Please excuse my ignorance, but after reading several posts about adding width, lowering their Raptor & adding shocks. People with tight pocket books cant do it all.

It gets confusing, which is the best direction to take.

I have already flipped the rear linkage and tested several times with no adverse affects, due to my lack of jumping.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] But I am dealing with the dilemma, the front end does sit up about 1 ¾” higher.

Question.

1. If I put Elka shocks on the front, will this also widen it out some?
2. Where can I get offset’s for the front wheels to push them out about an inch?

3. Or just replace the front a –arms and hope it drops the front end also?

Please keep up the great work, passing valuable & knowledgeable advice to us Raptor rookies.

 

Okay, here's the skinny...

1) Elka (or others) up front with sag control will lower the front end some. They will not widen it (well a very slight amount while the shock is compressed but this will go away as soon as you tap the throttle)

2) You can get aftermarket rims that will widen it at least an inch on each side. This is especially important to remember if you buy new rims and plan to buy new a-arms. Many owners buy +2 (forward)/+2 (wider) a-arms then add new rims and end up with a quad that is 6" wider. Awesome for the dunes I guess but it really sucks in the woods. If you have any hopes of running hare scrambles, you might consider +1/+1 with another inch added from new rims.

3) I would talk to the manufacturer of the a-arms to see if their a-arms reduce ride height. It all depends on where they locate the shock mount on the a-arm. If the shock mounts closer to the tires in comparison to the stock setup then the ride height would be reduced; however, the shock would compress easier. Hence item #4 below.

4) If ordering new front shocks, they will need to know if you have the factory a-arms or not. Wider a-arms require stiffer springs due to the added leverage created by wider a-arms. If you put wider a-arms on and stick with the factory shocks, welcome to bottom out city. If you buy shocks first then add new a-arms, you might need to send the shocks back for stiffer springs.

5) You can increase the width by changing hubs. This increases the stress on the bearings some but bearings aren't that difficult to change. See a recent post on one brand. It was P?? something or other.

6) You can add wheel spacers too. Buy a bunch of quad magazines and go through the ads. Many companies sell them. Personally, I don't trust them. My biggest fear on a quad is having a front wheel break loose. I don't want to help it along by putting additional stress on the studs. This probably isn't an issue for most but it is in my mind and that is all that matters when you are getting ready to jump a biggie.

7) You can flip the stock rims around (generally requires flipping the current valve stem around in the hole and then drilling the other side of the rim to accomodate a new vavle stem). I only mention this because it is a possibility. Just sell your stock rims and buy new rims.

It all takes time. I purposely decided not to make any mods until my 6 month warranty period was over. One, I didn't want to give the dealer an out if I developed any of the "unpublicized" problems with the 2001 Raptor. Two, I wanted to figure out a plan of attack just once. I modded the crap out of a 98 Sahara Wrangler and pitched many mods just to add a better one or one mod wasn't compatible with another. If you do it once, it will still be expensive but not near as bad as doing it over.

Hope this helps some...

 

The cheapest way was to do what NotURaptor said. Take your valve stems out, turn them around, and seal them in upside down. Then drill another hole on the other side of the rim and put a new valve stem in. Many people say that this shortens the life of wheel bearings, but I disagree. Unless you are going to be 2-wheeling alot, it's a great mod.

 

Bang for the buck, this rim swap sounds like the way to go. But nobody has mentioned the best mod you can make, a wider rear axle.
Elka shocks are very expensive, as are new A-arms. A Durablue Axle is under $300 and makes all the difference in the world. You may not even want to bother with the front end mods once you have the wider rear axle.
Now one point to remember here is that the Durablue Eliminator is made for the Banshee and Blaster, even though they sell it for the Raptor also, it has an uneven offset, and you must use the spacers to correct the offset. The easiest way to see this is while you have the stock axle out on the ground, compare it to the Eliminator. Side by side you will see that you have to use all the spacers on the inside on the left and leave the big spacer on the outside on the right, or was that the other way around? OR as many on here will tell you....Get the Lonestar axle instead, it is made for the Raptor.
As far as evening out the ride, since you've already flipped the linkage, consider putting 22" rear tires on. This will increase your ground clearance, and take you back to stock ride height. You may want to decrease your countershaft sprocket by a tooth or two, unless you like the increased speed and increased gear spacing the taller gearing will give you. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I'm not sure, but on Banshees I know Yamaha has the least offset out on the rear wheels too. I have my rear wheels turned around, and it helped out alot. You dont even have to put new valve stems in, because they wont rub. I would recommend the LSR axle. Even if you aren't going to be jumping.. I have seen too many Eliminators snap.

 

those guys are on the right track. Do the rim turn a round on the front and get a rear axle.

 

I installed my new Lonestar axle on my Banshee last night. I noticed it is only one inch wider on each end than the stock axle? According to a lot of ads I have seen, I thought it was supposed to be 2 plus 2?

Anyway, I flipped the rear rims because they are offset. I think it will be wide enough now to match the +2 A-arms on the front (need to get the spindle mount reamed to fit the new ball joints yet)