2024 YXZ1000R UTV Build
The massive new 32-inch tires are 9 pounds heavier up front and 4.5 pounds heavier out back when compared to the stock Maxxis Carnage tires on our XT-R. For a 32, the Chicane LT is lightweight, but it still presents a much higher load on all the YXZ’s components than the stock 29-inchers. Here is where Weller Racing comes into the picture. We reached out to Jason Weller and the crew to discuss some easy ways to make the transition to big tires more comfortable. Weller settled on a lengthy list of small chassis upgrades, focused mainly on strengthening the weak spots to help deal with the extra unsprung mass.
Billet Steering Rack, $874.84
Steering Rack Brace, $55.69
HD Tie Rod Kit, $332.64
Rear Frame Brace Kit, $92.00
Front Sway Bar Links, $136.00
Rear Sway Bar Links, $148.00
Rear Sway Bar Clamp Kit, $45.00
Shock Valving and Dual Rate Spring Upgrade Kit, $1,575.00
WR Edition YXZ Engine Tuning, $150.00
Shock Covers, $72 front, $72 rear
Weller’s chassis upgrade package consisted of sway bar links and clamps, a rear frame brace, a steering rack brace, a billet steering rack and tie rods, and a full revalve and respring of the stock Fox Podium RC2 shocks. The install for most of these items consists of little more than bolting parts on, but the frame braces do require some cutting and grinding. Weller provides great printed instructions with each piece, and their packaging keeps everything perfectly contained during shipping. Our Weller Racing WR Edition products all bolted onto the car perfectly, with no excess modification necessary besides what was described in their instructions.
The big changes to the chassis are focused around the steering rack upgrades and the tie rods. The stock YXZ steering feels great on 29 inch tires, but when you step up to larger tires, you can often feel a lot of flex or deflection in the steering. Weller’s billet steering rack and HD tie rods simply took care of that – even with 32’s, the steering feels solid in the driver’s hands and doesn’t require massive amounts of effort to maneuver. The rack brace goes on the back side of the steering rack mount, sandwiching the frame between the thick metal gusset and the billet rack body. This ensures no flexing of the mounting surface or wearing out over time, as larger tires like this really take a toll on chassis components. One of our testers said it was the best-feeling YXZ steering he has ever experienced, and that is a high compliment.
Weller also gave the YXZ’s Fox Podium RC2 shocks a rework, fitting custom spring rates and valve stacks inside the shock to change the ride profile. Since we would be doing mostly desert and mountain trail with the YXZ, in a lot of rocky, rough terrain, we asked Weller to give us a package that would help us carry the weight of our spares and tools, our full-sized 32-inch spare hanging off of our Fastlab UTV tire carrier, and the rest of our accessories. We wanted ride comfort and bottoming resistance, and we also told them we wanted enough overhead to be able to drive the car like we absolutely hated it. We played our part of pickiest customer ever, and Weller absolutely delivered.Â
2024 YXZ1000R UTV Build
Stock Replacement XGC Lower A-Arms, $499.95
To go along with the Weller steering components and reworked shocks, we installed a beautiful set of Texeira Tech Xtra Ground Clearance lower front A-Arms. The lowers are a fairly easy install, and Texeira Tech’s give a solid boost in ground clearance under the middle of the arm. They are also far beefier than stock, and made of TIG-welded 4130 chromoly tube, so they should hold up to a bashing in the rocks just fine. Texeira’s arms give the front of the YXZ a subtle racy look, which we love, and they fit like the OE parts. They accept the stock pivot hardware, but come with pre-installed Delrin bushings.Â
