Can i get by

[mad440]

I have an 01 400ex mods in sig. It was originally set-up for mx, but after some time racing local mx i realized i really wanted to race xc instead, fits my style better and im faster at it. my question is would i be able to get by with +2 arms for my first couple races or would i be too wide. i ride tight trails with it now but having never been on a xc track i really have nothing to compare how tight the trails are there compared to the trails i ride. thanks for the help/input

["THE ShoP"]

I do XC an some reals small trails an I have no problem at all,almost everyone I know is running a +1 1/2 or +2 setup for XC. If you've been riding it like that than your probly used to it. some people that say its to wide just never rode a setup like that or just got it an it was a big change for the an they hit acouple of trees cause there not use to it, but I think you'll be fine

an all the tracks Ive seen have plenty of room for a +2 setup,don't get me wrong there are some tight sections but you'll make it just fine with room to spare

[mad440]

Thanks bro that helps out a lot, because i was not lookin forward to buyin new arms at the moment and the clearance issue was my only concern with the +2s, now i have to worry about my cut stock front plastics..haha

[400exrider707]

Just get 4:1 rims for the front if you dont already have some;)

[mad440]

no i dont have them yet, still tryin to save the money, sold my other rims so im on stockers now. i'm tryin to go hiper all the way round but after you buy the rims and them wrap them in good rubber its a grand plus. For the rear what would you recommend the hiper 3+6 offset or the 4+5 offset, it says they are both for xc but im wondering what would be a better offset

["THE ShoP"]

the 4:1 is the offset of the rim. a stock front wheel is 4:1 thats fine.as for the rear get the 4:5 offset witch would be the same as a stock rear,an def hiper's you'll never have to buy another rim again

[A A R O N]

I believe a stock front rim is 3:2, not 4:1....

["THE ShoP"]

stock is 4:1 read this

4:1 Offset - This offset is 4 inches inside and 1 inch out side. This is usually only used on 400ex's with +3 a-arms to stay under 50 inches. This is not that common unless you go with the hyper rims but you can find it if you look. This is also close to stock offset but you will lose an inch when running it. 4:1's corner better and handle all around better then other offsets because it gives the right steering axis inclination (SAI).>> Stock offset is about 4:1 <<and the spindles are designed to have the right SAI with that offset. What SAI means is that if you drew a line thru the center of the ball joints while looking at them from the front, it should hit the ground at the same place a line drawn straight down thru the center of the rim does. This is why the spindle is made with the top ball joint closer to the frame than the lower joint. If you change the offset of the wheels these two lines no longer intersect at the ground. The more the difference the more the leverage that the tires have against you (the handlebars) when any size bump is hit. This leads to more bump steer. Changing from a 4:1 to 3:2 rim adds one inch of leverage to the SAI. A 2:3 rim which many people use to widen the front adds two inches of leverage and more bump steer. Also a steering dampner is used to help this bump steer. A steering damper trys to compensate for the bump steer by making the leverage push against it. People with wider offset wheels will notice a bigger improvement from a steering damper but it is still a helpful modification to any quad. So a wider quad does not always handle and perform better then a narrower one. So a 4:1 wheel gets the SAI where it was designed to be with the spindle to give you better contol. This better control can easily overide the advantage of a wider front for cornering so wider is not always better. Hopefully i have helped some others. Thanks!

[quadgeek631]

Originally posted by A A R O N
I believe a stock front rim is 3:2, not 4:1....

I think he's right.... 3:2 is stock.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by "THE ShoP"
stock is 4:1 read this

4:1 Offset - This offset is 4 inches inside and 1 inch out side. This is usually only used on 400ex's with +3 a-arms to stay under 50 inches. This is not that common unless you go with the hyper rims but you can find it if you look. This is also close to stock offset but you will lose an inch when running it. 4:1's corner better and handle all around better then other offsets because it gives the right steering axis inclination (SAI).>> Stock offset is about 4:1 <<and the spindles are designed to have the right SAI with that offset. What SAI means is that if you drew a line thru the center of the ball joints while looking at them from the front, it should hit the ground at the same place a line drawn straight down thru the center of the rim does. This is why the spindle is made with the top ball joint closer to the frame than the lower joint. If you change the offset of the wheels these two lines no longer intersect at the ground. The more the difference the more the leverage that the tires have against you (the handlebars) when any size bump is hit. This leads to more bump steer. Changing from a 4:1 to 3:2 rim adds one inch of leverage to the SAI. A 2:3 rim which many people use to widen the front adds two inches of leverage and more bump steer. Also a steering dampner is used to help this bump steer. A steering damper trys to compensate for the bump steer by making the leverage push against it. People with wider offset wheels will notice a bigger improvement from a steering damper but it is still a helpful modification to any quad. So a wider quad does not always handle and perform better then a narrower one. So a 4:1 wheel gets the SAI where it was designed to be with the spindle to give you better contol. This better control can easily overide the advantage of a wider front for cornering so wider is not always better. Hopefully i have helped some others. Thanks!


Stock is NOT 4:1, please do not post wrong information if you dont know what you're talking about.

Stock wheels on hondas are 10x5.5 anyways. If you buy a douglas or ITP at 10X5, they make it close to stock as possible. 3:2. 4:1 is used to make it narrower and handle better.


That entire thing you posted makes about half sense. Adding wider rims will not effect bump steer. Any half-witted person with a few different offset rims and a jackstand can see this. Go put your front end in the air and put different rims on it and see for yourself.

[northwest Texas]

I can tell you I have +3's and with stock wheels I measure exactly 50" wide. With 3/2's I'm at 52" wide

I don't know what the exact measurement is since I haven't measured but I'm guessing it's somewhere at the 4/1.5 #'s

I admit I don't know for sure but that's what I have.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by northwest Texas
I can tell you I have +3's and with stock wheels I measure exactly 50" wide. With 3/2's I'm at 52" wide

I don't know what the exact measurement is since I haven't measured but I'm guessing it's somewhere at the 4/1.5 #'s

I admit I don't know for sure but that's what I have.

The way your arms and shocks are setup also play a role in the width of your quad. 3:2 is the closest to stock offered by aftermarket. They are more like 3.5:2, which would still be the same as 3:2 measured at the outside. You could pull up on the bumper to extend your shocks a bit and let go and it would still change. Also your measurements would mean your as wide as a 450R which leads me to believe something isn't right. What are your camber and toe settings as well as ride height and tires?

[northwest Texas]

Like you, I initially thought the stock offset was about 3.5/2 so I thought nothing about it when I picked up a set of used 3/2's. It wasn't until I mounted them that I realized something wasn't right. I was 52" wide. I haven't taken the time to measure the wheels so I really can't say about offsets.

I'm still running the stock tire combination and if I remember right my camber is 3 or 4 degrees, I don't remember for sure. I have very little toe in at about 1/8" per side.

Here's a pic for you with the Douglas 3/2's. Don't have any good ones of the stocks to compare.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e230/kyle_nwtx/Honda%20400EX/P1050039.jpg