Kawasaki 2011 Kawasaki Teryx Project
- Thread starter Crowdog
- Start date
The rear fenders and tailgate have been cut down and attached to the roll cage.
I took my Teryx to Moab last week with less than 10 miles on it. The most off-roading I had done with the new build was hitting a few speed bumps. Even with all the upgrades, the car exceeded my expectations. They only issue I had was a little bog off the bottom end in tough rock situations. I am sure that the issue is just tuning as it is setup for a big bore, and I am still stock.
We hit Posion Spider Mesa & Golden Spike on Monday, Steel Bender on Tuesday, Cliff Hanger on Wednesday and Area BFE on Thursday.
Here are a few highlights of the build in the rocks:
The suspension is a +5" LSR XTR-F kit. This setup utilizes bolt-on shock towers front and rear that enables 8.5" and 10" Fox shocks with Position Sensitive dampening. I have the ride height setup a little higher for the rocks and it is just about perfect. With the rear sway bar removed, the shocks are flexing really well and the ride is very plush (I set the compression adjustment soft for rock crawling).
Power steering from Wicked Bilt is also super nice. Once you drive a UTV with power steering, you will know what I am talking about. Especially in the rocks, steering effort is greatly reduced and makes driving much more effortless. Also no worry about ripping a thumb off when you hit a big rock without notice.
I am running 26.5" Pit Bull tires on DFR Baja Crippler wheels. This setup gives me a bit more ground clearance, and the tires grab the rocks real well. I may look into something taller for the rocks, but I am torn because the Pit Bulls have incredible traction. Ground clearance is a big issue though.
Factory UTV 1/2" UHMW skids and rocker guards are key to protecting the underside of my Teryx. Unlike aluminum, UHMW helps soften the hits but is stout enough to last. I may add a few pieces of 1" box to the underside of the frame to support the skid better. There are areas that could use some backing, and with repeasted abuse even 1/2" UHMW will suffer without proper backing.
I put my Warn RT40 winch to the test on Cliff Hanger. There were a few spots that were a bit of a challenge for some and I winched a good dozen times over 3 different obstacles. The RT40 never flinched.
Next up will be some engine upgrades, a light bar with Rigid Duallys, and maybe some taller tires. Can't wait to hit the Rubicon Trail this summer, and maybe Dune Fest in Oregon....
We hit Posion Spider Mesa & Golden Spike on Monday, Steel Bender on Tuesday, Cliff Hanger on Wednesday and Area BFE on Thursday.
Here are a few highlights of the build in the rocks:
The suspension is a +5" LSR XTR-F kit. This setup utilizes bolt-on shock towers front and rear that enables 8.5" and 10" Fox shocks with Position Sensitive dampening. I have the ride height setup a little higher for the rocks and it is just about perfect. With the rear sway bar removed, the shocks are flexing really well and the ride is very plush (I set the compression adjustment soft for rock crawling).
Power steering from Wicked Bilt is also super nice. Once you drive a UTV with power steering, you will know what I am talking about. Especially in the rocks, steering effort is greatly reduced and makes driving much more effortless. Also no worry about ripping a thumb off when you hit a big rock without notice.
I am running 26.5" Pit Bull tires on DFR Baja Crippler wheels. This setup gives me a bit more ground clearance, and the tires grab the rocks real well. I may look into something taller for the rocks, but I am torn because the Pit Bulls have incredible traction. Ground clearance is a big issue though.
Factory UTV 1/2" UHMW skids and rocker guards are key to protecting the underside of my Teryx. Unlike aluminum, UHMW helps soften the hits but is stout enough to last. I may add a few pieces of 1" box to the underside of the frame to support the skid better. There are areas that could use some backing, and with repeasted abuse even 1/2" UHMW will suffer without proper backing.
I put my Warn RT40 winch to the test on Cliff Hanger. There were a few spots that were a bit of a challenge for some and I winched a good dozen times over 3 different obstacles. The RT40 never flinched.
Next up will be some engine upgrades, a light bar with Rigid Duallys, and maybe some taller tires. Can't wait to hit the Rubicon Trail this summer, and maybe Dune Fest in Oregon....
Very Nice Jon.
I am about a week away from starting the rear suspension on my '56 F-100, once I get some steam going on that project I would like to start saving some $ for a BBK.
That 916 deal is calling my name...I am afraid this thing is going to wind up costing me more $ than the dang rail did. Once a horsepower juky always a horsepower junky, I guess.
Same disease, just a different set of symptoms.
I am about a week away from starting the rear suspension on my '56 F-100, once I get some steam going on that project I would like to start saving some $ for a BBK.
That 916 deal is calling my name...I am afraid this thing is going to wind up costing me more $ than the dang rail did. Once a horsepower juky always a horsepower junky, I guess.
Same disease, just a different set of symptoms.
I have been slammed lately and haven't had a chance to do much work on my Teryx project since Moab. With summer finally in full swing, I am going to try and make a run into the Rubicon this month. Wanted to get some bigger meat to try out in the rocks, and I finally have them ready.
The tires are 31X1150-15LT/C Pit Bull Growler LT Bias and the wheels are 15" OMF Performance Billet Center beadlocks. This setup is just a bit bigger than I would like (front tires rub at full turn), but I am going to give it a shot! Ground clearance is incredible.
Also got my light bar with Rigid Industries Dually's mounted up.
And next week, I've got some serious engine upgrades from Muzzys to get started on.
The tires are 31X1150-15LT/C Pit Bull Growler LT Bias and the wheels are 15" OMF Performance Billet Center beadlocks. This setup is just a bit bigger than I would like (front tires rub at full turn), but I am going to give it a shot! Ground clearance is incredible.
Also got my light bar with Rigid Industries Dually's mounted up.
And next week, I've got some serious engine upgrades from Muzzys to get started on.
Smallest LT that Pit Bull makes is a 31. A bit larger than I wanted, but I figured that I would give them a shot.
I have been watching the larger tires for a while now, but Moab kicked it over the top for me.
Let us know what the power difference is with the bigger tires. I've tried 30" bfg's on my LT teryx. The clearance was nice but it seemed I lost a lot of low end and it put a strain on the belt. I've got a muzzy with msd but didnt want to get into clutching and went back to 26" bighorns.
Went up to the Rubicon on Sunday for a quick test. We decided to park at Loon Lake and head in towards Little Sluice. It was a Sunday, so I knew we would be fighting upstream against the 4x4's coming out from their weekend, but we weren't on any strict schedule and knew we could turn around at any point in time if necessary.
Once we hit the trail, it took a little bit to get used to being higher in the air. The tires are huge, and weigh 10+ lbs. more each than what I had on there before (26.5" Pit Bull Rockers on DFR Baja Cripplers), but even with the stock engine, I was able to move along without too much effort. Clutching was off a bit, but I have a Dalton adjustable clutch and that will be tailored to the big meat this week.
Rocks that I used to have to put a tire on to get by, were now passing effortlessly under my Factory UTV UHMW skid plate. My Teryx was transformed into a mini rock buggy!
With the huge amount of rubber under my Teryx, the Wicked Bilt power steering I had installed was now more important than ever. Steering was firm, but easy to use. I recommend power steering in general on any UTV, but with this much tire, it is a necessity.
31" tires are a little larger than I had in mind for overall use, but for the rocks I am a huge fan. I do have a few clearance issues than I need to work on with tires hitting plastic, and I am not so sure I would use a 31" tire for desert (especially without trimming even more plastic).
Next up....More power! We pulled the engine yesterday, and a new Muzzys 916cc will be dropped in today. I hope to have it ready for a longer trip to the Rubicon next week, followed up with a trip to the Oregon Dunes for DuneFest.
I might also look into a stronger steering rack just in case.
More pictures: Rubicon Trail Day Trip
Full stuff I would hit both front and rear on the fender. Plus the front edge of the plastic on the rear (black part) will hit.
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