Long Travel

[Jnine]

"Long Travel" is a great sounding term, but what most guys don't understand is that although a part may be advertised as "long travel" it doesn't offer any more wheel travel. There are a few companies (even listed on this board) that offer what they call a long travel suspension but actually the wheel only moves about 1/8" farther than normal! That's it! The only thing "long travel" about it is the shock, which actually offers a longer stroke, and hopefully more precise valving. Here is the problem.. The ball joints and pivots that nearly every company uses are an off-the-shelf pivot or ball joint, which are limited in their travel by the stops built into them. Most of those parts were designed for cars or trucks, which don't jump too well. The ONLY solution to this problem so far is the Laeger T-Pin, but it is quite complicated and takes a lot of rebuilding to keep it working freely. The price is also astronomical. Until somebody designs a joint specifally for ATVs, travel is pretty much maxed out. As they say, the numbers don't lie.

[racerx573]

Are you talkin about the Houser? I'm just wondering what front ends youre referring to? I know exactly what your talking about, though. Even though the long travel shocks have longer bodies and shafts, the pivot joint may not allow it to be fully extended. I still think the t-pin is the best thing out there.

[Extremeracer167]

Well that is the case in the fronts. The rear long travel shocks get LONGER TRAVEL. The fronts u may not be getting alot more travel, but with the larger bodies, it holds more oil, and it allows the valving to wrok MUCH better! So there is def. a HUGE gain when u switch to the long travel setup.

Valid points and the protrax is not avail for many quads.

One thing missing is the 19" LT houser set up (and others I believe) that allow full drop of the a-arms. If I remember correctly the shock actually stops the suspension from droping an additional 2 or 3" (at the spindle)

So there are longer travel suspensions avail you just need to do some homework.

[cdalejef]

I'm getting just over 12" of travel from the frame to the ground on my Elka/Houser long travel setup!

[Extremeracer167]

Hoepfully i will be getting clsoe tot aht also. If thats the case, ill have 11" in the rear and 12" up front........sounds good to me!!

If thats the case, ill have 11" in the rear

:eek: one of those huh :eek:

JK

[boogiechile]

Auto tie rod ends that are used for atv ball joints do limit travel and have to be positioned at the correct angle just to get all the travel available with 16 inch shocks. However most of the long travel setups switch to heim joints and/ or spherical bearings for ball joints. These offer much more range of motion and therefore the ability for long travel. They even come in "high misalignment" models if more range is needed. Leagers claims to have a special ball joint. It looks like a automotive joint but they say they have it built special with more range of motion. Not sure if it has enough added range for a true LT with 19 " shocks though. If buyng LT stuff this is a valid point and you need to make sure the arms use heim or spherical bearings for joints.

Another potential problem with LT is that if it does not raise your ride height it has way more sag than is normal. A good portion of the travel is used in sag so when you land there is only oil dampening in a greater portion on the jounce before the spring comes in to play. If it is set up with normal sag and ride height, then a lot of the extra travel comes after the frame has bottomed, doing no real good. So you can see how much has to go into the design to get it all right. LT works and is better than the regular 16" shock stuff, but be careful what you get and ask plenty of questions before you buy. You need to also asked what the motion ratio of the setup is. adding travel can be done by increasing motion ratio, but once it passes 2 to 1 its gets hard to tune shocks to work very well.

[Extremeracer167]

Thats why u just go and buy houser!!!:D

[trx400ex]

Originally posted by boogiechile
Auto tie rod ends that are used for atv ball joints do limit travel and have to be positioned at the correct angle just to get all the travel available with 16 inch shocks. However most of the long travel setups switch to heim joints and/ or spherical bearings for ball joints. These offer much more range of motion and therefore the ability for long travel. They even come in "high misalignment" models if more range is needed. Leagers claims to have a special ball joint. It looks like a automotive joint but they say they have it built special with more range of motion. Not sure if it has enough added range for a true LT with 19 " shocks though. If buyng LT stuff this is a valid point and you need to make sure the arms use heim or spherical bearings for joints.

Another potential problem with LT is that if it does not raise your ride height it has way more sag than is normal. A good portion of the travel is used in sag so when you land there is only oil dampening in a greater portion on the jounce before the spring comes in to play. If it is set up with normal sag and ride height, then a lot of the extra travel comes after the frame has bottomed, doing no real good. So you can see how much has to go into the design to get it all right. LT works and is better than the regular 16" shock stuff, but be careful what you get and ask plenty of questions before you buy. You need to also asked what the motion ratio of the setup is. adding travel can be done by increasing motion ratio, but once it passes 2 to 1 its gets hard to tune shocks to work very well.

sound like you know what your talking about!

yeah, just go buy houser.....

[Dave400ex]

What about the Long Travels that use Heim Joints? Like Walsh and Herrmann?

[Extremeracer167]

well.....thats why u buy houser, they use them too!! :D

[Pro400EXC]

Jnine is John Arens, so I think he knows what he's talking about.......

Also, what do you think would be better,ok I wanna do XC mainley,and do soem mx races...well should I use LT for(w/ +1 a-arms) XC,and use my std shocks i ahve now and +2 a-arms for MX?

Or Buy a LT Front end,and just use the same shocks,but switch a-arms?or use the std 16" for XC,and get LT for MX?

[Extremeracer167]

well im glad John Arens comes and talks on here! I wasnt disagreeing with him at ALL??? Im simply stating that the backs DO have longer travel. I didnt disagree with him at all?

[Dave400ex]

Pro, that would be expensive to have to full front end setups. I would get +1 A-Arms. Rico has them and does MX more then XC. Also he uses the same Shocks. Just getting some LT +1 Arms and Shocks would be the best I think. JMHO

[Extremeracer167]

yeah, and if u wanna race MX, run offseet wheels to make it wider. If u wanna run XC get 4-1 offsets to make it narrower!