Kawasaki My Cognito RC2 Kit is here!

[FBT]

My RC2 kit was shipped from Cognito yesterday, and arrived 350 miles later at my friends shop this afternoon. I have been buying hot rod parts most of my adult life and have NEVER had something show up the next day from that far away unless I paid for overnight. We live in one of those towns ya gotta be going to to get to, and this just does not happen...to me anyway.
I unpacked the kit this evening, and everything looks very nice. The Arms are clean, welds look good, and the RC2 shocks are some of the slickest deals I've ever seen.
After doing alot of reading, I opted to order up the frame stiffening kit that Deviant_Illusion, a guy on another Teryx forum, came up with, it'll be here either tomorrow or Friday. It seemed to me that the time to fix the weak point on the front end where the lower A-arm attaches would be while I have it all apart, and before it bends!
I checked the welder this am, and found it was down to 350lbs, so I hauled the Argon/CO2 bottle for my Lincoln 255 PowerMig up to town this morning and exchanged it for a fresh one so I have plenty of gas (not that kind) to do the welding on the frame stuff.
I have the front end of the 'Rex up on truck jackstands, I want to get started on it this weekend. I will shoot some pics, but this won't go together quickly, with my back being what it is and other commitments I have this will take a couple of weeks I imagine.
I bought my Teryx planning not to run it hard and beat on it, but to enjoy it in the sand and on other trails. My back has been surgically rebuilt, but it is still junk. The stock suspension, even with superb Twisted Stitch seats, beats me to parade rest.
We only took it to the dunes once last year, that alone ought to explain how tuff it has been on me.
I am hoping that this suspension upgrade will be a game changer for us, and allow me and my wife to go on longer runs and tote the grandaughter around with us when the mood strikes.
So follow along with me and I will share my thoughts on how things work out, and hopefully we will be making a trip to Sand Mountain before too long to really give the new setup a workout!

 

[rappy60guy]

thats cool man i have the cognito kit on my personal rhino and i love the quality of their work. and justing and jim are stand up guys to boot . congrats on a great kit

 

[BiggJim]

Jeff You are gonna be able to get out and ride move very soon!!! I forgot to put our updated instruction pack in the box, but I think you can get a new updated copy right off our website. I cant wait to see some pictures!!

 

[dezerteryx]

Only have one ride on my new Lt kit and man my back is thanking me. Its like riding in a cadillac now.

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[staggs]

your going to love this kit. I have the cognito kit on my rhino that i race and it is impressive and they got it right when they designed it. Works awsome.

 

[FBT]

Well, my luck ended (actually, went back to normal) after the good shipping time.
I went out today to get a start on it.
Got the stock right front stuff off, the rotor was a real nightmare, but it finally came off.
Then, I started swapping the CV's over to the new axle. Got the inner one swapped over, and by then my back was killing me but I figured I'd get the axle reassembled and call it a day.
Followed the directions, and tapped the outer back on over the retainer ring after transferring it from the stock axle.
I tapped, it slid on, an I heard a "TING".
Oh oh.
Pulled it back off sure as hell the dang keeper ring snapped in half, I found the other half behind the bench.
Now for the really good news.
First off the nearest Kawi dealer is 55 miles down I-80.
So I call.
Guess what?
Kawi don't sell just that ring, they have what they call a "boot kit" and that little dream is 65 bucks. And no, it ain't in stock, 3-5 days and then I get to drive 100 miles round trip, 'cause they can't drop ship it.
Figuring I will break at least a couple more, my credit card gets a $175.00 hit and I am screwed for a week.
Hell, it is gonna take a day or two for my back to feel better.
Just for the heck of it, I am gonna go into town tomorrow and hit my favorite parts house and see if they have a ring that will work, but I am sorta doubting it.

Believe it or not, this kind of luck is normal for me.
I think I am gonna go have a drink or three, then get in the spa about 10 tonight.

Sometimes.....

 

[JoeyD23]

that sucks...let me see if I can help...I know a guy. No promises....

 

[FBT]

that sucks...let me see if I can help...I know a guy. No promises....

Joey any help is good help....no promises expected.

 

[JoeyD23]

I think you're covered!!!!!

 

[FBT]

Really? '08 Teryx...
Really?

 

[JoeyD23]

yeah...keep working your angles for now until you hear from me or you're secret santa

 

[FBT]

yeah...keep working your angles for now until you hear from me or you're secret santa

Okay, I will.
My Secret Santa aneeds to know it is an 08, and it is the outer cv retaining ring I snapped. I'd love to buy a couple of them to be sure when I get going on the other axles this doens't stop me midstream again.
No matter how it works out Joey, I thank you for your help. If you get up in NorCal, I owe you a BBQ or a trip out on th eski boat, or dinner in Tahoe..we are near Grass Valley, Ca. so there are lots of fun things to do!
The wife is home, now I gotta go explain this to her;I will check in again in 30 or so...

 

[FBT]

That went better than I expected.
She is being very cool about it...she loves riding in the dang thing and has made no secret of the fact that she wants to go more; so if the kit helps the ride and that in turn helps my back last longer for more seat time, then she is behind me 100%.
I just wish that I could've gotten through this process without this snafu.
I am thinking that I will be doing it 2 days per corner (once I get some parts)
One day to disassemble and do half the axle, and the next to reassemble it.
Going any harder is just killing me.
9:15, headed or the hot tub and bed, I will check in again at around 7 before I head to town. Joey, I am gonna pm you my numbers just in case you or Santa needs them.

 

[FBT]

Well I did the hot tub last night and took a muscle relaxer and I could barely get out of bed this am. My wife, Cindy, will have to tie my shoes for me. Living with this back of mine is no fu when I try to do the things I used to, even if I go slow and be careful and take breaks.

Anyway I will be off to the parts store in about 30 minutes so keep yer fingers crossed for me, guys.

 

[BiggJim]

Jeff let me see if i have a rhino clip laying around. They cant be that much different. Call me when you have a chance.

 

[FBT]

Jim good talking to you, and I appreciate your effort on my behalf.
Joey got things squared away for me, and I cancelled that order.
This place rocks, I am so darn glad I found it, and I am gonna fly the UTV Underground colors on my trailer as soon as my swag order arrives!

 

[FBT]

UTVUNDERGROUND makes it happen, the parts I needed are already here!
Now, I am gonna get the axles ready and get some helped lined up for next weekend!

 

[JoeyD23]

Right on Jeff!! Get that kit on post the pics! Glad Kawasaki was able to help out. They are a huge supporter of the site and its customers as you very well now know!

 

[FBT]

Right on Jeff!! Get that kit on post the pics! Glad Kawasaki was able to help out. They are a huge supporter of the site and its customers as you very well now know!

As soon as I can really get going on it I will shoot some pics and get them up. My back has been going off, so a good friend and my son are going to give me a hand this coming weekend.
Waiting sucks.

I can't say enough about the help I got. You pulled the trigger and Kawasaki came through like I can't believe. I was blown away when the Big Brown Truck came up the driveway this morning.

 

[FBT]

Got the rears on; the back is done....and so is my back..sore as all git out.
Here is what I learned, for you guys contemplating this mod.
My drive hubs were a first class pain to get off, have a puller available when you do this because if yous is like mine you'll need it.
I am going to buy a cheapo to have in the trailer in the event I need to do a CV repair on a trip somewhere.
I used a propane torch to heat them up a bit and that made reinstalling them much easier.
I had to sand the powdercoating off the lower shock mounts t get the shock to slide in they are a tight fit.
For some strange reason the right rear gave me nothing but grief, I had to bend the arm tabs out a wee bit and spray some WD on them to get them to slide into the pickup points on the right, and the left rear slid together like butter.
This is fully extended, obviously.The shocks are all the way out and the axles still turn so they cannot unload to the point that the cvs bind. Very nice design.
If my welder buddy can get over here Sunday we'll do the frame stiffening kit on the front lower arms and then we can assemble the front end! I am going to bolt my stock wheels and tires on to get the ride height set, as my aftermarket SS 14 inch rims and 26 inch tires will give a false reading. I suspect the directions giving the ride height measurment are designed to have you wind up with as close to a 50-50 mix between compression and rebound.
Looks pretty cool anyway, and I guess we are gonna hit Sand Mountain on Easter Sunday and then stay a couple days after...and hopefully have most of the place to ourselves.

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