Many of today’s performance-tuned UTVs boast impressive capability right out of the box, a characteristic which has helped side-by-sides become one of the fastest-growing segments in powersports over recent years. Still, there’s always a contingent of enthusiasts who are looking to push their machines beyond the manufacturer’s anticipated use-case, and the aftermarket has responded in turn. But as Holley’s Bryan Grigsby explains, some of the same bad habits seen in the automotive realm have found their way into the UTV space.
“Oftentimes in off-road, it’s that ‘monkey see, monkey do’ mentality. And while that might be okay in certain situations where the use-cases of two different vehicles are very similar, often it isn’t the best option. Say you’ve got a buddy who regularly heads out to the sand dunes at Glamis, and he’s had his UTV tuned specifically for that environment. He’s raving about how well his vehicle works out there. Some folks will just sort of blindly take that anecdotal evidence and apply it to their own use-case, which more often than not is a different situation. If you’re running through the mountains or rock crawling, a vehicle that’s tuned for Glamis isn’t going to provide the results you’re looking for. Those two setups are totally different.”
Accordingly, we sat down with Grigsby to get a better sense of the right way to approach UTV suspension upgrades.
Before making any buying decisions, Grigsby says it’s important to look at several key factors. “Chat with folks who have similar vehicles and are doing the same things you’re doing with them. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Other things you have to keep in mind are what your sprung and unsprung weights are – how much does the vehicle weigh, what the corner weights are, what wheel and tire combination you’re running, and so on. All of these things will affect what kind of setup will work the best. The types of terrain the vehicle is commonly used in also plays a big role, as does the pace that you typically run at.”
These variables will have a significant effect on the ideal spring rates and damper valving for your application. Getting these wrong can result in a suspension that’s either too soft for the terrain and the force of the impacts that the vehicle will commonly see, or a setup that’s so stiff that the suspension simply bounces off of terrain elements instead of absorbing them.
While we had Grigsby cornered, we also took a moment to clear up some confusion about a few features that are commonly found in premium off-road shocks.
“Remote reservoir shocks are the first ones we should talk about,” he says. “With a non-reservoir nitrogen-charged monotube shock, the shock piston is separating the oil the from the nitrogen, and that nitrogen is keeping pressure against that piston so you have a positive charge. That’s why the shock extends back out after it’s been compressed. A remote reservoir on a shock is doing the same job, but in an extended capacity. That remote tank allows for additional fluid, and that helps keep the fluid temperatures down during extended use. A shock’s biggest enemy is heat; heat causes fade, which inhibits the ability for the shock to dampen properly.”
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Internal bypass shocks, meanwhile, serve a similar function, but they accomplish the task in a very different manner. “Here you have a twin tube-style internal design, and as the piston displaces fluid inside of chamber, there are cut-outs that allow the oil to flow freely through as the main piston is moving through the chamber. When the piston meets resistance from the oil, a certain amount is then routed around the piston through the tube cutouts, allowing it to circulate to the other side of the chamber.”
This design allows a certain amount of oil flow to occur with minimal resistance, in turn allowing for dampers that are tuned to provide different levels of damping response based on how much the suspension is traveling, and how quickly it is doing so. “Our ADS racing shocks use a seven-zone positive helix system,” Grigsby notes. “It’s a unique solution that provides very high flow numbers as well as a ton of adjustability. It’s about maximizing thermal efficiency and getting the shock to operate the way we want it to.”
For those who aren’t ready to make the leap to a purpose-built coilover, Grigsby says a dual-rate spring setup is an upgrade worth considering.
“With our re-spring kits, you remove your factory springs from the shocks that the vehicle came with, and you replace that stock spring with a true dual-rate setup with coil dividers and preload adjustment rings. A dual-rate setup is going to improve both ride quality as well as the ability to handle big suspension events. Here you have a ‘primary’ spring and a ‘tender’ spring – the tender spring gives you that nice, compliant ride quality. But once you get into the travel of the suspension, the other spring comes into play. And the preload adjustment ring allows you to fine-tune where in the secondary spring rate gets involved.”
These kits are designed to be true bolt-on solutions, and they mount in the same locations as the factory hardware. “Here you’re keeping the factory shock and changing out the spring setup, so it’s a very straightforward swap. The kits include coil divider and preload adjusters, so you have everything you need for a true dual-rate setup.”
ADS Racing Shocks also offers direct-fit shocks and struts with application-specific tuning.
“For example, we have a drag racing-oriented air strut for the Can-Am Maverick X3,” he says. “It’s valved to prevent the suspension from squatting too much at launch. These are being used on the world record-holding sand drag Can-Am X3 right now. Again, so much of it comes down to tuning for the use-case. For the Polaris XP Turbo and XP 1000, we have 2.5-inch front and 3.0-inch rear coilovers with anti-bottom-out technology for the rear. These also feature external compression adjusters for both the front and the rear, along with spring rates that are matched to the platform. It’s a great option for someone looking to get those external adjustments and the increased damping capability of a larger-bodied shock without going to an internal bypass design.”
If you’re looking to take your UTV’s capability several steps further, Grigsby suggests looking at ADS’s MBR coilovers, which boast a raft of competition-ready features. “This is the end-all-be-all, solution – the ultimate shock. The goal was to build the best UTV coilover money can buy, and that’s what we’ve accomplished here.”
MBR coilovers use a 3.0-inch shock body and feature six zones of high-speed and low-speed adjustment for both rebound and compression. These coilovers are also equipped with a dual-hose recirculating reservoir to enhance manage heat management as well as spring rates and valving that are model-specific. “We use internal seals that were developed specifically for ADS, which are designed to be extremely resistant to heat,” he tells us. “Every one of these shocks is vacuum-bled, and we exclusively use Schaeffer's Racing Oil in all the shocks we manufacture. We’ve found Schaeffer's to be the most stable when subjected to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.”
Going beyond coilovers, Grigsby recommends looking at sway bar end links, the sway bar itself, and control arms to gain additional capability from an otherwise-stock UTV. “The strength of the factory control arms is often another limiting factor, so as you’re going down this upgrade path, that’s something you’ll likely want to address. Toe links, radius rods, front tie rods – even steering racks can be a weak point. These things are seeing a lot of abuse; in order to maximize your investment, it’s important to start with a good foundation.”
He also says that research is the key to success when it comes to suspension tuning. “It’s important to form your own opinion – there’s a lot of good stuff out there, but what’s ideal for one application might not be the best option for another. Talk to racers. You’ll find that a lot of competitors aren’t beholden to large manufacturers, so they’re not afraid to tell you what works and what doesn’t. These racers are doing a lot of trial and error to find their ideal setups, so they can be a wealth of firsthand knowledge.”
He also recommends talking to ADS’s expert staff for guidance on what components will be best for your needs. “These folks are knowledgeable and they’ll help you find solutions that make sense for your application and use-case – even if the best components for you are something ADS doesn’t offer. The idea is to ensure that people are getting the products that meet their goals.”
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