Raptor front shocks on 300ex

[01_300ex]

Can you fit raptor elka front shocks on a 300ex. Will the shock fit into the mounts.

[cdalejef]

Nope.....shocks are way to long!

[01_300ex]

What if i get the shock mount relocator and use +3 250r a-arms.

[cdalejef]

250R/400ex arms throw the geometry way off! Your better off getting +2 or +3 300ex arms then using the bracket

[bradley300]

or no brackett at all and standard travel 14 inch shocks.

[01_300ex]

well i had 300ex elka front shocks but i sold them because i was wanting more suspension travel. So would getting the raptor elka front shocks not work well with a 300ex with +3 250r a-arms. Because the shocks are zero-preload, which will take up some of the extra inches of the shock.

[cdalejef]

No, that setup will not work well at all!

[ride300exrider]

wouldnt the smartest thing for him to do is put a 400ex front end on his bike?

[01_300ex]

I have 400ex a-arms already and i had elka front 300ex shock valved for the a-arms. But i was just wondering if a raptor shock would work since theres a guy sell some over at bluetraxx.

[ride300exrider]

but arent 400ex shocks longer then 300ex shocks and wouldnt that do the same buy increasing wheel travle?

[01_300ex]

Yes it would increase the travel. But i just found a set of front elka shocks for a raptor for a pretty good price. They are 17 inches long. And with zero preload it would make them around 15-16" long while on the 4-wheeler.

[ride300exrider]

so if u got the bracket to move the shock mount holes on the bike wouldnt it work? i would think so but not sure

[cdalejef]

Yes, it would work but putting another models a-arms on another bike changes geometery and hurts handling. We have tried this and ended up going back to 300ex arms.

[ride300exrider]

so u are saying when i put a 400ex front end on my bike its going to handle like junk?

[cdalejef]

It will throw the geometery off and won't steer as well.

[ride300exrider]

so are their any good thing about putting a 400ex frontend on a 300ex?

[cdalejef]

Not really :(
we are building a bike now for Dave MacCarroll the GNCC sport class champion.
we are using LSR +2 300ex arms with a custom upper bracket and 17" custom Elka shocks.

[ride300exrider]

well i have the front end just didnt get to putting it on yet
maybe i will just sell it and get 300ex plus 2 **** with shocks
i thought that 400ex arms were wider so that will be like putting wider arem on and the shocks are more travle so thats good and i could get triple rate springs like i did
guess i messed up
LOL

[cdalejef]

there's more to it than just wider arms, there are other facters involved!

[ride300exrider]

i also have the bracket that moves the mount up, where the shocks mount into. i thought that was going to make it stay the same ride hight but just make it wider?

[cdalejef]

I'm a little confused about that last statement :confused:

[ride300exrider]

their is a mount that u can buy to move the top shock holes in the frame up hight, it moves the up 3 and out 1 inch or something like that. i have that. that makes it sho that when u put a 400ex front shock in it fits proper. so would that still make the quad ride like sh*t?
all and all im going to move the shock holes up and out put 400ex arms and shocks in.

[cdalejef]

As long as you use arms that are designed for a 300ex you can use the shock mount and 400ex shocks and everything will work great.

[ride300exrider]

so u are saying the shock mount and 400ex shocks with 300ex arms is better the the shocks and shock mount with 400ex arms?
i thought the shocks were ment for the arms and that the bracket made it all sit right?
i guess i will have to try all the different ways and see what i like.

[cdalejef]

Ya, you should use wider arms because the shocks maybe too stiff with the stock arms. Unless you have aftermarket shocks valved for that setup. Another thing that has to be considered is the shocks will be more vertical than b4 so that will change valving and spring rates too.

[bradley300]

i hated the 400ex a-arms, they had a very twitchy feel to the steering even with a steering dampner.

best set up is 300ex a-arms (stock or aftermarket) with the mount change brackett, and shocks set up for that exact set up.

part of the reason the the 400ex arms dont work well is because the tierod ends on the steering stem are in a completly different spot,(this causes the twitchyness) so you do not have the complete 400 geometry like most think.