my LT arens a-arms came today pics...

[Tommy 17]

well heres the pics of john arens new +1 a-arms for the 400ex... i amd pretty sure i have the 1st set publicy... after a long wait i can't wait to moutn these up when he sends my ball joints and tie rods early next weekend... they appear to be awesome a-arms, perfect welds, and look very good...

heres the lowers

[Tommy 17]

heres the uppers minus the ball joints... should have laeger ball joints but he will ship them with the tie rods...

[Toadz400]

Wow they look pretty nice, and tough too. How much did that run ya'?

[Tommy 17]

he told me 600$ which is over 150$ cheaper then anyone else!!!

[ranger400ex]

cdale design for the lowers w/ intigrated skids....very nice!!!

John did alot of the desingn stuff for cannondale, stems, arms, etc.

[remlapr]

Tommy - are those for 16" or 19" shocks? btw - they definately look like good quality.

[member]

looks like they will be hard to clean the dirt off of them, just like a stock pipe on a 400ex:o

[Dave400ex]

Tommy those look awesome. Just like the ones I saw at the Dealer Show. I will be getting mine this Sunday, with hopefully the tie rods and ball joints also.

Ben your right on the design like a C-Dale. John designed some for them, which now Dinli is using. The Dinli at the Dealer Show had a set of a-arms just like that.

These are offered in either 16" or 18.75" lengths. I know he worked with Elka and they have all the settings to get the shocks setup very well.

[remlapr]

Do they have needle bearings or bushings?

[Tommy 17]

mine are for 18.75 inch shocks... same as walsh, jrd, etc


dave they were def worth the wait... the welds on these things are unblieveable!!! they are 100% perfect... robots are def the way to go... i'll get some better pics later on and post them... and i'll have pics of them on my 400 soon as the ball joints come...

remlapr i think they are a bushin but i'm not 100% positive on that...

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by ranger400ex
cdale design for the lowers w/ intigrated skids....very nice!!!

John did alot of the desingn stuff for cannondale, stems, arms, etc.


after lookin at them and seeing the intergrated skid i think its a very nice option... ricos housers hit a rock on the bottom at rausch and caught the back a-arm and bent it bad... these would just hit the skid and keep on goin past!!! very very nice deisgn and they appear to be VERY strong

[Tommy 17]

heres a good picture of the joint

[Tommy 17]

heres a close up of the frame mount... sry its blurry camera won't focus on it

[Tommy 17]

heres a better picture of the shock mount

[Tommy 17]

heres teh last picture of a weld... u can see how good they are

[AC 400 ex 02]

those are sick man, looks like it was worth the wait, btw hows the motor doin?

[Dave400ex]

No needle bearings, they have bushings. Those pictures show some very nice parts of the a-arms. They do look very well built. Can't wait to get my 400 going.

[Lethalhonda2]

I just got mine yesterday too. I'm still missing the tie rods and ball joints. Now if my Axis shocks will just show up,I can get rid of all these parts laying around and make them look like a quad:p

[Ralph]

this is after what 3 months? i would be all over these parts if he could ship them when he says he will. When i bought my a-arms i got them 6 days later, thats what i expect from any company, 3 months is unacceptable.

[redroost85]

Those are pretty beefy looking Tommy! I like the black vein pc too!:D

[Tommy 17]

raplh it wasn't 3 months... try 5 1/2 months!!!!! i ordered them january 9th i think... and i'm still waiting on ball joints, tie rods, and the bolts... its been a VERY long wait...


i'm glad to see i'm not the only person to not get the upper ball joints... i thought mayb john forgot to put them in the box... i haven't talked to him yet about it...

[JDiablo]

wow thats long 5 1/2 months!!:eek2: well if you want them really bad you will wait....and those are some trick welds too:eek:

[Lethalhonda2]

I ordered my complete frame back in January .I did get the frame,steering stem.nerf bars about 4-5 weeks ago.Then after numerous calls I was told the swingarm,a-arms were on the way.To my suprise all I got was the swingarm!(This happened more than once)So now it makes me wonder how long the tie rods and ball joints are really going to take.I dont think this is the best way to treat a customer after spending $3k.

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by Lethalhonda2
This happened more than once)So now it makes me wonder how long the tie rods and ball joints are really going to take.I dont think this is the best way to treat a customer after spending $3k.



me 2... i'd get the old they will be shipped out next week... waiting on this... next thing u know its now 3 months later and i just got them...


i'm also worried if my ball joints and tie rods will ever come... but the good thing is i can always just buy the laeger joints and burgard tie rods IF i have 2...

[Dave400ex]

I picked up my a-arms today at Red Bud. They are very impressive. Heavy duty for sure. The welds are like no other. I got to see a frame with no PC on it, those welds are just unbelieveable.

Arens is a joke.

[Lethalhonda2]

Well I have some bad news.Today I start putting the frame together and ran into a small problem:mad: The first thing I tried was the steering stem (Arens), I intalled a new bearing and 2 new seals. I assumed the stem would fall into place and bolt up.Well first thing I noticed was the gap between the stem and the upper mount to the frame.I had to push with 2 hands to get the 2 screws to go in, then as I turned the stem it would bind in one direction.So I took off the mounting bracket and just turned the stem and to my suprise it looked as if it were bent!So I tried a old stock stem and again it did the same thing.So now this leads me to believe that the housing thats welded to the base of the frame (where your bearing and seals are) is crooked. I even tried to put the A-arms on and they dont fit either. I think I might be able to make these work, but really I shouldnt have to do anything but put a bolt in them. I bought all of his components to get away from mixing and matching so I wouldnt run into these problems and heck look at the problems already.All this after waiting 5 months.I will making a phone call tomorrow.I will keep everyone posted........................

[Ralph]

he makes it all sound so good, but in reality its too good to be true. He has good intentions(or expresses good intentions) but the things he wants to achive are just too good to be true... Btw. that is the second person on here to have trouble with the frame....

[mark26]

you better get your ball joints already so we can go riding. 5 months is b.s.

[roostin_dale]

Originally posted by TeamCRC
Arens is a joke.

fo sho

[Lethalhonda2]

The sad thing is,I still cant put it together because of a couple parts!! Tie rods and ball joints should be an item that is always in stock. It doesnt take 5 months to make them. I didnt realize it took this long or I would have started it a year ago

[cletusEX]

I run an Arens framed 400ex. I didn't have any problems with the a-arms or stem. I had to rig up the exhaust mounts and the oil cooler mounts. The plastic was a little trick to get setup right and I haven't found a center skid plate that matches up right. If I had to do it over again I would have bought a brand new stock frame and had it gusseted and powdercoated. The welds and strength seems to be there for the Arens but if I can't get everything to mount up it's a waste IMO.

[Lethalhonda2]

Well I talked to John today, as far as the steering stem issue he is sending me a bearing that is similar to bearing that is used in the stock 400ex a-arm.I was told alot of desert racers use this type of bearing:huh I will be taking the frame to a local machine shop for a second opinion on that. The only problem I see with this is the seal is going to have more presure on one side than the other causing premature seal and bearing failure.
Also for the guys waiting on Tie rods and ball joints, the tie rods are being made tomorrow (which we have been told for months) and the ball joints are normally ordered through Baldwin but they are out of stock. So his next option is Nac's. So dont hold your breath on this one.

[Tommy 17]

lethal i hope the tie rods are done TODAY!!!!!!!!!!

he better get this ball joint problem fixed fast... hes had 5 months...


i don't think he gets the fact that riding season has started over 2 months ago and people want to ride but can't without the parts... i know i've missed one GNCC over his a-arms... and if it keeps it up i may miss rausch next year also bc his ball joints and tie rods still won't be ready:grr:

[hondamxer161]

i know it sucks that you guys cant get the stuff that john owes you, but if you said they are laeger ball joints or similar, cant you order some yourself? i know alot of places carry them, and sometimes even upgraded versions. heck the old laeger joints could be ordered from napa! i know this doesnt fix john slow delivery, but at least you could ride....and then have spare ball joints, which never hurts.

mike

[Ralph]

didnt he claim he had custom balljoints specialy designed for him?

[AC 400 ex 02]

thats what he told me on the phone when i asked him how his a-arms were comin, that was last year:eek2:

[Greg Z]

Im sorry but Im not to fond of ARENS stuff...:o a-arms look good

but customer service is terrible

[Lethalhonda2]

i know it sucks that you guys cant get the stuff that john owes you, but if you said they are laeger ball joints or similar, cant you order some yourself?
I have a quad I can ride as it is but I see no reason to buy something that is suppose to come with my order! Like we have stated most of us have waited more than a couple of months and that is plenty of time to have these parts made or ordered.He should have never had billed us unless he had the parts.

[Lethalhonda2]

lethal i hope the tie rods are done TODAY!!!!!!!!!!
Has anyone talked to John?? I tried yesterday and the phone was busy,maybe he's ordering tie rods and ball joints:eek2: I will be calling today to get a update. Heck he should be paying for my phone bill at this point!!

[Tommy 17]

i talked to john yesterday... said he would recieve the ball joints and mail them tomorrow (today)... so we should have them SOON

[Lethalhonda2]

Yeah we have heard that before.So because of the holiday the end of next week and one more race down the drain.Heck I think at this point my hole season is shot!!

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by Lethalhonda2
Heck I think at this point my hole season is shot!!


mine is... i missed rausch... and wisp is june 26th... no way i'll be able to run 2 hours wfo at this point... i haven't rode in MONTHS:grr:

[FTR250Rnif]

The A-Arms look sweet, good luck with them:)

[Greg Z]

get them in yet:rolleyes:

[Lethalhonda2]

get them in yet
I wish I did. I am still waiting on my frame problem before anything else goes on. My Axis shocks get sent out this week so if everything goes well.......

[Tommy 17]

still no parts what about u lethal?:o

[Lethalhonda2]

I got a message from John on Sunday.He said that he had already sent out the ball joints and the tie rods should be coming this week.I did get the ball joints today,he had them sent directly from Baldwin.I also got the steering stem bearing put in over the weekend so far its ok.I tried to get the A-arms in but ran out of time grinding down the bushings so they would fit. John also said he would take a set and mill them down for me so they would fit better.So yours should be coming soon:D

[Tommy 17]

still no ball joints...

i'm ready to send these damn things back:grr:

[CTmxyfz]

i would have already

[member]

patience young grasshopper

[Tommy 17]

theres a big differnce between patience and being jacked around...


if in the beg he said they will be here in june i woulda said fine and wouldn't care one bit...


but in march it'll be a week... next week it'll be a week... and now its june and i still don't have no a-arms... i don't care they take this long... but don't jack me around tellin me something will be here when it won't be... by the way he talked they woulda been done in february...

if my shocks were 19 1/4 instead of 18 3/4 they woulda been gone ALONG time ago... trust me... i'm almost to the point i'm gonna sell my elkas and go back to a std travel front end... what good is this stuff if i dont' have all the parts to ride????? its worthless and has pretty much ruined this year for racing... i've missed 3 months of riding over these damn a-arms:grr:

[JDiablo]

Originally posted by Tommy 17
theres a big differnce between patience and being jacked around...


if in the beg he said they will be here in june i woulda said fine and wouldn't care one bit...


but in march it'll be a week... next week it'll be a week... and now its june and i still don't have no a-arms... i don't care they take this long... but don't jack me around tellin me something will be here when it won't be... by the way he talked they woulda been done in february...

if my shocks were 19 1/4 instead of 18 3/4 they woulda been gone ALONG time ago... trust me... i'm almost to the point i'm gonna sell my elkas and go back to a std travel front end... what good is this stuff if i dont' have all the parts to ride????? its worthless and has pretty much ruined this year for racing... i've missed 3 months of riding over these damn a-arms:grr:

damn 3 months,dat sux:eek2:

[Tommy 17]

january - june do the math thats 6;)

[JDiablo]

im saying cause u said you have missed 3 months of riding....thats why i said dat....and 6 months on waiting for something....idk man,lol i hate waiting:p

[Jackie]

I have mine. just delivered Sunday. I would post pics if i knew how. Frame, steering colum, +1 a-arms and nerfs. everything painted in silver vein. looks great. Call John his site has his number.

[Lethalhonda2]

I have mine. just delivered Sunday
Hey Jackie thats only half the battle. Let me know how everything bolts up on yours, my steering stem housing was a little off!
When did you order yours?Both Tommy17 and I ordered ours back in January::mad:
Tommy17 I would be making a few phone calls,E-mails what ever it takes.Your only missing the tie rods and ball joints correct?I would of thought your stuff should have been sent out too.When was the last time you talked to John?

[Tommy 17]

well i try to call him daily but as u probably know hes the worlds hardest man to get ahold of... i haven't talked to him since probably last wednesday i believe... yes i'm waiting on just tie rods and ball joints...


i'm startin to get really pissed off about these a-arms... another ride missed once again bc hes screwing around gettin things done...



another ride crossed off my list:grr:

[Jackie]

When I talked to John he said that he has those parts special made and/or ordered, not your off the shelf kind of product. There has to be a reason. He's not that kind of person. I ordered a while back but I live in Michigan and it was easy to hook up with him because a couple of his custom suppliers are in Grand Rapids and thats where I work. He is a busy guy. I couldnt get him on the phone for a few days either (had me worried) so I e-mailed him. I did get a response with an explaination and delivery date. It all worked out. I tested everything out last Monday at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. Sweet.....
you'll be happy once you're back in the saddle...
Good Luck and be nice it goes farther.
also express how much you miss riding your quad...like your missing your best friend. It worked for me.:D

[Lethalhonda2]

When I talked to John he said that he has those parts special made and/or ordered, not your off the shelf kind of product.
I'm not going to keep complaining but, it doesnt take 5 months to "special made/order" tie rods or ball joints. If he had all these orders back in January he should have ordered them then and maybe a couple extra. As far as being nice I believe this to be true, but after being told numerous times that all of my order was being sent out and then never receiving it.(Which to me is lying) All I ask of anyone is to be honest.If I order something and I'm told its instock when its not guess what thats the last time I order from this company.I know John is a busy guy that makes quality products, but just like Tommy17said if we knew it was going to take this long in January I would have been fine with that.

[Admin]

Originally posted by Tommy 17
if my shocks were 19 1/4 instead of 18 3/4 they woulda been gone ALONG time ago... trust me

I told you several months ago that you would be waiting a while for your A-arms, and like I told you then, You could aways get Burgard Cycles A-arms and the 18.75" shocks will work on his LT setup.

[Jackie]

You have a good point on honesty. May your next experence be a heck of a lot better than your last with anyone you order from.
Good Luck
ride safe
play safe;)

[Tommy 17]

well they are here today and will be put on tonight...

i can't complain he knocked some money off and its all good... now i just can't wait to try all this out:devil:

[Dave400ex]

You got both the ball joints and tie rods?

[Tommy 17]

yeah both are here...

[Lethalhonda2]

I got my tie rods today too:D I wish I had a couple of days off so I can get this thing together

[JDiablo]

Originally posted by Tommy 17
yeah both are here...


you got any pix of it on yet ??

[Tommy 17]

i'll have pics today... i have a spidel stuck in the ball joint... i tried the spacer methode and it actually bent the shaft of the ball joint b4 it popped it out...:eek: when u tighten the bolt against the spacers it compressed the bolt to the point a 17mm wrench can no longer fit on it... u need a 18:eek:

i'm gonna cut it and then drill the rest out today... just have to be careful bc its a tapered end... a-arms already ruined so it don't matter if i cut it up...

[Tommy 17]

well i went to put the tie rods on... if u screw them in as far as possible the wheels have about 5 inches of toe in:o


they are probably for +2 or +3 a-arms they are that long... now i gotta get differnt tie rods... i may just cut some of the tread of these ones and try to use them... not sure yet...


also the spindel is hitting my lower a-arm when i go to adjust the top ball joint... anything over 1degree it hits the a-arm so i have to file the spindels down so they don't hit...

[AC 400 ex 02]

damn tommy sounds like nothing is workin out for you with this setup

[CTmxyfz]

sounds like all this waiting is for a ****ty setup so far. Let us know how it goes.

[Tommy 17]

well heres the front end on...


the left tire has a stk tie rod on it adjusted in like 3 treads just to hold the wheel straight... i put the right tire how it looks when i put hte arens a-arms into the treads the whole way...

[Tommy 17]

here u can see how long his tie rods are compared to a stk one... it should only be a inch longer but is about 2+ or so...

[Tommy 17]

now heres the problem that has me worried... when the shocks are at fully extended the spindel hits the a-arms and actually stops it... i don't have the upper ball joint tightened down but if you put them at anything over 1 degree it'll hit the a-arms... i have to force it to go past 2 degrees and that actually put a chip in the pc... if i would jump that with a 3 - 4 degree set up it would EASILY dent the a-arm in pretty good...


this has me REALLY worried...

[JDiablo]

that can't be too good:eek2: and that has to suck running into all of those problems after you waited so long too:eek:

http://ricoracing.netfirms.com/Smilies/wtf2.gif

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by Rico
http://ricoracing.netfirms.com/Smilies/wtf2.gif


i wish i knew rico... i can't ride it like that...


more down time:(

i'd call him again now but i gotta go to graduation... guess i'll have to wait till monday:grr:

[Dave400ex]

Sent you a PM Tommy

[Lethalhonda2]

Tommy17 all I can say is WOW!!I got my A-arms and spindles on but nothing is tight yet plus no shocks,and now I'm a little worried.I was hoping that my problems were over after the steering stem.I was going to order new skid plates (prm) so I decided to match my old one up to the new swingarm (Arens) and once again its not going to fit . On the chain side of the swingarm he put a plate for a chain guide (like a Banshee) which hits the skid plate:mad: But I had to reguest the skid plate mounts to be put on.But the 2 wont work together:confused: Does that make sense?? So if anyone is running a Arens swingarm with a skid plate please let me know which one your running.I hate to spend over $100 for a skid plate just to chop it up..

[Pappy]

:( damn young thomas......

[INFANTRY RACING]

i tried to tell you all arens sucks but ya don't listen to anyone unless his postcount 10,000 or hes a mod.


oh well.. i wonder why john dosen't reply to this thread..


getting to the point.........arens sucks.

[Jackie]

he is in SC on monday. he does work on the weekends, actualy i think he works everyday. :rolleyes:

[Tommy 17]

i'll try tomorrow...


to be honest i've seen just about every frame and a-arm combo out there and i honestly still think arens has the best parts out there...

yes the wait was long...

yes i have one problem but the more i look at it i can just file a lil bit off the spindel and it will be ok... easy fix...

i will call john tomorrow to ask him what he thinks and if its just my set and what not...


i just wanna FREAKIN RIDE!!!!!!!!!!

[INFANTRY RACING]

i'd be carful with a file on them spindles. i've seen them break at the track and put people in the hospital.

[Tommy 17]

i will... i won't have to file off much... 1/16 of a inch on the corner if even that... just enouf to round it over a tiny bit...

[Jackie]

I will let you ride one of mine, come to MI and take a spin.:blah: sorry to tease you, couldn't help it. Tell me how to get picks on here and i will take pics of my parts installed. use it like an instruction book. I would tell you how but i didnt do the work.
ride safe
play safe
:D

[Pappy]

Originally posted by INFANTRY RACING
i tried to tell you all arens sucks but ya don't listen to anyone unless his postcount 10,000 or hes a mod.


oh well.. i wonder why john dosen't reply to this thread..




i offered to get him hooked up with burgard or leagers but he was set on arens. arens stuff isnt junk but i feel its not up to the hype he throws out to the marketplace either. every manufacture can and will have problems and im certain tommy will get it all squared away.

as far as why arens hasnt responded? probably a tad bit pissed with all the negativity and feels anything he could add wouldnt help matters much.

id like to see better support for his customers when there is a problem but im sure he his doing all he can. sometimes when it all hits the fan everyone gets covered with chit:(

[INFANTRY RACING]

he was always there to respond when i said his steering stems suck. ..:blah:


when you jump up and decide to be the first person to try something new your also the one who might buy something not ready.
I put one of his 250r chassis together and the was always problems. nothing lined up and i still can't understand why the bolt to hold the subframe on are so tiny. he didn't send everything at once which seems to be his fashion.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by INFANTRY RACING
he was always there to respond when i said his steering stems suck. ..:blah:

lol, you are correct:p

i think tommy is handling it all pretty well. i myself have run into problems with parts and nothing will make you pissed like a defective or poorly designed part coupled with bad customer service.

the biggest thing that pissed me off in regards to arens was this......

he openly stated that a stem costs very little to make and bashed other manufactures in regards to high cost when his isnt much cheaper. then he refuses to stand behind a product (your stem) when with his info we know it didnt cost him much to build.

now i also know how business is done, but in my eye's customer satisfaction is job#1. but when dealing with parts for offroad vehicles that get crashed it has to be a nightmare weeding out the honest person versus the one just trying to dick you over

[INFANTRY RACING]

do those new a-arms use king pins in spherical joints. if so make sure they are both the same lenght other wise try the longer one in the bottom.

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by INFANTRY RACING
do those new a-arms use king pins in spherical joints. if so make sure they are both the same lenght other wise try the longer one in the bottom.


bottom is a spherical joint (it was put together when i got it) top ball joint is a laeger...

[Ralph]

i bet tommy has it all upside down:blah:

[Chef]

Originally posted by Jackie
I have mine. just delivered Sunday. I would post pics if i knew how. Frame, steering colum, +1 a-arms and nerfs. everything painted in silver vein. looks great. Call John his site has his number.

You mean your frame is actually powdercoated? I'm pretty sure my frame was rattle-canned red, the paint chips off of it if you look at it wrong!! :mad:

[Tommy 17]

pc on my a-arms is REALLY strong...

[Lethalhonda2]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid120/pb6fe2380cc171225799a5228e1ed0881/f85fa939.jpg
Well today was spent cleaning the old quad so that the few parts I'm taking off it are clean. I still have a long way to go but after the motor goes in I'm hoping its smooth sailing:D I just wish I had the shocks so I can see if I'm going to have the same problem as Tommy17

[Lethalhonda2]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid120/p6d0da319486f8fcdbe284b59b0c591db/f85fa95e.jpg
(Front shot)

[Chef]

Lethal if this is an Arens CRF frame kit, be prepared to do some fabricationg. The sprockets on mine are about the width of the sprocket off, the rear being out too far to the left. We are also going to have to cut down the frame cross tube that the rear shock mount is on-there is NO way to make the air boot fit. The radiator also has proved to be a bit of a problem. Dont forget to cut out the front tube on your subframe, either.

[Lethalhonda2]

Lethal if this is an Arens CRF frame kit
NO its a 400 frame.John told me that both the Honda and Yamaha motors would fit but like you said "fabricating" everything is getting old. I was thinking about dropping a 450 motor into it in the future but after the problems I've had :mad: I think I'll stick with stock stuff from now on.

[Tommy 17]

lookin good lethal except ur outta tie rod ends are in upside down...


i'm 99.99% sure they should go in from the bottom and not the top:blah: haha


my parts should be here tomorrow so i can finally ride with mine!

[Ralph]

Originally posted by Tommy 17
lookin good lethal except ur outta tie rod ends are in upside down...


i'm 99.99% sure they should go in from the bottom and not the top:blah: haha


my parts should be here tomorrow so i can finally ride with mine!

correctamundo

[Ralph]

To me arens seems like the Cobra of components now.

if john arens told me AFTER i got my a-arms and tried to mount them and had a problem that i have to file my spindles down, i would ship the a-arms back and demand money back.

This means that he didnt even mount his own a-arms on a 400ex with 400ex hubs etc. thats a joke. I doubt they were even tested.
What if some kid did not notice the bind and he mounted everything and hit the track, took a jump with his wheels turned right a little then the a-arms extend all the way and the hub hits and gets bound up, now the kid cant correct his steering and when he lands hes gonna be ****ed.
That is extremely careless.

IF u look at that other kids setup above it looks like it will hit also so its not just ex a-arms.

This is a joke and i think its even worse to have arens respond by "File it down".

but all you arens suckers, arent u glad that john had so much time to build his kid a 250r replica. he wont even come and respond to this here wich could make a big differance for him

and dont get me wrong, i understand u have to spend time with the family but seems like that project had more care in it than his products...

I am glad it is impossible to get a hold of him or right now me and my friends would have to deal with this ****...

also ridiculous...

Lethal if this is an Arens CRF frame kit, be prepared to do some fabricationg. The sprockets on mine are about the width of the sprocket off, the rear being out too far to the left. We are also going to have to cut down the frame cross tube that the rear shock mount is on-there is NO way to make the air boot fit. The radiator also has proved to be a bit of a problem. Dont forget to cut out the front tube on your subframe, either.

[cletusEX]

Originally posted by Chef
You mean your frame is actually powdercoated? I'm pretty sure my frame was rattle-canned red, the paint chips off of it if you look at it wrong!! :mad:

The powdercoat on my Arens frame was also really thin. I'm kinda afraid to hit it with the powerwasher.

[Ralph]

YOu guys remember about 2 years ago:rolleyes:, when he was advertising his almighty frame to beable to hold a 400ex motor and a crf motor with no modifications, well my friend e-mailed him about it and about a month later he got an asnwer back talking about how he is not sure and u would probably have to make a few welds all over and this and that. Whover responded had no idea whatsoever what he she was talking about cause it had to have been THE dumbest e-mail i have ever read.

[INFANTRY RACING]

i would seriously ship them back. the fact of having to weaken one part to make another fit is ridiculous. get some housers. no one hate their lt a-arms

[Lethalhonda2]

This means that he didnt even mount his own a-arms on a 400ex with 400ex hubs etc. thats a joke.
I am really beginnig to believe this. I went with the entire package so I wouldnt have to do all this fabricating. I never would have thought I would be this discouraged after just a steering stem!Like I said in my previous post I'll stick to stock from now on and that doesnt look good for some aftermarket companys.Its too bad we have to spend sooo much money and then the parts dont even fit

[Lethalhonda2]

Tommy17 have you taken the file to you spindles yet? Take a picture so I can see how you did it. I think I going to wait on my shocks before I go any further, one piece at a time

[AC 400 ex 02]

i like my burgard stuff...fits perfect and works great:macho

[Tommy 17]

i haven't filed anything yet... i want to make sure the problem still exists once i have ALL of the parts here and on it... then i'll file them...

[Chef]

My back frame tube is being cut out and welded, with a gusset on the bottom, tomorrow night. I am doing it for the clearance of the air tube...I thought this was supposed to be made for a CRF450 motor??? We had to bend the radiator tabs, and we are having to fab up some custom bolts and nuts setup to make it work, because the radiator mounts are about 2" too far apart, vertical wise, for the radiator to fit anyway. The next frame I buy will be no less than a Lonestar Baja, atleast the parts fit on those.

[310Rduner]

Originally posted by Chef
My back frame tube is being cut out and welded, with a gusset on the bottom, tomorrow night. I am doing it for the clearance of the air tube...I thought this was supposed to be made for a CRF450 motor??? We had to bend the radiator tabs, and we are having to fab up some custom bolts and nuts setup to make it work, because the radiator mounts are about 2" too far apart, vertical wise, for the radiator to fit anyway. The next frame I buy will be no less than a Lonestar Baja, atleast the parts fit on those.

LMAO.. that must be the height of desperation. Actually being willing to go to a Lonestar frame.. with the thought that it is better than another aftermarket frame:eek2:

I can't believe how tommy and a few others are defending his parts still. Sure parts don't always go together right, but gd.. how much worse is it going to have to get for you to send em back for another set or get your money back? Are you just scared it will take 5 months to get your money back? Superior design doesn't make much difference when the parts don't even work at the most basic level... like bolting up. You could send them back, pick up a set of burgards that will fit your shocks you probably wouldn't notice the difference in how it rides versus the arens (if you ever get to ride yours) and while people are struggling to make theirs bolt up you'll be riding. Or get houser.. or walsh.. or dc4.. or anything else that will bolt up. Find a used pair of lobo 2's and return your shocks for a different length. You could probably convince axis to let you exchange the shocks for a different length they are suposed to have great customer service.

[Tommy 17]

310r really i haven't had any problems bolting them up... the went into the frame mounts pretty much without ANY trouble...



the problem i'm having is gettin the right parts and all of my parts... he never sent the bottom bolts that hold the ball joints together so i can't put it on the ground check the problem...

the only real problem i'm having is the spindel barly touchin the a-arms... i could file off a hair and it won't touch and thats about the only REAL mod i have to do...


theres no point in me sending it back now... the price i paid for them in the end i could buy 2 or 3 sets of any other a-arm out there and i could use the money else where back home... i should have been riding it last week but it was a honest mistake of him sending the wrong ball joints and at the time i told i'd buy the bolts here in my home town... but i dind't know i couldn't find them here (checked 12 differnt stores)... if i would have had the right tie rods i'd be riding last week no questions...

[Guy400]

I'm not going to say anything about the quality of Arens stuff. I will say that the wait for his stuff is outrageous. When he became a member here in late 2002 he started talking about his upcoming new line of 400EX chassis pieces. He became a sponsor here in January of 2003 and kept telling us the parts are right around the corner. At the time I owned a 400EX and planned on using Arens LT front end, a set of Arens nerfs and some other Arens pieces. I talked with John quite a bit and he kept assuring me the parts would be here next week, then in 2 weeks, 2 more weeks... I went ahead and bought my TCS LT shocks figuring my a-arms would be here any day. I got the rear shock back from TCS in just a couple days but Todd@TCS couldn't valve my front shocks without some measurements from the Arens arms. Needless to say, the measurements were never available and I wound up going to a standard travel front end and Burgard arms. John also said in the spring of 2003 his nerfs were nearly complete and since we were both going to be at the 2003 Daniel Boone GNC race that he'd bring 2 sets of nerfs down (one set for my quad and one set for Project 400EX). This was with the stipulation that the nets weren't ready yet but he'd have them in a week or two. Me and a friend go to the GNC race and talk to John briefly but the nerfs weren't done. Even after the nerfs went on sale months later the nets still weren't done (we had members purchase them and had to wait).

For me personally, I was very turned off by Arens products. We were told in January of 2003 that these parts would be here next week and we're just seeing them in the early summer of 2004. Plenty of people say how great the quality is on Arens parts and I'm not going to argue with them. All I'm saying is that if parts aren't ready for shipping than don't advertise them for sale.

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by Guy400

For me personally, I was very turned off by Arens products. We were told in January of 2003 that these parts would be here next week and we're just seeing them in the early summer of 2004. Plenty of people say how great the quality is on Arens parts and I'm not going to argue with them. All I'm saying is that if parts aren't ready for shipping than don't advertise them for sale.


thats exactly it guy... the parts are good... but the are near impossible to get on time... its always next week

[Lethalhonda2]

I got the same reply today from John about the A-arms and spindles hitting.(get out your grinders)I guess even the kid that works with him had the same problem. Now my next battle is the swingarm/skidplate. I hate to chop up a $100 prm skid but it sounds like my only choice.I'll take some pictures so you can see my problem.

[Dave400ex]

The spindles are just hardly hitting the a-arms. He said Andrew, (Guy that works for him) just used a file to make it clear. Not much at needs to be taken off.

Here's what John sent me:
On the A-arms and filing the spindles, it will in no way weaken anything. In fact, these guys are forgetting a few things... They are using a longer shock that allows more sag, and as a result they are getting the contact at extreme full extension. Actually, almost every one of these long travel shocks actually delivers more stroke on the DOWN side. They can't go up much farther since they would hit the frame, but they can deliver a huge amount of sag which is what they are finding.

ON the EX Frame project, this was by far the hardest frame project for us, and for the guys to put together. Just look at the stock frame. We built it as tight as possible, but Honda puts shims and spacers at every motor mount and for many other parts, and the holes they use are huge. Actually when we build the frame it is to the exact hole size of the bolt, but the guys DO need to open up the holes a little (about half of what Honda did) with a drill when they go to assemble some parts. We can't change how Honda built their parts, and as a result we have to follow them. It's the best we could do.. On the 250R they did none of that, and as a result they are much easier to assemble. There is no doubt about it. The EX frame is just not an easy project, but there are many guys (and girls) who have done it, and are riding today.

On the powdercoat, I can put a $250 powdercoat job on the parts, but that will raise the price of every part, and quite a bit actually. God knows there is plenty of *****ing about the high cost of aftermarket parts. In fact, they do need to remember that these A-arms cost them about half of what many others cost. If money is no object however, then go for it. They are right that the wait was long and it sucked for everyone, including me, but you can only build so much... As for the guy complaining about me building something for my boy.... Well, what can I say about that ... It's none of his damn business what I build for anyone, but most of all for my own family.. And this guy never bought anything from me, yet he still *****es!

Also I have noticed most the guys posting here have not ever even ran a Arens product. They are basing their complaints off of a wait for other people. Well I guess you must not be running PEPs then!

[Tommy 17]

rest of my parts are here... i'll have pics tonight...


i need a 24mm wrench to tighten the top ball joints... i can't find mine anywhere:grr:


wow does this thing sit low... almost 2 low in the front end!!!! i need to set the suspension up but as of right now i can almost compress it the whole way just by pushin down on it with my hands... i can compress 3 of the springs almost:eek2:

[Dave400ex]

Tommy did you get the lower locking nuts for the ball joint? Also did you file much off of your spindles?

[Tommy 17]

yeah i got teh bottom bolts...


i didn't file anythign yet bc i need to make sure its rubbing... i want to set everything up... camber, castor, toe in toe out, and get it all tight... then i'll see if it still rubs... i think its goin to clear by the thickness of a hair...

[Ralph]

make sure u get used to the shocks and make sure they are setup right cause mine were way too soft and i got a broken wrist from it. Thats a lesson i will not ferget...

[Dave400ex]

His shocks are brand new I would hope they are setup right. If not I'm sure Elka would fix them. Sounds like he just needs to raise the ride height. Just let me know on the shocks and spindle since I am running the same setup!

Sounds like a bunch of horsechit to go thru that shouldn't have happened..:rolleyes:

[Ralph]

i have a bad feeling about this setup...

[Tommy 17]

Originally posted by Ralph
i have a bad feeling about this setup...


go read my other post...

[member]

after reading this, im so glad i bought gibsons from k&k that came with the axis shocks and got all my parts in a WEEK i got everything, nothing was left behind... sheesh man your havin some really bad luck:(

[smith]

Well guys. I was in the same boat as you floating along...ordered parts and waiting. I did finally get them quite a while back but due do personel things going on I didn't get right around to putting my CRF together. I now have it together and here's what I found about the Arens stuff (project used his frame, lt a-arms, swing-arm, nerfs, stem and radiator)

All construction was top notch and finish was good. (wait for it was long)
Motor fit in great.
A-arms go in tight...the first time! When I went to install the a-arms, the fit was VERY tight, but it was simply the bushing compressing, not any metal parts not fitting. After the machine was broken in, you could remove the a-arm and slide it right back in. The rubber bushing just needed to seat against the pivot to form a seal, if it where loose to start with, it would never have sealed the dirt out. I did have to file the spindle down on the bottom some, but it was simply putting a small chamfer on the bottom because of the extended travel that I am getting that Honda never planned on when making the EX in the first place, could be a lot worse things in life!
Stem and swing-arm bolted right up no problem.
The small do-dads of completing the CRF conversion took some thinking, but were not that big of a deal. If this were the first time that I was mating a motor into a chassis that it was not originally made for at the manufacturer, I may have been lost, a CRF conversion is definatly NOT a project for a beginner or someone who has very little experience in aftermarket chassis! The carb was a simple hook-up, I used a YFZ air-box and boot, mated it to the carb and a boot from the carb to head with a slight bend was all that it took, very simple.
Exhaust...simply shorten the head-pipe and it slipped together (FMF)
Radiator...bolted up nice with the supplied brackets and used some 250r radiator hoses to fit it up.

All in all, I love this bike. Assembly was pretty good and the parts work great together. Other than the wait, this stuff is awesome. To some of the guys that have have trouble with the stuff, let me know, maybe I can walk you thru what I did, maybe it's not a problem with the product and just the process of assembly? Hopefully my over a decade of experience would help you out because mine seemed to work together fine.
smitee@chartermi.net

[Tommy 17]

it seems like the frame deal some people get a frame that works perfectly fine (like urs) or u get one that some things dont work...


i know of about 5 frames (saw one in person on sunday) and 4 of the 5 have had problems ur the only one that hasn't... most have problems with motor mountings lining up, plastic brackets need to be bent...


overall after putting about 9 laps on my front end on sunday it seemed to be gettin better... i can't tell 100% how it is because i found out i was having a major rear shock problem... i blew a seal on a 3 hour old shock

[smith]

I am wondering after reading many of the posts if I may see what is happening....I am beginning to wonder if for many of the people tackeling the project if it is their first experience in a MAJOR conversion like this, or have very little experience. After doing many projects like this over the years, I guess it comes as second nature some of the little things that need to be done. Many of your plastic little pieces from a stock frame simply don't get used and are replaced with zip-ties or things like filing a spindle are the norm when making a chassis have more travel than when stock. My motor went in fine, but you definatly need to do it properly. The hole tolerance is tight, so the bolts fit thru tight. In order for it to go smootly, you'll need to slip all the bolts thru before tightening all of them, this makes life a whole lot simpler. Any time you make something that fits more than one application, a plastic bracket may need trimming or bending, but it is at least not an item that sacrifices structural integrity of your machine. The front end will seem tight until the bushings break in. Trust me, mine seemed really stiff because at the same time I was breaking in a new set of Elka's! After about a half-hour, all was better and working smooth.
I guess what I am wondering if some of the issues are really "problems" or points where people don't quite see what it is that they are supposed to be doing. Like I said earlier, don't be afraid to drop me an email on some of the issues and I might be able to walk you thru what I did and it'll make your life seem simpler.

[Tommy 17]

the spindels hitting the a-arms is a design mistake... there is no other a-arm on the market that the spindels hit... and these shouldn't be either... yes its a simple fix of grinding off the spindels but you shouldn't have to do that...


holding parts on with zip ties is not a answer to a problem for a poorly made product... it should line up and it should work with minor modifications or none at all... if i was payin for 1200$ - 3,000$ for a frame and parts didn't line up i would be on the phone *****in till they sent me a new frame that worked... you say its a MAJOR conversion... wrong these arens frames are stated to be direct bolt in frames... change the motor mounts and bolt in the new motor and parts... there should be no cuttin, bending, etc... if there is don't sell it as a 450f frame because its not... i'm not just stating this for the arens frame either i mean it for everyone on the market...


many of the problems i've seen with aftermarket frames is design flaws and the mixing of 2 companies parts on the same bike... any moron can bolt a bike together... its when the manufactor of the frame has mistakes or when 2 parts don't line up because they are made by differnt people that some people can't deal with or want to deal with...


i know some companies claim every stock part will bolt up with no modification on their frames... i can even go back and search posts and show that from a few companies on this site alone... but after seeing many of these companies frames in person it amazes me how many are held together with zip ties and other fasterners that they shouldn't be... personally i will never order a aftermarket frame just for the simple fact of i don't wanna deal with all the trouble... i know its hard to get a frame perfect and all but some of them i've seen are WAY off... its not just one company either its almost EVERY one...


btw smith i'm not tryin to flame u just stating my opinion on what i've seen...

[smith]

no, not a problem, not a flame at all.
I guess what I meant was little things like holding electrical lines in place instead of the little tab on stock frames or small stuff to use zip-ties, not major components by any means, sorry if I wasn't being clear.
While this frame is meant for the CRF motor, trying to use EX parts for this, R parts for that, sometimes things aren't always perfect. If fully agree that mix and matching different companies products is a sure-fire way for things to not fit up, that's for certain! I guess when I went to put it together, Arens' stuff went with itself together fine and the motor fit in fine. Connecting the carb/airbox and head-pipe were the only spots that I had to step back, take a deap breath, scratch my head and then go to work.
You are also right that any moron can bolt together a bike (well, almost any moron, some people never cease to amaze us) But a conversion combination dirt-bike with ATV isn't always as clean. At least not on the Laeger or LoneStars that I've built. On the R's that I've done, simple, straight-forward, easy. Combinations, although the chassis was meant for the motor have always been 'fun' with the carb and intake. The conversions have never been as smooth as the 'frame-replacments'. Just my experience though.
You are right again, I've seen things from every company that didn't work right, some worse than others.

[Chef]

Smith, does your chain line up? Mine was about a half inch off. We had to build spacers for the rear sprocket. Also, on the carb mating issue. If the carb is going into the head at an angle, and the fuel shooting from the accelerator pump hits the bottom or side of the port, it will puddle there. This is a very bad thing, something that we had to work out on our 500. In the end, we had to cut a BIG notch out of the back frame tube, as I'm sure you have seen pics of one done. Had to cut out the left side frame rail a little bit too. Granted, my carb is pretty big, and has an even bigger intake bell that was added, but before we cut the frame the carb wouldnt even go between the frame and the motor! Among other things, the swingarm was a b!tch to get in there, and the a-arm mounts on the frame were a little bit too narrow. (The bracket themselves, all 8 of em) One more thing that I personally didnt like, is that the radiator was marketed as a great thing, and when I got it I thought it looked like it was out of a 1974 chevy pickup...Needless to say, there is an Arens Radiator for sale and I am using the Pro Series out of the R.

I just used a TRX450R aftermarket exhaust and welded new mounts on the subframe. Works perfect, but the silencer is a little long.

[smith]

My chain lined up perfect. What are you using for axle/carrier? I've got a Lonestar carrier/axle combintion for a 250r.
Carb...I have it on a slight angle, I know I give up a touch of performance, but it works well, although I know I'm giving up a horse or 2. (It is still faster than a YFZ though) I clear the tubes easily, but maybe it's because I'm useing an air intake from a YFZ?
Installing the swing-arm....ah yes....man did I get frustrated at first! I couldn't get it in at first and thought that I was going to have to pull the motor to get it in! Then I walked away for a minute, played with the dog a bit, and came back. Then I found the magic combination, it almost fell into place! With the proper twist, it will drop in without a problem, but it won't slide straight in because of the frame tubes, talk about a relief, I wasn't looking forward to pulling the motor!
A-arm mounts were fine, but the thick powdercoat make it tight along with new bushings that sort of 'stick' to the powdercoat until they are broken in.
The radiator doesn't look like anything special, but so far, it's working great and keeping the motor cool without too much trouble. The proseries look cool, but not sure if they work better, I haven't tried one of them yet.
I thought about the TRX system, but I'd bought the CRF one before the TRX's where ready, guess I should have waited, eh?

[Chef]

See, on my frame, it was very think spray can red. There wasnt any powdercoating done. I am running an all aluminum RPM rear end. TT Axle, TT Swingarm, and whatever carrier it is. The Pro Series works awesome, kept my PSI 425 below 200 all last season. Hopefully it does the same for my 500 this year.

[smith]

Very thick spray can red? I've never known Arens to use anything other than powdercoat or zinc plating for any of his parts. (and I've bought a lot over the years) I did have one part one time that chiped very easy, but it was due to an error at the powdercoater, not that is was 'kyloned' on with a rattle can. Are you sure is was not powder-coat?
If I ever have trouble with this radiator, I'll have to check it out, but for now it seems to be working fine. I'll take function over beauty for the time being.

[Tommy 17]

my a-arms pc is super strong...


the frame i saw on sunday the pc was SUPER thin and already wearing away also... it was blue...


i've heard of 3 of the frames having horrible powdercoating... very thin almost like paint if it isn't really paint...

[Chef]

I meant very thin red paint...sorry typo. Its crap-it chipped before I got it out of the box.

[Lethalhonda2]

I'm the other person trying to piece together a Arens frame. I have had nothing but problems. First was the steering stem, A-arms being to tight,motor mounts only 2 bolts would line up at a time,swingarm spacers too big, subframe only 3 bolts would line up, Oil cooler lines hitting frame so after talking to John he is sending me stock motor mounts that the top hole is welded so I can redrill the holes. That tells me its poor craftsmanship. I'm not trying to flame anyone either. Just wishing I had a frame that was right!!

[Tommy 17]

that sucks lethal... personally i'd try to get a totaly new frame...

[Lethalhonda2]

I talked to John about it and he didnt understand how bad everything was off. I tried to explain what the problems were and he acted as if all I had to do was grind down this or bend that! I've even taken the frame to a local machine shop and they told me to send it back. I'm just afraid that something else will break because I had to modify it.Just to get the subframe on I had to use a tie down stap hooked to the bumper and the other to the back of the subframe. After ratchetting as far as I could we still couldnt get the bolt into the hole. My dad then used a c-clamp on the frame with the other end on the subframe.With the two we where able to get the bolt in.Now does that seem wrong to anyone? If anyone has a idea how I could have done it better please let me know.I dont think refund is in Johns vocabulary.I wish I lived closer to him because I would deliver it to him myself.:D

[Ralph]

Originally posted by Lethalhonda2
I talked to John about it and he didnt understand how bad everything was off. I tried to explain what the problems were and he acted as if all I had to do was grind down this or bend that! I've even taken the frame to a local machine shop and they told me to send it back. I'm just afraid that something else will break because I had to modify it.Just to get the subframe on I had to use a tie down stap hooked to the bumper and the other to the back of the subframe. After ratchetting as far as I could we still couldnt get the bolt into the hole. My dad then used a c-clamp on the frame with the other end on the subframe.With the two we where able to get the bolt in.Now does that seem wrong to anyone? If anyone has a idea how I could have done it better please let me know.I dont think refund is in Johns vocabulary.I wish I lived closer to him because I would deliver it to him myself.:D

i thought his main goal was that when u get your stuff everything bolts on perfect and now there is modification involved in every arens piece ive read about. I like the fact that i bought from a not so well known company, jd performance, and got way more than i expected. Fast shipping, perfect fit(no grinding down a-arm bushings) great qualitu on the powdercoat, i was able to call them up and had them answe questions at 10:30 at night and didnt recieve any attitude at all.

thats the kind of company i like to do buisness with.

[Tommy 17]

lethal i wouldn't deal with it... that frame would be goin back if it was me...