I've been thinking about spacers for some time but do not like the stud extender type as they just don't seem all that strong, especially if one is jumping or riding the quad hard. The billet models are by far the strongest but the most expensive. For the same money can't you just buy a set of wheels that have the extra offset built into the rims? This seems the best way to do it and you have an extra set of rims for some sand paddles or mud tires that you use once in a while.

 

I would not put the stud extender type on if it is going to be jumping at all. I only put the studs on my daughters 80cc because it wont get jumped and beat up really bad

 

I don't know of anyone ever complaining about breaking a stud type extender. Jumping or not. They are pretty stout. You are still using studs either way. If you are going to break a stud, then they would have already broken on the stock machine. Adding an inch or inch and a half isn't going to increase the leverage and breakaeg quotient all that much. Iam not machanical engineer, but I can't believe that it would put that much more strain on them. It might be worth a thread though to see if anyone out there has had bad experiences with them. I just have not heard one single complaint other than they tend to be pricey. If it comes down to buying 4 or two, do the fronts first...

As far as getting a set for each brand machine, I don't think there is much of a worry there. Most machines have a standard wheel size and spacing. One thing I found out on my son's old style Blaster though, is that in some cases, you can just reverse the front wheels and gain a couple inches. You have to pay close attention to knocking off the air stems, but if you have the clearance it might be worth a try. Definitely do them though. They are cheap insurance, and will really make the machine more stable. I am not saying it will eliminate roll overs completely, but they will add a much larger safety margin...

 

dragginbutt, I do apericate the info. I did look at the stud extenders and they claim that they would not break and offered some assurance if they did I believe. My son hard riding is running fast through the fields and getting some air ~2inches under the tires. He is small for is age and does not weigh much. I will look into switching the tires as you mentiond, thanks again!!!

 

Yeah just remember that cars have the same studs holding their wheels on, and they weigh considerably more than a mini ATV. I would not worry about that. I personally feel the manufacturers should be making them wider any way... But this way they can sell you after market parts. I believe originally they made this at 48 inches wide ot get tehm to fit in the back of a pickup bed. If you look at the racers, the first thing they do is put extened a-arms and wider rear axles on their machines for stability. For a kids mini, the extenders are plenty tough enough for the same gain for a whole lot less money. We are not worrying about a few ounces in weight savings here. Speeds are not high enough that geometry is an issue either.

 

rjsdad I replied to your PM....Switching the wheels around won't work on the viper..The wheel is equally spaced either way so there are no gains there.....We were running 3 inch total spacers on the front of our Viper and they worked very well...One additional benefit is the extra width puts more leverage on the a-arms and helps to move the suspension...This is usually a help with a lot of mini's that have rock hard springs...

Here is a picture with the wheelspacers..Tires are normally within the front fenders.



And another installing wider Arms..In the picture I just have the one on the left side installed..The right side has the wheel spacer still installed or the difference would be even bigger.

 

oldyeller, did you purchase the traditional block wheel spacer and not the sud type wheel spacer correct. The viper looks absolutely awesome!!! The longer A arms would do the trick, but I guess they would do a number on the wallet as well. I better stick with what I can afford. Thanks again for the great information.

 

Yes I have the full block wheel spacer and not the stud mounted....I don't think I would run the stud mounts,at least not on the fronts...

 

Don't we all wish the factory would build them this way? Imagine the marketing hype they could use if they did...

 

Well there are some nice mini's available today...Look at the new can am DS 90X for example.