# How do I lighten my steering?



## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

Outside of putting in an aftermarket power steering kit on my 2005 Suzuki Eiger 4x4 400cc, which can be very expensive, does anyone have any hacks that they can share to lighten the steering on their quads? It's darn near impossible to turn the wheels when I am at a complete stop with the plow blade up. I have some tight corners on my driveway so I lose some precious real estate when I have to get the quad moving before I can turn the handlebars. I can lower the blade but more often times than not, this just makes a mess. I know Arctic Cats can replace OEM bushings with what's called Steer Lite bushings that really improve steering. It works by moving the a-arm forward to adjust the caster angle on the suspension. Are there any "universal steer lite" type bushings or other options?


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## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

I just did a wheel alignment and while it wasn't the results I was hoping for, the difference is noticeable. For those DYIers, this video helped in figuring out how far out of alignment my wheels were.


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## Moose's Mowing (Oct 6, 2012)

make a box for the rear rack and fill it with dirt or something heavy. Same thing we do with our pickups to level everything back out due to the weight of the plow assembly. It'll help with traction too. Try to find out how much the plow weighs and add at least that much to the rear end


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## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

Yep, do that with my garden tractor when I plow. Helps with traction quite a bit with the chains on. I have thought about doing it with my ATV but I have 4x4 and worry that weighing the back wheels down will just make me lose some traction in the front wheels. Should be easy enough to test out though. I have cinder blocks I can strap onto my rear rack.


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## jmbones (Jun 17, 2009)

whitegoldrider;1737041 said:


> Yep, do that with my garden tractor when I plow. Helps with traction quite a bit with the chains on. I have thought about doing it with my ATV but I have 4x4 and worry that weighing the back wheels down will just make me lose some traction in the front wheels. Should be easy enough to test out though. I have cinder blocks I can strap onto my rear rack.


Becareful with those blocks and make sure they are very secure. One sudden stop and you will be visiting the chiropractor! I use an 80lb bag of rock salt strapped to the rear rack.


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## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

Yep, I used ratchet straps. I also lined the rack with some non-slip shop tiles I had laying around. Sadly though, I couldn't tell the difference with the weight on or off. 

I plopped a 50lb bag of ice melt on the seat of my garden tractor and sat on it while plowing. Ripped a hole in it once without realizing and that was fun to clean up.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

whitegoldrider;1738559 said:


> Yep, I used ratchet straps. I also lined the rack with some non-slip shop tiles I had laying around. Sadly though, I couldn't tell the difference with the weight on or off.
> 
> I plopped a 50lb bag of ice melt on the seat of my garden tractor and sat on it while plowing. Ripped a hole in it once without realizing and that was fun to clean up.


The farther back you have the weight, the more noticeable it will be. If you have a receiver hitch, you can put a platform in that that holds the weight well behind the rear wheels. That should help, also make sure you have plenty of air in your front tires.


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## 90plow (Dec 22, 2001)

Go to the gym...


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## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

I do have a receiver hitch and tray. I'm willing to try it but, again, I don't know if I'm willing to sacrifice lighter steering for less traction in the front wheels. It's pick your poison, I guess. Thanks


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## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

*Not the point*



90plow;1738607 said:


> Go to the gym...


That's one way to do it. But then I'll be posting a thread about how to fix my steering column because I muscled the turn and broke something off. I would rather tune my machine so it can do the the heavy lifting for me.


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## DaveCN5 (Oct 19, 2011)

Keeping the front tires inflated properly is key. You can go from barely being able to turn the handle bars when stopped, to being able to do it 1 handed. And like everyone else said, weight on the back helps.


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## whitegoldrider (Jan 24, 2014)

I've had my tires pumped up to 8lbs already. It was a PITA but I went around the steering shaft and put some fresh grease and adjusted torque settings on bolts to spec. I think the culprit might have had to do with the steering shaft holder. Bolts were way out of spec. Right when I loosened the bolt on the first holder, their was a "release" of sorts. We've had a real cold snap lately and noticed the stiffness right around the same time so I wonder if it's time to move the ATV into the heated garage but so far so good.


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## Reb (Feb 8, 2008)

Quite a few years ago when I was looking at buying a new atv I borrowed different brands and models to try out. One was a rubicon. It was very hard steering but after inspection I found one of the frame brackets the A-arms were attached to was bent so it was severely out of alignment. I adjusted it as best I could, which helped some, but it was never right. Maybe thats something to check out on your atv.


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