Chapter two of a 5 part mini series of the Paatving project 400ex

To dress up the new front end, we bolted on a new Kromelite bumper from DG. (Figure 13) The fit was perfect and the chrome finish really brightened up the frame. The welds are very clean and the finish is first class. Although we kept the stock steering stem, we decided to replace the stock handlebars with a stronger set of Renthal ATV bend handlebars.

							A PaAtving Mini Series, By Managing Editor Steve Small

			The Front End


			The next job was to tackle the front end. We completely stripped the frame of the a-arms and all of its components. The hardest part was to remove the spindle from the ball joints. (figure 1) For this, we use a typical ball joint remover to make life easy. The grease boots were not a concern, although we did tear one in the process. Since our tie rod ends were in excellent condition, we only removed the tie rods and left the ends in place for an easy time saver. Keep in mind...one locknut is right-handed and the other has left-handed threads.


	We chose to install a set of +1 a-arms from Strong Arms, by HSD Racing. These a-arms are super tough DOM steel (drawn over mandrel) and come complete with heavy-duty ball joints, Delrin bushings, stainless steel crush sleeves and new stainless steel tie rods (tie rod ends are optional). Strong Arms offer three different types of a-arms to meet your needs including TT, MX and XC. We chose the XC or Cross Country version (figure 2),

which are the heaviest of them all and will withstand a good dose of punishment in the woods. We found that the DOM steel tends to hold better "memory" and is a bit tougher than its Chromoly competition.



						HSD recommends using anti-seize compound on the bushings instead of grease. Therefore, there are no grease fittings. Routine lubrication is the key to long bushing life and should be done periodically. We applied a generous portion (figure 3) of anti-seize onto the sleeves, bolts and bushings. The a-arms fit like a glove without any beating or prying. (figure 4) We inserted the factory bolts and snugged them up against the crush sleeves. Installation was a dream.


	Next, we installed the factory spindles onto the a-arms using the new heavy-duty ball joints and nuts. (Figure 5) After completely seating the ball joints, we installed the new stainless steel tie rods. (Don't forget to thread the locknuts on first) Front-end alignment will be last, so we only threaded on the tie rods about halfway and did not tighten the locknuts.


			To improve our handling, we chose a set of "Steelers" with rezzies from Works Performance. These shocks are a triple rate spring system with reservoirs, which increase the oil flow and expand the shocks life span. (Figure 6) The shocks came complete with all mounting hardware, adjustment tools and easy to read directions. As for all customers, Works Performance pre set our shocks for rider weight and riding style (Cross Country). Installation took only minutes. We chose to mount the cans (rezzies) on the frame rails in front of the oil reservoir. (Figure 7) This allowed for a bit more protection and kept them out of the way of future modifications such as a tool kit or steering stabilizer...etc.

For protection, we installed shock covers from Shockwears (figure 8). These use a Velcro system, which makes for easy removal for future cleaning and shock inspection. The tops and bottoms have a "stretch fit" to make a tight seal. Works Performance highly recommends using Shockwears to protect your investment.


					We decided to keep our stock hubs but the brakes had to go. Sooooo....off with the old and on with new Braking USA rotors. (Figure 9) In order to get the old rotors off, we dropped the hub into a tire/rim combo for extra leverage. Next...install the new rotor, grease and install the hub, castle nut and cotter pin. Sintered metal pads from Braking were added and the front brakes were completed.

Be sure to lubricate all moving parts on the calipers to prevent premature pad wear. The brake lines (stock) were attached to the a-arms using zip ties for a clean appearance.

For wheels and tires, we chose a pair of Carbon Fiber rims from Hiper Tech and 6-ply Razr's from Maxxis. As described in Chapter One, this combination makes for a really strong and dependable setup for cross-country. Place the tire completely over the rim (figure 10) from the outside view and attach the ring using a 1/4-inch drive socket as described in Chapter One. Unlike the rears, the front rims only have an outer (figure 11) beadlock ring. The inner edge (figure 12) resembles a normal bead seat, which requires air pressure to "pop" into place. Hiper Tech recommends using dish soap to ease the tire into place. As with the rears, 4 pounds of air made for a nice, yet strong ride.


	To dress up the new front end, we bolted on a new Kromelite bumper from DG. (Figure 13) The fit was perfect and the chrome finish really brightened up the frame. The welds are very clean and the finish is first class. Although we kept the stock steering stem, we decided to replace the stock handlebars with a stronger set of Renthal ATV bend handlebars.

(Figure 14) We used the Renthal ATV grips with Renthal grip glue...the best glue on the market for any set of grips. A foam crossbar pad comes standard with the bars.


	The final step.... front end alignment. With our tire pressure set at the desired levels, we set the toe and camber settings on our new front end. First, we adjusted the rear axle (which was left loose in chapter one) to match the finished width of the front end. Once this was done, we used a straight edge (2x4) from front to back in order to set the toe. One staff member held the handle bars in a straight position while the other adjusted the tie rods in conjunction with the straight edge until each tire showed 1/4 inch positive toe (our personal preference). For the camber, we used a Framing square from the concrete (a flat surface) up against the sidewall of the tire.


	The upper ball joint was adjusted inward until we achieved ½ inch gap at the upper sidewall. This gave us a few degrees negative camber (our personal preference). Both toe and camber was rechecked for final approval and tightened.

Our overall impression.....Wow! It took some getting used to the wider stance. The +1's were wider but not too wide for cross-country, yet we could feel a tremendous difference in handling. The steering was precise and quicker than ever. Bumps and jumps were soaked up with the new shocks and longer suspension travel. We still can't seem to find a rock big enough to hurt the rims! Quick turns can now be taken with more speed...two wheeling was greatly reduced. Not only is it more stable, but softer and more comfortable to ride. We all agreed that higher speeds were obtained while riding in rougher areas compared to the stock suspension. The new brakes can be squeezed with one finger and grab well in an aggressive turn. The new appearance is really sweet too!