To all guys running Houser +2's look here

[YLW400]

I just put these on my EX Saturday night, and after looking at them and measuring them. I am not positive that i am going to be happy with just +2's. Everyone I talked to said I would be like 48.5-49". I measured mine, and I am only 46". Now this is with stock shocks. I am waiting on full front and rear PEP ZPS. I assume that I am not going to get a extra 2.5-3 inches width with these. We also slapped on a LSR axle, and I am 49 there in the rear. I am going to be running mainly MX, and maybe a little trail riding. What do you all think? Will I be wide enough and stable enough with +2...Also take into consideration that Budds Creek is in my district, and from what I hear, there are alot of off camber turns. Sharpshooter, before you open your grill, I don't wanna hear it.:blah

[YLW400]

.....

[Tommy 17]

the shocks will sag and give u a lil bit more... if u have to u can change the offset of the front rimz to gain or loose width in the front end...

[YLW400]

Well, those are stock offset, if I go to 4:1, I will lose width. I think...:ermm:

i would have gone +3 with a 4/1 rim offset

[YLW400]

Thats what I am wondering if I should have done :confused2

[Chef]

You mean you are still only at 46 inches? That is stock width man! My Houser +2's make it pretty wide, I think?

[YLW400]

Did we do those in the same garage?...lol Well, you have wider tires, which makes it look wider. If I remember correctly, stock is only 42"

[BigThumper33]

I got my housers about a month or two ago. I thought the exact same thing! I was measuring from the top of the tire....wrong...you have to measure from the bottom. Because of the camber adjustment. It throws it all off. I'm sitting right around 48 inches wide with 4:1 offset rims. I haven't slapped on my 3:2 wheels yet but I'm hoping to get just at 50. It is very deceiving until you get shocks on. Trust me I was in the exact same boat as you!

I think the 400ex is 44 inches wide stock.

[YLW400]

Well, we have the camber adjusted so the tire is 90 degrees to the ground.....Is this the right way to have it set up? So the top and bottom are relatively close. Should the tops be in more the quad more, and the bottoms out? Heck if I know.

[ESR250R]

i know my 250r stock measured out to be 46 in the rear and 44 in the front. i put my lsr axle on there and i was around 49.5 in the rear and when i get my +2 hermann a arms i should be around 48 in the front. i think u need to adjust your front end a little lower. i was planning on running +3 a arms with 4/1 wheels but arens didnt make +3 so i called up hermann racing and he also told me he doesnt make +3 so i just went with +2's. i guess it will keep me from buying new rims.

[YLW400]

I am not sure I know what you mean by "adjust your front end a litte lower". Do you mean when I get the PEP shocks to adjust the ride height lower?

[EvilJester400EX]

you want the bottom of the tire to sit a little angled out from the top of the tire. not sure if you can really tell it in this pic. the quad should look like this... / \ only not as angled, lol

[YLW400]

How do you know how much toe in or out...whatever that is to have? We threaded the ball joints in about half way, on the top and bottom.

[EvilJester400EX]

get a flat piece of wood, and an angle finder. just play around with adjustments until you have it somewhere between 2.5 and 4.0 degrees

[YLW400]

Thats what I was looking for. That sounds easy enough. I will start with 3 degrees when I get my shocks. Thanks alot!!!

[EvilJester400EX]

no prob. another tip. it's good to adjust the camber when someone of equal weight is on the quad, while it is on the ground. for a more accurate reading

[400exRacerX]

I run the +2 housers with 3+2 offset douglas rims and custom axis suspension and I'm at 49" in the front.

[400exRacerX]

Another view with full fenders,

[YLW400]

So you want the 2.5-4.0 degrees when someone is one the quad? Not just under the quads weight then?

[YLW400]

How far are your ball joints threaded in? Mine are about half way into the arm. Does that sound about right? Or should I not be threaded in so far?

[EvilJester400EX]

yes, you want to adjust the camber under someones weight

[400exRacerX]

I'd thread your balljoints in all the way. I threaded mine in all the way and I still managed to bend both my lower balljoints.

[YLW400]

Anyone else have any input on this? Thanks for your time guys.

[QuadTrix6]

Originally posted by 400exRacerX
I run the +2 housers with 3+2 offset douglas rims and custom axis suspension and I'm at 49" in the front.

do u have a steering stabilizewr? if not do u have a lot of bump steer with the offsets and little tires plus the extra width?

[YLW400]

I didn't think that 3-2 offset was known for bumpsteer. I thought that was more apt to happen with 4-1.

[Taco]

4+1 = less bumpsteer and not as wide ( more rim to the inside)
3+2 = about stock offset just a lil wider
2+3 = more rim to the outside and wider and more bumpsteer to boot.:tired: :confused2 :scary:

Lower ball joints have to be screwed all the way in period..unless you want to break your neck landing a jump..

and you mentioned your rearend is 49 inches..I run a LSR axle and with stock rear rims it's 50 inches..I think your measuring tape is off about an inch...;)

My front end is 46 inches running +1 houser arms and running stock rims so I know you got some measuring issues...;)

[Sparks425Ex]

Originally posted by 400exRacerX
Another view with full fenders,

Get them Cut....:macho

If your using this method to measure with that's probably the problem....:o

[YLW400]

Ohhhhh thats what it is....Coors light cans are longer then standard beer cans! How silly of me.

[400exRacerX]

3+2 arent known for alot of bumpsteer. 2+3 rims have the most bumpsteer and yes, I do run a steering stab.

[AC 400 ex 02]

if i were 2 buy plus 2's and i wanted to ride some xc and mx..do u think it would be possible to ride 3/2 with the +2's for mx and for xc ride a 4/1 with the +2's..would that make it closer to +1 with? it was just an idea cuz i like to ride both..ur imput would be a super help..thanks

[BigThumper33]

That is the set up I'm running 3:2 rims for mx and when I want to go xc riding with the guys I have my stock 4:1.5's to throw back on.

[ridered03]

If your only at 46 inches are you sure you didnt get plus 1" sent to you, cause my plus 2" housers are at 49" on stock rims!

[YLW400]

Thats what I am wondering.........Does anyone know the dimensions of a +2 Houser a-arm? It did say +2 on the box, I know that for sure. I am starting to wonder if I did get +1.

[cdalejef]

Here is a pic of our CRF with +2 Housers and stock offset wheels

[cdalejef]

It measures exactly 48 1/2"

[YLW400]

Jeff, I thought you would NEVER look at this thread....I am talking to Houser now...

[YLW400]

He is a heck of a nice guy! I am at work, I have to call Sharpshooter to measure my a-arms...It is around 15" from outside to outside of the arm. Thanks alot guys

[cdalejef]

Sorry, I just found it.

[YLW400]

Thats ok......I have to wait till 4:30 so Sharpshooter can go measure it. I am kinda hoping I have the wrong a-arms. Cause I am not happy with the width....Another thing, I dont even have my ball joints threaded in all they way. So that will make me even more narrow. What do you suggest for camber for a MX setup Jeff?

[cdalejef]

I'd be the wrong person to ask about that since I don't race too much MX

[YLW400]

Ok Jeff, thanks for your time and pics!!!!

[YLW400]

Well, I guess I do have +2's.........the bottoms a-arms are 15" like John Houser said...... the only other thing it could be is the wheel offset. I am running stock wheels......the ones that came on the bike. Stock offset is not 3+2....It cant be. It is between 3+2 and 4+1...That is the only thing I can figure. I am really contiplating selling these right now and buying all L/T

[Taco]

the stock wheels are 5.5 wide unlike the aftermarket wheels are only 5" wide they are in between the 3+2 and the 4+1 wheels but not much.

[Bean]

with ZPS shocks and your weight on the bike, it will push the a-arms out farther, have one of your friends that weighs about the same as you hop on it when you get your shocks bolted up and check it then, fix your camber and stuff up to then

[Chef]

Yep, when i lowered my 400 down more today, it pushed the front tires out 3 more inches. Its 51 inches now vs the 48 it was before

i just ordered plus 2 housers. i have heard more then once that the width is not really what it should be. What width would i be looking at with a 400ex with +2 HOUSERS 4:1 (not stock)rims and 19x6x10 holeshot mx's. i was hopin like 48 but it looks like the housers are gunna make me skinnier then stock:huh

[ESR250R]

u should be around 46 with that setup. if u ran 3/2 rims u should be around 48. i just think he needs to adjust his front end down a little to get the full 48 outta his front end. i was considering running 4/1 wheels with the +2 hermann a arms i have on order but i dont think that'll be wide enough.

Originally posted by ESR250R
u should be around 46 with that setup. if u ran 3/2 rims u should be around 48. i just think he needs to adjust his front end down a little to get the full 48 outta his front end. i was considering running 4/1 wheels with the +2 hermann a arms i have on order but i dont think that'll be wide enough.

by the way i have PEP ZPS if that makes a difference. Also the thing i am debating is that the rim offset gives a sort of "false" width and adds to bump steer and stress on the hub studs. 3:2 may be wider but i have heard a 4:1 rim will handle better. The 400ex geometry was designed for the stock offset rims. 4:1 is the closest to stock offset in an after market rim, being abt 1/4 to 1/2 inch off of stock measurments. If u change the offset u r changing the steering axis inclination(SAI) which leads to worse handling even though u are wider. Also offsets tend to push more in turns. I hope i got this info right and there is a guy on this site named boogiechile who knows his stuff and has helped me out greatly. I think im just going to stick with 4:1 and be happy because after riding 2:3 offsets i never wanna ride an offset again lol

[NTPRacing#19]

i got 2+3 offset up front with +2 a arms and mine sits right at 50 inches :D

[ESR250R]

Originally posted by NTPRacing#19
i got 2+3 offset up front with +2 a arms and mine sits right at 50 inches :D

i do believe that that setup will give u alot of bumpsteer but the 3:2 setup wont be that bad. i've heard that 4:1 wheels can give u some advantages and some disadvantages. it supposedly corners a little better and has less bumpsteer but u can lock a rock in the rim more easily and ive heard that it can be more stressful on the hubs. right now i have 3:2 rims and i will run these rims until i can try out a set of 4:1 rims.

Originally posted by ESR250R
i do believe that that setup will give u alot of bumpsteer but the 3:2 setup wont be that bad. i've heard that 4:1 wheels can give u some advantages and some disadvantages. it supposedly corners a little better and has less bumpsteer but u can lock a rock in the rim more easily and ive heard that it can be more stressful on the hubs. right now i have 3:2 rims and i will run these rims until i can try out a set of 4:1 rims.

how is it more stressful on the hubs? Also i ride in some areas where the ground is all rocks. big, small, round, jagged and have yet to have it cause a problem. yes it scratches the rim but shat happens

[ESR250R]

while i was posting that i was asking myself the same question but i remember someone saying that it was more stressful on the hubs but it might be bs.

[RIDER11X]

A stock 400ex is catalogued as 45.3" wide. So, +2's should make it 49.3" wide on stock wheels...........Right? Did you compare measurements against you stock a arms?

And wider offset wheels are harder on the hubs and bearings because they have more leverage by moving the tires farther from the base of the spindle, and the lug studs. It is true!! :ermm:

Originally posted by RIDER11X

And wider offset wheels are harder on the hubs and bearings because they have more leverage by moving the tires farther from the base of the spindle, and the lug studs. It is true!! :ermm:

I know but he said a narrower offset was harder on the hubs and i asked how

[NTPRacing#19]

i do have a little bumpsteer but nothing that i cant handle. my hobs are holding up just fine after one year of some serious abuse