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Designing a Monster Wolverine

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  #1  
Old 02-24-2004 | 01:51 AM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

For about 2 weeks i have been pusing papers of a monster wolverine design. I have toyed around with strenghening the frame and moving the A-Arm joints lower to give it more lift and moving the rear shock mount lower. Although here I run into a few problems; driveshaft length, tie-rod lenght, rear arm length, and POWER

We all know what the wolverine can do. Speeddemond has showed us what can happen to one of them. I have come up sort-handed on seeing if larger ring and pinion gears are avalible for the wolverine.

Here is what i want. A wolverine (or wolverine style body) quad that will turn 26's-29's easy. This machine will also need to have a lot of low end toruqe. I go to Colorado every year and our Stock wolvy is just at that edge of enough power.

How much low end torque do those big bores make? and how much heat do they make? Is there just a plain STROKED small bore out there?

Now here is my delima. The lift. I have not seen any kits for the wolverine. I want to go up 2 inches.... i know it is a lot but i want a monster. I can get parts fabricated and welded so it will sit how i want it. But what do i do with the 2 drive shafts up front and the rear arm in the back. Can i get longer drive shafts for the wolverine, have the stock lengthend, or get new ones made and balanced? or is balancing even an issue on these driveshafts?

I would also like to have low range. So now i wonder if i should get another set up or not. Know the older 350 Big Bears share the same jug as the wolverine/warrior. And they have low range! I know there are lift kits avalible for the Big Bears. But how reliable are they? and how tall? Do they bolt on or what... please give me info.

If i go the big bear route i would mate the wolverine plastic to the frame. And also the engine would be hopped up with wolverine parts and what not. Can you get an manual clutch installed on a Big Bear like FST does to the wolvy? I also am not sure about the older Big Bears frames and the set up. Either way I will get new shocks.

Any opinions here? I am open. It is time to start searching for some rough quads to fix up....

Although if i go the Wolv
 
  #2  
Old 02-24-2004 | 12:03 PM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

i like the idea, altho it is just the opposite of what im trying to do, im tryin to make mine smaller. let us know how this goes!
 
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Old 02-24-2004 | 01:33 PM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

Man they are great bikes, A buddy of mine had one, His was pretty much tock, but it was one of the tuffest bikes i have ever seen, HE BEAT it bad. i wouldent mind haveing one with the Diff lock, 400kit, with a manual clutch kit! That would be sweet
 
  #4  
Old 02-24-2004 | 03:07 PM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

I know all about the Wolverine in stock form. My father has a '95 and is very relieable.

While looking at the frame designs the Big Bear's looks more stout. Anybody have an 1987-2000 Big Bear for sale? It does not have to run [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

It is time to start pricing and finding items. Will I be better off buying a lift kit or of getting one fabricated?

What driveline modifications will I need to purchase? What are the driveshafts made of?

I need suggestions, and am begging for them [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img] Also, anybody have the wolverine front and rear fenders forsale? how about a seat?
 
  #5  
Old 02-24-2004 | 05:08 PM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

I would have to say say one of your best bets would be to find a motorcycle/ATV
salvage yard and scavenge most of what you need there.
I've found that most mechanical parts and some body parts on wolverines 97-04
are pretty interchangable.
That would at least get you started.

peace
scaboy
 
  #6  
Old 02-24-2004 | 07:45 PM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

I have front and rear green plastic in good shape. PM me for more details.
 
  #7  
Old 02-25-2004 | 01:59 AM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

The "mean green machine".... has a ring to it. I will give it some thought.

From my research, i have concluded that Lift kits are just kits to move the shock position. That seems pretty lame to me. Almost like a 6 inch body lift on a Jeep [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img] But if this is all it takes i can get my own shock mount fabed up. What kinda of stress is put on the a-arms, ball joints, and spindles with this kinda of lift.

I was looking to make something that would keep the a-arm parallel to their stock geometry. This would be achived bymoving the a-arm bracketry lower 2 inches allong with the upper shock mount. Would this work? The only problems i can forcast are drive shaft lenths and tie-rod lengths. Last night I sat down for and hour and a half to try and figure out how much longer my drveshafts needed to be with the 2 inch lift. My calculus skills have failed me. I might take my work into a professor and see where i went wrong with my pythagoran thearom. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

Now the rear. Could i get pieces of tubing wleded into the rear arm of a big bear to lenthen it? Or would this be nessisary. I can live with doing a shock mount relocation in the rear. (since that is the only way the back end is held up) (those coil overs are strong)

*What is the best way to lift a quad?
*what happens with the drive line?
*Does the older Big bear share the same diff as the wolvy (for the 424)?

Now for the fun stuff
*what kind of lights should i run?
*can u get the big bears stator rewound?
*What warn winch should i get
*should I make my own front bumper or buy a prebuilt on (needs to fit the wolverine plastic)

~I know there are creative people out there on this fourm with my answers, please help~
 
  #8  
Old 02-25-2004 | 02:34 AM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

OK.....First of all, I have never looked for a lift kit for a Wolverine, but I do know that the stock Wolverine has longer shocks than the BigBear.....hence the Wolverine's higher stock lift....I am guessing here, but maybe the drive shafts can't handle a lift kit? Yamaha lifted it already with taller shocks??

OK.....As far as parts compatibility...........By hitting a few key strokes into the KNOWSALOT FACILITY SUPER COMPUTER, I was able to find the following.

The front differential from the Wolverine will directly interchange with the '97-'99 350 BigBear and '00-'01 400 BigBear......but they do have the same ring and pinion also, so I don't think swapping here would do any good. An oddity to this is the fact that the yoke from the front differential is only the same as the '00-'01 400 BigBear.....and the drive shafts are different between the Wolverine,350BB,and 400BB. All the Yamaha 4x4s carry the same U-Joint though, so a swap is possible for what ever reason you decide to do this.

Lower A-arms are exclusively used on the Wolverine, but the upper A-arms are shared by the '97-'99 350BigBear and 1999 only Kodiak.

Front CV axles are shared with the '97-'99 350BigBear, '00-'01 400BigBear, and 1999 only Kodiak

TieRods are shared with the 1992 350Moto4, '97-'99 350BigBear, 1999 only Kodiak, and of all things....1987-2004 Banshee!!! With this in mind, don't worry about the tie rod length. You can find Banshee tie rods in extended lengths everywhere!

The tierod ends are used on everything from a 125 Breeze to a Raptor660, so that's not an issue.

Regarding the transmission. It is nearly identical to the one in the '97-'99 350BigBear and 1999 Kodiak400, but there are a couple of gears, mainly 1st that are very different. As far as externally, they are the same, so if you want an engine with a lower 1st gear, here you go. These engines will directly interchange with one another.

The camshaft in the engine is used on '93-'99 Kodiak400, '00-'04 BigBear400, and '87-'04 Warrior350

The rear differential is the same as the '97-'99 350BigBear and '96-'99 400Kodiak.............ALSO, while the entire assembly isn't the same, the ring and pinion gear set in the Wolverine is the same as the ones I just mentioned AND the '00-'04 400 BigBear and 1998 Grizzly600...interesting indeed. [I don't know if you could gear any lower than you already are]

Anyway.......Maybe this will help you in finding your salvage parts and give you an idea of what is what in the Yamaha 4x4 Parts.





 
  #9  
Old 02-25-2004 | 02:50 AM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

transplant an aircooled griz 600 engine in, you might be surprised how similar the two lower ends are.....................
 
  #10  
Old 02-26-2004 | 01:43 AM
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Default Designing a Monster Wolverine

I have studied the grizz 600 powerplant some. It just seems just a tad bulky.... But i will not throw it out.

While researching i have found that many people like the put in the big beras frist gear in a wolverine, for low end. I might be looking at the wrong quad for what i want. Didn't the Big Bears have 4-low? This is what i really want. Also i have declared trying to change the ring and pinions are not really an option.

Thank you so much "knowsalot" for the info.

Lets say i start with the wolverine chassis. Fab up a lift. I will want something with 4-low. What 350 or larger quads had or have this? Shove it in the wolverine chassis and figure out my drive line. This seems to be the most complicated part. (it always is... i know from my jeep)

Can you get the CV shaft lengths by any chance? That would clear some things up.

Agian, since the ring and pinion swaps seem to have failed me, i want something that can have low grunt. That is why i want a 4-low engine. Any suggestions on a good 4-low engine that will not cost a whole lot?
 



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