How will a lift kit effect the rear axle on this bike and give it more ground clearance? I dont see how a lift kit will actually work in the rear. For the front, I guess it just pushes the a-arms down a little further for the clearance, is this correct? Anyone out there with knowledge please educate me before I go to the expense of a lift kit, tires etc., and possibly be very disappointed. Are there some back yard proven techniques for a do it yourself lift kit? Thanks for the help.

 

You're right; a lift kit does nothing for the rear ground clearance of a quad with a solid rear axle. As for the front end, I think you've figured out the geometry correctly also.

I imagine one purpose of lift kits is permitting installation of larger-diameter tires than the stock suspension will accommodate; a modification increasing ground clearance both front and rear.

Looks like lift kits might force U-joints and CV joints to operate outside nominal design angles, and approach extreme angles more often than the stock setup; whether this situation causes unacceptable wear or not I don't know. The same considerations apply to "lifted" 4X4 pickups.

Tree Farmer

 

Is it more logical to look at taller tires v. lift kits? The only problem I can see encountering there would be the loss in power of having to turn such bigger tires, and furthermore, how much can I stand to gain if staying with the stock 11" rim? Any comments or suggestions from anyone out there?? Thanks for the help.

 

Tree Farmer is right about what the lift does actually lift. It will lift the front and give you more ground clearance there. The rear ground clearance will not be affected. What the lifts really give you is more fender clearance to run larger tires. The larger tires will then in turn give you some ground clearance. Running larger tires will take some power. Look into the weights of tires. Obviously the lighter the better. For example Vamps are very heavy from what I have read. You can do some performance mods to get the power back. There are some large tires for 11 inch rims. (ex. Blackwaters, biClaws, TriClaws, MudRunners, and Vamps come to mind). And yes from what I understand the lift will cause increased wear. If you know and understand that going into it then you should be fine with it. It is just like lifting a truck...other costs will come up such as maintainence(sp).