Wheel spacers vs. extended a-arms

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DeadLastRacing

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So I'm getting a +4 axle and have been looking into getting +2 a-arms but I also don't want to spend more than $200 or much more than that, if possible.......and finding +2's for that price is not getting me anywhere.......how about the compromise....wheel spacers.....I only plan on using the axle at +2 so I was thinking that wheel spacers might do the trick for the offset of the axle......anyone have opinions on using wheel spacers up front?
 
I do not reccoment them...They but stress on things and wear out your bearings faster. Start by getting some offset rims..Then look around for +2 arms..your bro got a hell of a deal on ebay
 
Yeah i did, but if you want i can get your front tires taken off and put on short air stems so you can flip your rims instead of buying new offset ones.
 
This depends on what kind of riding you do. If you do mostly light trail riding, fields, and stuff like that, you can probably get away with just offset wheels or wheel spacers. If you're a more aggressive rider, ride in a lot of rougher trails, do a lot of jumps, etc., it would be worthwhile to get some extended a-arms and aftermarket shocks. Of course both options have their strengths and weaknesses.

With either one, the extra leverage created by the extra width will cause your shocks to be weaker, which can mean both bottoming out easier, and getting more roll in the corners. Setting the preload stiffer can lessen this, but especially with extended a-arms, it's best to go with a good aftermarket shock. You'll thank yourself for making this purchase, it's well worth it. A good set of aftermarket shocks will increase handling and jumping abilities, and will also smooth out your ride quality, which also allows you to ride quicker because you have more control and don't get tired so quick.

The big benefit of offset wheels or wheel spacers is price in comparison to a full front end setup. There are quite a few downsides though. One of the big ones is that it does stress a lot of the front end components, including wheel bearings, ball joints, and that extra leverage makes it a lot easier to bust a tie rod end, which i can tell you from experience really sucks when you're out in the middle of the woods. You also get an increase in bump steer (the tendency for rocks, roots, etc. to pull your wheels in the direction they want you to, which causes you to fight your handlebars more and wears you down quick.

The biggest benefit of extended a-arms in comparison to cheaper methods is it doesn't create all the unwanted side effects like bump steer and excessive stress on components. You also get a small increase in suspension travel, some caster/camber adjustability, and usually a bigger increase in width as well. Although this is obvious, they also look better than stock ones. Most aftermarket a-arms also have lifetime warranties against damage, so if you would manage to bend or break one you can get it replaced for cheap or free. Another benefit is that aftermarket a-arms, unlike stock ones, have replaceable ball joints so you don't have to replace the entire a-arm if one breaks or wears out.

Hope that helps you make your decision.
 
I had the offset front rims they extend your front stance by 2 inches. The stock offset is a 3x2 rim, reversing this gives the added width with 2x3. They work good but cause steering to be a little more rougher especially in rutted and rooted areas, because the leverage is placed further away from the steering knuckle.
 
Spacers are ghetto but I did have a set that I bought just to see how much I would or wouldnt like a wider front end. They served their purpose and I sold them on ebay so the total cost of the experiment was like $30, a small price to pay for the knowledge and experience I got. I wished I had just bought 2in/3out rims as I would have actually kept them on my quad and they are under $120 a pair.
 
Ok...so the spacer are out the window....what about A-Arm widening kits?
 
alot of people on here will tell you that they are redneck rigged pieces of **** and they would never trust them..But for the people on here that actually have them they say that they work fine and are really strong..
 
There's a guy on atvconnection now that has one of these kits on a raptor 350 and he has all kinds of trouble with the kit. He's bent his in several places from seperate instances, plus the shitty rig job tie rod extenders are worthless and bend and break the first time you get into a rut and give your bars a yank(yeah, these kits are so cheap they don't even give you complete tie rods, just little threaded extentions)

Either way, why not spend another $150 and widen the quad the right way, the proven way, and get the benefits of extended arms? Your suspension geometry doesn't get all fubared, you get more suspension travel, and it's STRONG. All those brackets probably add another 20 pounds as well, maybe more, because you've got 10 thick steel brackets that bolt on with that kit. The very last thing these machines need is more weight in the front end.
 
Bending the plates really.....they would be the thickest part of metal on the bike besides the axle.....I know that the tie-rod extenders are **** and Im looking to complete extended tie rods or I might just make them myself.......its still up in the air as of now...wouldn't weight in the front end help with skid steer problems? and twenty pounds that seams like a bit much but besides that fact would that really put much of a damper on after-market shocks......I'm considering Fox's right now or works........Thanks.
 
Is your stock axle bent/warped? If it is in good shape you could flip your back wheels or run offsets/spacers. Then you could take the axle money and put it towards new a-arms and shocks. Sure it would put a little extra stress on your axle, but hey you want too replace it anyways.
 
I already bought a g-force axle.....it was a steal deal...I had to give the kid back the axle when I got the quad that was the deal so I had to get an axle anyways......I know all these options are not as good a just going with the +2 a-arms but I'm getting good information about the other options.....
 
I'm not sure what you mean by skid-steer, but more weight in the front is definitely the last thing these naturally front-heavy machines need to help their handling, as they're far heavier in the front than almost any other sport quad. I really think it could add a good 20 pounds or more, considering all the hardware that's involved with those kits. Have you ever got a close look at one? You have 4 of those thick bars going from one side to the other for the upper arms, another 4 for the lower arms, 2 more for the shock mounts, plus the extra bolts, and shock conversion kit adds even more brackets. All of them are surprisingly thick and heavy duty looking, but they have a lot of leverage on them if you catch a tree with a wheel or anything like that. That steel is heavy.
 
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