[PushL1]

recently i've been having tons of problems on my big cat with basically my whole front end and some of my rear suspension as well. i have come to the conclusion that all the trailing arm and a-arm mounts are too thin and stretch, which leads to the bolt holes ovalizing. from there its like a domino effect of really costly fixes. after the stretching occurs it then leads to bent upper a-arms and bolts that shear, axles that rub shocks, etc. in hindsight, if i had known the problems i have been having, i would have done all the repairs prior to any of the damages that occurred.

with that being said, would anybody be interested in purchasing a kit that contains weld on washers for all upper a-arm mounts and rear lower trailing arm mounts and a complete set of grade 8 (or better) bolts? i've sourced most of this already and i have already made the weld on washers for the upper a-arm mounts. it most likely wouldn't be too hard to make a small batch of everything and offer it to others. i think this could be a relatively cost efficient insurance policy for someone who's cat isnt under warranty anymore that likes to ride hard in the whoops, big G-outs or square edged rocks.

here is what i'm thinking the kit would include:
all - upper a-arm weld on washers that fit the shape of the mounts, not just a round washer (qty of 8)
all - lower trailing arm weld on washers, probably something similar to a tear drop shape (qty of 4)
all - grade 8 trailing arm mount bolts including horizontal + vertical with nylock nuts (qty of 8)
all - grade 8 upper and lower a-arm mount bolts with quality nylock nuts (qty of 8)
all - grade 8 shock bolts with nylock nuts (qty of 8)



let me know what you guys think, thanks!

 

[MCR500]

Sounds like a good idea, I'm interested.

I think you should give me a set for free cause I helped you change your belt in Glamis!!!:schaem:

C-Ya!!

 

[PushL1]

hey, you practically hijacked that job from me. i didnt stand a chance getting in the way of your nascar pitstop. dont you have a way more capable machine shop at your dispsal than my little garage though?

Sounds like a good idea, I'm interested.

I think you should give me a set for free cause I helped you change your belt in Glamis!!!:schaem:

C-Ya!!

 

[missiondude]

If you are going to go Grade 8 you will need to change the size of the suspension sleeves that run inside the bushings at a minimum, and possibly the bushings themselves. Grade 8 bolts are in theory really close in strength to the 10.8 metric bolts in use on the cat. If I was going to do this modification, I would want bolts at least 1 size larger than stock. 7/16 is slightly larger than the stock bolts, but for that amount of work, I would want 1/2". That would give you nice clean material to work with when you drill out the mounts, and you could source DOM tube for the sleeves that would be really tight to the bolts. Throw in some UHMWPE bushings and you would really have something.

The shock bolts would require getting custom shock bushings made to take whatever size bolt you decided to go with, or I guess you could drill out the stock shock bushings.

 

[PushL1]

sorry mission, i made a mistake. they are 10.8 but the bolts i picked up, from looks alone seem to be a lot better quality. im not sure of the actual composition of them though. at this point i dont really trust the quality of any factory arctic cat hardware. i also don't see it worth getting that crazy with the set-up because with my luck once i do all these repairs the stator cover is going to crack or something else dumb like that which always seems to happen. its just not fun for me going out on a ride and worrying how im going to have to get a broken UTV dragged across the desert floor and onto my trailer. hopefully after these next few fixes i can regain my confidence in the machine. right now, im waiting on a couple more parts and making templates of everything i do, so after i get back out there and give it a beating i can report to you guys better with more info and details. i mainly posted this to see how many other people were having similar issues and if a kit would be something worth making a small batch of.

If you are going to go Grade 8 you will need to change the size of the suspension sleeves that run inside the bushings at a minimum, and possibly the bushings themselves. Grade 8 bolts are in theory really close in strength to the 10.8 metric bolts in use on the cat. If I was going to do this modification, I would want bolts at least 1 size larger than stock. 7/16 is slightly larger than the stock bolts, but for that amount of work, I would want 1/2". That would give you nice clean material to work with when you drill out the mounts, and you could source DOM tube for the sleeves that would be really tight to the bolts. Throw in some UHMWPE bushings and you would really have something.

The shock bolts would require getting custom shock bushings made to take whatever size bolt you decided to go with, or I guess you could drill out the stock shock bushings.

 

[WhiteX]

All 3 of my big Cats have had this issue. Since I've sent my X Limited into the stratosphere a few times, everything is nice and loose up front. On my 2012, I ended up welding in grade 8 washers and used grade 8 bolts in conjunction with new delrin bushings. It really tightened up the uppers! My lowers have not ovalized yet on any machine. I haven't noticed problems with other spots on the machine, but admittedly I have not checked those areas either.

Got an approximate price on the kit?

 

[PushL1]

i dont have any cost on the kit yet because i would like to test everything first for a couple months. i want to make sure what i intend to do doesn't cause other things to go south (like ripping the whole mount off the car or destroying the bulkhead.. etc). on top of that i haven't got a couple of the shock bolts or front a-arm bolts yet, i want to weld on all the washers to make sure i have correct lengths for those. i work a lot so i only have limited time. id also like to get some quotes to see what is the cheapest and time efficient wether it be stamped, laser cut, plasma cnc'd or milled. i just need a little more time that i dont have haha. ill keep this post updated when i figure out a little more. thanks for asking though

All 3 of my big Cats have had this issue. Since I've sent my X Limited into the stratosphere a few times, everything is nice and loose up front. On my 2012, I ended up welding in grade 8 washers and used grade 8 bolts in conjunction with new delrin bushings. It really tightened up the uppers! My lowers have not ovalized yet on any machine. I haven't noticed problems with other spots on the machine, but admittedly I have not checked those areas either.

Got an approximate price on the kit?