Gio Beast Front Suspension Upgrade

[Weldangrind]

The stock front shocks were ridiculously stiff and unadjustable; they belong on a dune buggy, IMHO.

I bought two 2006 Raptor 660 front shocks on eBay for $30. Upon receipt they were clearly too wide and too tall. I spent some time with the original shocks removed and the quad on jackstands to move the front suspension through the range and understand where bumpsteer might occur. For the unfamiliar, bumpsteer occurs because the tie rod and the lower control arm are different lengths, causing two different arcs. It happens in cars too. The trick is to keep the suspension within the range that bumpsteer doesn't occur. If the wheel is allowed to travel too high or too low, it will turn the wheel as well (generally when you hit a bump).

I marked the range that the control arms could safely travel within and then measured where the top of the new shock would end up. I then bought some rectangular tube that had the same inside width as the width of the top of the shock. I diced up the tube, welded it in place and then created a bridge to connect the new mounts for added stiffness.

The lower control arms have two mounting holes to choose from. Because of the girth of the new shock, I had to choose the inside hole and I had to remove one mounting plate and re-weld it a little further apart. After I was satisfied, I made caps for the upper mounts, finish-welded everything and painted it.

It's MHO that the new shocks will allow articulation without pounding the control arm bushings. Hopefully, everything will last a long time.

Check out the pics.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/Weldangrind/SecondMockup.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/Weldangrind/MountFab.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/Weldangrind/LowerMountRemoval.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/Weldangrind/FinalMockupwithBridge-1.jpg

[AZ200cc]

Your name suits ya :lol: Nice mod 8) , But some of the atv guys might wanna know how to calculate it so they can do the same.

[Weldangrind]

It's not that hard.

Just put the quad up on a jackstand, remove the shock and raise and lower the wheel by hand. You'll notice that the wheel will begin to turn at both the top and bottom of the range. Place a tape measure (vertically) next to the tire / control arm and note the lowest part of the safe range (put another way, where the shock would be at rest).

Ideally, you want the wheel to move up and down through the range without trying to turn when the shock is compressed. I can pound on the front shocks and the wheels remain parallel.

Once you've determined where the lower control arm will be at rest, mount the lower part of the shock to the lower control arm and lay the upper part against the frame. This will show you how high the upper mount needs to be. See the photo that shows one old shock and one new shock clamped in place.

The one thing I couldn't determine was how much the shock might sag with a rider on it, so I lost a small amount of front ground clearance. Not enough to notice, and no bumpsteer is way more critical.

Cheers!

[jason]

hey im from abbotsford also.how do you like the beast atv.thought about buying it keep looking around.

thanks.got anymore pics of this atv?

[Weldangrind]

hey im from abbotsford also.how do you like the beast atv.thought about buying it keep looking around.

thanks.got anymore pics of this atv?

Hi Jason,

I love our Beast, but I also love to work on stuff. Don't buy one if you don't like wrenching.

So far, I've upgraded the air filter, added a fuel shut off valve (can you believe it didn't come with one?), repaired the steering, replaced the swingarm bushings and the chain, replaced the front shocks (as above) and swapped the original rear axle housing bearings for sealed bearings.

This was all before I eveer even started the quad for the first time.

I've also dismantled the inner and outer tie rod ends and the upper and lower ball joints and greased them heavily. A wheel alignment followed.

I think that if you rode it the way it is delivered, it wouldn't last very long. I've probably invested about $100 in parts, and it was totally worth it.

As time goes on, I'll post photos of the mods I've done to make it easier for others.

Cheers!

[AZ200cc]

It's not that hard.

Just put the quad up on a jackstand, remove the shock and raise and lower the wheel by hand. You'll notice that the wheel will begin to turn at both the top and bottom of the range. Place a tape measure (vertically) next to the tire / control arm and note the lowest part of the safe range (put another way, where the shock would be at rest).

Ideally, you want the wheel to move up and down through the range without trying to turn when the shock is compressed. I can pound on the front shocks and the wheels remain parallel.

Once you've determined where the lower control arm will be at rest, mount the lower part of the shock to the lower control arm and lay the upper part against the frame. This will show you how high the upper mount needs to be. See the photo that shows one old shock and one new shock clamped in place.

The one thing I couldn't determine was how much the shock might sag with a rider on it, so I lost a small amount of front ground clearance. Not enough to notice, and no bumpsteer is way more critical.

Cheers!



Awesome man, It's all in the details on site like this...Again Nice mod :D