I just got done flipping the front rims on my '99 Shee. I also have triple rate Works w/ res. I was wondering, what is the benefit of longer a-arms at this point? I don't want both; if I move my wheels out another 2", they will be WAY out of the fenders and constantly pelting me w/ rocks. I guess longer arms would have more travel; or would they? If I moved my wheel out 2" by wheel offset, wouldn't that have the same travel as a 2" longer arm and stock offset? I am thinking of a semi-circular radius showing suspension travel, the longer it is from the center of the circle (where the arm mounts to the frame) to the end point of the arm, the longer the travel radius. Is this measured from the spindle (if so, then flipping the rim does not increase the overall suspension travel) or from the outer lip of the wheel (if so, the flipping the rim does increase the overall suspension travel)? A technical question for the true suspension gurus out there...

Colby

 

Flipping the rims does not increase your suspension travel.

 

I'm no expert on the suspension issue, but lets think it through.

If the stock a-arm shock attachment is say 3" from the pivot point, and you put a +2 a-arm on with the same shock attatchment point, then you will gain some ground clearance for sure, unless the a-arm is offset/bent upwards (i.e turns towards flat as you get to the wheel hub).

If the aftermarket shocks are no longer than the stockers, then travel will not increase. I guess that's the short and the long of it from my viewpoint. More travel requires at the least, a longer travel shock.

 

Not true. If the arm extends past the point where the shock mounts, then the leverage placed on the shock increases, meaning for every inch the arm goes up, the shock is required to compress less than it would with a stock length arm. Think about the rear swingarm. If you mounted the shock at the very end, it would need to compress 8" for 8" of travel. Now if you mount the shock right at the pivot point, then the shock would only need to compress a little (an inch or two) for 8" of travel at the end of the swingarm. Same applies to arms; extend the arm w/o moving the mounting point of the shock and you get more travel. My question is if you can "move the arm out" by moving the wheel out and not the length of the arm?

Colby

 

My bad, yeah you're right ... with the extension and the same shock mounting point the tip of the a-arm will actually have more travel than a point 2" further back up the arm.

I don't think it's quite the same with the flipping of the wheels though, since it's the arm that does the travelling and that carries the wheel, which is also on it's own pivot, so it just travels with the a-arm.

 

The points of vertical travel are determined at the spindle or hub where the wheel mounts. If you have a rod sticking straight out from the hub a foot, it will travel up and down exactly the same as the center of the hub will (if you can visualize that analogy). The longer a arm will increase travel, the flipped rims just make it wider.

 

Long a-arms will increase your travel but at the same time your shocks have to be set up for the long a-arms or you will bottom out your shocks. Say if your shocks are setup for stock a-arms at 200lb rider if you put +2 a-arms on it it will drop to like 175-185lb rider.