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PostPosted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 5:17 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
Ok I am changing out my front suspension on my 350, one reason is ride and the other is to put disk brakes on the front. I have read a lot of the posts on hear so I thought that I should ask if anybody has any info that I need before I get started. I plan on using the front A-arms, shocks and brakes off of a Polaris sport bike. I like the way the system is set up and it also uses the same tire and wheel size as on my 350 now. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Billy


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:53 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 11:45 pm
Posts: 3610
Location: CHICO,CA
birvin wrote:
Ok I am changing out my front suspension on my 350, one reason is ride and the other is to put disk brakes on the front. I have read a lot of the posts on hear so I thought that I should ask if anybody has any info that I need before I get started. I plan on using the front A-arms, shocks and brakes off of a Polaris sport bike. I like the way the system is set up and it also uses the same tire and wheel size as on my 350 now. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Billy

What polaris quad?

As long as you make an under side support like every other conversion you should be fine


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 9:39 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
I started my change over the other day and it seems to be going pretty ok. What I am trying to do is gain some more ground clearance a better ride from the front end and front disk breaks. So far I am getting all of them but it is slow going. Hear are some pics of what I have so far, it is just tacked together in most places so the welds don't look to good but they will in the end. I still need to put some more gussets on before I am finished. If you see something that would work better please let me know..


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 9:52 pm 
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Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:58 pm
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Location: near NJ rider
UUUHHHH......did you do any research before starting this project?


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:27 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:51 am
Posts: 2703
Location: Upland, Ca
All i got to say is stop. Your sterring is not going to work and your stock suspension had more travel then your single a-arm setup. Please research what we all have done for front suspension would hate to see this project go down the path of mistakes as alot of others have. Just trying to save you time money and heartache


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:32 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:51 am
Posts: 2703
Location: Upland, Ca
Do this tape a stick to you center steering yoke on the bottom and the other end to the spot your spindle where your tierods will mount now with the shock removed move the wheel up through the motion of travel. How much does it move up til the stick hits the frame? Your stock front suspension had 5 inches of travel how much will you have from where your wheel sits with the shock set up and where the stick hits the frame? Im guessing 3 1/2 inches


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:37 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
shoubadaba wrote:
All i got to say is stop. Your sterring is not going to work and your stock suspension had more travel then your single a-arm setup. Please research what we all have done for front suspension would hate to see this project go down the path of mistakes as alot of others have. Just trying to save you time money and heartache

I appreciate the advice or I wouldn't have ask for it. I think the pics are miss leading you about it being a single a-arm, its not. it is a double a-arm setup. I will take more pics so it seen better. But I do really appreciate the thoughts and suggestions. Hang with me and it will be better shown. Oh the front suspension is out of a 05 Polaris phoenix. Thanks Billy


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:43 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
bullnerd wrote:
UUUHHHH......did you do any research before starting this project?

bullnerd I thought I did, what are saying that I missed? I would appreciate any help with this because it sounds like you have a lot of experience on front ends so help a brother out. LOL Thanks Billy


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 5:27 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:51 am
Posts: 2703
Location: Upland, Ca
Yeah from all the angles of your pics it looks like a single arm setup. Ill wait for more pics. But compared to stock those arms look very short and don't look like they will yield any more travel then the stock setup.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:35 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:20 pm
Posts: 1718
Location: saskatoon, sk, canada
you should read this..
viewtopic.php?t=9369

i don't think your upper shock mounts are going to work very well..
and did you cut your upper a arm down. there goes the strength in your a arm. your bottom a arm already had shock mounts on it, why not us them.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:14 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
fully nice job on your change over, the top a-arm that was shown was a mach-up. I bent a new one and replaced it. also I welded a plate on the top for the shock mount and a angle iron on the bottom for more strength. The reason that I am using the top a-arm to connect the shock to is where the top arm is short I can't fit the shock through it or I would have, I see that you went with a wide front setup. I can't do that I ride in the woods where trails are very tight so I need the front end to stay about the same width. Also I needed to get a little more ground clearance due to rocks and stumps. As far as the steering I have not made it that far yet but you made a good point about it. I will let you know how mine comes out using your method. Thanks for the information that is what I need. Thanks Billy


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:15 am 
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Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:21 am
Posts: 2681
Location: NW Ohio / SE Michigan
Confused...in one pic it looks like the shock is mounted on the lower a-arm. But in another, the lower shock mount is actually on the top a-arm.

For the shock upper mount, better to go with a traditional shock mount that's in double-shear (plate on either side, just like your a-arm mounts). Yes, the stock shock uses a bolt in single shear, but the mount hole is right on the frame (not extended out) and both the bolt and mount are heavy.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:18 am 
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Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:21 am
Posts: 2681
Location: NW Ohio / SE Michigan
bullnerd wrote:
UUUHHHH......did you do any research before starting this project?



LOL!


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 10:10 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:15 am
Posts: 105
Location: Oregon
That upper shock mount is going to bend and twist off the first big bump you hit. It's out way too far and has waaaaay too much leverage on the frame tube.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 4:34 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
ttyR2 wrote:
That upper shock mount is going to bend and twist off the first big bump you hit. It's out way too far and has waaaaay too much leverage on the frame tube.

I'm not finished with the bracing for the top mount yet, I will be coming from the lower bar with a bracket to the outside of the mount, so it will be supported from the top bar and the one below it also. Maybe I will get to work on it this afternoon and I will post a pic or two. I am no where near finished with it yet. But I do appreciate the input.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:33 am 
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Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2003 12:17 am
Posts: 192
Upon reviewing what your doing, my conclusion is the stock suspension had way more to offer just by adding a set of Works shocks. Your geometry and choice of shock location is really limiting what your trying to accomplish. I would have chosen a front suspension off of a Honda 400EX or something similar, just sayin! My best advise is to cut it off and start over. No point in doing all this work to have less than what you started with. Food for thought!


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:44 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 2:40 pm
Posts: 22526
Location: Chicago
Odyknuck wrote:
Upon reviewing what your doing, my conclusion is the stock suspension had way more to offer just by adding a set of Works shocks. Your geometry and choice of shock location is really limiting what your trying to accomplish. I would have chosen a front suspension off of a Honda 400EX or something similar, just sayin! My best advise is to cut it off and start over. No point in doing all this work to have less than what you started with. Food for thought!


They used J arms on VW's off road and on road racing for a reason even in classes where they could switch to A arms they still used J arms on cars built from scratch.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:20 pm 
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Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2003 12:17 am
Posts: 192
I have been running the trailing arms on my Woodsbuggys for years as they give you the best strength and help you roll over rocks rather than slam into them. Here are a few pics of reassembly phase right after I converted it to frame mounted shock towers last fall:

Image

Image


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:24 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
hoser wrote:
Odyknuck wrote:
Upon reviewing what your doing, my conclusion is the stock suspension had way more to offer just by adding a set of Works shocks. Your geometry and choice of shock location is really limiting what your trying to accomplish. I would have chosen a front suspension off of a Honda 400EX or something similar, just sayin! My best advise is to cut it off and start over. No point in doing all this work to have less than what you started with. Food for thought!


They used J arms on VW's off road and on road racing for a reason even in classes where they could switch to A arms they still used J arms on cars built from scratch.


I agree with both of you, I haven't had a chance to work on it in a while but for now I am going to leave it like it is. I still want to put disk brakes on it. And a smother ride, but time will tell. Thanks Billy


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:26 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 363
Location: Anniston, Al
Odyknuck wrote:
I have been running the trailing arms on my Woodsbuggys for years as they give you the best strength and help you roll over rocks rather than slam into them. Here are a few pics of reassembly phase right after I converted it to frame mounted shock towers last fall:

Image

Image

That is nice. I like it. Thanks Billy


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