Balljoints, suspension, etc.

I have a question.

After being on a few rides, people have told me how tie rods, balljoints, and several suspension parts sometimes fail on the trail.

My question is should I every time after we ride, should we go through our side by sides......"mainly RZRs" and take a wrench to all the nuts and bolts? Should you go through all through it and tighten everything throughout the RZR's suspension as preventative maintenance?

Does anyone do that? Is there anything you can do to try to avoid suspension problems?

just make sure the bolts are tight on the shocks and arms.keep it greased well and you will be fine. the bushings do wear kind of fast but i have got 1200+ miles on the 2 rzrs i have had before they get bad. the front lower ones are the first to go.
ball joints have went around 1200 miles also. i will be putting balljoints in mine soon.

Getting ready to put ball joints in ours also over 2000 miles not all hard miles like Bush's got on his.

Gadget wrote:

Getting ready to put ball joints in ours also over 2000 miles not all hard miles like Bush's got on his.

Are they bent or are you just doing it?

the ball joints just wear and get slack in them.

wear and tear normal

JUST KEEP EVERYTHING GREASED ----
THE BUSHINGS WILL GO 1ST, I AGREE.

JUST NORMAL WEAR & TEAR IF YOU RIDE IN THE TERRAIN LIKE THE WAGON WHEEL AREA

I agree...check your parts on a regular basis....don't wait for it to break down on the trail...

After every "good" ride, I power wash, jack it up, shake wheels on major axis(to check for play in ball joints, CV joints, tie rod ends, etc.) and grease everything. Just replaced front lower ball joints @ 1200 miles. Have already changed left rear bushings. No complaints . . . I ride hard as I want to go.

I had someone tell me that the rear lower control arm bolts snap like crazy on a RZR. He said to keep some with me on the trail. Ke had a huge Rhino with lots of lift and 30 or 32" tires. So I figured the RZRs he was talking about were fixed up like that too, and gave alot of hell.

Yamabeast wrote:

I had someone tell me that the rear lower control arm bolts snap like crazy on a RZR. He said to keep some with me on the trail. Ke had a huge Rhino with lots of lift and 30 or 32" tires. So I figured the RZRs he was talking about were fixed up like that too, and gave alot of hell.

thats the first i have heard on that?
even on my totaled rzr the frame bent where the arms mount to and the tire was rubbing the frame just behind the drivers seat and nothing broke.

ive seen 1 front a arm bolt break on a rzr

I may try to get a bunch of parts to carry on the trail to be ready for an accident.

TBONE21 wrote:

I may try to get a bunch of parts to carry on the trail to be ready for an accident.

I have a clutch belt and a tie rod assembly on-board. Keep front & rear hubs in the truck. Guess I could carry a used ball-joint (it's small).

Anything can break.Always prepare for the worst case scenario and you can't go wrong.

well what is the most common thing to break? I hear people break tie rids alot.

TBONE21 wrote:

well what is the most common thing to break? I hear people break tie rids alot.

I carry a xtra belt and a tie rod end..

TBONE21 wrote:

I may try to get a bunch of parts to carry on the trail to be ready for an accident.

you gonna need a Bubba box..

I thought the Bubba box had a bunch of beer in it instead of suspension parts?

TBONE21 wrote:

I thought the Bubba box had a bunch of beer in it instead of suspension parts?

It has a cooler in one side and what nots in the other.

Is the what nots the apple pie side of the box?

Tie rod ends are definitely a smart thing to carry.And so are a-arm bolts and bushings.Those 2 items are a weak link btween the tires and your steering system.I would imagine that it would be a real good idea to get a complete gusset kit for your frame and have it welded up.Thats something i've been planning on doing to mine.Wouldn't do a whole lot of good to carry arm bolts if the a-arm mounts break away from the frame.And from the looks of the gauge size of the metal these frames are made of,a tree at a considerably slow speed,catching your tire looks like it could be a fatal break down on these a-arms.

I got me a bubba box that i carry everywhere i go!I've had to tighten bolts as you mentioned in your first post,while out riding.I keep a nifty little supply of tools as well, in it.A dual sport box that will carry apple pie and tools is the ticket

Can you post a pic of the Bubba box?

sprinklerhead wrote:

Tie rod ends are definitely a smart thing to carry.And so are a-arm bolts and bushings.Those 2 items are a weak link btween the tires and your steering system.I would imagine that it would be a real good idea to get a complete gusset kit for your frame and have it welded up.Thats something i've been planning on doing to mine.Wouldn't do a whole lot of good to carry arm bolts if the a-arm mounts break away from the frame.And from the looks of the gauge size of the metal these frames are made of,a tree at a considerably slow speed,catching your tire looks like it could be a fatal break down on these a-arms.

I agree. Having hit a stump in the wrong/right way, nobody would carry enough parts to fix it right. Even if the A-arm is bent a spare tie-rod w/ends will get you home. I carry it, now.