Author Topic: Bolt-on A arm conversion kit  (Read 9090 times)

kawonda

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« on: November 12, 2009, 11:03:32 PM »
I just finished and tested my new bolt-on a arm conversion kit, and it is awesome. Tested it at the desert today, and it rides smooth, handles jumps excellent. It is alot better than stock suspension with works performance shocks on front. I can drive with one hand and hit a bump and it doesn't rip the yoke out of your hand.  Steers awesome.  I may sell a kit if there is enough interest.

hoodlum

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LT
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2009, 08:23:37 AM »
Got any pics of your steering set up?That seems to be one of the hardest part to deal with...Have you run it on any hard pack trails yet? The desert can be sort of a fool ya when it comes to how a machine handles...The sand allows the tires to give and you don't feel things the same as you would on hard packed dirt...Know off hand how much rake,caster,and camber you got?  Also ackerman is really important as well...
Hoodlum

kawonda

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2009, 10:43:03 AM »
I only ran it on hard pack.

turbotexas

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2009, 06:46:02 PM »
Have you got any video? A groomed trail is going to be a lot different than what the desert will throw at you... Been on both, and I want something that handles the desert, then the groomed trail riding trails will be a walk in the park!!!
Videos will help you sell something better than any picture or word of mouth advertising!!!
Opinions can't be taped!!!

hoodlum

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LT
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2009, 11:54:43 PM »
Quote from: "kawonda"
I only ran it on hard pack.


I read desert and just thought sand...When I say hardpack,I am talking surfaces such as clay where the tires bite their best...These surfaces,wether groomed or not,really make you feel what's happening in the front end...On these surfaces,you can even feel a difference in 2 or 3 lbs of air in the tires...This is a common surface for the eastern riders...Not to mention lots of trees,so handling is a must unless you want to tangle with an oak tree,and they always win....
Hoodlum

turbotexas

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2009, 07:00:16 AM »
I know!!! My Aftershock front end has made me hit a fence post and a round bale!!!

hoodlum

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LT
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2009, 09:28:04 AM »
Quote from: "turbotexas"
I know!!! My Aftershock front end has made me hit a fence post and a round bale!!!


Then take it off .....I would gladly have bought your arms and shocks...Not after you've beat the crap out of them though...Why don't you just get some stock pilot arms and put on it,or better yet,a "Yoda" kit.... :lol:

Adnoh

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2009, 10:56:10 AM »
Very noce looking assembly. If you can let us know what arms you used with what hub that will help ansawer a lot of questions. They look like yahama or kawies. I take it the arm set up is based off of stock mounting location and angles of the donar machine. Theres a lot of 350 owners who would enjoy a a-arm front end. The whole machine looks clean nice work.

kawonda

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Bolt on a arm kit
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2009, 09:03:19 PM »
The arms, spindles, hubs and brakes are from an LTZ400. The shocks are from a KFX450. The arm mounts are mounted at the same location as the quad frame.

Adnoh

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2009, 10:25:01 AM »
Thanks for shareing the info. I bet it handles well. With your set up one can opt to use stock or plus widths as well as forward and long travle shock arrragments. I found the front disc have some advantages over the drum. I was told to watch the spindels for bending for the heavier machine and so far have not had a faliure. Lucky or not pushing hard enough. I would bet a lot of ody owners are interested in your bump steer kit ( tie rod hitting frame with long travle) I take it you used the stock tie rods and fabed a idler or did you go rack.  Many have diff thought on bump steer, when it comes to the amount and where. So ride reports and pics will help if it effects handling with your set up. After all will love pics and ride reports. If the bump is same as the donor bike not an issue untill you so LT arms than an toe change for static set up is needed. What this will do is set the bump at extended where the tire have the less traction and miniumize the effect and as the suspenion goes into bump the toe change is restrored to normil as the traction increases which has the effect on handling. If your not experencing any steering wheel jerk or afto make steering correction on hard hit due to bike wanting to vere to on side or another its most likly fine. If you can hit some off camber with a bump at the top this will tell you real quick.  The bump steer is more noticable when the wheels ars turned as the suspenion  goes into bump. Again all stock mounting most likly ok. The only diff is with the ody one can not shift weight and shock setting are more critucil. With the 450 shock dialing them in should not be an issue. Sound like you choose well with your choices. Plus I like the look ,It looks prettty wicked.

Adnoh

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2009, 11:27:36 AM »
I do not want to edit my post. I found some more info on mini buggy  about your kit and see how the bump steer and tie rod anti hit kit works. I must say you took a noval aproach. Wish I would have thought of it.  It took me a while to find the pivot point. The bolt lead me to it.  I also read that you are planning a trx 450 kit. I use a 450 arms and spindels and have had great success with them. I opped for chromolly uper and lowers with hiems instead of ball joints. These are a little more maintance than a deal ball joint and do hold up well. I will let you post up pics you posted there and if you do not want t thats fine also. It your choice to show how it works. I hope you do I feel it would be nice for others to use.If you would like more info on trx arms supplier and type let me know.

Moskito

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2009, 05:36:35 PM »
Getting the bump steer setup installed can be quite the challenge.

Just a few thou up, down, in or out from the "sweet spot" will make a huge difference in what happens to the toe of the machine as the suspension cycles.

When I did the Frankenskeeter I spent the better part of a couple of days finding the correct inner pivot spot for the outer tie rod and then building to the spot.  Adding/subtracting a spacer from the system made a difference in what would happen as the suspension cycled.

I realize that these pix are absolutely nothing like a stock or modded/stock Pilot front end, but they show what I had to do to get the "sweet spot" found and then kept as I built to it.  Click on each pic for a larger view.

Here's where the inner end of the tie rod ended up having to sit in space:


Here's a side view of the bump steering link being located/installed:


Another view:


Both sides (top view):


Another top view:


This gives an idea of the orientation of the links to each other in the vertical aspect of the linkage.  Outer rods sat above the rocker arm, input links below.  The links also don't pivot in a horizontal manner, they are angles so they lean down towards the outside of the car.  It made a big difference in to change just leaning them and making them work on the angled mount.  Horizontally mounted ended up causing toe changes too.


Hope some of this helps.
Moskito - Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming \'WOW-What a Ride!\'

turbotexas

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Re: LT
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2009, 12:40:04 AM »
Take it off??? I paid good money for it!!! I tried to get livewire to refund my money but was ignored as usual??? I am sorry but I didn't spend all that money to dress up a trailer queen to parade around a groomed trail twice a year! I begged steve to help me set this up right and was laughed at and called stupid!
Well at least now I know the difference betwen castor and camber, I know how when the ball joints would bend backwards from what I call normal riding (no I don't JUMP) how it affected the steering, I have spent several hundred more on replacing ball joints on this kit! I learned by accident how the lawyer links length was altered it gave me a different response (remember he even sent me some lawyer links that rusted up and were too long) They even backed off of the spindle while riding on the back of my 18 wheeler the first trip out!!!
So Hoodlum I apologize I rode the crap out of my Odyssey and ruined your chances of getting another cheap kit!!! but I am sure you will keep plugging steves kit every chance you get and recklessly bashing the yoda kit... and you have the nerve to say Hoser holds a grudge??? LOL I am thankful Steve ignored my request for some customer service LOL I learned a lot in the 3 years I have had this mess!!!
You just really irritated me when I see you going out of your way to dog yoda's kit and when I showed you up you got mad??? And you still haven't answered my questions or my request for a video????
Someone comes into the odyssey/pilot world and makes a product for us and you bash him with no good reason other that he is on hosers site???
I am buying the yoda kit to put on my pilot and will post here and on hosers board for ALL TO SEE exactly how it works I don't need to sugar coat anything, I will bet you a $1.00 bill if I have a question or a problem I will get the help I need!!!
I am leaving the a-arms on the odyssey and with the help of adnoh and others eliminate the problem of the wheel locking up on me! I will document this so maybe Steve will see a means of improving a product that he has claimed to have sold so many of!!! I would love to see some pictures of some pilots with this kit on it and feed back from the owners so I will have some input in how I set up the yoda kit!!! It's all about learning man...

Now to the young man who has come up with a new and welcomed kit for the 350's PLEASE document any and all testing you do before putting it up for sale, Get you a LLC or incorporate yourself as a business.
without sounding harsh a few hours is not testing I am thinking a few months of daily riding across all types of terrain so that when you sell this product and some one ask you a question about it you will know, from first hand experience how to answer them!
We need people who can manufacture or create stuff for our hobby/sport, but we WILL NOT BE YOUR GUNIEA PIGS!!!

Quote from: "Hoodlum"
Quote from: "turbotexas"
I know!!! My Aftershock front end has made me hit a fence post and a round bale!!!


Then take it off .....I would gladly have bought your arms and shocks...Not after you've beat the crap out of them though...Why don't you just get some stock pilot arms and put on it,or better yet,a "Yoda" kit.... :lol:

hoodlum

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Re: LT
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2009, 07:36:37 AM »
Quote from: "turbotexas"
Take it off??? I paid good money for it!!! I tried to get livewire to refund my money but was ignored as usual??? I am sorry but I didn't spend all that money to dress up a trailer queen to parade around a groomed trail twice a year! I begged steve to help me set this up right and was laughed at and called stupid!
Well at least now I know the difference betwen castor and camber, I know how when the ball joints would bend backwards from what I call normal riding (no I don't JUMP) how it affected the steering, I have spent several hundred more on replacing ball joints on this kit! I learned by accident how the lawyer links length was altered it gave me a different response (remember he even sent me some lawyer links that rusted up and were too long) They even backed off of the spindle while riding on the back of my 18 wheeler the first trip out!!!
So Hoodlum I apologize I rode the crap out of my Odyssey and ruined your chances of getting another cheap kit!!! but I am sure you will keep plugging steves kit every chance you get and recklessly bashing the yoda kit... and you have the nerve to say Hoser holds a grudge??? LOL I am thankful Steve ignored my request for some customer service LOL I learned a lot in the 3 years I have had this mess!!!
You just really irritated me when I see you going out of your way to dog yoda's kit and when I showed you up you got mad??? And you still haven't answered my questions or my request for a video????
Someone comes into the odyssey/pilot world and makes a product for us and you bash him with no good reason other that he is on hosers site???
I am buying the yoda kit to put on my pilot and will post here and on hosers board for ALL TO SEE exactly how it works I don't need to sugar coat anything, I will bet you a $1.00 bill if I have a question or a problem I will get the help I need!!!
I am leaving the a-arms on the odyssey and with the help of adnoh and others eliminate the problem of the wheel locking up on me! I will document this so maybe Steve will see a means of improving a product that he has claimed to have sold so many of!!! I would love to see some pictures of some pilots with this kit on it and feed back from the owners so I will have some input in how I set up the yoda kit!!! It's all about learning man...

Now to the young man who has come up with a new and welcomed kit for the 350's PLEASE document any and all testing you do before putting it up for sale, Get you a LLC or incorporate yourself as a business.
without sounding harsh a few hours is not testing I am thinking a few months of daily riding across all types of terrain so that when you sell this product and some one ask you a question about it you will know, from first hand experience how to answer them!
We need people who can manufacture or create stuff for our hobby/sport, but we WILL NOT BE YOUR GUNIEA PIGS!!!

Quote from: "Hoodlum"
Quote from: "turbotexas"
I know!!! My Aftershock front end has made me hit a fence post and a round bale!!!


Then take it off .....I would gladly have bought your arms and shocks...Not after you've beat the crap out of them though...Why don't you just get some stock pilot arms and put on it,or better yet,a "Yoda" kit.... :lol:




OMG!!!!!   Can you guys believe this?!?!?!  Turbo,you must have way not enough to do....lol....

This reminds me of something I saw yesterday...I pulled up to a stop light yesterday,and a guy pulled up beside me in an old s 10 pickup that had wide tires on the rear,the exhaust cut off,some old hood scoop on it that looked like it was made from a trash can,and all these performance parts stickers all over the back window...
When he pulled up to the light and stopped,he started revving the engine...He read the stop light like a christmas tree,and as the other lights started the yellow to red change,he revved it up more,and as our light turned green,he floored it,popped the clutch,and the truck went BWAHHHHHHHHH and died right in the middle of the intersection....LOL....
I slowly pulled out beside him with my work trailer behind me and as I passed,I couldn't help but give a horn toot and a nice (all five fingers)wave to him...He was desperately trying to get it refired,and the last time I looked back,the light had changed to red again,he was stuck in the middle of the intersection,apparently in the motion sensor of the traffic cameras,because they were flashing like crazy....lol....I thought oh crap....This guy will get run over,and end up on the national news or something...Another fine example of the southern man for the rest of the world to cast a mold of us from...I thought to myself,it amazes me how much people will publicly humiliate themselves while all along think they are impressing someone while doing it....I guess it takes every kind to make the world go round huh.....lol....
Hoodlum

turbotexas

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Bolt-on A arm conversion kit
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2009, 10:19:45 AM »
you know just because my opinion of the way you handled this questions is different from yours doesn't make me stupid??? but again I ain't from the hills of tennessee??? you dont have to share my opinion, but I still have the right and the obligation to express them, and all we get from you is namecalling???ennessee either???