Arens nerfs...hype or what?

[Pappy]

well i finally was able to buy a set of arens nerfs for my yfz. i was actually really looking forward to seeing these things and getting them on my quad.

first impressions werent as good as i had expected. they werent as polished as id expected but that is normal for any company that mass produces products.

secondly, the welds werent as clean as id been led to believe they would be. i know its a particulair but i thought these things should be top notch.

now, i read the directions, and they seem very easy. i follow them and everything looks like they are going to bolts right up. that is until i get to the u-bolt that should attach the cross bar to teh frame. no matter what way i try and manuever it, it will hit my oil tank. i made sure the directions were followed and i even made sure the nerf was slid all the way into the nerf. i even removed them completely and started over. same thing happens.

[Pappy]

now if im doing something wrong here please...speak up cuz id like to have these on my quad:(

[Pappy]

the footpeg mount did line up correctly.

[wyndzer]

Would a shorter "u" bolt help? I can't tell from the picture.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by wyndzer
Would a shorter "u" bolt help? I can't tell from the picture.

i had thought of that also, if i can get one thats theaded enough to fully tighten the crossbar to the frame.

the other issue is that even with the crossbar fastened securly to the frame, the crossbar rubs the oil tank

[cdalejef]

:(

[INFANTRY RACING]

all arens products are hyped up to something they aren't

[Pappy]

Originally posted by Jeff@QuadShop
:(

order me a set that fits jeff:(

[cdalejef]

Originally posted by Pappy
order me a set that fits jeff:( I like X-Factor the best.

[Pappy]

well if this is all due to being universal i say fooey on them.


i still hope someone will tell me im doing something wrong.:confused:

[Berry]

ok i dont really know how too put this into words but i will try. the little brace you slide your nerf onto is probally backwards becasue i did this with my AC. it will bolt up but it will be farther forwards causing your nerf too hit the tank. so take it off and flip it over, see if it helps. i did the same thing!

[AtvMxRider]

Originally posted by Jeff@QuadShop
I like X-Factor the best.


Well order him a set of those. he's got plenty of money.........:devil:

[Berry]

the brace im talking about is the little rod that you screw into your frame then you slide your nerf over it. do you know what im talking about?

[Pappy]

berry,

the directions state to install the crossbar with the mount upward. moving them, or flipping the crossbar will place the mounting tabs too low and the nerfs wont install, not to mention it will move the crossbar higher and allow even more damage to the oil tank.

[Doibugu2]

Pappy there is your first problem you read the directions.

Take them off, throw out the directions, crack a beer, then install. Jeez, how hard can it be.:D


Hey by the way did Tommy include tie-rods with my a-arms, I don't remember, and I figured you could get me a set if I needed them.

[Pappy]

well im hoping someone will post a fix to this. no beer needed except if i find out these just fit like chit there will be some cans opened:p


ill have to check on the tie rods

[Doibugu2]

Originally posted by Pappy
well im hoping someone will post a fix to this. no beer needed except if i find out these just fit like chit there will be some cans opened:p


LMAO

Hey do you know of any nerfs that work with roll pegs?

[Pappy]

IMS are the ones that I KNOW will fit the roll peg set up.

[Silverfox@C&DRacing]

I have heard that the regular ac nerfs work with the roll pegs.

[Dave400ex]

Give John a call. He will help you. There are many guys that have them on their YFZ's. I know Alaska has them!

[mxracer111]

i dunno if it helps, but all AC nerfs go on the other side on the frame tube... away from the oil tank.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by mxracer111
i dunno if it helps, but all AC nerfs go on the other side on the frame tube... away from the oil tank.

i thought i had installed them wrong also, but the nerfs dont reach the crossbar if installed on the other side of the frame:(

http://ricoracing.netfirms.com/Smilies/rant2.gif

[nacs400ex]

If it were me I would be sellin them and buying some X-factor's. They fix what AC leaves out.

[Pappy]

well i did infact order x-factor pro pegs today. i will review them once they arrive.

i cant say im completely disappointed in the arens product in relationship to looks and probable durability. im certain they will fit a 400ex without any issues. i had a few other yfz owners send me pictures last night of thier arens nerfs and all showed the same clearance issues....infact most of the yfz owners didnt even give the crossbar rubbing on the tank a thought until i mentioned it. kinda scary.


i think they should remove the yfz from the "fit" list on these nerfs.

[haydug]

Pappy: You will be extremely happy with the X-factors. Everyone who has gotten them do nothing but brag on them. They are NICE!!

[cdalejef]

Originally posted by haydug
Pappy: You will be extremely happy with the X-factors. Everyone who has gotten them do nothing but brag on them. They are NICE!! I'll second that Dougie Boy!

[Pappy]

Originally posted by haydug
Pappy: You will be extremely happy with the X-factors. Everyone who has gotten them do nothing but brag on them. They are NICE!!

yep i had them on the last R and they were more then fine. i just figured id try the arens since he has posted alot on the site. they arent a bad nerf, but they arent the best thing for my yfz.

[310Rduner]

Pappy, you're going to be extremely happy with the x-factors.:D

[ranger400ex]

I am putting X-factors on the dale....very nice stuff.


ben

[465Stroker]

I thought the X-factors for the YFZ were a pain to install. Anytime a product is made for a certain ATV and you have to drill out the holes for the front brace (thru the nerf and brace) and drill out the holes for the mounting plate that bolts to the pegs (thru the plate only). Too much custom work for the money you pay in my opinion.
I have also had the oppurtunity to install AC's for the YFZ and they were a direct bolt-on - 10 minutes tops (To be honest I was actually shocked). No drilling either. About 5 years ago I would of had to use my official AC bumper installation tool - a 5 pound hammer! AC quality control has steadily improved in the last few years.

[Pappy]

i hear ya rick, but i went with thier pro peg design so no peg drilling needed.

arent you using roll pegs?

[465Stroker]

Originally posted by Pappy
i hear ya rick, but i went with thier pro peg design so no peg drilling needed.

arent you using roll pegs?

Do you still have to drill thru the nerf and front bracket? Yes - we use Roll pegs - why do you ask?

[Pappy]

ive just found that ac and ims nerfs work best with roll pegs. any other brands seem to need a bit more work to install when using them. i would have bought the roll pegs again, but since the x-factor nerfs have replacable stainless teeth i could save some coin:p

[cdalejef]

Originally posted by 465Stroker
Do you still have to drill thru the nerf and front bracket? Yes - we use Roll pegs - why do you ask? Rick, I believe they do that so you can adjust how far in or out you want them to be.

[465Stroker]

Originally posted by Jeff@QuadShop
Rick, I believe they do that so you can adjust how far in or out you want them to be.

Good info :)

[Extremeracer167]

Originally posted by 465Stroker
I have also had the oppurtunity to install AC's for the YFZ and they were a direct bolt-on - 10 minutes tops (To be honest I was actually shocked). No drilling either.

Rick,
Unfortunately, my ACs were an absolute pain to put on my YFZ. I still like em, but the brackets were about 1/4-1/2 inch off and i had to do a little custom bending to fit. :D

[465Stroker]

Originally posted by Extremeracer167
Rick,
Unfortunately, my ACs were an absolute pain to put on my YFZ. I still like em, but the brackets were about 1/4-1/2 inch off and i had to do a little custom bending to fit. :D

Maybe I just had some dumb luck with X-factor & AC..

[Extremeracer167]

ive heard of some ppl saying the ACs were a dream to fit, but i never had that luxury. I love ACs bumpers, nerfs, and grab bars, they are all great products. But i think they need to be a little more consistent with their jigs, cause like i said, some ppl think they are a nightmare, some think they are the easiest things to install. Guess its all about how lucky you are to get a good set:p

[RiPPiNiTuP7]

my ac stuff mounted up unbelievably easy. its been a while since i installed a part on a quad that didn't involve a lil bending, screaming, and so on. it actually felt a little weird just sliding the bolts right into the holes….they are doing a fantastic job in my book.

[Wingnut]

I had trouble with the AC nerfs too. It took 3 hours of bending, prying, and drilling to get them installed.

[Wingnut]

Originally posted by RiPPiNiTuP7
my ac stuff mounted up unbelievably easy. its been a while since i installed a part on a quad that didn't involve a lil bending, screaming, and so on. it actually felt a little weird just sliding the bolts right into the holes….they are doing a fantastic job in my book.

I know the feeling.

I'm so used to working at installing new parts that when something just slips on it's kind of disappointing.

[holeshot19]

Originally posted by 465Stroker
Maybe I just had some dumb luck with X-factor & AC.. yea i seen those nerf bars that cam off santo d quad from texas whoo, i like the nerfs that white bros sell i think there made buy extreme enginering, roll copys

[Meek]

I just put my new set of Pro Armor nerfs on my 03' 400ex, it only took about 25 min. With all of the issues that you hear about all of the time, I thought it would take a lot longer than that.

[Jnine]

Hello guys:

I thought I should reply to this thread, since a significant part of it has been about the parts we make. Like them or love them, they still have my name on the box, and if somebody wants an explanation, I need to stand up and give it.

WELDING> The reason our welds look different than any you have seen before is because of the process we use. It will look different. However, the most important thing about any weld is strength, and nobody has EVER broken a weld we made, by any process we use. Aluminum is very tricky, but our penetration is excellent. I know this because occasionally I will run some samples and then have them tested by an outside source and even Lincoln Electric. They tell me we "are doing as well as anyone with aluminum or steel." In fact, we've been doing some experimenting for them with variables such as the gas combinations, different wire, feed, etc.

POLISHING> The nerf bars are polished by us, but it is only a surface treatment and not really a show quality finish. It's 90%, but it costs nothing extra. It is da*n time consuming though. I know one of our competitors was charging $100 extra for a polish job, and if I charged that then we could spend a great deal more time on it. To put it in perspective, the first time you actually ride the quad you will be sandblasting the nerfs anyway, even if you only ride on the street. Polished nerfs look great in the garage, but it's not much fun to ride there. I never intended it to be a show finish, and I have even stated that in the past. If the polish is not important to you guys, we can drop it. That would be great with me. It's a real pain!

FIT> When I designed the nerfs, I designed them for 3 models. The EX, the LTZ, and the Raptor. I got a break with the YFZ, and they fit that very well, and now I have also picked up the new Honda TRX as well. I have personally installed them on 2 local YFZs, and I had another guy install them with me watching and no help from me, just to see how it would work. I wanted to know if I had a problem. (I do this little test with most of my parts) Here's the story.... They will bolt up to the peg with no drilling - no problem there. However, just as you found, it will be close to the oil tank. On the ones I have seen, it is close to the tank with usually a little less than an 1/8" between the two. I can see how they may actually contact the tank depending on the adjustment in the tank mounting. Here is what I would do, and I do this little trick where nearly all unfastened parts make contact, and even under the fuel tank. First, adjust the tank on it's mounts, and if necessary slip a washer or two under the tank mount. Next, take a short section of hose, split it open, and slip it over the nerf cross tube. This is pretty basic mechanical aptitude, and anyone that can ride should be able to manage this trick. You can use this trick on other areas that may be close as well, and it will deaden vibration also.

CALL THE MANUFACTURER> This part kind of gets me, and a lot of other builders. In fact, it's one of the reasons you don't find many of them on line all that often. They have too much to lose. One person with a problem can post whatever they want about a part without ever calling the maker to ask a question. Why not ask the guy? They made the parts, and they have a reason for doing it the way they did. Give them a shot at helping you before you post it for everyone and then damage their company. For nearly everyone on this board this sport is a hobby, and for the parts builders it probably is too, (or was) but it's also much more serious than that. Why needlessly damage a person or company making parts for the same sport? That helps nobody, and drives the maker off the message boards and away from answering questions about those same parts or anything else. It would be like me posting company XYZ does a sh*#&y powdercoat job by seeing 1 part or only looking at the photos. It's simply not a fair statement, but posted on the internet it goes everywhere and to people that have no idea it is actually false. A simple call or email can answer a lot of questions.

Anyway, that is my long answer to questions that were never asked, but like I said, my name is on the box, and I have to stand up for what we did in the past, and will do in the future. Hope that explains things a little better.

[Pappy]

i agree with 99% of what you said jnine....but i have a few problems with some of it:

1) ive tried calling you direct to order not only these nerfs and other parts and couldnt ever seem to get with you. (i know how tuff it is so im not crying foul)


2) you yourself have posted that your parts fit without modifacation...thats why you claim to be the best.(i like your parts so dont think im bashing you)

3) dont waste too much money on the polishing, the company you have doing it isnt very good (again not your fault or maybe i have too high of standards)

4) as particuliar as you are to detail i bought these nerfs expecting a direct bolt on. and as ive stated on a 400ex i think they probably would fit with no problems what so ever, however on the yfz as you noted there is issues and these issues should be explained to the consumer before purchase.

5) im not out to damage you or anyone else. if a part works and fits then it gets a thumbs up, if it doesnt it gets a thumbs down until the problem is fixed. a ton of manufactures are online now not merely defending themselves but explaining the proper way to assemble and install thier products due to that being factor #1 in most of the problem threads ive seen.


i would purchase an arens frame, a arms , swing arm, stem etc without a second thought....even the nerfs for a different quad. but please inform the public properly about these nerfs on the yfz.

[Pappy]

i installed a cfm oil tank tonight, and decided to see if the clearence issue got better or worse. and to my delight the crossbar now clears the tank very well. the u bolts will still need to be a touch shorter but thats a fairly simple fix.

[BigAl]

Just a little FYI Pappy.

I installed 400EX nerfs on my yfz, and the fit was good except up there under the oil tank. As you have said all the YFZ nerfs I have seen went in front of that frame tube.

I took my crossbar to the vice and hammer, and made it oval :D tubing.

That provided plenty of room between the crossbar and tank.

I used my propeg nerfs off of my 400, just so I could have some until I saw the offerings, so I could decide which I liked best, they were never intended to be permanent, and I didn't mind mangling and bending my used nerfs, but I can see where one might not like that plan on a brand new set.


Jnine, you show integrity every time you wade in here.