widening the 400ex

[Louie]

I want to widen my sons 400ex. I'm thinking of going +2 a-arms with 450 shocks, but on the rear axle what would you recommend me getting to get it the same width as the front? Were just trying to get it not to lift when turnig. Thanks

[TYayo420]

I have a lonestar rear axle and wheel spacers, works great for me, im measured in around 48 inches i'm pretty sure.

[exrider49]

i have a lonestar axle and im at 48" w/o spacers...if you wana stay cheap get a g-force out of rocky mountain for $200...or get a brand name like a lonestar axciliber or a RPM dominator...there all +2"+4" so it will look nice with +2" a-arms..i am running +3 jb racing a-arms with douglas 4:1 offset rims so prtty much its +2 but no bump steer with the rims..

[togup]

check out diamondjcustoms.com they have widening kits for most atvs for around 200 bucks and there super easy to install, i put one on my 250ex and was riding in a couple of hours. on the other hand i had to spend major money on my 400ex extended axle dual row carrier extended a arms extended brake lines and im embarrased to say how much a new pair of shocks with ressies costed me so it boils down to time and money.

[F-16Guy]

Don't get a "widening kit"; it will totally alter the geometry of the front end. You'll have bump-steer like you wouldn't believe. Get a set of decent a-arms, and if you have to go cheap on the back, you can get a set of Tusk hubs to widen the rear. I have a G-Force axle, and it's really holding up well.

[Scott S]

I got the Durablue from Rocky Mountain.

[brokenmike]

I think rocky mountain has extended rear hubs for 79.99.I have a durablue extended axle and offset rims and I measure around 50-3/4.An extended axle helps ALOT for stability

[Louie]

What size extended axle are you all using?

Originally posted by Louie
What size extended axle are you all using?

I have a lonestar and its adjustable. Theirs 2 spacers on each side of the axle (not wheele spacers) that allow you to adj how long the axle is. I think lonestar axles for 400ex are only +3 not 4 but im not sure. A 400ex rear is 45" wide stock. With the lonestar axle it is about 48". Thats a 3" gain. I read in a mag thats its only +3 too.
You dont want your rear wider than the front if it is you will tend to clip more things like rocks, trees, peoples tires.

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by F-16Guy
Don't get a "widening kit"; it will totally alter the geometry of the front end. You'll have bump-steer like you wouldn't believe. Get a set of decent a-arms, and if you have to go cheap on the back, you can get a set of Tusk hubs to widen the rear. I have a G-Force axle, and it's really holding up well.

have you actually tried them out?

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by Kaleigh
have you actually tried them out?

Anyone with even a little mechanical background can tell you that you are going to get crazy bumpsteer from one of those Diamond J custom kits. Regardless of how strong it is, I wouldn't put one on just for the fact it is going to make it handle TERRIBLE!

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
Anyone with even a little mechanical background can tell you that you are going to get crazy bumpsteer from one of those Diamond J custom kits. Regardless of how strong it is, I wouldn't put one on just for the fact it is going to make it handle TERRIBLE!

actually someone on here has tried them and said that they had little to no problem with them.. no bumpsteer..

i really dont understand how you would get more bumpsteer.. cause the goemetry is almost the same as a utility ATV.. wider body. shorter a-arms..

Originally posted by Kaleigh

i really dont understand how you would get more bumpsteer.. cause the goemetry is almost the same as a utility ATV.. wider body. shorter a-arms..

Yeah and they handle like crap too dont they. Thats why kawi made their 450 the way they did. It would handle better and be cheeper to just buy spacers. The frame kit would probably be fine for short track and flat track but mx nope. For trail it should be fine.
Some one on the forums has the kit and said they took it off right away after they got it and the tie rod snapped right away.

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by SilverClub
Yeah and they handle like crap too dont they. Thats why kawi made their 450 the way they did. It would handle better and be cheeper to just buy spacers. The frame kit would probably be fine for short track and flat track but mx nope. For trail it should be fine.
Some one on the forums has the kit and said they took it off right away after they got it and the tie rod snapped right away.

im not gona argue about this.. cause we'll never know ourselves only cause we dont have them..

as for the guy that took them off.. you have to remember if your front end is wider then your rear you will have handling issues and if you rear if wider then your front you will also have handling issues..

Originally posted by Kaleigh
im not gona argue about this.. cause we'll never know ourselves only cause we dont have them..

as for the guy that took them off.. you have to remember if your front end is wider then your rear you will have handling issues and if you rear if wider then your front you will also have handling issues..

Well the people that buy the kit, if they say it handles good then they never drove a quad with a good front end set up.

[Louie]

I'll start a Diamond J custom thread to see who has them that might share some insight.

[400exrider707]

Its not a theory that they make the handling worse, they do, if someone rode on one and said they didn't notice anything well then they must go under 2mph and their suspension isn't moving at all. If you do a little research on suspension design and handling characteristics you will see why they are a TERRIBLE idea.

[togup]

I bought the kit and some rear spacers and the shock conversion (400ex shock) because i didnt want to spend a bunch of doe, the geomrtry does not change the ride is better,BUT....aint nuttin like my ex theres no comparison!
GT Thunder+3 a-arms
Works AT steelers
G Force +3 axle
lone star dual row carrier

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by togup
I bought the kit and some rear spacers and the shock conversion (400ex shock) because i didnt want to spend a bunch of doe, the geomrtry does not change the ride is better,BUT....aint nuttin like my ex theres no comparison!
GT Thunder+3 a-arms
Works AT steelers
G Force +3 axle
lone star dual row carrier


Explain this better because you are pretty much contradicting everything you said.


THEY DO CHANGE GEOMETRY, you cant argue this, it is a proven fact, they make the handling worse. If you didn't notice it, you have no clue what you're doing, its as simple as that.

[togup]

what do you want me to explain ,the only thing different is the shocks (softer ride) the a arms are only further apart they havent changed angle, but i cant argue with you you seem to know so much about it so i'll just shut up and let your point of view be the only one.

[Louie]

So what do you all like better, +2 or +4 a-arms for the 400ex? I'm thinking of going +2 only because i wont have to change lines, but then again it's not a big deal to change them. A +4 would be nice. kinda like my LTR, and maby the adjustable lonestar axle. Watcha think?

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by togup
what do you want me to explain ,the only thing different is the shocks (softer ride) the a arms are only further apart they havent changed angle, but i cant argue with you you seem to know so much about it so i'll just shut up and let your point of view be the only one.


No no no, I just didn't understand what you were saying is all. You said you had the kit and spacers, but then right below you had +3 arms and an axle and stuff, it just wasn't clear to me is all.:p

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by Louie
So what do you all like better, +2 or +4 a-arms for the 400ex? I'm thinking of going +2 only because i wont have to change lines, but then again it's not a big deal to change them. A +4 would be nice. kinda like my LTR, and maby the adjustable lonestar axle. Watcha think?


Where can you get +4's? Do you only ride MX. Just to clear this up, I'm not sure if you know or not so dont take this the wrong way, but the +2 arms is +2 per side so that is +4 overall. I think you will be more than happy with +2's. Its a great investment.

Originally posted by Louie
So what do you all like better, +2 or +4 a-arms for the 400ex? I'm thinking of going +2 only because i wont have to change lines, but then again it's not a big deal to change them. A +4 would be nice. kinda like my LTR, and maby the adjustable lonestar axle. Watcha think?

I would get +3. Every inch makes a differance. 400ex front is 43" wide. Add a nother 3" per side = +6 so it puts you at 49". 49" is perfect right where you want to be. People read that the 400ex stock is 45" wide so they think to get +2 to make them 49" wide up front. What they dont know is the rear is 45" and the front is 42-43" stock.

I think with even +2 arms you would need longer lines at less your bars are lower than stock.

The cheepest A-arms yet may be the strongest since their one of the only A-arms with a full life time warinty is ASR A-arms. Buy them from the quadpartsguy (i think thats the name) off ebay. He sells them for in the $300's :eek2: :cool: