-
Yamaha in Polaris Cloths
Elka Shock Long Term Review
(I see the photobucket has removed the ability for me to freely share my pictures. Sorry! I have some pictures that go along with this post, but the site won't let me upload them for some reason.)
I have been running a set of custom built Elka stage 4 shocks for one year. They are installed on a 2015 Polaris Ranger 900 XP set up for trail riding.
I live in south Texas; yet, I have trailered this Ranger 900 to ride the Outlaw Trails around Ashland, West Virginia and mountain passes outside of Silverton, Colorado. Mix that with a few mud parks such as Mud Buddys in Ezzell, Texas, and it should be safe to say I've put these Elka shocks through their paces.
After about 700 miles, I noticed that the shocks were leaking from the seal head. It wasn't just one shock; it was all four. I promptly called Elka and expressed my disappointment. These are $2,400 ultra premium coilovers. I have no idea why all four started leaking, literally, at the same time.
Elka heard my concern, and they took great care of me. They recorded the serial numbers from each shock and authorized a full rebuild on the entire set. They replaced the seal head, changed the hydraulic lubricant, and recharged the nitrogen - a full rebuild and shipping all covered under the Elka warranty.
While the Elka shocks were sent off for rebuilding, I reinstalled the OEM shocks on my Ranger. It was a good reminder of how much good suspension changes the handling and ride of a Polaris Ranger. The stock suspension rides smooth when putting around in Low Range, but that's about the end of their positive attributes. Merely swapping shocks back to stock resulted in a loss of 1.5" of ground clearance; it gained a lot of body roll, and the stock shocks dive badly when braking. It seems like anything over 20MPH on the stock shocks is a bumpstop slapping affair. The rebuild took about a week, and the shipping time each way also took several days. I was glad when I got my Elkas back and installed under my Ranger!
I am still impressed with the Elka shocks, despite the leaking seals. Elka made it right with good customer service after the sale. This kind of suspension upgrade isn't for all riders, but for those who want to ride trails, all while still maintaining a large bed and massive carrying capacity, then you might just want to check out some quality aftermarket shocks.
2015 Polaris Ranger 900
RVS 86HP Tune | Elka Shocks | QSC Clutching | 27" VIPRs | 5000lb Viper | Baja Designs Lights | Wet Sounds Stealth 10 | 10" SSV Subwoofer | Highlifter Snorkels
2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800
Warn Provantage 4500-S
28" Terminators | MSA Kore | Highlifter Lift | 50" Radius Lightbar | Dual Batteries |
2011 Yamaha Rhino 734 Sport
Alba 734 | Racer's Edge +2 head | CP 11:1 Piston | 46mm Benchmark TB | JBS Sheave, Muzzys | WER shocks | CATVOS 3" lift | 30" Bighorns
-
Post Thanks / Like - 2 Thanks, 2 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Ridin' and Guidin'
I moved all my photobucket pics to imgur.com
" White Shadow " Wolverine X2
JBS Performance Extreme Sheave
JBS Performance Suspension Springs
Team Alba Racing ECU
Rigid Side Shooter Led
Yamaha Cab Enclosure
Bazooka Party Bar
Bookmarks