What is going on with this post?!

 

Should be fixed not sure what happen

 

Yep fixed!

 

I suspect they were loose is why they broke. They require tightening and greasing every ride.

 

OK thank you I will make sure to do that next time.

 

I get you broke a ball joint. But, where the heck is your tire?

 

My guess is it’s sitting on the trail within 200’ of where they started towing it , just looking at where the tow strap is located .

 

No doubt that Keller ball joints have a reputation of being the best but you are not the first to break one. I saw someone break one on widow maker and that’s not much of a hard trail.

If they were loose, you should have felt that first. Truth of the matter is that there’s nothing bullet proof in this off roading business. So the next time you hear someone say “Buy Keller ball joints and be done with it” you can say .. “yeah right” Lol. At least they do have a lifetime warranty.

I’m more disappointed in Travis not returning your calls but Tacket is still a pretty good ways from RRB.

Ive never broke down at Tacket but many of my wife’s family live in that area and ride there often so they will be my go to if I need help.

Sucks to be stranded anywhere- glad you got help.

 

I agree. The ball joints only had 2 trips on them a trip to brimstone first week of August rode 200 miles. And then to Royal Blue and Tackett this weekend. I was not aware of the importance of the set screw. They were not loose that I know of I checked over everything before I left. Installed a sandcraft steering stabilizer and had to upgrade my tie rods to a dual Hiem set up so they would work. So I was tinkering with before Ieft. I will be putting Keller back in. I wish I had my go pro on when it happen so people could see how crazy it was when they went. It was a small rut and I must of just hit it just right fluke accident.

I was also a little pissed he wouldn't return my calls. In his defense he was aware that Joseph was on his way to get my buggie. I didn't know that till Joseph got back with it. According to Joseph Travis just doesn't have a buggie that will get him in the spots I was in. So from now on Joseph will be handling the tackett recoverys and Travis will handle royal blue. This is what I was told so if I'm wrong I'm only repeating what I was told.

Regardles I would recommend Joseph from Tackett Creek guide services to anyone. He kept me updated all day about my buggie and didn't give up till it was down fixed everything took him 11hrs. Great guy. When I go back in a month or so I will be taking his guided tour of all black trails.

 

Tackett is not a friendly place if you have to leave your rzr overnight. I can confirm there’s some bad people out that way

 

Tackett is not a friendly place if you have to leave your rzr overnight. I can confirm there’s some bad people out that way
View attachment 680105

Did this just happen? I think you are the group that was coming down with a broken tie rod. We were the group of 3 going up. We gave you a set of vice grips that we ended up needing lol.

Sorry this happened to you. I got my machine down last night about 9pm. I'm sure what saved mine was the location I was in.

 

back in our woods buggy day we would strip that front suspension off and compress the opposite side rear suspension with a strap to help get us out. Haven’t had to try on an rzr but just a thought.

glad the machine made it out ok I know I wouldn’t be able to get a wink of sleep

 

Please read whole post the important update is towards the end!

Hey Everyone it’s been a while since I’ve posted on this thread. But I wanted to update this thread for people who do come in and read it.

So after this event I ended up breaking 4 more ball joints. After that I parked the machine and have only put 1hr on it in 2 years.

I have multiple toys for the summer a boat a Harley a jet ski and I play competitive golf tournaments start early April and go through end of October I’m generally traveling every other weekend to play. So most of the reason is just time. But I did break 4 more ball joints before I finally said I’m done and put the machine in the garage and let it sit. I almost sold multiple times. And the wife was the one that always said you own it you put 35k in it building it. Don’t sell it give it awhile and see if you change your mind.

so that brings me to this week. My buddy finally convinced me to go back down south and ride. We are going to WINDROCK in April. So I decided I decided to call L&W and just see if they had any updates or had issues with Keller ball joints breaking.

I was talking to Taylor and she said I’m gonna transfer you. So I started talking to the owner and he said no problems. I was like ok and I started describing how easily these ball joints were breaking. And he asked me can you send me a picture of the arms we sent you. So I went out the machine and snapped a few photos and sent them.

We were still on the phone and he said Holy shit I know exactly what the problem is. So when L&W made these a-arms the first 10 sets had an issue. You can see from the pictures there is a key cut in the the threaded adjustment. Where as in the old one it was solid. Basically he said the old style was flexing and causing it to shear off the ball joints if you hit something just right. He thought they had got them all back and replaced them. Well I had the last set out. Somehow my order for the A-Arms was not on file the cage and everything else I bought was but not the arms. I was even able to have home send arms for mega ball joints which I elected to do.

So he shipped me a replacement set right out this was Tuesday and I got them today. L&W has always stood behind there products I bent a tie rod when the ball joint broke in this thread and they replaced it no questions asked. And with the a-arms replaced no question asked.

Now since this Keller has since sold out to super atv as I’m sure you’re all aware of. I did still go with there mega ball joints and I haven’t installed them yet or used them yet. But I felt like in case some one was reading this I should update that it seems like it it wasn’t an issue with the ball joints it was a lissue with the arms.

In the pictures you can see what they changed and this has corrected the problems. I’m so excited to actually use the machine and feel like my faith in the buggy is restored. I know shit breaks but damn the way these damn ball joints were breaking was crazy.

Sorry for rambling on but wanted to give as much back story as possible!

 

Well did it again!

Went to WINDROCK was supposed to be there for a week and packed up and came home after 6. Managed to ride 125 miles in 3 days and 75 of was riding to Caryville flats and back. So basically rode riding. 2nd day started out on 22 went up 82 and started on 83 and bam broke a lower driver side sheered the lower housing of standard Keller. See picture below. Everyone I’ve talked too has all said they have never seen one break like this. I also had BN megas in the top arms and had to replace 1 of the pins on top passenger side. From wear. See pictures below. This is after 100 miles. I’m sure I will need to pull the upper of driver side and lower of passenger side hell maybe all of them who knows yet. I just got home 8hr drive and to be honest I don’t feel like wrenching on this thing for now. So will pull it apart this weekend.

Please read post above this one for some back story about arms.

So after talking with Chet at L&W he is owning that is his arms. And is buying them back from me. And told me to try another set of arms because his are not working on my buggy. I will update if they are covering all the ball joints I’ve broke.

im seriously to the point of giving up I have around 35-40k in this buggy in aftermarket parts for this shit to not happen. And I had an offer for 30k in WINDROCK and I’m still highly considering just selling the buggy and getting away from the sport. It’s been nothing but a headache and stressful for me.



So what I’ve come up with as options

sell buggy for 30k and walk away loosing my ass

Try to put some ORBs on and see what happens.

talked to Ross at NSR and take buggy to him in 3-4 weeks and drop another 8-10k on it.

Hopefully some one in here can please help me with my dilemma. I have searched high and low about anyone else having issues like I’m having with L&W and just can’t find shit about it online.

this issue is driving me bat shit crazy. Ruined 4 trips and cost me over $ in repairs and 1k in 1 actual recovery from the original post. Which I do still chalk that up to me being a dumb ass and riding with no tools or parts. So lessons learned there.
Thanks for your time

 

Please see previous post for information. Here are a few pictures of the buggy you can clearly see the ball joints are in a bind with out even cycling them.

 

Yeah that is not right. The angle of the upper ball joint shouldn't be like that with the suspension just settled. I'd definitely try a different brand of A-arms. Imagine what you are asking of that ball joint when the suspension is fully compressed!

 

Try to put some ORBs on and see what happens.

Not even on a lawn mower

talked to Ross at NSR and take buggy to him in 3-4 weeks and drop another 8-10k on it.

If you want it fixed right Ross is the go to guy. I've known him for years and he is a stand up guy and will tell you like it is regardless. For that $$ amount you would have an entire new front suspension with hydraulic steering. His stuff is way over engineered, built to last, and damn near bullet proof.

 

Not even on a lawn mower




If you want it fixed right Ross is the go to guy. I've known him for years and he is a stand up guy and will tell you like it is regardless. For that $$ amount you would have an entire new front suspension with hydraulic steering. His stuff is way over engineered, built to last, and damn near bullet proof.

So why do you not care for ORB? Im having a heck of time finding other options. Do you have any you would recommend?

I agree with the Ross route i spoke with you back in 21 about his setup. Ive actually been waiting for him to come up with a non portal version. Srtayed in contact with him the last 3 years. He let me know about 8 or so months ago he had it ready. My only problem is Im not sure i want to put that much more into the buggy. Its tough cause i have so much in the buggy at this point and it has sat for 2 years with no use it only has 115hrs and 850 miles on it.

The main thing im trying to decide is if i even want to continue doing this hobby. Im not trying to flex but it really isnt about money everything i have is bought and paid for I own them all. I didnt have shit growing up grew up poor. Moved out on my own when I was 15 had 3 kids Twin boys 30 yo and a daughter 29yo by the age of 17 quit HS my junior year and went to work once my kids were out of the house 10 years ago I decided to start my own buisness and made it successfull so now if i want something I buy it. Its more that i feel deflated and beat up with this SXS there is no enjoyment in it now after you poor your heart and sole into building something and it freaking breaks everytime you ride it It littery has made me sick.

The other option im torn on is do I just start over and buy a Pro R or a Turbo R and do very little to it and buy a extended warrenty and just go have fun. It seems like they have come a long way with the new machines. But honestly I havent done much research on either of them to see if they are just gonna break as well. Can you or anyone else speak these new machines is it even worth considering?

The other thing is I have some other bad ass toys that all take up time so its not like i can use the buggy every weekend anyway.

I have a real nice 38ft fountain with 1900 HP

I also have been building a bad ass 2022 Road glide since 10-23 that should be complete in 3 weeks just had the whole motor built 20k in the motor and its sitting at Dave Dupors shop in chicago waiting to get another 20 k in aftermarket parts and accesories.

 

Ross' stuff is definitely top-notch and awesome, but if you wanna save some dough I can hook you up with some of our arms. Lifetime warranty, and you can go beefy or top shelf with our arm options.

 

Ya, what he said^^^^^

Congrats on making a successful business for yourself, you definitely have some toys.

If it were me, I'd sell the machine you have and start a Pro R build or something similar. Clearly, you like riding the good stuff, and also clearly, you can afford to do it right, so I say go for it.

Honestly, I'd get a 4 seat, and build the crap out of it. The long wheelbase will really help you on those gnarly climbs, and then you have room to bring plenty of tools and spare parts.

Either way, don't be discouraged, after all, its only money, right?

 

I'm not trying to be a **** (not saying this to excuse being an azzhole...just saying this in case I don't word it right)

You sound like the kind of guy who puts a shit-ton of effort into your business, and you make more money by focusing on your day job and you don't have time to be a backyard mechanic.
So you just want your toys to work when you turn the key.

Older Rzrs (I have a 2014 xp1000) ain't perfect..and you either have to spend some time wrenching on them, or you have to spend $$$$ to pay someone else to wrench on them.
Like @RZR_Joe I spend most of my time behind a desk and I actually enjoy the challenge of working on my ride. I get the sense you do not, again you just want your toys to work.

So I'd agree with @FordTruckMan, buy a ProR and build that. They seem to be a bit burlier from the factory and appear to have more of the kinks worked out.

 

You hit the nail on the head. I was just saying at windrock if this is something i want to do then i need to quit sending my buggy to someone else to get it ready to go or get shit done to it. I was blown away at some of the things i saw when i pulled it apart that the shop had done. For instance just soemthing as simple as a the bolt that holds the a-arm on it was to short the bolt was a 1/8 in from even sticking out of the nut. little things like that i had to go track down to replace correctly. I have been the one setting all my ball joints just so i can be sure they are done correctly.

But i am so busy with the buisness its hard to find time to do that shit before i leave for a week.

I take no offense in your comment its spot on. The sad part is i might not know these buggys ins and outs but i can teach my self anything. Just dont have the time to do it. But i can assure if you do decide to keep the turbo s and it goes to Ross Im helping put everything on and learning the ends and outs of the system. And I will be doing all pre ride inspections and all work will be done by me from here on out.

To buy a pro r or keep the turbo s is a very tough choice. I think if i went that route i wouldnt chnage shit like i have on this buggy. I would add 35s winch rock sliders change a few other things and buy a extended warrenty. I like a lot of things about pro r but in the end i think my buggy looks the best i love the look of it. I Dont care about power if i did i would just toss a whalen speed motor or something in it. I built this thing to be as bullet proof as i possible could. From reading on here and other places i reaserched all the stuff i added to build something i wouldnt have to constantly worry about. Dont care about power if i did i would just toss a whalen speed motor or something in it.

Thanks for taking the time to leave your response. I never take constructive criticism the wong way.

 

I'm on year 3 running satv chromoly arms and their hd ball joints on 35s. Broke a front diff, u joint and twisted a driveshaft, but no suspension issues. I definitely beat on mine all over ky and Tennessee

 

I’d say give it another shot on any other brand suspension.

 

What would you recomend?

I should of brought my buggy to you to get the gear reduction done and the other parts put on. I called you but you were to busy to get it done before i left on a trip to brimstone & tacket

Do you are anyone think there could be anything else thats installed wrong or out of whack that i should consider? Front end wise it has sandcraft diff sandcraft steering rack stabalizer mts springs sandcraft limit straps Kmc gernade beadlocks on XTR 370s 35s L&W Tie rods and a 400 watt SATV steering just added before this ride.

If the frame was tweeked would that be enough to cause this? I struggle to think it is since i have torn it apart in the front and everything goes together with out much effort. The only thing i added that was a PIA to get on was the cage. But i figured that was normal.

 

Are there any custom buggy builders in your area? I see you have a (assume) custom cage...could your cage builder dig into your a-arms? I come from the rockcrawling world where people either built all their own stuff or had a $$$ shop do their work, but either way, you could get anything custom you wanted. Buying parts out of the 4Wheeler magazine ads was frowned on (except the Jeep people..they loved the bolt-on stuff). And we NEVER took our junk to the dealer. Now in the Rzr world, I'm surprised to see so many people looking only for bolt-on solutions or the dealership. Not a judgement on you, but more an observation on this entire hobby. Find someone who knows suspensions (might have to go to a custom fullsize rig builder) and have them re-fab those a-arms.

What part of the country are you in? (sorry I'm not familiar with those trail names, I'm up in Montana)
I'd have to think there would be a ton of custom builders in the Southeast. Our Rzrs are lightweight compared to fullsize rock bouncers and don't load the suspension/cage near as much as a 3,500# rig. I'd think modifying or building some custom arms would be a walk in the park for a good buggy builder.

I watch Rzr hill killer videos on YouTube and I know that those folks aren't buying anything off the shelf.

 

So talked it over with the wife today. She is not opposed to buying a Pro R or a Turbo r I did find a BN 23 Troy Lee 4 seat pro r for 40k is it worth buying the Troy Lee to get the added things that come on the buggy? Or get a 24 pro r and add the shit myself?

Also curious what people’s thoughts are pro r vs turbo r?

also if I did end up getting one. What needs upgraded? I will still dig into some threads on here to see what others are saying. Just curious

 

In my opinion it is definitely worth getting the Troy Lee, especially if you're getting a four seat for 40K that is a smoking good deal.

The Troy Lee has $1,000 rigid light bar on the roof, beadlock wheels, front and rear bumpers, the whole cage is color matched. It also has color matched rock sliders, and I'm not sure because I haven't seen one in person, but I think the stage 5 upgraded audio is different than what comes in the normal ultimate, just cosmetically though.

That impersonally I love the look of the Troy Lee which is why I bought one lol.

As far as things to upgrade, as with any machine that has the potential to be a never-ending list lol. However there are quite a few people running these things damn near stock with nothing but clutching and taller tires, and tearing it up down there at windrock and all the TWRA trails.

As for Pro-R versus turbo R, the extra wheelbase with the Pro R and the instant throttle response with no turbo lag makes it a lot more enjoyable to drive. My father-in-law and brother-in-law both have turbo R's and for what they do it's great but it's just not for me. That is not to say in any way that a turbo R cannot be built to do exactly what you want, because it certainly can. It's all about preference.

 

What about HCR Dual sport A-arms?

 

The Turbo R is better suited to where you ride. The Pro R is a desert machine, not a rock machine

 

Funny you say that. I was just looking at some reviews and that’s exactly what they were saying.

So if I’m reading things correctly they are basically the same buggy outside of the fact that the pro r has the 4 cylinder and a 1 piece cage the front diff has basically a AWD drive mode. Sounds like the drive shaft is bigger then turbo r as well.

Is the 4 cylinder the way of the future with these machines. my other question would be where do we think resale value of the machines will be stronger?

the wife just brought it back up at dinner her wheels are turning now. She asked me if I was gonna go look tomorrow. LMAO it’s tough when your married to an awesome women who doesn’t care what you buy or if your gone 3 weeks out of the month playing golf riding SXS in the mountains or riding the Harley to Sturgis iHer heart and passion are with the boat. She loves our boat. As long as I take her boating she is happy as can be.

 

Turbo r has a lower low gear than pro r too

 

So Ive taken some time to digest everything. I have done some reading and reaserching the new machines.
I have decided im going to try another set of ARMS Im not sure which brand to with. Im choices are limited I have contacted CT CA tech PCF they do not offer arms for the turbo s. So leaves me with ORB SATV HCR. Im honestly not sure which I should go with.

So I decided not to take the buggy to Ross I feel like my riding style doesnt warrent the need for that setup.

I decided against trading or selling the buggy to a new one based on the simple fact that i personally dont feel like its a big enough upgrade to go with a TURBO R My buggy is equally if not better built then the turbo r. Beings i do have drive line & diff done on my turbo s. 13 HP just isnt enough for me to make the change. The pro R while i do think this would be a great machine and give me a few upgrades over my turbo s. The turbo s once again is built as good as the pro r considering the ughrades that are done. While i would gain some HP if thats what i wanted i could do some work to the turbo s motor and achieve more HP or even go with a whole new powe plant say from Whalen speed. I do feel like the Pro R 4 seater being longer would make it even more difficult to navigate the trails i like to ride. So my option would be buy a 2 seater which i really dont think at this point I want a 2 seater.

So in the end it boiled down to the wife while she would like to have her own buggy she is ok with waiting to see what happens for 2025. So if we drop 50k on a machine we feel like we are really upgrading over the turbo s. Maybe a turbo pro r? who knows. When does polaris announce new machines?

Another factor was I plan on buying a New Truck this year as the market drops. So putting 50k down on the new truck seems like the better move.

A little off topic but I am considering all 3 Ford Chevy Dodge I am a Ford guy when it comes to diesel trucks and working trucks. Current truck is 2017 F350 King Ranch the truck is used for everything plowing snow salting pulling equipment its a work/personal truck. Low miles 94k been deleted since the day i drive it home.

The Truck I buy this year will be my EDD and pull my toys boat being the biggest thing i will pull riht at 13k fully loaded. I will plow snow in the event one of the trucks goes down. But not planning on using it as a full blow work truck. So im actually considering a F250 or 2500 possiably with max towing package.

The 2 trucks im reasrching now are 2024 F250-F350 Plat or limited vs 2024 GMC 2500 with max towing package denali ultimate this basically makes the 2500 a 3500 I havent looked at dodge equivelant yet. What ever i buy will be diesel and fully loaded. Ford have never failed me just thinking maybe the gmc being independt front suspion might ride better over the solid front axle.

So if you have good or bad expriences suggestions with my truck purchase please speak up. Thanmks everyone who have contributed so far.

 

I feel it coming....

 

Asking about Ford versus Chevy versus Dodge is a bold move lol. Clearly I am biased, but in my life experience you have different flavors. Dodge is the cheapest, Chevy is for girls, and people who want to get work done drive Fords.