85 to 88 Suzuki LT230S Quadsport help.
04-12-2013, 06:33 PM
04-12-2013, 09:04 PM
Trailblazer
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lehi, Utah
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So, I finished my motor rebuild 
it sounded so nice to hear Suzi fire up again. I still have to adjust my valves, and find out why she's not idling right. It only runs with the throttle, or with the idle turned up. I cleaned the jets while i had my carb off, the rest looked pretty clean as I did a full rebuild and clean last year. Maybe I should do a deep clean on the carb? Maybe the valves need that adjustment? I'm just happy to have Suzi back in my life :')
it sounded so nice to hear Suzi fire up again. I still have to adjust my valves, and find out why she's not idling right. It only runs with the throttle, or with the idle turned up. I cleaned the jets while i had my carb off, the rest looked pretty clean as I did a full rebuild and clean last year. Maybe I should do a deep clean on the carb? Maybe the valves need that adjustment? I'm just happy to have Suzi back in my life :')
04-12-2013, 10:30 PM
I was messing around in the garage tonight and decided to do some measuring.
I had a spare set of lt250r a-arms and I remember reading that those arms don't fit. Well, it looks like the lower arm will fit. You just have to trim the bearing end like you would the lt250s arms. The shock alignment may not be as easy though.
I also measured my lt-z400 arms and it looks like the lower arms from it will fit as well, but they are about 4" longer. They will also need some trimming around the bearing end.
For what it's worth, the ltz400 arms are interchangeable with the trx400 and trx250r, so we have quite a few potential lower arms, if someone has access to some of those. You still have to deal with finding the lt250s upper arms, or extending the factory ones.
Sorry if this info has been posted before, it has been awhile since I've read through this entire thread.
I had a spare set of lt250r a-arms and I remember reading that those arms don't fit. Well, it looks like the lower arm will fit. You just have to trim the bearing end like you would the lt250s arms. The shock alignment may not be as easy though.
I also measured my lt-z400 arms and it looks like the lower arms from it will fit as well, but they are about 4" longer. They will also need some trimming around the bearing end.
For what it's worth, the ltz400 arms are interchangeable with the trx400 and trx250r, so we have quite a few potential lower arms, if someone has access to some of those. You still have to deal with finding the lt250s upper arms, or extending the factory ones.
Sorry if this info has been posted before, it has been awhile since I've read through this entire thread.
04-13-2013, 01:46 AM
Man if you read through this entire thread, you deserve a medal lol
Too bad guys don't hang around longer. It would be easier to remember things with a bunch of people to ask.
Effectively, all the valve lash does is vary the duration and lift of the cam a wee bit. It shouldn't make the engine run 'better' or 'worse' so long as there is SOME lash. I run my lash as tight as possible to maximize the duration of the cam and to take full advantage of the gradual lift the cam has built into it. If the lash is too much, the rocker could skip right over the gradual lifting part of the cam. But, sounds like a pilot jet is plugged.
I don't know much about a-arms. I just bust out the MIG and it stretches a-arms, s-arms and more
1600 watts!?! Holy cow! Do you have to call the electric company to notify your intent to fire up your pc so they can prepare for the surge? lol Back in the old days of P3s I ran dual power supplies. You'd never believe what that can do to an electric bill. Like running a space heater 24/7.
Too bad guys don't hang around longer. It would be easier to remember things with a bunch of people to ask.
Effectively, all the valve lash does is vary the duration and lift of the cam a wee bit. It shouldn't make the engine run 'better' or 'worse' so long as there is SOME lash. I run my lash as tight as possible to maximize the duration of the cam and to take full advantage of the gradual lift the cam has built into it. If the lash is too much, the rocker could skip right over the gradual lifting part of the cam. But, sounds like a pilot jet is plugged.
I don't know much about a-arms. I just bust out the MIG and it stretches a-arms, s-arms and more
1600 watts!?! Holy cow! Do you have to call the electric company to notify your intent to fire up your pc so they can prepare for the surge? lol Back in the old days of P3s I ran dual power supplies. You'd never believe what that can do to an electric bill. Like running a space heater 24/7.
04-13-2013, 08:10 PM
04-14-2013, 09:31 PM
Move south my friend! It still gets cold (24 here tonight, 50 tomorrow), but by march its back in the 70's with flowers everywhere. Toledo is all flat and swampy. In Jan its -10 and by June its 105! And it drizzles rain all the time. Just nothing going for it. Here is mountains, lots of sun, fairly decent temps. Only bad part is never any snow. I'd like at least some snow... Oh well, can't have it all I guess.
Anyway, the places I ride have me blasting up to 3rd or 4th and then back to 2nd. Almost never use 5th or 1st. I pretty much hold the thumb thottle WOT all the time and just fan the clutch. So its either WOT or full-on brakes. With small engines, that's the way you have to do it. Have to stay in the powerband. The raptor is different. I can lug it around or open it up. Don't matter. It has power all over the place. Never get out of 3rd gear with it.
I'm gonna try to steer you away from anything bigger than a 20 inch tire unless you just HAVE to have it bigger for some reason. Bigger is more weight and more rotating weight. It will do little more than just slow you down. I even went as far as to shave lugs off! As you can see here:
If ground clearance is a concern, look at what I have:
I'm pretty much skimming the ground and I can run over a trail full of rocks the size of my tires and bigger. That's all that's on the mountain really... rocks, rocks, and more rocks. But I'm low, I'm stable, can slide at will... can even bunny hop with the engine off! (not sure how that helps, but I can do it anyway lol)
The front tires, that's a different story. I need 23 inch tires there because of the rocks. There's a difference in draggin back tires over rocks and ramming front tires into rocks. Not only that, but the combo of smaller in back and bigger in front makes the quad lean back, which helps in blasting down hills that have jumps (or rocks). Doesn't affect uphill performance. And my swingarm is longer anyway so its a moot point. Another good thing about the balloony tires in front... they're soft! Again the rocks.
Its a single purpose machine designed to handle where I ride and how I ride perfectly. It sucks in the mud and probably sucks in the desert, but in the N. GA mtns its what works best. Your requirements may differ.
The issue of 3rd and 4th gear, man, I don't know. I went as far as ordering a box of 250s tranny parts with the intention of switching the gears until I found a 250s engine. Its bugged me pretty bad. I was always either lugging 4th or revving 3rd. Didn't seem to matter what sprockets I put on.... although the lower ratios did seem to be better. Higher ones just seem to exaggerate the problem.
It still gets cold (24 here tonight, 50 tomorrow), but by march its back in the 70's with flowers everywhere. Toledo is all flat and swampy. In Jan its -10 and by June its 105! And it drizzles rain all the time. Just nothing going for it. Here is mountains, lots of sun, fairly decent temps. Only bad part is never any snow. I'd like at least some snow... Oh well, can't have it all I guess.Anyway, the places I ride have me blasting up to 3rd or 4th and then back to 2nd. Almost never use 5th or 1st. I pretty much hold the thumb thottle WOT all the time and just fan the clutch. So its either WOT or full-on brakes. With small engines, that's the way you have to do it. Have to stay in the powerband. The raptor is different. I can lug it around or open it up. Don't matter. It has power all over the place. Never get out of 3rd gear with it.
I'm gonna try to steer you away from anything bigger than a 20 inch tire unless you just HAVE to have it bigger for some reason. Bigger is more weight and more rotating weight. It will do little more than just slow you down. I even went as far as to shave lugs off! As you can see here:
If ground clearance is a concern, look at what I have:
I'm pretty much skimming the ground and I can run over a trail full of rocks the size of my tires and bigger. That's all that's on the mountain really... rocks, rocks, and more rocks. But I'm low, I'm stable, can slide at will... can even bunny hop with the engine off! (not sure how that helps, but I can do it anyway lol)
The front tires, that's a different story. I need 23 inch tires there because of the rocks. There's a difference in draggin back tires over rocks and ramming front tires into rocks. Not only that, but the combo of smaller in back and bigger in front makes the quad lean back, which helps in blasting down hills that have jumps (or rocks). Doesn't affect uphill performance. And my swingarm is longer anyway so its a moot point. Another good thing about the balloony tires in front... they're soft! Again the rocks.
Its a single purpose machine designed to handle where I ride and how I ride perfectly. It sucks in the mud and probably sucks in the desert, but in the N. GA mtns its what works best. Your requirements may differ.
The issue of 3rd and 4th gear, man, I don't know. I went as far as ordering a box of 250s tranny parts with the intention of switching the gears until I found a 250s engine. Its bugged me pretty bad. I was always either lugging 4th or revving 3rd. Didn't seem to matter what sprockets I put on.... although the lower ratios did seem to be better. Higher ones just seem to exaggerate the problem.
04-15-2013, 04:23 AM
Wow where did you dig that up? lol
A-arms are +5 for anywhere from 48 to 50 inches of width depending on how far the shocks are squished.
Swingarm is +4
It don't look like that anymore. The first ride after these pics I landed a jump and the back tire ripped a hunk out of the fender. The headlight didn't survive a gentle roll-over when I tried to climb a bigass rock. I remember telling everyone I had to get pics before we ride because it would never look that nice again.
A-arms are +5 for anywhere from 48 to 50 inches of width depending on how far the shocks are squished.
Swingarm is +4
It don't look like that anymore. The first ride after these pics I landed a jump and the back tire ripped a hunk out of the fender. The headlight didn't survive a gentle roll-over when I tried to climb a bigass rock. I remember telling everyone I had to get pics before we ride because it would never look that nice again.