Ask the Editors: I Wanna Go Wider
When it comes to widening an ATV, there are really two approaches. The simpler and cheaper way is to use wheel spacers to achiever a slightly wider stance. However, if this is a machine you are planning on keeping for a while, the best choice would be to buy and install wider aftermarket components.
Up front you’d want to start shopping for a set of wider a-arms. Many aftermarket companies sell complete front end kits for your make and model for anywhere from $200-$400. A decent aftermarket kit like this would add 2 or more inches of width on each side and boast camber and caster adjustments, as well as work with stock or long-travel suspension.
In the rear you have essentially the same two options- to either run wheel spacers for added width or to purchase a wider axle. Since the rear of a sport quad need never turn-in or change angles like the front, we would be a lot more likely to go the cheaper and simpler route of wheel spacers here.
In fact, the best approach on a budget would likely be to opt for wider a-arms in the front and a pair of spacers in the rear.
We should also note that a third option for widening the front exists- one where instead of replacing the a-arms with wider aftermarket units, a kit simply relocates where the a-arms and shocks mount to the frame for additional width. The reason we usually overlook this method is that such kits rarely cost much less than a good set of aftermarket a-arms and can be every bit as labor-intensive to install.
