After reading the Sportsman 500 vs. ArcticCat 500
Auto, and a couple of crappy parking lot test drives, I bought the AutoCat 500. Now that I have ridden it thouroughly I thought I would share my experience. First,it has great suspension and a fantastic motor/tranny. It is smooth, fast and stable....TILL YOU TRY TO TURN IT!! This thing corners like a plowhorse-with a plow attached. Quick slalom turns are heavy, arduous, almost impossible. Slow downhill off-cambers feel like you are going to go over the handlebars, high speed turns in sand or hard pack
are skittery, unsure, will it stick or slide?
Now the first problem is easily remedied, the handlebars are given a ~1.25 to 1 advantage over the front wheels, making it easy to steer, but since the front wheels are'nt turning as far as the handlebars it gives the illusion of understeer
or pushing in the turns. It doesn't go where it's
pointed at any speed. This is easily fixed, I did
it yesterday in about an hour. The tie rods are attached to the front hubs at a spot that can easily accomodate a second 3/8" hole located 5/8" inboard. This corrects the disparity between handlebar movement and the front wheels, increases
steering effort, decreases turning radius, makes it go where it's pointed, and can be done with a hand drill without taking the hubs off. Just jack up the front, take the front wheels off, layout and drill the new tie rod mount on the hub,
clean-up, reattach the tie rods, put the wheels back on, lower the Cat back on its tires, then adjust the tie rods so your front tires are evenly spaced apart front to back and your handlebars are straight.
Next comes the rear wheel track, the front is a respectable 45" wide, but the back is only 42" wide, and with skinny 25x10x12 tires, soo new wider back tires should fix this easily.I just ordered some 25x12x12's. A bit more money will get a set of graphite 1.5"
wheel spacers from Highlifter. Iaho Laula--
Wider Is Better, as all Polynesian Pontiac Fans will tell you.
Next this thing NEEDS an anti-sway bar, the Sportsman has one (as do snowmobiles) and these could be the only source. But this is a BIG project. Everything else is easy. This should be standard equipment. Independant suspension without an anti-sway bar is bad enginerring, Retrofitting one is going to be a pain. A kit would sure be nice. A factory kit for free would be really nice. Anyway I'll let you know how the first modifications go.. Silly Later Fourlix

 

I am curious just how much the turning radius was shortened. The understeer issue hasn't bothered me yet (not a racer) but I would like a sharper turn for negotiating around trees in the woods. Do the tires rub anything at full lock? How much steering effort did it add? My wife already has a handful just trying to turn the Cat at slow speeds.

 

Wouldn't an anti swaybar tend to offset and negate the benefits of the semi-independent rear suspension?

 

Yes, steering effort is increased considerably,and yes the turning radius is markedly reduced, and yes, in reverse at full steering lock, the sidewall starts to rub against the bottom of the shock, so far no damage. This is all with the 3/4" inset (center to center) The increase in steering effort is worth it (maybe not for your wife)in exchange for the improvement in handling, and remember, you can always switch it back, and the cost is $0. It is for these reasons that I reccommend locating the new hole 5/8" inboard, because I drilled mine 3/4" inboard and though it achieves the desired result, it is maxed, with no room for error. At 5/8" you will still have 1/4" metal between holes, the shock shouldn't rub, you will have a very direct feeling steering, and a much sharper turning radius than stock. You will have more turning effort, but less movement. I found the distance my arms were moving with the stock exagerrated
steering system ridiculous, especially in tight turns, which it just did not like.
I got the 25x12x12 Super Swampers today, mounted, and got a short ride in, huge improvement over the skinny back tires it came with. National Tire & Wheel got them here,that's
West Virginia to New Mexico in 28 hours, WOW..
And yes, an anti-sway bar will affect the independant suspension, but only to a small degree. If you were specifically headed out on a
super rock ride or something you might even want to disconnect one end of the sway bar. Many big 4x4 rigs do just that when say tackling the Rubicon Trail or the like. Four Wheeler Magazine disconnects the sway bars when they test 4x4's for their ramp test, where they run one wheel up a ramp untill one other wheel comes off the ground. It is all a matter of compromise and purpose. Silly Later Fourlix