Boner:
Sorry didn't get back to you sooner, been working on a gals '68 Mustang for most of the day. No, I've never adjusted either of our 'Cats before as far as the tie-rods go, but never needed to. Just so I know exactly where you're measuring from, let me know what exact places you're looking at, and I'll try to compare them this weekend. I'm heading back home to finish building another log bed and should have a few minutes of free time saturday evening. If so, I'll try to look at it then, and let you know what I find.

Oh hey, got a question for you though- on my last outing, gathering logs in the deep snow (about 3'), I was coming down a hill fairly fast, when I hit a buried stump or something. It damn near flipped me, but luckily I had enough weight on the back that it didn't get up in the air enough to actually go over. Anyway, my handlebars are now cocked to the right a little, maybe an inch or so at most, with the tires facing strait on. This just happened the other day, so what exactly should I do to pull it back strait? I wish I had have taken your measurements before this occured, as I wonder if it may be off a little now???

Anyway, let me know what you think, I'll try to do what I can.

Mike

 

Cowboy,

Glade you are alright after that little event. Looks like you did an Andy Basshem. PRobaly bent a tie rod(if you are lucky), but there are many other things that could be wrong too. Could have bent the handle bars or the steering them. But I bet it's the tie-rod(s).

Yes, this will effect your measurement, but thats no big deal.

Since your lift, how fast have you gone?? ON what terain?

 

Thanks for the lift idea there Trailboss.I am very pleased with the spacers I put in.The cost was nil anb the labour was me at 0 dollars per hour.The body lift type(had one on a (450 honda)does put a great load on your joints esp. when you bottom out ,and your idea does not allow any further extensoin beyond the stock shock length.This means less angle,more reliability when up in the air or high-centered.
Thanks again for the FREE advice.
KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN
OUT

 

Boner:
If I remember right, I think I put the spacers in at around 200 miles or so. It was during deer season, the start of elk season, and I've got right at or just over 800 miles on the machine now. As for how fast I've gone with them in, I'm not sure exactly the speed, as I didn't GPS it (didn't have my GPS at that time), but I did have it full throttle on a down hill with the speedo pegged-whatever that's worth, maybe 56-58 mph??? I've done that a few times with the lift in, but normally most of my riding is done at VERY slow speeds, crawling in 4-low, or working. As for the terrain, I've been in everything the Blue Mountains, Cascade Mountains, and the Okanogan Highlands have to offer, as well as the Desert Shrub-Steppe arid regions of my home town area. -Basically everything possible with the exception of pure rock. I won't mess with pure rock climbing with my 'Claws, as I don't want to risk tearing them up, I'd much rather find a nice steep, challenging way around a rock climb if possible. If not, I'll go through it, but VERY carefully. I bent my stock rims while rock climbing once just after I got the machines. Luckily it wasn't bad enough to leak air, as I managed to beat it back somewhat strait with a hammer.

Like I said back in November, I wish those idiots would not have lost my elk hunting pictures, I had a full roll of what should have been some great shots of a lot of the kind of terrain I ride in most of the time. Several very steep shots, and a ton of the three wheel shots while climbing hills, with one tire in the air, and several in some deep mud holes, coming out with a tire in the air with the machine damn near standing on the rear rack. Also a really cool one of my 'Cat hanging from the meat pole by the winch cable, with all of us at camp proudly standing around it with our rifles-kind of a joke really, as we wanted to "hang" something on opening day. Unfortunately, we hadn't shot our elk opening day and the 'Cat had to hang just for fun. It was pretty cool, and got a lot of laughs from the passerby road hunters.

Well back to the tie rods, I looked them over pretty good and compared them to my Dad's 'Cat, they didn't APPEAR to be any different, or bent at all. It's really nothing serious, just that in order to have the tires running strait, I have to hold the handle bars cocked just a hair to the right, kind of like an alignment problem I guess. Nothing bad and doesn't really bother me, just not perfectly strait anymore. Oh well.

Oops, got a little long winded-again! Heh heh heh, better get going. Take care, have a great day. Looks like it may rain here.

Mike

 

well ,pulling problem was toe problem. readjusted toe per ac specs,and it fixed pull.for anybody interested here are the procedures.1-make sure quad is clean of mud,dirt,ect..2-ck tire pressure,wrong pressure can effect measurements.3-make sure quad is on level surface,also take care not to push down or lift front end,then make sure handlebars are straight ahead.4- measure the distance from the outside edge of each handlebar grip to the seat catch brackets.5- adjust the handlebar direction until the two measurements are equal,then secure the handlebar to the rear rack using tie down straps.6- measure the distance from the inside of each front rim to the lower frame tube.7- to make measurements equal,loosen the appropriate tie rod jam nuts and adjust accordingly.8- using a permanent marker of some type mark the center of each front tire[at a height parallel to the belly panel.9- measure the overall width of the front tires,[make sure parallel to belly panel]at the front side of tires ,then record measurement,10- push atv foward until marks are parallel to the belly panel on the back side;then measure the overall width of the front tires at the rear side.11- the diffrence in measurements must show 1/4"of toe-in.note the toe-in difference is per side.so 1/2"total toe-in.12- if the difference in the measurementsdoes not show 1/4" toe-in,adjust both tie rods equally in until within specs.make sure before locking tie rod jam nuts,make sure joints are at center of their normal range and at right angle.these are arctic cats procedures for setting their quads. it worked great for me.alot of you probably already knew these adjustments,but for those who did'nt there you go.sorry there was not alot of short hand.