I like my Lucas I paid $4/quart for [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] Running that through it for a few hours after the work to break everything in, probably one tank of fuel, then draining it all out and putting all fresh in again, and going on from there. Hoping to get the Edelbrock after New Year's, we will see how sales commision on December went. Also going to go rebuild the front end, hopefully. Anyone have any recommendations on some solid A-Arms/tie rods/rod ends; for reasonable prices? I am thinking +2 is the setup I am looking for, and keeping the stock shocks, at least for now.

 

glad to hear your yamalube helped stop the slipping, raptor 450

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ctateusa1

glad to hear your yamalube helped stop the slipping, raptor 450</end quote></div>

Thanks I just wish I would have found out that's what it was before buying new clutches!

As for a-arms I have the American Star (ASR) a-arms on mine and they seem to be holding up well so far. I bought the heavy duty steering rods with heim joints that I hate. When the heim joints get caked with mud thay get stiff and make it hard to turn. The heim joints on the spindle are fine it's just the tie rod ends that I don't like. These arms with regular ball joint rod ends would make a good combo. +2 arms with the stock shocks are probably going to make your shocks WAY soft so plan on trying to stiffen them up and not do any major jumping until you get some aftermarket shocks.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: beefy46172

I like my Lucas I paid $4/quart for [img][/img] Running that through it for a few hours after the work to break everything in, probably one tank of fuel, then draining it all out and putting all fresh in again, and going on from there. Hoping to get the Edelbrock after New Year's, we will see how sales commision on December went. Also going to go rebuild the front end, hopefully. Anyone have any recommendations on some solid A-Arms/tie rods/rod ends; for reasonable prices? I am thinking +2 is the setup I am looking for, and keeping the stock shocks, at least for now.</end quote></div>



Most a-arms out there are good, i suggest staying away from burgard and lonestar though. My personal favorite for the warrior are wickeds. If you are going to upgrade to a more heavy duty tie rod and end kit, go with one of the ones that are stock-style, but with 12mm threads on the rod ends. The heim joints are only good in certain applications, like mx, and especially avoid the kits Tusk makes with the honda-style ends.

I don't agree with your plan to keep the stock shocks though, you'd be better off waiting until you're ready to upgrade both at the same time. You'll probably be better off with stock everything than wider front end with the stock shocks. It may be wider, but not necessarily better at anything. Handling won't improve much or any, because the extra leverage on the junky stock shocks will cause the machine to roll much more in the corners. Same thing with jumping and fast riding, the extra leverage makes the stock shocks even weaker and they can't keep up with fast riding. Aside from that, using stock shocks will void the warranty of the aftermarket a-arm manufacturers. They require aftermarket shocks valved properly for any warranty claim to be accepted.

I also would like to add, that instead of going and getting the cheapest aftermarket shocks (SS or Works), you spend a little more and invest in a more high-end product. I found that my works shocks, even though valved for my application, were not really valved that great. They rode smooth, but they seemed to make the machine sit so low that i'd hit my frame on things I wouldn't have come close to with the stock shocks. I also noticed that not even a year into having the Works shocks, one of them started leaking already. I'd at least go with the bottom-line elkas at about $450, or better yet a set from TCS at $500-something. I actually have an order placed with TCS for some front shocks with reservoirs and compression adjustment. It's going to run be about
$850, but they're even building them a custom length for me, and TCS really makes some of the best shocks money can buy.

 

I will keep that in mind with the shocks. Actually got a head start tonight and got the piston and cylinder installed, have a cam bearing coming tommorow and am planning to get her done on Saturday night.

 

Hit a brick wall during assembly. Things were going well, was mounting the headpipe onto the motor and snap went a damn stud. Wasn't even tightening down hard on it yet, either. Either way, I called it quits for the night and went out the next morning and got an EZ Out, and the corresponding Left Hand Drill Bit. I had hoped the left hand bit would eventually grab while drilling the pilot for the EZ out but it never did, so I shoved the EZ out in, and I managed to get the stud to make half a turn, and then the EZ out snapped. Upon some further work and messing around, we finally got a new hole drilled and were in the process of tapping it, and, without warning the tap snapped off. Wasn't even turning hard. So, tomorrow I am going to pull the head back off and take it to the machine shop so he can drill it out and then run it over to a guy who is a hell of a tig welder to fill it back in, and hopefully this bitch will be going on Friday. Irritating as can be that something so small is all that is keeping me from running.

 

Get rid of the tiiiires! Trust me you won't regret it.

 

If you would've read this thread you would realize I don't have stock rears. I don't mind people posting in my thread, but an insightful well-informed opinion is the type that I appreciate.

 

Well I did read the first post. And no I am not going ot read through 4 pages of posts. But considering I was going off of your first post I assumed that you did not have after market tires. Had you said you had after market tires in the first post I would have known, otherwise there would have been no way of me finding out because I have better things to do rather than sit here reading four pages of posts. Coming from my personal opinion and others I have come to realize the first things people like changing are the tires and shocks, so I'm simply passing on the knowledge my experience and other people gave me. If you don't like it, deal with it. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Somebody needs to chill...