Front wheel spacers???

[hondardr4life]

I can't decide what I want to use to make the front end of my quad wider. I have looked into 400ex a-arms, offset rims, and wheel spacers. I am leaning towards wheel spacers, just because they are cheap, and it will give me an extra 3 inches total in the font. I don't know how much wider the 400 a arms make it, but it seems to handle a lot worse than a 300 with offset rims or wheel spacers. Rims are also expensive too. I have had a few people tell me that I will surely bend my frame if I put spacers on the front, I don't believe it, but what do you guys think? I personally think that spacers are the way to go, but I just need a few opinions before I buy something. And no, I am not going to buy aftermarket a-arms, because I don't have $400 to spend when I can spen $50 to make it wider.

[Bush0102]

your handling will go to crap if you use wheel spacers. I have a friend who used durablue spacers on his 400EX, and he said bump steer was terrible. They eventually broke on a 20 foot double. I'd advise against it unless you only do flat track racing- it's just not durable enough.


Unfortunately, there arent really that many cheap and easy solutions for suspension upgrades. Usually the cost of the damage caused by these things are more expensive than the aftermarket parts that should have been purchased to begin with.

[YFZ450Ridr]

i have 3inch wheel spacers from CRJ Performance. they work alot better for me than stock width. the handling was improved a little and bumpsteer isnt that bad at all. i ride mostly trails and dont jump alot so its not really a big issue for me bending or breaking anything. the spacers i have are guarenteed not to bed or break anything and there is a warrenty on them. they screw onto the existing studs on the hubs. i think the site is www.crjperformance.com

[Rdhanded2]

Originally posted by 250EXridr
i have 3inch wheel spacers from CRJ Performance. they work alot better for me than stock width. the handling was improved a little and bumpsteer isnt that bad at all. i ride mostly trails and dont jump alot so its not really a big issue for me bending or breaking anything. [/url]

If you ride mostly trails, and don't jump, why the heck do you want wheel spacers? I understand not jumping, so you think they won't break. But I like stock width for trails, cause some of the ones I ride get pretty narrow. Just my $.02

[wilkin250r]

First of all, it's not called bumpsteer. Bumpsteer is when the hit a bump or a whoop, compress the suspension, and the wheel turns because of the different angles of the a-arms and tie-rods. Bumpsteer has NOTHING to do with the feedback force you feel through your handlebars.

Second, this is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard.

Originally posted by Bush0102
They eventually broke on a 20 foot double. I'd advise against it unless you only do flat track racing- it's just not durable enough.

Of COURSE they broke on a 20ft double. Duh. You shouldn't be using them for jumping at all. A foot or two is probably fine, but they're certainly not able to withstand a 20ft double.

[YFZ450Ridr]

Originally posted by Rdhanded2
If you ride mostly trails, and don't jump, why the heck do you want wheel spacers? I understand not jumping, so you think they won't break. But I like stock width for trails, cause some of the ones I ride get pretty narrow. Just my $.02

well i do jump but not like 20 foot doubles or anything. just small 10 foot little ones. i got them because believe it or not it did help in handling a little. my 250 has horrible handling to begin with so i thought id give spacers a try.

[hondardr4life]

Remember again, that you have a 250ex. With the stuff on my 300, it is as capable as a 400ex. I don't race, nor do I plan on racing, I am just a trail rider, but I will occasionally hit some jumps where I get maybe 3 or 4 foot at the most high, and clear MAYBE 10 feet.the biggest I have ever jumped is prolly 15 ft gap, but I don't plan on doing that again. I mainly go fast, ride wide trails, and climb hills A LOT.

[clutt225]

I ran durablue 1.5 spacers on the front and 2.5 on the rear for 2 years. Ice racing, TT racing, riding motocross tracks, and agresive trail riding. Jumped 30ft tables and 20ft doubles. Never had a problem with the spacers other than to much leverage on the front end. It will tire you out fast. A friend broke his axle runing the same set up. But he cased a 35ft double, somthing had to give. I think the wheel spacers are a great cheap allternative but it is a risk, you get what you pay for. This year I have switched to houser +2 with tripple rate shocks the improvement is unbellivable, well worth it, should have done it 2 years ago. but hey you ride what you can aford. Hope that helps, there not that bad, yet not that great.
good luck!

This was on a 400ex.


you can allways try fliping your factory rims to change the offset.

[fasterblaster09]

i tried flippin my stock rims for offset...the valve stem hits the breaks..(on 300ex)

[LsMxRaCeR]

flippin your rims would be easy.all you gotta do is take them to a four wheeler shop and they'll do it

[hondardr4life]

Yea, I did flip my rims around, but as fasterblaster09 said, the valve stem hits the brake caliper. Is there any way to change that? Like get a shorter valve stem?

[clutt225]

Turn the valve stem inside out, and drill another hole on the other side of the rim. The old valve stem will act like a plug.