Rhino with Mason Motorsports long travel arms, Elka Elite shocks and Gorilla
Axles
Yamaha Rhino's come stock with fully independent
four-wheel suspension: Double-wishbones front and rear deliver 7.3 inches
of wheel travel and 12.1 inches of ground clearance. Stock Rhino's have a 75"
wheelbase, and are 54.5" wide. Decent for easy trail
rides, but with stock-width a-arms, it feels like
it could tip on side hills, or run out of suspension going through the
whoops, jumping or hitting a witches eye. So if you are serious about taking
your Rhino for hard dune rides, either invest in some aftermarket suspension, or
know the vehicle's limits.
Although long travel kits are far from cheap, they are the best
way to improve your Rhino's suspension. Approaching the goal of long
travel in steps can result in more expense because stock length shocks will not
work (the only exception to this is Lonestar Racing MTS mid-travel kit). It is a hard pill to swallow, but if you want to get to long travel,
you will save money in the long run by waiting until you can buy a full long
travel kit.
If a long travel kit is just out of reach, but you still want to
increase your track width for more stability in the dunes, you can try offset
wheels and/or wheel spacers.
Most of the long travel kits increase wheel
travel, front and rear track width and stretch the wheelbase. Long travel kits are now available from
several manufacturers.
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What is included in a Rhino Long Travel Kit?
Before you go running off to buy one of these long travel kits,
it is best to understand what is included so that you can make side by side
comparisons.
A-Arms - A few different types of a-arms are out
there. Most are made from chromoly tubing, others are boxed, and a few are
made from billet aluminum or mild steel. Each material type has pros and cons.
Ask questions about why a particular material and arm design was chosen.
Some kits come powder coated in a standard color.
Others come unfinished or offer custom colors.
A-Arm Hardware - Inner and outer a-arm hardware is
typically replaced. The majority of long travel kits come with new bushings (Delron,
Daystar, etc.) on the inner side of the a-arm, but some come with heims.
On the outer or spindle side, some kits use heims, others use uni-balls, and a
few reuse the OEM ball joint. There are pluses and minuses to each type of setup
and quality can vary from heim to heim and bushing to bushing, so ask questions.
Axles - When you extend the wheels out, you are going to
need new axles. There are two approaches to this. The cheaper route
is to reuse the stock CVs and just replace the axles (for example - Gear One
makes a 300m axle for Rhinos). The more expensive route
is new axles and CVs. Many builders use Gorilla Axles & CVs. Stepping
up to Gorilla Axles & CVs will increase strength and is much easier to
install. The cost to step up to Gorilla Axles and CVs varies, but expect to pay
up to $1,500 more.
Tie Rods - Some kits come with tie rod extenders. A
few come with new tie rods.
Shocks - All of the kits include new coilover shocks.
Several shock manufacturers have developed Rhino specific shocks, so there are
many options and prices out there. Long travel kit manufacturers will tend to
have a favorite. If you don't want to mess around with shock valving, stick with
what the manufacturer recommends. Shock selection can greatly affect not only
the cost, but also the performance of the kit.
Front Shock Tower - A few of the kits have optional front
shock towers that raises the upper shock mount location and allows for a longer
shock and more
wheel travel. Some welding may be necessary.
Spindles - Stock spindles aren't typically replaced, but
a few manufacturers are now offering new spindles as an option. If you race or
like to jump, you should look into new spindles.
Frame Gussets - Long travel kits put more stress on the
factory mounting locations. Several manufacturers are now offering bolt-on or
weld-on gussets to help beef up the stock frame in critical areas.
Other things to ask:
Does the kit affect ride height? This not only affects how
the Rhino will handle, but also if it will make it inside your toy hauler.
Make sure your kit is "bolt-on" with no welding
required.
Will my OEM wheels will fit?
Will the OEM rear sway bar work?
Does the kit put extra stress on OEM parts that do not get
replaced?
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Spotlight on Rhino Products
Here are the products that we have chosen to use on the
DuneGuide.com Project
Rhino:
Front & Rear Differential Support and Frame Gussets - Lonestar
Racing
If you manufacture or sell parts and accessories for
Yamaha Rhino's, and are interested in having your product be part of the Rhino
Buildup, please send
us an email.
A link back to DuneGuide.com from
your website is appreciated.
Fully boxed A-arms made of 4130 chromoly.
A-Arm width: +6" wider per side
Wheelbase: Forward 2” and back 2”.
Wheel travel: 13" - 15” (depending on shocks)
Shocks: Fox, King
Single Shock and Dual Shock w/ Bypass kits available
A-Arm width:
+6" wider per side.
Wheelbase: 2" forward and 2" backward
Wheel travel: 14.5"
Shocks: Elka, King, Walker Evans, Fox
A-Arm width: +6"
Wheelbase: +2" back
Wheel travel: 13 3/4"
Shocks: WER
Website: www.xtrememf.com Location: Phoenix, AZ
Phone: 623-465-9689
Email:
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If you manufacture long travel suspension kits, axles or shocks for Yamaha
Rhino's, and are not on this list, please send
us an email with your company details.
