Question 1

How long is the warranty?

Accepted Answer

Lifetime Warranty on all Coil Springs
2-Year Warranty On all Hard Structural Parts. 
90-day warranty on manufacturer defects. 
For full information please see our Warranty Page.

Question 2

Why does Bandit recommend shock covers?

Accepted Answer

Shock covers will keep mud, stones and rocks from pelting your shocks and shock shafts. Dents on shafts can happen with any brand of shocks. Once dents occur on shafts this will drag dirt up into your seals and could potentially cause premature seal failure. We are sharing this to try to make your shocks last as long as possible. Shock covers do not cause damage to shocks. Shock covers are nylon material that heat passes through easily. You may not need to run shock covers in sand dunes although trails and mud conditions will have many rocks from small to large in the different terrains / soils.

Shock covers can be purchased from many companies listed on Ebay, Amazon, Moms Kustoms on Facebook, or www.sealsavers,com. To measure the length for your shock covers, measure the length of your spring stacks when shock is at full extension and measure the outer circumference of your springs. This will give you the length and the circumference size needed. It is a good idea to remove your shock covers after dirty rides and wash them along with cleaning off any dirt particles on your shocks as a regular part of maintenance.

Ultimately shock covers will extend your shaft seal life, we highly recommend purchasing shock covers as it protects your shafts and seals.

Question 3

Does Bandit recommend me to run limit straps?

Accepted Answer

We feel all UTV's should use limit straps  even with OE shocks when adding components such as portal lifts, wheel spacers, larger heavier additional ply tires, beadlock or offset wheels, lift kits, extended a arms / trailing arms or arched a arms. We have seen many brands of shocks yanked or pulled apart in our off-road 40+ years of racing and being in the industry. Limit straps will save vital internal shock parts and also save axles and ball joints from prematurely wearing out. Limit straps have been used in the off-road industry for many years. This is a cheap add-on especially if you are a hard core driver keeping all of your suspension components lasting longer.
 
To measure for limit straps typically you want 1.5 inch to 2 inch shorter than your shock eye to eye / top bolt hole to bottom bolt hole at full extension. All straps will stretch approximately 1 inch or more after a few rides typically leaving a 1/4 - 1/2 inch of safety. We again are sharing our beliefs and knowledge to keeping your shocks and other moving suspensions components from prematurely wearing out.

Question 4

Should I adjust the air pressure in my shocks?

Accepted Answer

NO, this is nitrogen which is filled from the manufacturer before shocks are received from customer. You cannot check your nitrogen pressure with a tire pressure gauge, or refill with air. If you decide to change your nitrogen pressure or check please contact your local shock technician who will have the proper gauges and nitrogen tools to take care of you. This will save time and money verses sending shocks back to us for us to re check your nitrogen pressure.

Question 5

How do I adjust my preload?

Accepted Answer

• Preload / Spring Tension on your springs vary widely from vehicle to vehicle. It is Impossible for us to give an answer to where you should start your Preload / Spring Tension. With any coil-over shock that uses single springs or dual rate springs, preload may take fine tuning to achieve best results. We recommend using this formula:
 
 • With the machine jacked up off the ground; The spring Preload adjuster nuts / spanner nuts should be turned down until they touch the springs to where the spring doesn't rattle. This is Zero Preload. A common misconception is that Preload is measured from below the head of the shock (where it meets the threaded body) to the top of the Preload Adjuster Nuts. This is False. Zero Preload is when the shock is fully extended and the Preload Adjuster Nut / Spanner is just touching the spring stack enough to keep it from moving up and down inside its limit. The measurement of threads from the head of the shock down to the top of the spanner nut should only be used as a reference point to check total Preload.
 
 • From Zero Preload, tighten the Preload Adjuster Nuts down 1/4" to start. Use the exposed threaded bodies of the shocks as a reference point to know how far you've gone. you may count the threads or measure to use as a reference.
 
 • Set the machine on the ground after setting both front springs and both rear springs initial Preload starting point. Before measuring your ride height, take the vehicle for a quick ride around the driveway. (The suspension needs to "settle" and will only do so by driving it. Jumping up and down on the bumpers will not suffice)
 
 • Once the suspension is settled, measure the front and rear ride height. We measure the front and the rear at the bottom of chassis.
 
 • As a recommendation, Some UTV's handle better with the front end about 0.5-1" higher than the rear. However, There is no real "wrong" way to set up your vehicle. It should always be whatever works best for you. You can always add more Preload to get a little extra ride height which will also slightly stiffen ride quality. **NOTE** Not all UTV's handle best with the front set higher. Again this is what works best for you, your terrain, additional cargo and accessories weight added to the UTV.
 
 • In the initial stages of adjusting your Preload to set your ground clearance we recommend starting with 1/4" adjustment increments. And always use a jack to lift the front or rear of the UTV off of the ground when adjusting Preload. It is always best to make sure the threads on all shock bodies are clean. Using WD40 or any lubricant helps in adjusting Preload.

• All brands of new upgraded coil springs will be built in a higher quality as well as higher spring rates. This is always the case with all brands as the new coil springs need to be better than the Original equipment springs that most of the time sag, loose ground clearance and ride stiff which is usually the main reason for upgrading coil spring and or full replacement shocks with coil springs. All brands of new coil springs will settle a little after a few hundred miles. Once installed it is common to gain 1 or 2 inches of additional ground clearance. This is due to having improved coil springs. Axle angles and cv joints are designed to be used with the shocks at full length or full droop in terms. New coil springs do not make the shocks any longer then they are built structurally. The additional ground clearance or axle angles are within the parameters of the designed shocks lengths.

Question 6

How do I adjust my compression adjustment?

Accepted Answer

Compression damping regulates the force that moves a shock through its travel. Compression damping is achieved with fluid/oil. This oil circulates through a compression circuit, and by restricting its flow, the suspension can be made firmer and even be completely locked out. 
 
All shocks are shipped at click number one (Low Speed) which is the softest position and one revolution (High Speed). By using a small flat blade screw driver and or a 14mm wrench you may adjust either Low or High speed separately from this position towards  your desired softer or firmer settings. You may determine what click you are on by the small detent of each adjustment point.

Question 7

Do I need to grease the spherical bearing between my gold bushings?

Accepted Answer

We send all shocks out with no grease on the bearing. Some customers may ride in sandy conditions and grease will attract sand like a magnet and wear out bearings. If you would like to keep your bearings lasting for years of normal trail and mud use you may clean and grease your spherical bearings on a regular basis.

Question 8

What are the torque specs to tighten my shock bolts when installing new shocks?

Accepted Answer

Please see your manufacturer specific vehicle owners manual for torque specifications. Or call your local UTV Dealer.

Question 9

How often do I need to change my oil in my shocks?

Accepted Answer

All brands of offroad shocks will have the same recommendations as the following information. Our recommendations are in line with all brands. We highly recommend having the oil changed every 1000-1500 miles of normal trail type riding or Annually. Extreme racing type riding should have oil changes done more frequently. All shocks may be serviced by any shock technician in your area just as all brands of shocks. We offer all replacement parts and Service kits as well as How To Videos on our Video Page. Our recommendation for Oil changes/Servicing is 100% in line with all other off road shock brands and there Service timelines.

Question 10

Will springs rub shock bodies or cross-over rings if cross-over rings are applied to shocks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is vary common in the offroad world for a spring to rub on a body. In some cases the shock manufacturer will add a black plastic sleeve to try and deflect the rubbing if the shock is set for the use of a single spring. It is 100% normal in off road shocks, You may try to remedy this by twisting or turning the spring, It also can be caused by adding to much preload to a single spring especially if the single spring is longer in length.
 
Cross-over rings can be rubbed by the springs. Some rubbing may always happen. To try to help avoid this with the dual springs please try to always clock the tails of your springs 180 degrees from each other where they sit on the spring divider.

Question 11

My spring divider is rubbing on the shock body, Why?"

Accepted Answer

Spring dividers are made to ride up and down on the shock body. They are used to connect a top and bottom spring, it is the nature of a spring divider to move up and down on a shock body. It is always best to regularly wash your shocks and rinse the dirt or debris out from the spring divider area.

Question 12

Who are your springs made by?

Accepted Answer

We use all of the top spring manufacturers in the US.

Question 13

Can I powder coat my springs? Do you offer them in different colors?

Accepted Answer

We do not recommend re-powder coating springs. Sand blasting and reheating will weaken the spring as it changes the molecular structure of the steel. We periodically will offer silver springs but mainly Bandit's color is black.

Question 14

How do I adjust my rebound adjustment?

Accepted Answer

Rebound damping is what controls the speed at which your suspension re-extends after compressing i.e. after obsorbing a hit. Not enough rebound will make your suspension pogo or buck around off of big hits. Too much rebound will cause your suspension to pack down resulting in a harsh ride.
 
Your rebound adjuster is typically located at the lower end of your shock, which will be marked with an H and an S. We send shocks out with the rebound set midway. This is the best all around rebound setting. By adjusting counter clockwise towards the S you will speed up the action of the shock going back to full extension faster. By adjusting clockwise towards the H you will ultimately be slowing the shock down going back to full extension. There is no perfect setting for us to tell you since all terrains, drivers speeds and even tire pressure can effect each indivduals settings. We recommend starting at the mid point which is where we ship them out at and adjusting one click at a time to suit your needs.

Question 15

Cross-over Ring Adjustment..

Accepted Answer

Despight what you may have read from other companies there is no specific adjustment or setting for us to tell you where to set your cross-over rings. Cross-over rings are intended to fine tune to each individuals preferred feel while out on the trail or track. By adjusting your cross-over rings to the lowest area on the threads you will engage your main spring much sooner or in some cases almost immediately. This will activate your main spring which is a heavier rate, as you will be mostly riding on this heavy rate spring. By adjusting your cross-over rings to the top of the threaded area you are now allowing for a softer overall combined spring rate of the two springs working together. You may adjust anywhere in between the lower threads or the upper threads to suit your needs.

Bandit UTV Suspension

Bandit UTV Suspension F.A.Q.

Find Answers for

Common Questions

Control Your Adventure

Shop

Company

Support