Kawasaki Teryx Rear trailing arm suspension **UTVUnderground Exclusive**

FabMan

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Jan 9, 2010
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Leslie, Mo.
I have the rear trailing arm suspension designed, built and installed on the 08' Teryx. Still some finish work to do on the frame C notches & enclosures. My shocks will be here this week and I will get them installed. Will have 20" of wheel travel, same as the front. here are a few pics.
 

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waytay

Get Outta MY Waytay - UTVUnderground Approved
Jan 15, 2009
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wow I was thinking about doing something like that cuz i dont want to sit in a side by side thats way to close for Bro's.....if ya know what I mean !!!
 

SXS Machine

Importer, wholesaler,
Wow that is something, I definately want to see more of that.

Personally I believed until the XP that the Teryx was easily the best vehicle to make into a super-modified, now wqith trailing arm suspension that can still be the case even with the release and paper potential of the WildCat!.

Some more pics of the finished product and some running around please??:D:D
 

FabMan

Member
Jan 9, 2010
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Leslie, Mo.
Gavin, Thanks for your reply. I agree about the Teryx. I love mine and I hope I love it a heck of alot more when it's done (done, that's a good one). I have been real busy lately and have not had much time to work on it. I still have to move the rear diff. back 4" to get my CV angle right and get a longer drive shaft made so as not to have so much axle plunge and finish up the steering. I will post pics when I have something worth posting. I do have it setting on it's own 4 feet now with the shocks installed but I haven't had time to take any pictures. I Don't have much more to do to go get some test time on it but there needs to be about 48 hrs. in a day so I can get it done! Later...
 

waytay

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Jan 15, 2009
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How much longer is your wheel base now?
 

SXS Machine

Importer, wholesaler,
Thanks Mark for the detail. I really will like to see the finished product. I really liked Crowdogs 999 Roggy frame and then you check this beast on it and I think it will be the goods.

The issue does become them one of overall cost though as you have to upgrade the suspensions plus the motor to get 1000cc plus auxiliaries (I dont know that either of the ones that are on the XP or the WildCat are true enduro capability arms like the look of these so dont get stingy theres a 5 day race is Australia to test in in with my team next year!) and we start to get out past $30 with $10k dumped into the motor. So against a starting price of $16 for a wildcat it may not be the best deal for my team setting up from new (that and we want 100% sponsorship yet we need to work on Monster together since they are Kawasaki embedded but I dont even know who has that ball in Australia to go play with them)

I'll follow with great interest but you better hurry and finish if you want some teams spending on the upgrade to trailing arm Kwaks instead of bailing for an XP or WildCat!!

Love your work.
 

FabMan

Member
Jan 9, 2010
151
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Leslie, Mo.
Wayne, it is 8" longer on wheel base overall. The problem I have with keeping the dif. in the original position is, with the 4" longer wheel base in the rear, my CV angle is such that I only have 3/4 of an inch of inner cv cage movement from outer clip to bottom of the housing. With the 20" of wheel travel, I need 2-3/4 inches. I had no issues with CV angle with the fronts with the front 4" forward and 20" travel as far as angle goes with the control arm setup. The Rear dif. also had to be lowered 2 5/8". My favorite saying is " 1 modification leads to 10". Ha Ha I have decided after the Teryx build I am done with build projects. I am getting too old to be out in the shop 24/7. I told my wife my next project is going to be bird houses out of pop sicle sticks, and her response was, " RIIIIGGHT".
 

FabMan

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Jan 9, 2010
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Leslie, Mo.
Gavin, I know what you mean about just going for a new machine but myself, if you can fab up your own stuff and understand the geometry of suspension systems, you can build what you want. I will have to admit, this trailing arm rear suspension for a Teryx machine that was designed for control arm is a major under taking. Someone must be willing to cut up the rear of their machine and do many modifications to do this. I have no intention to sell this as a kit to the public but I will be willing to give any measurments or info on the setup if someone wants it. We need to see how well it works with this setup. I will post a video of it when I get it out and do some suspension/shock testing but it will be awhile, not enough hours in the day!:mad:
 
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SXS Machine

Importer, wholesaler,
Got the engineering but not the shop or the experience or the physical capability anymore, (muscular syndrome)

But I got a love of the hand made which makes anything I want expensive as all frack not being able to make it myself. But I love where you are going with it and I havent seen too much under the back of the Teryx to know what you had to get through there but if you're mounting shock towers any way as most big Teryx systems do theres bound to be a bit of jiggery pokery.

Tell you what though when you are finished I want to see 2.5inch gas shocks with coil over, its go large or go home time!! ;)
 

SXS Machine

Importer, wholesaler,
It seems I have got a couple of guys keen because there are a few handy backyard boys and we can get cheap demo Teryx's, well as cheap as a new one there so people could put build and engine and parts together for a very good home made $20k base to build on.

Isn't there a big cutout on the frame structure though? not that you cant back fill but was that just a co-incidence of moving the mounting point or too big a mount in the end?

Love to see this sytem with the right engine giving a Poo-laris a hiding!! Sorry for any Polaris lovers but the behave abominably at the corporate level in Australia.
 

SXS Machine

Importer, wholesaler,
Hey Fabman, Teryx 4 change your mind about commercialization??

If I was you I'd be banging these out and a front suspension to match a 2 seater racing body built out of this thing. Apparently the frame floor structure is THE strongest going around. So connecting your rear trailing arms, doing a solid set-up at the front and putting in the muzzy upgrades with a conversion to a 2 seater would be the racing rig to assess for the season!

If you cold do them right and to a price I'd certainly by in the market, maybe you need to tap Mr Kawasaki on the ear and get the donated T4 to do one or else they'll give it to someone else to do. Go for it dude!! ;)
 

FabMan

Member
Jan 9, 2010
151
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Leslie, Mo.
Gavin, thanks for the encouragement but everyone that would do the rear trailing arm swap like mine would have to cut up their Teryx and do alot of fab work to change it over. Since it isn't a bolt on setup, selling it to the masses is out. T do it or may not have the time or tools to take on the task. It was very involved. I do agree that Kawasaki needs to get their head out of the sand with the Teryx. A 1,600 lb. 4 seater with a re-designed engine and you make it a 750cc, REALLY Kawasaki? REALLY? :eek:

As we all know with the auto industry, back in the day, say, GM could build a truck and keep that same truck rolling off the assembly line for 10 years and just do some small styling changes and they would sell. Not today. Your designers and engineers better be laying out completely new vehicles every 2 years or buyers will go else where. Either lead, keep up or get out of the way! My 2 cents is that UTV sales are not high priority for kawasaki's bottom line. Nothing else would explain the 2012 Teryx. Later...
 

SXS Machine

Importer, wholesaler,
I agree Joey in terms of market share, SXS's and now it looks like the TORC club we are expanding by going in with are going to do Trophy Karts as entry level for Juniors ands starter adults as required, then TORC as required and then SXS's and determined and I have no doubt we'll have a bigger club than my states ATV club within 2 -3 years.

The only thing to save ATV's here is that I might be the one who scores the wholesale rights to the DTV shredder and atv tracks (junior level) will be far more suited as a starter platform to run on than other motorcycle tracks and CAMs wont want a bar of DTV Shredder.

Once again racing being the determining factor for success of the product with no recreational area's.

I think K running a smart hand as I have been saying running basically the race cars engine and CVT in a heavier vehicle with less CC's for the year to find out any production faults and have it a year in production by the time the race vehicle comes out. Trouble is that killed my WildCat business plan coz I'll go Teryx as soon as its out unless its a dog, and it wont be. Monster wont let a winning classification die away.

I'm excited by the next 12 months - 2 years motorsport wise myself. (and other things) ;)
 

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