How to make your own 300EX -> 400EX Shock Relocation Bracket

[blsnelling]

My 300EX had a shock relocation bracket welded on it when I bought it. I thought it was for 400EX shocks. Turns out it was just to lower the quad with the existing shocks. I cut it off and ground the frame clean. I then fabbed up my own bracket to mount the 400EX shocks I bought. It turned out really well.

I started by setting the front of the quad on a jackstand and then lifted the tires up slightly so as to not max out the ball joints at full droop. This is where I set up the bracket to mount the top of the new shocks. Now when I fully compress the 400EX shocks, I'm just a couple inches shy of bottoming out the frame. I'm getting max travel this way.

I started the bracket with 1/8" x 1 1/2" angle iron. You only need a piece less than 12" long. I drilled it so that my top shock eyes were positioned such that my shocks were barely far enough apart to clear the factory shock mounts. I then drilled a piece of 1/8" x 1 1/2" flat stock and bolted it on the back side of the shocks. This esentially created a c-channel. Where the flat stock met the angle iron, I beveled it at a 45* angle in order to get good penetration. There is not room to weld inside the channel with a MIG welder. I welded it together while the old shocks were bolted to it. That way I had perfect allignment of the holes. I then took 3/16" 1 1/4 flat stock and made the straps that end up bolting to the original shock mounts. The back one has to be oddly cut because of the shaped of the factory shock mount. I used the original top shock eye spacers to keep the factory mount from collapsing when bolting the new bracket on. The straps were drilled and bolted on to the orignal shock mounts and the new bracket was bolted to the new shocks which were mounted to the lower a-arm. As I mentioned above, the height of the wheels had already been adjusted for max travel. I then measure and remeasured to make sure things were even and clamped the straps to the new bracket. Only then did I weld the straps onto the new bracket. This way everything was in allignment and fit perfectly once welded up.

Once installed, I could no longer use the factory fender mount. I solved this by cutting off the ends of the mount that bolt to the fender, bolted them to the installed fender in order see the angles they needed to be ground and bent to, and then tack welded them on by reaching up under the fender. I then removed the fenders and finished the welding. All I had to do then was take everything back off, finish my welds, and paint it up. I painted the whole front end while I was at it. Maybe not a perfect paint job but it sure looks better than it did.

$30 of steel from Lowes and you've got yourself a $120 bracket! BTW, my springs are at max preload in these picks, so it's setting pretty high. Sure would be nice to have a set of triple rates!

Front
http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174226504-M.jpg

Back
http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174226532-M.jpg

http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174239011-M.jpg

Front strap.
http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174239039-M.jpg

Back strap cut to clear original mount.
http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174239024-M.jpg

http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174239053-M.jpg

http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174226852-M.jpg

http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174226871-M.jpg

http://tweaker.smugmug.com/photos/174226817-M.jpg

[ZSNOW]

just so you know they put shocks on a angle because you get more travel out of a shock on a angle then a completely up right shock....

[blsnelling]

That certainly makes sense. I'm just not sure the relation to this. What are you saying?

[ZSNOW]

im just saying if you made a bracket that converted it to a long travel suspention set up you could sell it and probably make a lot of money off of it...altho its not what you were after its and idea...

[blsnelling]

That's cool. I just wasn't sure what you was saying. This bracket is really no different than the one you can buy for $120 from JB Racing, I think it is. I simply saved myself some cash. I certainly paid for it though. In sweat and time. I have probably 6 hours in this thing. I'm not a fabricator by trade.

[ZSNOW]

u wouldn't be able to tell by how it came out, it looks awesome

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by ZSNOW
just so you know they put shocks on a angle because you get more travel out of a shock on a angle then a completely up right shock....


Thats completely opposite of true. With the shocks moved further in you can design the arms to travel further, however in this case, it is more reverse engineering. The same principle still applies, but in his case, he is keeping the same wheel travel and losing shock travel.



Also do these shocks bottom out at all? I have a feeling that it will "bottom" by binding balljoints and tie rod ends, and not the shock like it should.

[blsnelling]

I believe it is the shocks bottoming out. I don't thing the ball joint angle is near enough to be the limiting factor. They're not at near the angle they are at full droop. The only thing I question is how soft the shocks seem to be, even with the spring preload maxed out. Of course I never stood on the bumper and jumped before the conversion either. I haven't had a chance to jump it yet. I did do a very high wheelie and then lock the rear brakes. They did not seem to bottom out. I'd like to see what a stock 400EX feels like.

[trompen542]

You could have called KOQ RACING, for 75.00 you could have bought one of their brackets, and saved all that time and sweat

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by blsnelling
I believe it is the shocks bottoming out. I don't thing the ball joint angle is near enough to be the limiting factor. They're not at near the angle they are at full droop. The only thing I question is how soft the shocks seem to be, even with the spring preload maxed out. Of course I never stood on the bumper and jumped before the conversion either. I haven't had a chance to jump it yet. I did do a very high wheelie and then lock the rear brakes. They did not seem to bottom out. I'd like to see what a stock 400EX feels like.

The lower shock mount should be moved out more towards the tire, this would put less leverage on the shock and wouldn't seem so soft. Also at full droop what is holding the arms? Is it the shock or the balljoints, its not good if its the balljoints which I believe it is...:ermm:


This is why companies sell brackets...

Anyone can build the bracket, few know how to make it work correctly. I commend you for trying, but it does need fixin.

[blsnelling]

You're a little quick to pass judgement my friend. I stated in the original post how I positioned the wheels at full droop. I first put the front of the frame on a jackstand. I then blocked up the tires so that they were just shy of full droop. That way I get max travel out of the suspension. I was at the dealer today looking at 400EXs. The lower shock mount is significantly farther out from the frame. That would stiffen the shocks up some. However, a new 400X is still very springy. There is almost no rebound resistance. My shocks are fine. What I found I'm wanting is a set of 450R or similiar shocks. As set from the factory, they are MUCH slower to rebound than a 400EX. I like the looks of YFZ450 shocks even better. They appear to have a dual rate spring on them and consequently, the quad sets lower in the front.

[TRX450RACER174]

YFZ450 shock are not dual rate they are a progressive rate which in sense works like dual rate but you do not have the option of changing just the main or tender spring to make minor changes.

[blsnelling]

That makes sense. I've been reading and I think I'd prefer the YFZ shocks. The quad will set a lot lower and will ride softer for trail riding with the progressive springs. I'm thinking I'll need 400EX a-arms and spindles to set this all up right. I need to get that lower shock mount moved out away from the frame.

[TRX450RACER174]

You definatly need to lower the front some way cause those arms have a pretty steep angle on them but your trying, if you get some shorter shocks and maybe change the arms it should ride better and have more up and down travel.

[blsnelling]

I have the spring preloads maxed out. I did that before I realized that 400EX shocks are just that springy. Also, going to 400EX arms will lower it since the lower shock mounts are farther out. What's the length of YFZ shocks? 400EX shocks are 16 1/4" eye-to-eye.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by blsnelling
I have the spring preloads maxed out. I did that before I realized that 400EX shocks are just that springy. Also, going to 400EX arms will lower it since the lower shock mounts are farther out. What's the length of YFZ shocks? 400EX shocks are 16 1/4" eye-to-eye.

There about the same length.

There is a lot of misinformation in this thread....

Sorry for assuming that you didn't set up the droop correctly.... that you did, however did you still didn't say whether or not you set up the full compress length. Looking at a 400ex frame will tell you nothing about how your frame with custom mounts will work. Everything is different, the weight, the arm length, the shock length, the shock travel... everything. Again I commend you on your work, just trying to lend a helping hand to ensure its set up correctly. Once you get the measurements set up for the shock travel and arm travel, you can always purchase a set of 400ex aftermarket shocks too.

[blsnelling]

No problem. I didn't do anything to measure the compressed length. I can bottom the shocks out if I jump hard on the bumper. They bottom out with the frame only about 2" shy of the ground.

[trx250r180]

if need longer shocks i think 450r or z400 are 16 1/2 long and have compresion and rebound adjustments to help dial in a bit,id recomend 400ex a-arms too your shocks look pretty strait up and down,most atvs ive worked on lower mount is out more torwards wheels

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by blsnelling
No problem. I didn't do anything to measure the compressed length. I can bottom the shocks out if I jump hard on the bumper. They bottom out with the frame only about 2" shy of the ground.

Again I would check to make sure its actually the shock bottom out and not the balljoints binding or anything else. Just a good idea to check.

[blsnelling]

Would I have to remove the spring from the shock in order to check this?

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by blsnelling
Would I have to remove the spring from the shock in order to check this?

Well if your frame is about 2 inches off the ground and it bottoms, I would bet that it is indeed the shocks bottoming, but take the shocks off and see if the frame will hit the ground. If it "bottoms" in the same spot with the shocks off then it is the balljoints binding. If the frame goes down to the ground then your safe.

[blsnelling]

Duh. I hadn't thought of that. I'll give that a try. I won't be home until next week though. I'm on vacation in Floriday this week.

[SET THE STAGE]

Originally posted by ZSNOW
just so you know they put shocks on a angle because you get more travel out of a shock on a angle then a completely up right shock....

they aren't angled because he's not using 400ex/250r arms, tard. their arm shock mounts are further out than the stock 300ex/250x

[blsnelling]

That is exactly correct,,....tard. The 400EX arms would move the lower mount out a couple inches or so. In doing so, that will help stiffen the shocks up a little. I think the ideal setup for me will be 400EX arms and YFZ450 shocks.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by blsnelling
That is exactly correct,,....tard. The 400EX arms would move the lower mount out a couple inches or so. In doing so, that will help stiffen the shocks up a little. I think the ideal setup for me will be 400EX arms and YFZ450 shocks.

If you put on arms where the mount is moved out more, your quad is going to sit a lot lower.

[blsnelling]

And that would be a good thing. That's one reason why I want the YFZ shocks. I've read that they allow you to set the riding height a lot lower.

[SET THE STAGE]

400 arms with yfz shocks is a great combination and looks awesome

http://i18.tinypic.com/6az4jld.jpg
http://i18.tinypic.com/54k3xhg.jpg

[blsnelling]

Nice!

[JOEX]

Originally posted by SET THE STAGE
400 arms with yfz shocks is a great combination and looks awesome

http://i18.tinypic.com/6az4jld.jpg
http://i18.tinypic.com/54k3xhg.jpg
Looks like your front end might need some adjusting....

[SET THE STAGE]

that's not mine. trust me, my front end is fine :p