hello i have a 2001 yamaha raptor with fmf pipe and headers k n air filter

question 1 im looking for some new front shocks i weigh 300 pounds trail ride but time 2 time like to get some big air what shocks would you recomend i would like them to be piggy back so i dont have to mount the rezzies any where and i dont want to pay an arm and a leg, and where can i find these shocks for dirt cheap



question 2 what brand of a arms would you suggest for the setup ive looked at some ugly brand are they any good whats your opion on them?will regular skid plates fit aftermarket a arms?whats the advantge over stock? also where to buy them dirt cheap?


question 3 on my pipe theres a screen at the tip of the pipe my spark arrester?can i remove it? what are the pros and cons to doing this?



question 4 what about wheel spacers what brand and how much to extend?is there any mods i have 2 do to use these?does it make it a weaker setup doing this? i have stock rims. also where to buy dirt cheap?

im sure ill think of another questions as soon as i hit the post button

thankyou for any help you can give me and sorry if any of these questions are to noobish but i have to start somewhere[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

As painful as it may be, you won't get top shelf quality dirt cheap. You're a big guy and that puts more strain on components. Buy cheap and you may end up hurt. Works Steelers are supposed to be decent shocks for everything but racing but I don't think they come with piggyback resevoirs. It's not hard to mount resevoirs, they tuck away inside the frame pretty well. Ebay is probably your best bet for low price, you might get lucky and find a slightly used pair that can be revalved for your weight fairly cheap.

If you ride trails, don't go over +2 with the a-arms. I don't know anything about ugly a-arms but I'd stay away from ASR's non-racing models if you are going to ride in mud. Look for ball joints, not heim joints, if you're going to play in the mud. Again, check ebay and look for something lightly used. Even if you have to replace the ball joints for $150, you might be able to save some dough.

With your mods, it's best to leave the spark arrester intact. You won't notice any performance increase by removing it, not worth the risk of starting a forest fire.

 

If you get Armadillo A arms they have the ball joints and grease zerks, and the best powder coat out there. Also the ball joint is on a larger than stock 16.5mm stud for extra strength. Then you can get a-arm guards for them that Armadillo makes specifically for their aftermarket standard and +2 a arms for a matched set. Find 'em on ebay, less money than most.

The works steeler shocks for just over 300 bucks are a non-rezzy shock, probably fine for trail and occasional jumping. The rezzys are to keep oil from foaming up under repeated high stress like mx racing.

 

Look for ball joints, not heim joints.


whats the differnce between ball joints and heim joints i think i read some where the heim joints were alot stronger buts whats the pros and cons to these setups?

 

Ball joints are easier to keep lubed and fair better in wet surroundings. Heim joints are very strong and are used by most pure race machines.

 

ball joints are sealed and have a constant supply of grease. They have a little more limited range of motion, but are ok for 90% of riders.

Heim joints are open to the elements. If you ride in mud, water, sand, they will wear out and need replaced quicker. They have a wider range of motion.

Armadillo a-arms are great. Highly recommended. Do a search on here and I doubt you will find many complaints. I just had a set custom built and chromed for me by Armadillo, and the are still over $100 less expensive than powerdercoated arms from many other companies.

RR1