[NMKawierider]

Lately I've been all about comfort and a better ride. On my last outing my friend put Fox shocks on his RzR and now it's like a Cadi on the trails. So that's next but I have been kicking around something I did to my Brute a few years ago that really improved the smoothness of it's ride.

I have taken the Z out without the sway bar connected to see if it would improve it's ride and it did.. but the body roll was just unacceptable. A few years ago I relocated my sway bar mount points inward on my Brute 2" to change the forces and add more articulation and independency to the rear. It worked.. and well.. and although it did gain some body roll it wasn't unacceptable. The added independency and articulation made it a pleasure to ride...along with the Elka Stage-3 shocks...   I did it with removable brackets that clamp to the a-arm. I decided to do the same with the Z and if they work out and hang in there after I put then to the test, they'll get a nice white paint job.

They are just simple "U" style pinch clamps with a tab welded on the top and a single 10mm bolt on the bottom. These I positioned 2.25" inward and had to flip the bar connectors. We'll see how it goes. If it does anything like it did for the Brute...it should be a big improvement.

Some pics:

http://s483.photobucket.com/user/BFFreak_2008/slideshow/CFMoto%20ZForce%20800/Sway%20Bar%20relocate?sort=3   


And a video on the first test:

[Zoomzoom]

Interesting, let us know how it does. I have been thinking about taking my sway bar off because we mainly do rock crawling and rarely go fast so I shouldn't have to worry about body roll should I. Also I have been wanting to soften up my shocks a bit and I know you did a post on shock adjustment but i can find it. could you talk me through that. Thanks

[NMKawierider]

Interesting, let us know how it does. I have been thinking about taking my sway bar off because we mainly do rock crawling and rarely go fast so I shouldn't have to worry about body roll should I. Also I have been wanting to soften up my shocks a bit and I know you did a post on shock adjustment but i can find it. could you talk me through that. Thanks

Sure. Everyone's preferences are different but the basics are: You have three settings, Preload, Compression and Rebound. Always first is setting the preload for the weight, ride height and suspension centering. Ideally you want your suspension set in the middle of it arch travel with all the normal load on the machine and either level front to back or with the noise about 1/2" lower then the back. Just measure from the back and front of the main skid plate to the floor for that. Remember, this is with all the load including passengers you usually take.

Next is compression setting. This is how fast fluid travels through a valve as the wheel goes up or compresses the shock. These are at the top of the shocks. Clean the adjuster area well before starting so as the threads and clicker don't get damaged. Then close the valve- turn it to the slow side until it shuts or stops. Don't force it. Then open it to the fast side counting the clicks until it stops again. Then close it to the center. and example is if there are 10 clicks, close to 5 clicks. Then it's preference-time. I like a little softer ride so I open it back up two clicks to the fast side. Some will take a different approach and although you will start with the front and back the same, you might desire the front to react differently then the back so.. that's a trail adjustment.

Next is rebound. After the shock compresses it has to extend back out. This is rebound and is also controlled by fluid moving through a valve.
These are at the bottom of the shocks. Same thing- clean the adjuster area first. Find the center point the same way. Now I like landing like a cat and don't like that springy kick-back so I increase the resistance- two clicks toward the slow side.

The Trail and the EX's suspensions are very different so expect to do some more adjusting but this will give you a good place to start. 
 

[Zoomzoom]

Great thanks for the help I was pretty clueless on this subject 

[NMKawierider]

OK, the test went well..nothing broke. The ride was noticeably improved and the body roll was still acceptable..ie can still do donuts and don't feel like it's falling over..lol I think the only thing I will do while off for painting is set then to exactly 2" in from the old points instead of 2.25".

I did video the suspension working and during editing I couldn't find too many chunks to delete that didn't have something I wanted to keep so I left most of it in. A bit long but..don't see this everyday. Be sure to go full screen.

Not a valid vimeo URL

[Jimbo]

Awesome video and idea, have to video suspension now so I can see exactly what it's doing. Are you going to do the same mod to the front bar, or do you only have the rear?

[vman]

Great video, really nice to see the suspension working, I thought about doing it to see how much compression I am getting on the rear springs...I will probably still get around to it. In previous pictures, it looked as if you had your preload cranked down about 75% or so and it was hard to tell in the video but it looks like you might have reduced the preload, are you playing with that as well to soften the ride.

[NMKawierider]

Awesome video and idea, have to video suspension now so I can see exactly what it's doing. Are you going to do the same mod to the front bar, or do you only have the rear?

Only have the one. I guess the EXs have two... at least the non-US models do.

[Zoomzoom]

My ex only has one and it's on the rear. It is a U.S. model.

[NMKawierider]

See..I just for the life of me can't understand why CFM deleted so many things on models sold in the US. Why not just leave them all the same?

[vman]

See..I just for the life of me can't understand why CFM deleted so many things on models sold in the US. Why not just leave them all the same?

My 53" has front and rear bars, turn signals, and the DNM fully adjustable shocks front and rear that a few others on here have as well, I am convinced the rear springs are way too stiff so I disconnected my rear bar a month or two ago and the ride is much better, perhaps because of the front bar and stiff rear springs I don't find the body roll excessive.

[NMKawierider]

OK...all done. Doesn't look too bad and I can always put them back on the OE mounts if I ever need to with just a 15mm wrench.

[HDHP]

Looks good NMK!
I noticed in these pics that the top & bottom coils (3-4) look like they are in coil-bind. I also noticed it on the video you took. Dose anyone make a different spring for these shocks? Maybe not so many coils but the same weight spring? That should let the shock work a lot better.Maybe Eibach, ELKA, or Bandit Shocks might? Bandit Shocks is a company from Michigan.

HDHP

[NMKawierider]

Looks good NMK!
I noticed in these pics that the top & bottom coils (3-4) look like they are in coil-bind. I also noticed it on the video you took. Dose anyone make a different spring for these shocks? Maybe not so many coils but the same weight spring? That should let the shock work a lot better.Maybe Eibach, ELKA, or Bandit Shocks might? Bandit Shocks is a company from Michigan.

HDHP

Yeah they are close and I think as time goes on they are getting closer as I keep needing to add preload to maintain the same ground clearance. This is why I will be talking with Elka in 2018.

[NMKawierider]

HDHP, I watch that video again watching just the shock springs.. and noticed like you said they are spring-bound much of the time..mostly the lower sides but also the uppers a lot of the time. May be getting closer to shock replacement then I wanted...lol