Hey folks,

Well it's official. I now am the proud owner of an AC 400!!! Woohoo...my only question is, I have noticed that i am bottoming out the suspension on jumps...I dont know how high I am going but it doesnt seem that hard to do. I weigh about 195 so I dont know... Is this normal or is something wrong.???

Thanks guys,
Love the Cat,
Jason

 

Yes, even my little bro bottems out my 500 on jumps. He is like 150, I also bottem out but then im 265. So as far as I know they will all bottem out
Thanks

 

I've not taken my 400 off any jumps yet, so I've not experianced this situation. But I am guessing the machine's 650 pounds of weight might be a factor here too. Keep in mind that the Cats are not really built for this sort of riding (though, as has been demonstrated, they CAN jump).

Perhaps someone can recommend some suspension mods (stiffer springs, better shocks?) that could help you out here. No doubt this will cost you performance in other area's, though.

 

Stiffen those springs! I weigh 280 and mine will bottom out if I don't land all four wheels at one time. Make sure you don't land with the throtle pegged wide open, I can already see the tranny fragged all over a trail somewhere!

Dakota R/T

 

How do you stiffen the springs. I would Like to do it becasue when I drive my wheeler out to my deer stand, I have my dad, bro, uncle, and freind sitting on the racks. I know its not good to do this but it would be better if it didnt comress so much. Also the front end would be better with stiffer shocks, for jumping and what not
Thanks
Sorry about any of the spelling problems, I have worked all night....
Thanks

 

First off-these are UTILITY machines boys, not light weight speed demon jumping machines! heh heh heh -don't feel bad, I've taught my kitty to fly a time or two myself, and seriously, with all my weight up front-it can get a little hairy at times with the huge NOSE DIVE-we usually don't land too pretty! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Anyway, until now, nobody has made any aftermarket springs and or shocks to compensate, which has REALLY irritated me. I say "until now" because the new '02 'Cats have adjustable preload shocks/springs so my question therein lies with-will these new '02 shock/spring assemblies fit on the '00 model 'Cats??????? Somehow I doubt it, but this new change might spur some aftermarket company (Progressive-hint hint) to produce a high quality aftermarket spring/shock assembly for guys like me with tons of weight and snow plows as well, along with all you 1/2ton kitty/eagle cross guys [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

In the mean time, I've had to settle with the "spring spacers", which stiffen the springs, provide a more stable ride, and remove the dreaded "body roll". I've actually been really happy with this setup using 1/2" up front and 3/8" in the rear, it has worked perfectly and maintained a great ride as well. Do a search for "spring spacers", or something of that nature, there are several topics on that, if you need additional info, just give me a hollar.

Stitch-did you ever get your bugs worked out with the 'Cat? Still thinking of selling for the '02 SPHO???

Best of Luck guys,

Mike

 

Thanks for the info Cowboy. Everything is good on the Cat now. Im going to keep it. Im going to wait to see how the new IRS works in the 500i's. I was thinking about the move, but my cat is payed for which to me means alot. Im not nocking down the HO's but I like my cat. Do you know if the new disc's breaks on the 02 cats are better. I saw that they have holes in the rotors, what does that do. Would it make them have better breaks.
Thanks

 

In the performance arena cross drilled rotors decrease rotational mass and aid in cooling and assist in the fight against gas build up and break fade. In an off-road application such as the CATs it might be intended to help keep mud from building up on the rotors and wearing the brake pads too quickly. Or making the pads and calipers from sticking or binding. Man my english sucks tonight.

Cowboy,

CATS FLY!!!!!

Dakota R/T

 

Dakota-
Yeah, real well in fact with the aid of a Tony Llama boot giving a little extra "oomph" so to speak down the hallway! heh heh heh [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] I didn't just say that did I? Naaa, couldn't have-I love my kitty, though, different breed entirely I guess huh...

Yeah, I saw your half-ton 'Cats soaring like an eagle in your latest pics (nice by the way!:cool[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img], but was just remembering that guy on here quite a while back who was jumping his SP500 if I remember right. Anyway, he was catching a lot of air on the thing, then complaining, saying it was the biggest POS ever because it was always breaking when he landed-come on now, is he a genious or what? It's a 740lbs. machine, + rider, he's probably close to 1,000 lbs. or more, what does he expect anyway???? It ain't the machines fault it was breaking from catching severe air-it wasn't designed for that in the first place! Utility quads were made to keep all fours on the ground-much like the fact that white men can't jump, an elephant could probably jump higher than I can, and grizzlies don't climb trees-it just don't go together, ya know what I mean???

I'm sorry, I think I just realized what my problem is-I keep having flashbacks from the last time I really caught air-trying to catch my sister when she was drunk that one time camping, when the 'Cat and I left a 6' high embankment at 35 mph, slammed into the vertical wall of a drainage ditch about 5' lower on the other side. Ended up blowing both upper and lower ball joints, separating my cv, shredding the boot, wiping out my 4wd shift lever, all while giving myself a concussion, separating two discs in my lower back and stuffing my L-6 vertebrae 1/2" down into my pelvic cavity, while pissing blood for a couple weeks afterwards. You know, I am STILL hurting from that wreck in my lower back every now and then, depending on how I bend or move around-kind of locks up on me at times and causes severe pain to shoot up my back. Yup, I'm sure of it, I'm a p_ss. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] heh heh heh.

It is kind of fun though at times, and honestly, I'm amazed at how smooth the landing is when everything goes right-you almost can't tell you even left the ground at all in the first place! Well, enough of my sermon, I don't need to be anybody's mother anyway! heh heh heh [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Now you kids be careful ya here!

Mike

 

Let me start off by saying we do alot more than what I show in my pictures. Jumps are rare. I feal uneasy still. I have a large scare from my last jumping accident when I was in 3rd grade(for you young guys that was before nintendo and play station 2 when kids played in the street with nerf ***** and rode bicycles not mountain bikes). Doctors had to scrape my wounds daily to prevent scaring completely. Nasty and painfull. We mostly ride around and play with the 4wd in the mud and sand or try hill climbing or playing chicken in sticky/tricky situations. Cowboy has some interesting terrain I'd love to try out. Mountains! A 20' drop to cross a creek gets my heart going I couldn't imagine a mountain or trail.

Dakota R/T