suspension scam?

[gopeddin400EX]

why are atv arms so expensive when it looks like if you have a welder and a bender you can make them at home?

and why are atv shocks more expensive than like fox shox for a sandrail that are like 5 times the size

[CHAUNCY]

I think it is simply because people will pay that price...

[wheeltrax]

the a-arms arent anything too complicated, but it takes proper geometry and strength to make a good one. buy a set of good a arms and try to make a set... see what works best.. I know if i were to make them.. it wouldnt be pretty. The ATV shocks i agree are alot more expensive than they should be. but it does take alot of time and R&D to create a good shock. ATV parts are alot more expensive than car parts.. i can say that

[AndrewRRR]

Yeah the biggest reason is people will pay that price. It is pretty frustrating seeing how ATV suspension parts cost more than race parts for cars.
I thought about making a-arms, and I might do it. You need 4130 chromoly, ball joints, bushings, and PC or chroming, which can add up. It would be interesting to find out how much it really costs to make them and how much they add on for labor. Once you have a jig made they shouldn't be hard to crank out.

[Chanman420q]

the sand rail shocks probobly arent that expensive as compared to Atv shocks is because there not set of for the driver. theres a ton of R&D into these shocks, like valving for riders, how good they are, what length a arms, u dont get that on the sand rail

[Martin Blair]

because people know that if they charge that much people we pay, a repable company like houser and elka need to lower prices a few hundred dollars and the others will fallow quick

[Chanman420q]

if elka lowered there prices to like works prices, works would be out of buisness and 85% of everyone would be changing brands. lowering prices would probobly make them more money

Originally posted by Chanman420q
if elka lowered there prices to like works prices, works would be out of buisness and 85% of everyone would be changing brands. lowering prices would probobly make them more money no :rolleyes:

[AndrewRRR]

Making coilover shocks that are compression and rebound adjustable is expensive. Maybe not $1400 expensive like some of them charge, but pretty expensive.
I just wish I had the machinery to make competitive shocks to drive the price down. Basically all it takes is competition to drive prices down and there is a lack of it in this industry.

[nacs400ex]

Yes I agree the parts are too expensive. But for those of you that say car stuff is cheaper, thats because everyone owns atleast one vehicle, not everyone owns atvs.

Its not really the material that is the expensive part, its all the R&D work to make the parts work well. You get what you pay for.

[beak7707]

I dont see prices of shocks comming down. Elka already has alot of business at the set price, i dont think they would be interested in going any lower. I also agree with andrewRRR i would like to see how much a guy would have in building a set of a-arms. You can buy burgards for 400-450, I would like to see how much cheaper it would be to build your own. On top of that you know the ones on the market that have a good name, are set up right and are ready to ride.

[xcyfz450]

i race gncc and a couple years back when the 400ex came out a friend of mine from chambersburg pa who raced gncc built a set of a arms for his 400ex if i remember corectley he had $75 dollars invested and used ball joints that was laying around his garage tha where in good shape they where nice and they lasted he never had one problem with them

he was lucky cause his uncle had a welding shop where he built micro sprints so he had any kinda fabricating equipment at his disposal

[416exmx]

here is something else you guys are missing.. i have had works shocks and they are great shocks... the reason they are cheap is because they dont spend the thousands and thousands of dollars in advertising and sponsering riders like most big companies do...what do you think would happen if all the pros started running Works shocks?? i bet everyone else would want to run Works also... flip through a dirt wheels and you will see page after page of Rolls stuff and then wonder why it is more expensive...

[cdalejef]

Works are cheap shocks, they don't even come close in design and materials as the top 3 brands.

[MOFO]

The title of this thread is incorrect...

They are not a "scam"... they are a profitable business that produce quality parts that turn a profit. I dont see how that can be called a "scam".

[beak7707]

I agree with Jeff i've had Works and now i have Elkas i see no compraision. Elka is by far a better shock.

[sleestack68]

I rode my PEPs ZPS for the first time yesterday, you have to be crazy to think that works is anywhere near the performance of the bigname shocks.

[gopeddin400EX]

me and my dad are going to make some A-arms here pretty soon, ill keep you posted to see how much we have in them.

and yea MOFO I have to disagree it truly think its a scam, like that other guy said he had 75 bucks in a set of arms that sell for much much more. I mean come on there isnt hours of hours in each individual shock of R&D.

bump

[YamaWarr0121]

as go peddin said, its all R&D hours and labor and time and time and more n more time and testing and developing and computer programs and wages for the engineers and designers it adds up and i bet they are making a few hundred off them, but it does add up to be an expensive thing

[boogiechile]

I have made a couple sets of a arms. I recently built some chromoly long travel arms for a Mojave. They are +7+2 and have 12.25 inches of travel. It cost me about 156 dollars for all the material including 4 heims for ball joints and 4 heims for upper a arm mounts. I built a chromoly swing arm for about 60 dollars plus the needle bearings and a steering stem for about 50, not counting the antivibe clamp. I paid 35 for it. I completely modded the frame frt section for about 40 dollars. I did spend a lot of hours in development and jig building. You can't just extend them and leave it at that. Shock location, motion ratios, and new ball joint angles are critical for them to work right. It does take time but I still beleive some are charging a little too much. I know its only a mojave but take a look at my two Super Mojave albums to see them, it is still a work in progress and more pics coming later. Regular a arms that I made are in the other albums. Link is http://www.picturetrail.com/mojaveaddict

[AndrewRRR]

I don't think I buy all the R&D money argument. I'm sure if you ask the companies why they charge so much that's the answer they'll give you. But it's not like they are re-inventing the wheel. Shocks are predictible. You set the valving a certain way, you get certain results. You use a certain spring ratio, sag, preload, etc. It's not something that requires huge R&D dollars all the time.
You can buy fully adjustable coilovers for cars for less than what ATV shocks cost.