow side of the rim is facing in towards the ATV.
I don’t really like this method because of where the tires stem is after you flip them. You could always drill a new hole in the rim and put a new tire stem in. But even then, on the front, you could wind up having valve stem clearance problems with the front brakes. I just avoid this method myself, but it can be a quick and cheap way to widen your quad a little bit without having to spend any money.
If you do go this route, keep in mind your tire tread. Some tires have the tread shaped to move in a certain direction. If that’s the case for you, you can try swapping the sides of the quad your tires are on when you flip them.
That way the tread is still facing the right direction.
This is another popular option to take because of how easy and cheap it is to do. For the most part people will add these onto the rear when they widen the front with longer A-Arms, but some people even put these on all four wheels of their machine.
It’s a pretty quick and easy install too. You simply take your wheel off, mount the wheel spacers on the hub where the wheel was, and then mount the wheel onto the wheel spacers. Simple as that, and you’re good to go. Most wheel spacer kits will come with instructions to do the install, and most of the time it’s a pretty straight forward process.
If you ride your quad pretty hard or take turns and jumps at higher speeds, I do not recommend using wheel spacers. You’re better off with longer A-Arms in the front and a longer axle in the back. A lot of people have had good luck with wheel spacers, but I’ve heard the horror stories of a wheel spacer cracking, breaking off, and causing a crash.
If you do mostly light trail riding or don’t like beating on your machine, you’ll probably be fine though. Wheel spacers can be found for around 50 bucks online now a days for a really decent quality set. Check out this set of Freedom Country ATV Wheel Spacers on Amazon to start your search.
This is my preferred method for widening your ATV in the front end. Nothing beats solid parts that you can rely on that you’ve installed on your machine yourself. I usually go for a +2 inch extension on the A-Arms, but it’s really up to you how wide you want your quad.
You can find extended A-Arms for almost any ATV online for between 300 and 450 bucks. Try this ATV Extended A-Arms Search in Amazon. I have had good luck with the Team Alba Racing A-Arms before. Just make sure you get the right ones for your year, make, and model.
To swap the A-Arms out check out my Step By Step Guide To Removing And Installing A-Arms On An ATV article for a guide on how to do the swap.
Most good sets of extended A-Arms will come with instruction, and may have special steps for any special spacers or washers included in the kit.
This is my preferred method for widening the back end of an ATV. It’s a lot harder to do, and will cost a little more than just throwing on some wheel spacers. But when you’re done, you’ll have a solid machine that you don’t have to be careful riding.
You can find extended axles for most ATVs online for a couple hundred bucks a pop. Putting the total for both sides above 400 dollars in most cases. Check out this ATV Extended Axle Search in Amazon to give you an idea of what you’re looking at.
Some of the axles you buy will come with instructions, but a lot of them don’t. So I wrote this How To Change Out An ATV Axle article to give you the step by step procedure if you need it. It will probably take a few hours to change out the axles on both sides of the quad.
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ATV Riders Forum > ATV Riders Mechanical Section > ATV Steering & Suspension > wider front or rear?
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mcleod
02-06-2008, 10:40 PM
maybe this question gonna sound newb for some, but i can't find my answer when try to search on the forum!
what is better for cornering, having a wide front compared to the rear, or having the rear wider then the front ? or maybe as close as possible?
NJ450rider
02-06-2008, 10:48 PM
The front should be the same as the rear at least.
Ideal is when the front is a tiny bit wider than the rear. Having the rear wider than the front is horrible and dangerous for handling.
Also having your shocks setup right is also a huge factor in cornering performance.
JOEX
02-06-2008, 10:51 PM
Originally posted by NJ450rider
The front should be the same as the rear at least. Ideal is when the front is a tiny bit wider than the rear. Having the rear wider than the front is horrible and dangerous for handling.
...
Why do they come from the factory with the front narrower than the rear?
BlaineKaiser450
02-06-2008, 11:29 PM
when i got a new front end, i didnt have time to put on the axle before the race that weekend, so i did the race with +3 front end and a stock rear. It didnt feel all that weird but was a lil different than wat i was used to in corners.
parkers30
02-06-2008, 11:30 PM
JoeX thats what I was just thinking too
Although with a lower ride height the front of most sport quads come right to the width of the rear.
terko440
02-07-2008, 12:05 AM
By having your front end narrower than the rear your making it behave as 3-wheeler would, not as extreme of course but it will be easier to tip on it's side.
my88r
02-07-2008, 12:53 AM
i would like to know why the factory does that to.:confused:
NJ450rider
02-07-2008, 08:57 AM
Yeah i wonderd that too myself. They have changed over the last couple years. Many quads now have the front the same and even a lil wider than the rear. and yeah having the front narrow and the rear wide will make it roll in turns like a atc.
mcleod
02-07-2008, 11:34 AM
nice thanks you all for your answer!
02-08-2008, 02:31 AM
Wider front is always better for handling. Not only that but your watching your front tires and not your rear. If you run stock A-arms and +3/+4 axle you run the chance of cliping somthing or running some ones tire over since your not watching the rear.
John451
02-09-2008, 05:08 PM
The front wheels take a majority of the pressure while turning because the front wheel digs in since the grounds trying to go straight but your fronts are trying to fight that. I have a +6 kit in the front and nothing in the back. I can't flip that thing even WHEN I TRY. Having it like that causes some swingarm twisting but it's not too much of a problem, nothings completely going to stop that unles you have like a +10. I'm amazing at bicycles. I held one for 20 minutes once. My bike was amazing for gettin up in them. It would flip up in 1/8 of a turn. Now it takes 3/4 of a turn to get it up. I mean I was pissed but now I know I wont get chucked. The best is having the front a lil bigger. Like I'm going to get a +3 or 4 swingarm +6 if they make it. I don't race too much but im tryin to make a monster wheeler. By the way I have a 400ex shock conversion kit in the front. I have them cranked as high as they go and I still cant tip it. Oh well.
If you want a good deal for width gain and everything to do it go to www.diamondjcustoms.com I got a +6 for $200 with shipping. Best thing I've gotten for it. Good luck. Also, you may want to cut the front ones because mine looks rediculous. Cuttin them next week when I get my plastic welder in.
NJ450rider
02-11-2008, 12:50 AM
I really dont like those kits cause they widen the front end the wrong way. putting the pivot point of the a arms out isnt good for handling at all. especially shock travel. I have 400ex +2 a arms and a top shock relocator bracket on our 300ex w 400ex shocks as well. it works awesome.
I always say wider a arms are for going into a turn and a longer swing arm/wider axle are for coming out of one.
400exrider707
02-11-2008, 06:45 AM
Originally posted by John451
www.diamondjcustoms.com
:scary:
John451
02-11-2008, 02:57 PM
Originally posted by NJ450rider
I really dont like those kits cause they widen the front end the wrong way.
putting the pivot point of the a arms out isnt good for handling at all. especially shock travel. I have 400ex +2 a arms and a top shock relocator bracket on our 300ex w 400ex shocks as well. it works awesome.
I always say wider a arms are for going into a turn and a longer swing arm/wider axle are for coming out of one.
It's not the wrong way at all. It doesn't affect handling in a bad way. I mean as great as the longer, lighter, stronger A-arms are. The longer ones keep the same shock mount distance from the frame making it so they compress more. The ones where they put the stock a-arms out and the suspention. You can get the kit that puts them out but for like 20 or 40 more you can get the 400/450 ex conversion kit. I defiantly reccomend this kit. it works great for me. I love it. It's about $300-400 less than the longer a-arms. But i got excellant results from them. If you get the kit i would suggest 450r front shocks because the 400ex's are spongey.
02-11-2008, 03:22 PM
Originally posted by John451
It's not the wrong way at all.
It doesn't affect handling in a bad way. I mean as great as the longer, lighter, stronger A-arms are. The longer ones keep the same shock mount distance from the frame making it so they compress more. The ones where they put the stock a-arms out and the suspention. You can get the kit that puts them out but for like 20 or 40 more you can get the 400/450 ex conversion kit. I defiantly reccomend this kit. it works great for me. I love it. It's about $300-400 less than the longer a-arms. But i got excellant results from them. If you get the kit i would suggest 450r front shocks because the 400ex's are spongey.
The Diamond J Customs kits are the cheap easy and wrong way to widen a quad. They are fine for something smaller like a 250ex and maybe a 300ex its fine but I would never in my life buy a quad with that kit on or use that kit. I rather take a bigger dent out of my wallet and know I did everything right the 1st time by buying a-arms than kick myself in the a** or something later.
NJ450rider
02-11-2008, 03:49 PM
The Burgard a arms on our 300ex i got for 300 brand new. There perfect because theyll last forever since my brothers girl rides it now. shes not rough on stuff.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/srt4acrnj/HPIM0742.jpg
Heres our 300ex with a complete 400ex front end.
John451
02-11-2008, 03:54 PM
It's not the wrong way! Just because it's inexpensive everyone thinks its crap. It works great, so many height adjustments. Everyone seems to think that they make those out of balsa wood. It's 1/4 inch steel. I mean go ahead and whine about the extra 3 pounds it adds. I mean if someone can come up with a logical reason besides it's the wrong way, maybe I'll see WHY its the WRONG way. I don't really see how it's the wrong way, In my opinion, I think that the diamondj's are better than the other ones because I think that the design is better.
NJ450rider
02-11-2008, 04:20 PM
"I really dont like those kits cause they widen the front end the wrong way.
ben300
02-11-2008, 04:28 PM
Originally posted by John451
It's not the wrong way! Just because it's inexpensive everyone thinks its crap. It works great, so many height adjustments. Everyone seems to think that they make those out of balsa wood. It's 1/4 inch steel. I mean go ahead and whine about the extra 3 pounds it adds. I mean if someone can come up with a logical reason besides it's the wrong way, maybe I'll see WHY its the WRONG way. I don't really see how it's the wrong way, In my opinion, I think that the diamondj's are better than the other ones because I think that the design is better.
its a completely bad idea...sure it widens the front end of the quad, which will make it handle better, but under extreme conditions, its a system that provides way to much stress. a arms are designed to take the stresses dished at them properlly, so wider a arms do the same. when you widden your quad that way, your creating an extra area for stress points, plus your shocks will not travel right.
a arms adn shocks are designed to work with each other to achieve certain angles to allow teh shock to move adn compress properly, giving your quad a safe nice ride with optimum travel. when you put spacers on like tat, tey increas the shock angle, which decreases your shocks stroke and travel.....
John451
02-11-2008, 05:16 PM
Originally posted by ben300
its a completely bad idea...sure it widens the front end of the quad, which will make it handle better, but under extreme conditions, its a system that provides way to much stress. a arms are designed to take the stresses dished at them properlly, so wider a arms do the same. when you widden your quad that way, your creating an extra area for stress points, plus your shocks will not travel right. a arms adn shocks are designed to work with each other to achieve certain angles to allow teh shock to move adn compress properly, giving your quad a safe nice ride with optimum travel.
when you put spacers on like tat, tey increas the shock angle, which decreases your shocks stroke and travel.....
But it's really not changing it. It's just basically stretching the frame. But yea, I see where you're coming from with the stress but I check the bolts every few rides. The spacers slide in behind the a arms not the wheel ones. It doesn't decrease the stroke or change the angle because It has a piece that moves the shock out to be around where the stock mounts would be. It accounts for the extra inches put on. It just looks really angled in the picture because I have everything adjusted up so it's taller for more clearance and because i was tryin to lay some bicycles out but It's too stable now :( . The shock travel would be exactly the same if I got the kit to keep the stock ones. But since I have the conversion it still doesn't even change the travel. It's all accounted for. It's the same as stock, except for the stress which It has 16 stress points so it's set.
Scro
02-11-2008, 06:21 PM
The biggest problem with the kit is the fact that you are moving the mounting point of the arms without moving the mounting point for the tierods. The steering will be out of wack. I'm sure 707 could get into the technical reasons why;) (or search it, it's been discussed many times)
Take a look at the difference in angle between the tierods and a-arms. They are way off. In a perfect setup, the tierod would be parallel with the a-arms, and do so throughout the entire range of motion.
That is why some of the old Laeger 250r frames were narrow in the front. They were trying to get the mounting point of the tierods as close as possible to the a-arms. Even Ballance was trying to achieve this with his modified frame. That kit does the exact opposite.
John451
02-11-2008, 06:39 PM
Originally posted by Scro
The biggest problem with the kit is the fact that you are moving the mounting point of the arms without moving the mounting point for the tierods.
The steering will be out of wack. I'm sure 707 could get into the technical reasons why;) (or search it, it's been discussed many times)
Take a look at the difference in angle between the tierods and a-arms. They are way off. In a perfect setup, the tierod would be parallel with the a-arms, and do so throughout the entire range of motion.
That is why some of the old Laeger 250r frames were narrow in the front. They were trying to get the mounting point of the tierods as close as possible to the a-arms. Even Ballance was trying to achieve this with his modified frame. That kit does the exact opposite.
Ok, thanks, Now that's a reason. I haven't really noticed a difference i steering though. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I'm out on it. excellant point though. Because that makes it have the wierd effect of having the extra 3" that wasn't accounted for in the main design of the quad. I mean I checked the clearance and it didn't seem to hit at all.
ben300
02-11-2008, 07:20 PM
Originally posted by John451
Ok, thanks, Now that's a reason.
I haven't really noticed a difference i steering though. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I'm out on it. excellant point though. Because that makes it have the wierd effect of having the extra 3" that wasn't accounted for in the main design of the quad. I mean I checked the clearance and it didn't seem to hit at all.
ok...i dont know if i am correct by this either, and 707 may know, but like, wouldnt those being attatched to the frame, cause the frame to have more torsion and deflection than what would normally occur with a stock setup or with an aftermarket a arm setup that was designed correctly.
Also to me, and i would have to test this to see if it is true, and i could be completely wrong, but also, if you move teh uper shock mounts up and out, which im concluding from your picture, would that act in such a way to creat a greater moment on your from mounts, welds, frame itself, causing it to be structurally week.
Like i said, i could be wrong, buut i had a friend that did pretty much the same thing with his 400ex.
.im not sure made the conversion kit on his bike, but after riding it only a few times, we figured it probably wasnt a great idea to ride it agressively, so he went adn bought wider aarms.
John451
02-11-2008, 07:32 PM
Originally posted by ben300
ok...i dont know if i am correct by this either, and 707 may know, but like, wouldnt those being attatched to the frame, cause the frame to have more torsion and deflection than what would normally occur with a stock setup or with an aftermarket a arm setup that was designed correctly.
Also to me, and i would have to test this to see if it is true, and i could be completely wrong, but also, if you move teh uper shock mounts up and out, which im concluding from your picture, would that act in such a way to creat a greater moment on your from mounts, welds, frame itself, causing it to be structurally week.
Like i said, i could be wrong, buut i had a friend that did pretty much the same thing with his 400ex.
.im not sure made the conversion kit on his bike, but after riding it only a few times, we figured it probably wasnt a great idea to ride it agressively, so he went adn bought wider aarms.
The way that they made the pieces for the 300 makes it so there is a bridge or arc from one piece to the other so most of the structure is there. But as far as the tension on the frame, It should be about the same as stock, maybe a little less. Well, it really depends how you have it set up. I have it set so the a arms are at a steep angle. That's putting more pressure on the frame. Oh well... But They can be adjusted to make it more level. It should be giving as much pressure on the frame as without it. The only pressure that's on the frame is the same as before, maybe less because of that bridge. The conversion kit takes alot of pressure off of the top mounts and the a arm mounts. Most of the other people are unfamiliar with the workings of the bridges on them so they think its crap. But it's the best structural design for it.
The only way they could have made the kit better is if they made it out of titanium. But then the price wouldn't be so good.
ALAMX37
02-17-2008, 07:17 PM
You clearly dont understand design engineering, so I will not try to argue my point with you. Adding width with anything other than a-arms and an axle is a mistake that could cost you your health, especially for anyone who races or rides hard. If it was a good idea you would see more people use them. Listen to Nj450 he knows what he is talking about.
John451
02-17-2008, 07:47 PM
Originally posted by ALAMX37
You clearly dont understand design engineering, so I will not try to argue my point with you. Adding width with anything other than a-arms and an axle is a mistake that could cost you your health, especially for anyone who races or rides hard. If it was a good idea you would see more people use them. Listen to Nj450 he knows what he is talking about.
Haha, sry i completely see what you were all talkin about now. I took it out for a hard ride on the extensions and it had wierd steering. It was like you were saying... The steering was off and sensative. If i took a hard turn the outer front arm would bottom out the shock and get stuck until I slammed the bars to turn out. Idk. As cool as it makes it look, it slamms the preformance to the ground. Sorry everyone for bein an idiot about the kit. Kinda extremely dis-satisfied : / Oh well, that's what I get haha. Idk where im goin from here. Haha.
ben300
02-17-2008, 09:03 PM
Originally posted by ALAMX37
You clearly dont understand design engineering, so I will not try to argue my point with you. Adding width with anything other than a-arms and an axle is a mistake that could cost you your health, especially for anyone who races or rides hard. If it was a good idea you would see more people use them. Listen to Nj450 he knows what he is talking about.
what are you referring to? me or him?....
I completely said that widening kits are a bad idea and that he should go with a-arms instead....so i dont understand?
John451
02-17-2008, 09:21 PM
Originally posted by ben300
what are you referring to? me or him?....
I completely said that widening kits are a bad idea and that he should go with a-arms instead....so i dont understand?
I think he was tryin to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about in the wrong way because it doesn't have to do with design engineering cuz I'm goin into engineering so I would know what I was talkin about in that department. But I didn't realize how wierd it would make the suspention even tho it was keepin it like stock but widening it but I was defiantly wrong there. But now I agree with everyone haha. So I wouldn't suggest those now.
ben300
02-17-2008, 10:03 PM
Originally posted by John451
I think he was tryin to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about in the wrong way because it doesn't have to do with design engineering cuz I'm goin into engineering so I would know what I was talkin about in that department.
But I didn't realize how wierd it would make the suspention even tho it was keepin it like stock but widening it but I was defiantly wrong there. But now I agree with everyone haha. So I wouldn't suggest those now.
ya man, im almost done wth my mechanical engineering degree, and i was trying to put it in terms of design, cause thats what i want to do someday,, adn well i think for havey abuse...tis a really really bad idea....
John451
02-18-2008, 05:15 AM
Originally posted by ben300
ya man, im almost done wth my mechanical engineering degree, and i was trying to put it in terms of design, cause thats what i want to do someday,, adn well i think for havey abuse...tis a really really bad idea....
Nice. Yea, I mean it looks sturdy compared to the little stock shock mounts but they didn't do the top support ones as well. They put more support on the bottom connecting support than on the top one, which I believe takes a little more of a beating, but they just put a little piece connecting it.
I mean it would still maybe hold up but it makes the front suspention just go with the kit. I didn't get how that would work when everyone was saying it but now I do. Does anyone know why that happens? I mean one would think since it moves the mounts out everywhere top and bottom and shock that it would be similar to stock. I mean I think the conversion kit would work alot better with just arms because it moves the mounts out. But the design of the kit is kinda wierd now that i rode around on it.
ben300
02-18-2008, 10:47 AM
Originally posted by John451
Nice. Yea, I mean it looks sturdy compared to the little stock shock mounts but they didn't do the top support ones as well. They put more support on the bottom connecting support than on the top one, which I believe takes a little more of a beating, but they just put a little piece connecting it. I mean it would still maybe hold up but it makes the front suspention just go with the kit.
I didn't get how that would work when everyone was saying it but now I do. Does anyone know why that happens? I mean one would think since it moves the mounts out everywhere top and bottom and shock that it would be similar to stock. I mean I think the conversion kit would work alot better with just arms because it moves the mounts out. But the design of the kit is kinda wierd now that i rode around on it.
im not really sure, but my friend who used a similar kit on his ex, used the widening kit and the remounts for the top of the shocks. ......
wut i see wrong with it is that by putting a widening kid on teh a-arm frame mounts and the shock relocator on teh top shock mount your are increasing the bending and shear stresss applied to teh stock mounting points because the point where the loads are applied is lengthened.....
the stock from mounts, are designed from the factory to work optimumly...sure ya they break from time to time, but thats because they're designed for general riding applications and are not designed to take some of teh abuse ppl put their equiment through.
.
thats why aftermarkets work well, they retain stock geometry, and add better ride quality and shock travel...while using the stock mounts..
John451
02-18-2008, 02:31 PM
Originally posted by ben300
im not really sure, but my friend who used a similar kit on his ex, used the widening kit and the remounts for the top of the shocks. ......
wut i see wrong with it is that by putting a widening kid on teh a-arm frame mounts and the shock relocator on teh top shock mount your are increasing the bending and shear stresss applied to teh stock mounting points because the point where the loads are applied is lengthened.....
the stock from mounts, are designed from the factory to work optimumly...sure ya they break from time to time, but thats because they're designed for general riding applications and are not designed to take some of teh abuse ppl put their equiment through..
thats why aftermarkets work well, they retain stock geometry, and add better ride quality and shock travel.
..while using the stock mounts..
Ohh, I see. Were his 400ex shocks extremely spongey? Cuz I noticed with mine that even if I want a right 180 turn in 2nd the front left a arm completely compress and it gets stuck until I have to litterally smack the throttle side of the bars to get it to turn out, then it goes back up. Is there a way to fix it besides makin it a hardnose or whatever and puttin square tube in instead of shocks? Or would the stock ones with the L brackets flipped over and moved down work any better?
ben300
02-18-2008, 07:21 PM
Originally posted by John451
Ohh, I see. Were his 400ex shocks extremely spongey? Cuz I noticed with mine that even if I want a right 180 turn in 2nd the front left a arm completely compress and it gets stuck until I have to litterally smack the throttle side of the bars to get it to turn out, then it goes back up. Is there a way to fix it besides makin it a hardnose or whatever and puttin square tube in instead of shocks? Or would the stock ones with the L brackets flipped over and moved down work any better?
his shocks were only stockers, and they werent revalved or resprung, but they seem to work fine with the setup.
..we he first did it, he only had the widening kit up front and wheel spacers out back...he did this only cause he wanded to race flat track and tt races....he he didnt not use the shock relocator at first...it turned fine, actually better because it was wider, however he was not getting the correct peformance out of the shocks and the bike was bottoming out faster cause of shorter travel, lowerd hight, and less overall shock stroke.
so he then used the shock remounts, and a pep( i believe) lowering link in the back.....this corrected the shock travel, but it was real goofy and was not ment for the abuse he was giving it....
so he jsut abandoned the idea, and baught aarms and such...
it question to your shock problem, if im getting wut your saying correctly, id say you jsut have a bad shock and may need a new one....try removing the widening kit, and reattachign everthing as was in stock setup and see if the problem persists...that coudl be a bad shock if it stays compressed.
...which could lead to injury!
John451
02-18-2008, 07:36 PM
Haha, ya I was turnin in the road at the end of my driveway and almost fell off and i was like WTF?? Before I had the kit in, I was goin and I slammed a rock in the grass with just my front right wheel and well ya i dislocated my wrist from the handle bar jerkin and had to reset it on the trail but the bolt from the tie rod end dented the corner of my a arm in and it made a pocket where it can jam itself into and get stuck. I think that it's just that that's the problem for sticking. I might try swappin the shocks and tryin that turn again.
ben300
02-18-2008, 07:54 PM
Originally posted by John451
Haha, ya I was turnin in the road at the end of my driveway and almost fell off and i was like WTF?? Before I had the kit in, I was goin and I slammed a rock in the grass with just my front right wheel and well ya i dislocated my wrist from the handle bar jerkin and had to reset it on the trail but the bolt from the tie rod end dented the corner of my a arm in and it made a pocket where it can jam itself into and get stuck.
I think that it's just that that's the problem for sticking. I might try swappin the shocks and tryin that turn again.
ya that dont sounds like a good idea...but i'd change that a-arm as well..if thats get stuck like taht,you dont watn to be putting the peddle to the wood down through the woods or something and then get bucked off into the jingweeds....that a great way to get screwed up....trying maybe bending it back....but since its already bent, the metal has plastically deformed, which means its structural integrity has been damaged...
i personaly would just save some money and buy some nice aftermarket equipment
John451
02-18-2008, 08:37 PM
Originally posted by ben300
ya that dont sounds like a good idea...but i'd change that a-arm as well..if thats get stuck like taht,you dont watn to be putting the peddle to the wood down through the woods or something and then get bucked off into the jingweeds....that a great way to get screwed up.
...trying maybe bending it back....but since its already bent, the metal has plastically deformed, which means its structural integrity has been damaged...
i personaly would just save some money and buy some nice aftermarket equipment
Well yeah, I was lookin to replace my lowers. But with the dented one, it's just collapsed in in a spot about the size of a nickle. It's not smooshed or bent. The bolt punched the tube in.
ben300
02-18-2008, 09:12 PM
Originally posted by John451
Well yeah, I was lookin to replace my lowers. But with the dented one, it's just collapsed in in a spot about the size of a nickle. It's not smooshed or bent. The bolt punched the tube in.
that dent probalby really wont make a difference, even tho it is still structurally week.....its still sounds like you got some major problems tho....
but ya...any chance i get to replace stock stuff with good aftermarket equipment...i jump on the chance.
.
John451
02-19-2008, 02:24 PM
Originally posted by ben300
that dent probalby really wont make a difference, even tho it is still structurally week.....its still sounds like you got some major problems tho....
but ya...any chance i get to replace stock stuff with good aftermarket equipment...i jump on the chance..
Yea, I might actually get some 450r front shocks cuz those are piggybak shocks.
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A quad bike, unlike a snowmobile, is an all-season use technique. But in order for the all-terrain vehicle to faithfully plow the virgin snow all winter, it must be prepared for operation in the cold season. Otherwise, by the end of winter, or even earlier, the quadric can easily “die”.
The AvtoVzglyad portal tells about the nuances of the winter use of "quadrics". nine0007
Maxim Stroker
Most often, ATV owners face the problem of difficult starting in cold weather. Perhaps the problem may be in poor contact between the power wires and the battery terminals. If there is oxidation in the connection, then the battery itself does not charge well and at the time of starting in the cold it simply does not have enough voltage to confidently turn the crankshaft with the starter.
The problem is solved simply: disconnect the wires from the battery, remove oxides with sandpaper, and so that they do not form in the future, we process the battery terminals with a special Liqui Moly Kontaktreinig contact cleaner. This combined action aerosol formulation removes metal oxides and grease in a single process. The special chemical formula almost instantly loosens and eliminates oxide salts, restores electrical conductivity, and also blocks leakage currents. nine0007
But much more often the cause of difficult start-up in cold weather is engine oil.
Most ATVs run on 10W-40 or 10W-50 lube during the summer. In general, such oil is considered to be quite all-weather, but if your “quad” is not in a heated garage, but on the street, then in severe frosts, difficulties arise with starting the engine, since the thickened oil provides excessive resistance.
But even if the engine starts, then the first seconds after starting it can work, which is called dry, since it will be very difficult for the oil pump to create the necessary pressure due to the thickened lubricant and supply it to the rubbing surfaces. This is especially dangerous for motors assembled on so-called plain bearings, because due to oil starvation, main or connecting rod bearings can turn. nine0007
In order not to encounter such a problem, before the onset of severe cold, you should fill the ATV engine with oil with a viscosity of 5W-50. The Liqui Moly product line has a quality lubricant with the right characteristics, one hundred percent suitable for ATV operation in winter.
Liqui Moly ATV 4T Motoroil 5W-50 HC-synthetic motor oil provides maximum performance and engine protection under all operating conditions.
Anti-wear additive package and base stock provide maximum ATV engine protection and trouble-free operation over a wide range of temperatures and loads. The oil guarantees easy start-up at low temperatures and high viscosity-temperature stability. nine0007
It is by no means a superfluous procedure before winter to change the oil in the all-terrain vehicle gearboxes. Despite the fact that there is no winter transmission for ATVs as such, it is still necessary to change the oil before frosts, because water from autumn puddles could well get into these nodes, through a breather or seals, which, mixed with oil, turns into an emulsion . And if you take into account that the gearboxes of modern ATVs have an electrician (someone has an electromagnetic clutch, someone has a servo drive), then there will be continuous problems from such a “slurry” in winter.
nine0007
If there is any chance that the gearboxes of your "rogue" have taken a sip of water, then in addition to filling in new oil, they also need to be washed. Drain the waste from the gearboxes, tighten the bottom plug, and pour the quick cleaner Liqui Moly Schnell-Reiniger through the filler.
This agent is absolutely safe for electrics and rubber seals of the gearbox, but at the same time it will effectively clean the inside of the assembly from the remnants of the emulsion. For best results, jack up the quad axle you are flushing and turn the wheels forward/back by hand to flush the remaining emulsion from the sidewalls as well. After that, unscrew the drain plug, get rid of the dirty contents and, screwing the plug back, pour in fresh gear oil. nine0007
ATVs most often use a transmission with a viscosity of 75W90. It is suitable for most ATVs and is poured into both front and rear gearboxes. The German brand Liqui Moly has in its assortment a synthetic gear oil for motorbike Gear Oil 75W-90.
It is in a sense universal, all-weather, and equally suitable for transmissions and motorcycles, and scooters, and ATVs, and snowmobiles.
This oil contains polyalphaolefins and special additives, due to which the lubricant does not change its properties either at sub-zero or positive temperatures. Its thermo-oxidative stability and resistance to aging allow for extended drain intervals that are significantly higher than other similar oils of similar viscosity. nine0007
In any case, check the manufacturer's recommendations before filling gears with oil, as some ATV models require gear oil for clutch operation. By the way, Liqui Moly also has such oils in its product line.
For the running gear to work well, it also needs to be prepared for the winter. Namely, lubricate the bushings of the fists and suspension arms with grease with a low freezing point, which at the same time is capable of operating in combined metal-plastic pairs.
Perfectly fits this description of Liqui Moly Thermoflex Spezialfett. nine0007
This light beige grease has a long service life and is resistant to water and low temperatures (up to -50C).
… As we can see, in order to meet the Russian winter fully armed, an ATV does not need so much: the desire of the owner, skillful hands and high-quality technical fluids, such as German Liqui Moly fluids.
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and also provides a soft passage of problem areas of the relief.
The sale of ATVs implies a special attitude to this unit and detailed advice on the procedure for its adjustment and maintenance. nine0007
A distinction is made between dependent and independent suspension. The second type is most often found among modern ATV models. Each motorist can adjust it in accordance with his own preferences, as well as operating conditions.
Among the advantages of ATV dependent suspension it is worth noting:
Such attractive performance of this suspension is due to the extreme simplicity of its design. nine0007
Regardless of the type of ATV suspension, there are some regularities in its structure. There are front and rear suspension types. In order for 125cc ATVs to boast a high level of ride comfort, the front suspension is usually made independent. Often it is supplemented with elements such as a pair of wishbones and telescopic shock absorbers.
As for the rear suspension, it can be dependent, independent or semi-independent, and can also be equipped with pendulums and shock absorption devices. nine0007
Suspension of any ATV is a set of spare parts, assemblies and assemblies located between the motor vehicle body and the track. It consists of the following components:
ATV suspension also performs many important functions, namely:
Based on this, the suspension, despite the relative simplicity of its device, plays a significant role in the design of any vehicle. nine0007
If your vehicle's suspension is not working properly or has failed, you may need to replace some of its components with new ones.
The following ATV suspension components most often fail:
To repair the suspension of an ATV without outside help, it will be enough just to find the failed elements of motorcycle equipment and replace them.
By adjusting the ATV's suspension for yourself, the rider will be able to get maximum pleasure and comfort in the process of driving. It is especially important to correctly configure this aspect in sports models of motorcycles. The fact that it is time to adjust the ATV suspension is indicated primarily by uneven tire wear, as well as the presence of problems and discomfort when driving a motorbike.
Setting up the suspension of motor vehicles is carried out as follows:
