Upper 'A' Arm - Let me ask you this.....

[Sevey]

I have seen this from time to time on this site - but never heard what the results were?

Has anyone played with the geometry of the upper a-arm, where it attaches to the spindle by using a bushing and raising the height the upper ball joint?

Is there a bushing kit?
Does someone already make a product for this?
By raising that joint 1/2" to 3/4" ; what handling characteristic was the result?

Thanks
MS

 

[herndonp]

I believe Grizz has and maybe he will chime in.

 

[grizztracks]

I experimented with placing a spacer on top of the spindle to increase the spacing between the upper and lower a-arm several years ago. The idea is similar to what Arctic Cat did with the tall spindles in the Pro and now Viper chassis. Several of the aftermarket a-arm setups like the Mountaintech 43, +2 forward arms utilize a spacer. I believe it improves handling mostly on rough trail by holding a better line. The problem with adding a spacer is that the increased spacing effects the caster and camber settings so there becomes a need to have the ability to correct for it. I made offset spacers in an attempt to correct for the changes. Utilizing the Hygear Slicast upper a-arms for the added adjustment would allow for increased balljoint spacing.



Mountaintech 43, +2 trail a-arms

 

[m.schuey7]

I believe the JRE spindle does just that, my A arms have much wider spacing than stock

 

[grizztracks]

What is the JRE ball joint spacing?

Even if there is an increase over stock I'm not interested in lowering the front and I don't believe it's necessary to make a Nytro handle better. I've already cracked my chain case cover and almost took out the heat exchanger. If it wasn't for the Mountaintech skid plate installed I probably would have had a hole in the lower sump by now. I think adding the spacer on top of the spindle and allowing for some caster/camber adjustability is more beneficial.

 

[m.schuey7]

Not sure what teh spacing is, could measure it. The A arm spacing is much wider than stock is all I was pointing out, like the new Yamaha Viper.

I run no skid plate and have never had any issues with ground clearance, over 2k miles on them, they transformed my sled into a usable sled. I use 18.25" fox shox so front ride height is almost stock, even though the lower A arm is 1.5" lower than stock, plus the stiffer front shocks keep the nose up which made going downhill fast or riding in the rough a pleasure rather than a panic..

 

[Sevey]

Reading about the Hygear Slicast, have you tried that system Grizz? There is not much on this site about it, or at least I have not come across it.
Makes a compelling story. Would be interested to know how the handling characteristics are improved.
MS

 

[grizztracks]

I tried the Hygear Slicast arms with the 2008 front and had issues. I like the concept and they are well built but with the 2008 spindle and lower a-arm I was getting to much negative camber that couldn't be adjusted out. The Slicast arms are actually designed to fit the newer geometry Nytro which has slightly shorter a-arms than the 08's. Hygear says they will work on a 08 by adding shims (washers) to the upper ball joint. I had all the shims possible in there and still had to much negative camber. So on the 08 you don't have enough adjustment to set the camber back to stock and the washer shims look ridiculous stuck in there. I'm now running the Mountaintech trail arms but also have a complete set of new geometry arms and spindles so if I ever go back to them I' be interested in also installing the Slicast uppers again and experiment more with spacing the upper ball joint.

I talked to Hygear about the issue but I don't know if any changes have been made. Here is a post on the issue I had with the Slicast arms: http://www.ty4stroke.com/threads/hygear-slicast-a-arm-issue.125597/

 

[1975FA]

I used all 7 of the spacer washers on the outside to help offset this problem. I found a thin hardened washer to use under the nut that has the same inside and outside dimension as hygears spacers.

 

[grizztracks]

I used all 7 of the spacer washers on the outside to help offset this problem. I found a thin hardened washer to use under the nut that has the same inside and outside dimension as hygears spacers.

I think they needed to make the a-arm about 4mm longer. All those washers on there makes it look cheap with limited camber adjustment

 

[1975FA]

I think they needed to make the a-arm about 4mm longer. All those washers on there makes it look cheap with limited camber adjustment

I was thinking about taking a little piece of some large diameter heat shrink tubing and shrinking it on the washers.

 

[grizztracks]

I would have made a longer shim out of aluminum stock then added one or two washers to set the final Camber.

 

[walter]

Where can we purchase one of the bushing kits?