pharit
09-04-2007, 05:12 PM
I did some asking around and seems that you guys wanted a write up on how to do grab handles on your YFZ’s.
Well over Labor Day weekend I finally got them on my YFZ, with a little help from Derek Guetter and Cole Stoltenberg (Owner of Derek Guetters Old Freestyle YFZ). This write up will point you in the right direction of making your handles and help you out cutting your seat also.
BUT I AM IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOUR QUAD OR ATV. I AM SIMPLY WRITING THIS TO GIVE ADVICE AND HELP PEOPLE OUT.
Some Tools you will need.
• Metric Wrenches and Socket
• Torch
• Bucket-o-Water (For cooling the metal after its been cut)
• Pliers
• Work Bench Vice
• 5lb hammer
• Soap Stone
• Anvil (if you have one
• Grinder
• Safety Glasses (tinted if possible Cutting torches get bright too)
• Leather Gloves (Sometimes that bucket of water doesn’t cool that good)
• Key Hole Saw or Die grinder with cutting wheel.
• Staple Gun
Ok so what you are going to want to start off with is a couple pieces of 2 inch steel. Thickness is up to you but I think I used 1/8 inch. And cut them to about 14 inches. Now these will be a little long when you lay them where you will be mounting them, but you have to have the extra for the bending of the steel.
http://a476.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/120/l_00f7e4b4d275f9f3c4fc4efd0074c47b.jpg
http://a804.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/122/l_ecb7a14a7465920605a0b2741d90d61b.jpg
For now the mounting, I used factory holes, the fender mount where the radiator shroud piece and gas tank cover meet, and the back of the Air box. They fit just fine and are very sturdy. (INSERT PIC)
Now I started by Grinding metal slag and other crap off my steel because I used a torch to cut the steel to length and for the most part of this project.
Ok Since everything is cut and clean now, I went ahead and notched the outside corner of the steel so it would fit better with the plastic and also to try and center up the bolt hole as much as possible with the new steel handle.
http://a146.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_45843a8c30cbbd620d47b87e95eff209.jpg
You can go ahead and notch the corners and drill your holes if you want too.
Now here is where we get to bending the metal. Now you can bend as close to the hole you just driledl or farther away, its just personal preference, and I went about 2inches from the end of the steel and marked it with the soap stone.
http://a40.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_0027807c9aff4cda99a3bd39c83b6c27.jpg
Now you want to put the Piece of steel in the vice and clamp it on the soap stone, because that is where you’ll be bending it. Now get your Bucket-0-water ready and get your leather gloves and safety glasses on. Now if you’ve never used a torch, get someone who has or someone who can teach you.
http://a683.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/114/l_f65ad3a1f7a2635870942a28d855f7a2.jpg
Now if you can use a torch apply the flame to the base where your steel is clamped. And when it’s finally glowing, Grab the top of the steel with some pliers and slowly start to bend it. After you got the bend you want grab the steel with the Pliers un-clamp it from the vice and dip it in the water so it cools and keep the steel strong and hard.
Now the curve of your handle it up to you, I made mine to where I know I’ll be able to get my fat hand into the hole, So once again, personal preference.
Now that you have your first bend in the Steel you can stick, the flat steel back into the vice. What I did was take the smaller portion of steel that I just bent, clamp it into the vice so it was sticking out the bottom so I could get my curve of my handle. Once I again I just heated up the steel like before and bent it. Now if you like the look of just straight angles in the handles you can leave them. I however did not like the straight angles of the metal so I heated up the curve and took the flat steel to the anvil and gave them a little curve as you can see.
http://a200.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/100/l_d56973c489e53a29988e3ed71127f27f.jpg
There basically that’s half the battle. You can make your grab handles as long as you want but I choose to make mine about two hand lengths long, more area to grab less chance to miss, that’s the way I looked at it.
http://a178.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/115/l_6165faf153e48493727b5e7f1ffb2c89.jpg
http://a975.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/77/l_7631f7a8a4366347f888f83a8a636496.jpg
To make the bends at the back of the handles (Air box mounting holes) just do the same as before with the torch just remember to dip the steel into the Bucket – o water when you’re done cutting. Just remember the bend to get to the actual mounting hole will be a lot longer than in front. Now if you do have some steel left over go ahead and blow it off with a torch or cutting wheel.
http://a456.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/126/l_8ecab60650f3f5f7465b70fb231d2047.jpg
http://a115.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/70/l_8c252a9b4a02571a8b7a98182c2d2c8a.jpg
Also another thing you can do is just work on one handle until it is you want then just shape the other piece of steel until it matches. It’s a lot easier then doing them at the same time.
http://a567.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_4061dd552108f4f7d86ad32c410360a6.jpg
http://a57.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/127/l_8fdd0ebf6684e9f597b0b1a42ba10180.jpg
Ok since you now have your new grab handle or handles you may be asking your self What the F*ck do I do about my seat now……It’s easy. First you will want to take out most of the staples along both sides of your seat cover and pull it out of the way until you see the foam at the plastic. Now you can cut this different ways, A Key hole saw, Cutting wheel or if you really have a lot of time on your hands a razor blade, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
http://a469.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/68/l_ff7041b88b77b8f212629efaed340314.jpg
This is really up to how you designed your grab handles on how they are going to fit. Mine ended up matching up with some of the factory lines on the bottom of the seat and I just cut along them. Then I went ahead and rounded off the harsh 90 degree corners I left in that tough plastic so it didn’t rip threw the seat cover. Now as much as you would like to keep that seat foam in the seat, sorry some of it has to go, not a lot but some. What I did was took a razor blade with the seat sitting on the work bench like it would be on the quad and went half way up the foam from the bottom and cut a horizontal line and matched the length the amount of plastic I also cut out. Then cut out along the plastic on the bottom and it should just pull out.
Another thing I suggest if you can and money allows, Buy another seat If possible, this seat isn’t very comfortable if you plan on racing MX or do the occasional trail ride. Now there was no way in hell I was cutting up my comfy 06 seat so I went out and found a hard 04 seat and hacked it up, I picked it up for like 40 bucks so it’s worth it.
Now you will need some ones help to stretch the seat cover and other to run the staple gun. Remember the more stables the better, as you seen from the factory staple job they spared no expense.
Now depending on how you made the grab handles you may have to shave off the other little plastic mounting tab in the middle of the seat. Sorry, no picture of this but you can’t miss it.
Well over Labor Day weekend I finally got them on my YFZ, with a little help from Derek Guetter and Cole Stoltenberg (Owner of Derek Guetters Old Freestyle YFZ). This write up will point you in the right direction of making your handles and help you out cutting your seat also.
BUT I AM IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOUR QUAD OR ATV. I AM SIMPLY WRITING THIS TO GIVE ADVICE AND HELP PEOPLE OUT.
Some Tools you will need.
• Metric Wrenches and Socket
• Torch
• Bucket-o-Water (For cooling the metal after its been cut)
• Pliers
• Work Bench Vice
• 5lb hammer
• Soap Stone
• Anvil (if you have one
• Grinder
• Safety Glasses (tinted if possible Cutting torches get bright too)
• Leather Gloves (Sometimes that bucket of water doesn’t cool that good)
• Key Hole Saw or Die grinder with cutting wheel.
• Staple Gun
Ok so what you are going to want to start off with is a couple pieces of 2 inch steel. Thickness is up to you but I think I used 1/8 inch. And cut them to about 14 inches. Now these will be a little long when you lay them where you will be mounting them, but you have to have the extra for the bending of the steel.
http://a476.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/120/l_00f7e4b4d275f9f3c4fc4efd0074c47b.jpg
http://a804.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/122/l_ecb7a14a7465920605a0b2741d90d61b.jpg
For now the mounting, I used factory holes, the fender mount where the radiator shroud piece and gas tank cover meet, and the back of the Air box. They fit just fine and are very sturdy. (INSERT PIC)
Now I started by Grinding metal slag and other crap off my steel because I used a torch to cut the steel to length and for the most part of this project.
Ok Since everything is cut and clean now, I went ahead and notched the outside corner of the steel so it would fit better with the plastic and also to try and center up the bolt hole as much as possible with the new steel handle.
http://a146.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_45843a8c30cbbd620d47b87e95eff209.jpg
You can go ahead and notch the corners and drill your holes if you want too.
Now here is where we get to bending the metal. Now you can bend as close to the hole you just driledl or farther away, its just personal preference, and I went about 2inches from the end of the steel and marked it with the soap stone.
http://a40.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_0027807c9aff4cda99a3bd39c83b6c27.jpg
Now you want to put the Piece of steel in the vice and clamp it on the soap stone, because that is where you’ll be bending it. Now get your Bucket-0-water ready and get your leather gloves and safety glasses on. Now if you’ve never used a torch, get someone who has or someone who can teach you.
http://a683.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/114/l_f65ad3a1f7a2635870942a28d855f7a2.jpg
Now if you can use a torch apply the flame to the base where your steel is clamped. And when it’s finally glowing, Grab the top of the steel with some pliers and slowly start to bend it. After you got the bend you want grab the steel with the Pliers un-clamp it from the vice and dip it in the water so it cools and keep the steel strong and hard.
Now the curve of your handle it up to you, I made mine to where I know I’ll be able to get my fat hand into the hole, So once again, personal preference.
Now that you have your first bend in the Steel you can stick, the flat steel back into the vice. What I did was take the smaller portion of steel that I just bent, clamp it into the vice so it was sticking out the bottom so I could get my curve of my handle. Once I again I just heated up the steel like before and bent it. Now if you like the look of just straight angles in the handles you can leave them. I however did not like the straight angles of the metal so I heated up the curve and took the flat steel to the anvil and gave them a little curve as you can see.
http://a200.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/100/l_d56973c489e53a29988e3ed71127f27f.jpg
There basically that’s half the battle. You can make your grab handles as long as you want but I choose to make mine about two hand lengths long, more area to grab less chance to miss, that’s the way I looked at it.
http://a178.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/115/l_6165faf153e48493727b5e7f1ffb2c89.jpg
http://a975.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/77/l_7631f7a8a4366347f888f83a8a636496.jpg
To make the bends at the back of the handles (Air box mounting holes) just do the same as before with the torch just remember to dip the steel into the Bucket – o water when you’re done cutting. Just remember the bend to get to the actual mounting hole will be a lot longer than in front. Now if you do have some steel left over go ahead and blow it off with a torch or cutting wheel.
http://a456.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/126/l_8ecab60650f3f5f7465b70fb231d2047.jpg
http://a115.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/70/l_8c252a9b4a02571a8b7a98182c2d2c8a.jpg
Also another thing you can do is just work on one handle until it is you want then just shape the other piece of steel until it matches. It’s a lot easier then doing them at the same time.
http://a567.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_4061dd552108f4f7d86ad32c410360a6.jpg
http://a57.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/127/l_8fdd0ebf6684e9f597b0b1a42ba10180.jpg
Ok since you now have your new grab handle or handles you may be asking your self What the F*ck do I do about my seat now……It’s easy. First you will want to take out most of the staples along both sides of your seat cover and pull it out of the way until you see the foam at the plastic. Now you can cut this different ways, A Key hole saw, Cutting wheel or if you really have a lot of time on your hands a razor blade, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
http://a469.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/68/l_ff7041b88b77b8f212629efaed340314.jpg
This is really up to how you designed your grab handles on how they are going to fit. Mine ended up matching up with some of the factory lines on the bottom of the seat and I just cut along them. Then I went ahead and rounded off the harsh 90 degree corners I left in that tough plastic so it didn’t rip threw the seat cover. Now as much as you would like to keep that seat foam in the seat, sorry some of it has to go, not a lot but some. What I did was took a razor blade with the seat sitting on the work bench like it would be on the quad and went half way up the foam from the bottom and cut a horizontal line and matched the length the amount of plastic I also cut out. Then cut out along the plastic on the bottom and it should just pull out.
Another thing I suggest if you can and money allows, Buy another seat If possible, this seat isn’t very comfortable if you plan on racing MX or do the occasional trail ride. Now there was no way in hell I was cutting up my comfy 06 seat so I went out and found a hard 04 seat and hacked it up, I picked it up for like 40 bucks so it’s worth it.
Now you will need some ones help to stretch the seat cover and other to run the staple gun. Remember the more stables the better, as you seen from the factory staple job they spared no expense.
Now depending on how you made the grab handles you may have to shave off the other little plastic mounting tab in the middle of the seat. Sorry, no picture of this but you can’t miss it.