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U4 4900 RZR build

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First assembly the front end was way to low, rear was just right. Pulled it outside to give it its first bath since being out at KOH.
 
Get any seat time with the new steering rack? What tie rod setup(brand) did you go with? how do you like the steering now? any different ratio than the factory rack?
 
How do you like the steering now? any different ratio than the factory rack?


Hess Motorsports sells steering quickners for the Polaris if you need to up the ratio. From what I've read the electric P/S unit doesn't like it if the rack ratio is upped from 1-1. No problem doing it on the input side of the P\S unit though.
 
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Get any seat time with the new steering rack? What tie rod setup(brand) did you go with? how do you like the steering now? any different ratio than the factory rack?

None to speak of yet. I’ll let you know next week. Both the SATV and Shock Therapy racks are faster ratio than stock with different gear cuts. That alone doesn’t exactly make for better steering without also changing to the more powerful power steering unit. The factory one can only put out what it puts out. So while faster would be better for normal use, it’s not that great for steering 34” tires in the rocks, especially in a hurry. There is a higher output electric power steering unit but I’m going to try it like it is first.
 
I'm only running 32s on mine. Factory ratio seems to work for me. Then again I prolly don't know what I'm missing.
 
I'm only running 32s on mine. Factory ratio seems to work for me. Then again I prolly don't know what I'm missing.

SXS’s have super fast steering already. I don’t want any faster, but I would like it to be more powerful. As for tie rods, I couldn’t find an off the shelf solution so I had to make them. Now that I have, I would like a do over. S-T uses 5/8x5/8 rod ends on the rack itself so you have to put the clevis on the tie rods. 5/8 clevis’s and 5/8 cross bolts are overkill and to large for the shock boots they sent. My clevis are both threaded on and welded onto the tie rods.

For my do over, I’m going to use 1/2” rod ends and clevis’s. Barnes for instance makes 5/8 shank x 1/2” ball rod ends. Then 1/2”x1/2” clevis’s would fit better and still be plenty strong enough for a 2000 pound car. I’ve also got some clearance issues almost no one else will run into. I’m running Turbo S a-arms on an XP chassis, and the two cars run totally different sway bars. I have it adjusted as finely as possible, the tie rods barely miss the sway bar at full droop, and the a-arms barely miss the sway bar at full stuff. So bigger tie rods for 5/8 stuff won’t fit.
 
It’s race day. Off the line 19th out of 24. Crazy hard 6 miles of rock crawling, no speed sections at all. U4 wants us to do 4 laps in 2 hours. There may be one guy that can do that kind of pace but with traffic I doubt it.
 
It’s race day. Off the line 19th out of 24. Crazy hard 6 miles of rock crawling, no speed sections at all. U4 wants us to do 4 laps in 2 hours. There may be one guy that can do that kind of pace but with traffic I doubt it.

Good luck out there!! :smokin:
 
And then I broke it. Qualified slow started in the back. Got hung up in traffic and was trying to get around a Talon that couldn’t do anything. He flopped in the trail and I was going to try to go around him to leave his ass there on his side. I got to forceful with the steering wheel and twisted off the intermediate shaft that goes between the power steering unit and the steering rack. Spent the rest of the race getting self recovered. Results were a bit embarrassing this race. Should have some sweet video footage though.
 
Getting put back together after Moab. For some surprises are fun and entertaining. I’m not a fan of surprises. Scattered a belt at the Moab race and found out SURPRISE it can blow holes in the aluminum clutch case. That was a $600 repair. Got a brand new intermediate shaft the right length from Polaris.
 

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Got the new clutch case installed. The hole in the bottom was in just the right place to put a sharp aluminum knife blade into the drive shaft CV boot and cut it to shreds. I think that’s what unplugged unseated the circlip holding the CV and spline section of the shaft.
 

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you arent racing and you shouldnt be on course if you arent already doing so
:laughing:

Texplex is too far away. So I’m going to San Felipe Mexico 🇲🇽. For the first time since I built this thing it finally feels like we’re headed for the kind of course it was built for.
 

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Got my pre running done. This course is actually fun! My new IBP’s work fantastic in the whoops. Rocks are going to take people out. Qualifying is tomorrow at 4.

I’m going to run solo no co driver and see how I fare. See if not packing an extra 300 pounds does the car any favors.
 

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Dumb question..... This is the San Felipe 250 and not a U4 race, correct?

Drive fast and take chances tomorrow! :smokin:
No it’s Ultra4.

 
Bucket lists and milestones. Everyone knows what a bucket list is these days but what’s the opposite of a bucket list, something you thought you wanted to avoid? Going to Baja Mexico is one of those things that always seemed to be on everyone else’s bucket list but was never on mine. Racing anywhere seems fun but the ancillary stuff involved with getting in and out of Baja never sounded appealing to me in the least. I always secretly hoped we’d never get an invitation to go because I’d have to fabricate an excuse for why I couldn’t go. Found my glitch in the matrix though. As long as my Dad wants to get into that race car I’m going to do everything I can to help get him to the checkered flag. So even though I thought I’d never really wanted to get any closer to a Baja race than watching on TV, I found myself packing up and taking my prizes across the border and giving it a shot. Milestone, after 4 races in my RZR where I did not finish for one reason or another I finally got that big finish. Results aren’t exactly anything to write home about but getting that thing to last a whole race is a pretty big milestone for me.

After last Moab’s breakdown in the first lap, Gary Kennedy helped me rebuild the car once again. We did a full prep on it with a new clutch case, replaced steering components and a driveshaft repair. Dad helped me prep the open trailer for a trip across the border which was every bit as important as race car prep, don’t want to have issues south of the border. Last Wednesday morning we met up with some friends and competitors in Calexico Ca to convoy across the border and with our visitor visa’s pre filled out our border crossing was short and painless. Once inside Mexico we made our way down to San Felipe to go check into a quaint little Casa inside the El Dorado Ranch gated area where our stuff would be more secure. Once settled we had to go find some good taco’s and Tecate’s right off the beautiful beach and we weren’t disappointed. Most of the places we wanted to return to have been closed down because of Covid stuff but the remaining places were still great to eat at. We found our barrel of race fuel at Pete’s camp and got checked in with Tiara and Dave.

Thursday was pre run time. We had the course downloaded at home before leaving so we took team photographer and PR rep Mike Boyle with us to go make a lap and run the qualifying course. With a low car count Ultra4 mixed UTV’s with the EMC class of full sized cars putting our whole team at a disadvantage. Plan was with a skeleton crew Dad was going to pit for me in the RZR and Kevin would co-drive for me, then Kevin would jump in with Dad and I would pit for them. Running together meant we had zero pit crew and short one co-driver. After asking around for help, friends Edwin Kevin and Chuck Crossland would help us with pits and I made the decision to run solo as I wasn’t the only one with no co-driver. Pre running went well and we were able to figure out the course which was burned into the desert pretty good already. The only change I made to the #RZR was turning the GPS 45 degrees so I could see it clearly from the drivers seat while running at race speed. Friday we ate breakfast and went back out to the track to pre run the qualifying course a few more times to see how it had changed with big horsepower trenching it up. We both got well acquainted with it and when our time came to qualify Shawn got 2nd in 4500 and I got 10th in 4900. Our friend Chucky broke his front diff in his run so while everyone else went to do the parade through town we got pizza from Pete’s camp and went and helped him change that diff out.

Saturday race day. I’m pretty nervous because I’ve never ran solo before and also never been on course with the full size cars at the same time before. We lined up behind the 4500 and 4800 cars in front of the 4600 cars not totally heads up so I wasn’t too worried about getting ran over on the first lap but was concerned about big cars catching me toward the end. We took off the line starting at 9:00 am with 4 hours to finish all our laps, 3 for me and 4 for Shawn and Kevin. I spent most of the first lap running conservative making sure I didn’t get off course, got passed by a couple UTV’s in my class but knocked out the first lap without issue. Headed out for my second lap thinking I’m really ready to open up and fly. As soon as I started to push on it the car started to stutter and sputter. I knew I wasn’t low on fuel but it acted like it was running out of gas. I stopped a couple times to turn it off and reset the check engine light but the condition never improved. I was only able to go about 50 mph which was disappointing but I didn’t go all the way down there to quit. I still caught a 4800 car in the rocks and could easily go twice his speed, he wouldn’t let me by but I finally got around him and never saw him again. Pulled into pit where Edwin and his guys gave me a check over and topped me off with 4 whole gallons of race gas hoping it might help. No change, car would still only go about 47 – 50 mph but it never quit running. Blasted the rocks one more time and finished my fastest of the 3 laps. After it was all said and done I got 9th in class of 13 and 16th overall out of 35 cars. Shawn and Kevin ran hard all morning and managed 1st in class & 5th overall! Like I said above, my results aren’t exactly bragging material but finishing on the lead lap, and having a kick ass experience in Baja Mexico are pretty big milestone for our little home grown team. Despite how anything usually goes I always have fun racing with my Dad and brothers no matter where we go. Gotta thank my dad for always pushing me to do better.

Gotta thank my fiance Grace first and foremost for letting me go do this even with as much trepidation over going into Mexico as I have. My greatest resource in keeping my little RZR going is Joe Brown at Fabworx505 and if it weren’t for him I’d have a whole lot harder time getting back together after every race. I still have not managed to hurt one of my #Milestar #Patagonia #SXT’s or #raceline beadlocks and this is the second year of running the same set of 4. Couldn’t be happier with the rubber on the ground! I’m also still on the same tight #RuffStuff rod ends I built the car with and even after this race still have no slack in the balls. All in all Baja isn’t the nightmare I had envisioned. I know you still gotta watch your ass down there but it’s not so bad, go prepared! Also gotta thank the boys for the help getting home. Shawn Kevin and Mike didn’t let me let the ol 6.4 powerstroke DNF the trip despite it trying to spend some time in Camp Verde Arizona. Had an EGR pipe fail and lost all turbo boost while the exhaust tried to burn a hole through the firewall. Lots of bloodied knuckles, burnt & dirty hands later with a custom block off plate Kevin made out of a piece of a toolbox lid dad donated to the cause and we drove it 8 hours home with a blown intercooler from the turbos overboosting.
 
damn that looks like fun. I too have no desire to go to Mexico.

The issue about not getting over 50mph sounds like a weak fuel pump. Mine did the same thing last year in Moab. would show 58# at idle but under load it would stumble and stall. Swapped the fuel pump out after trying about everything else and the issue was fixed.
 
The locals loved it. Since my speed was kinda governed I just ran around honking waving and giving thumbs up to people pumping their fists and yelling.
Nice!!! We feel your pain on the 6.4 front. My dad is borrowing a tow rig this weekend because his 6.4 is getting rebuilt....
 
Nice!!! We feel your pain on the 6.4 front. My dad is borrowing a tow rig this weekend because his 6.4 is getting rebuilt....

This is the first break down I’ve had with it. Not the typical 6.4 issues that I knew about because I fixed those before they could bite me.

I’ve had a milestone in mind for it, 200K miles before the cab has to be lifted and it’s getting close. 190K and cab hasn’t been lifted yet. Pulling the cab would really help to get the egr pipe out but since that’s the only thing wrong I’m going to cut the pipe into pieces till it’s all the way out.
 
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