So Cal Suspension

Make sure you have the spacers in there... The heim really shouldn't move side to side, unless the snap rings are gone.

That's mild steel for ya... I don't even like using those heims on steering joints, much less a weight bearing suspension component. With that being said, they hold up pretty well on drag arms, and lightweight applications that don't encounter mud...

What kind of powder is that black? I've got some stuff that would look killer with that black.

...Or just buy the extender kit that JD sells.

Those look good! That's my favorite looking black powder. Did you PC those yourself?

You my friend have too much time on your hands, and I applaud you for this. That story was hands down one of the most in-depth, thought out ones I've ever read on here. :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

I was going to ignore the previous comments about the Baldwins, but since you brought it up again, I'll comment on it. You might be able to convince other people that Mark Baldwin had something to do with your suspension, but you will never be able to convince me. I have known the Baldwins LONG before Jason died. I was at Jason's funeral. Good luck trying to convince anyone who knows anything about the Baldwin's, that some guy from some little town in Kansas somehow convinced Mark Baldwin himself, to work on your shocks. Not going to happen. Outrageous claims get no where. I have been in the industry so long that there's not many people in this industry that I don't know... Name dropping won't get you anywhere. Oh, and for what it's worth... anyone who buys a set new set of PEP shocks, has their suspension set up by Baldwin Motorsports off the shelf.

The heims are a mistake that I wish arm manufacturers would have corrected from the beginning. Using those cheap ass heims instead of the quality ones, will forever tarnish their reputation. There is no question that a good quality Chromoly Teflon FK heim is stronger, lighter, more reliable, and just all around better than any ball joint ever produced. The problem is their price, which is why no manufacturers use them. A good quality heim will run you $35-40 a piece for those arms, and be essentially maintenance free, and outlast your quad. Every suspension setup that I've built, be it a sand car, rock crawler, or race vehicle, ALWAYS runs heims. You will not find a balljoint on any of these vehicles. Granted, the ones we run are anywhere from $30-$180 a piece, but nonetheless, we use them for a reason. The ones these manufacturers use have no lining inside, therefore dirt, mud, or water gets inside, and grinds away at the joint, making them noisy and loose. As most people say, they wouldn't run those heims, and I wouldn't either. But I also wouldn't run ball joints. I'd replace all of them with FK brand JMX series heims. Just my two cents...

Technically yes. The more maneuverable vehicle must yield. Fault is discernible to actions. But in a game of chicken, who's gunna win?

Which is the reason I said APPEARS to be. I can't tell until I physically see it. If it's not blown, then someone will get a good deal.

So who won the auction?

I just got an email on your rear shock. To answer any other questions that might arise, Yes, it appears to be blown, and no I cannot repair it.

Coming from someone who's never been in a long travel car, I can see your point of view. The fact is, there are far more quads out there than buggies, and MANY MANY more inexperienced people riding those quads. I don't think I've ever met a "first timer" who immediately jumps into a long travel car for their first trip to Glamis. But tons of people jump right onto a quad thinking that they can go and do whatever they want. I wish they'd shut those stupid drags down all together. I have always been a rider, not a driver. Until this year. I always felt the same way you do about the buggies. The fact is, after driving a car this last year, you actually get to see how dumb people on quads act. They SOMEHOW think that a buggy will be watching for them, and maneuvering our 2000lb car, around whatever path they choose on a whim. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen. The rules in the sand are the same that they are in the water. Smaller vessels give right-of-way to larger ones. Like it or not, that's the way it is. I guess since Sea-Poo's, and Jet Ski's get hit out in the water, they should shut down all the water ways, because of those pesky boats who keep hitting them?

Bikes look good, Nick. When you're ready for some suspension work, hit me up. I'd like to work out a deal with you.

Damn! Jeffie Seats does it again! That thing looks nuckin futs! Hey, Jeff. Since you're so good with a sewing machine. I am overnighting some stuff to you. I need a flask pocket sewn in mine -- and all of my groomsmen's tux's. Hope it's not an issue. I need them back by Thursday. K thanks.

Well said. The fact is, YFZ shocks are built for a YFZ. Will they work on a Banshee, absolutely. Will they be better than stock, you betcha! Will they be better than a bottom of the line set of Works Performance shocks? Not a chance. They cost WAY more money to repair than any aftermarket brand. Parts are harder to get. They are a progressive spring, rather than a true dual rate spring. In order to get YFZ shocks TRUE dual rate, bank on spending another $250 bucks on the spring kit from GT Thunder. Now you're into them for $500. You could have bought dual rate Elka's used for that much. And when they blow out, you're only out $174 bucks for the Elka's out the door, rather than $290 on the YFZ's for a straight up rebuild. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS GUY!!! http://myworld.ebay.ca/mixingasandhaulinazz/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 Check out his feedback, and you'll see why. If anyone has any info on him, please share it.

Haha, you Aussie's crack me up. I've yet to meet one who doesn't have a good attitude about everything. Anyways, Yes, for the most part, aftermarket shock's compression/rebound adjustment do a good job at controlling the movement of the shock. Keep in mind, Valving controls the motion of the shock, the spring supports the weight. Here's my advice, I would order a shock with a slightly HEAVIER spring, than you would like. You can ride a bike and "deal with it" with a little stiffer suspension, than suspension that is too soft and un rideable. Knowmesayin?

Keep in mind, when ordering ANY new shock, they will most likely not be right the first time around. Manufacturers plan for this, and is usually why they offer a 30, 60, or 90 day Ride Quality Gaurantee. It gives you an opportunity to mount them up, see how you like them, and give them some feedback on what they can do differently for your shocks. Steelers ARE fully rebuildable. The main difference, function-wise, with the steelers vs the G-Series: Steelers use cast rod ends, and a powder pressed piston, with progressive valving. G-Series use all billet components, with a machined piston that utilizes static valving. What that means, to the average person, is that you will have much better quality components with the g-series, vs the Steelers. It is much easier to fine tune static valving, than it is to fine tune progressive. Elka and Axis both use static valving on all of their shocks. I would avoid floats, as they require quite a bit of maintenance. You have to constantly monitor, what Fox calls "Float Fluid". Basically it is an oil that does nothing but keep the shaft lubed. If that runs out, and you don't notice, serious damage WILL be done. For the average recreational rider, works steelers would be a good choice. If you are concerned with fading, go ahead and get the remote reservoir ones. In conclusion, don't EXPECT that your shocks will be right the first time from the manufacturer. They will do what they can to get it CLOSE, but a quality ride is all relative to the rider. Some people prefer stiff suspension, some prefer soft.

Haha, I just saw the updates in this thread. Obvious sarcasm is obvious... to most of us... :rotflmao: :rotflmao: LONGROD, Are you saying that YFZ suspension is equal to, or better than aftermarket suspension? Because if so, you are TERRIBLY mistaken. I'll just state the basics of why the YFZ shocks are inferior to even the bottom of the line Works Performance shocks. First off, I'm a fan of static valving, which the YFZ use... HOWEVER, they use a TIIINNNNYYYYY (powder pressed) piston that flows horribly. When you have the opportunity to work on a set or 30, let me know what you find when you mic the valving plates on the low speed compression side. Yamaha has stacked about 8 +1 plates on the LSC side of the piston... In my opinion, it's because they had to over compensate for loose tolerances in the compression adjuster. Just a few weeks ago, I dyno'd a YFZ shock, and came to the conclusion that they are actually decent shocks... for a YFZ. The rebound and compression adjusters do almost nothing... compression side changed roughly 9%, and the rebound side changed 14% (not bad, but not great). That was click to click. Compression set full hard ---> full soft. 9%, that's terrible. Pointless in my opinion. Banshee's are so incredibly front heavy, that in order for them to work RIGHT, they would need to be valved even stiffer than they are now. Nearly impossible as the +1 is already stacked about 8 high. In conclusion, as stated in the other 450 threads about this topic: If you can get YFZ shocks for <$100, I'd say sure, go for it temporarily. But spending $250-300 on YFZ shocks is a terrible idea. LONGROD, I'm glad you're happy with your bike and the way it rides, however, it's not the best handling bike out there. No one has suggested spending thousands of dollars on suspension. In fact, everyone who emails me, calls me, or PM's me, the FIRST thing I tell them, is "don't spend money if you don't need to". Hell, I give away almost as much stuff as I sell. It's obvious that I'm not telling people to buy aftermarket suspension just to waste money. I don't even sell shocks... why would it matter to me what brand of shock people buy? If I were after nothing but money, I'd tell everyone to buy YFZ shocks, because they need about $300-$400 in them, to make them comparable to a set of Works. [/rant]

I think you will be hard pressed to find ANYONE who has complaints about ANY of stellar's products.

I'm confused now.

Chemical strippers are the easiest way to remove old paint and powdercoat. I've had good luck with Kleen-Strip products. As far as the type of oven you use, you can most definitely use a gas oven. The oven I use every day is gas, and every PC shop I've ever been to uses gas ovens. If you're using a household oven, leave the door cracked slightly to let out any moisture that WILL build up. Other than the moisture, you won't have any issues with using a gas oven. Older powder used to be combustible, but that hasn't been an issue for the last 15 years. Remember to preheat your part slightly. You will get much better results.