Steering rods rub on chassis

[TimmySRX]

I just purchased a maxx performance long travel kit (aluminum) for my 99 srx. I updated the front shocks to 02 viper. And it all looks great installed but I lifted the front end to remove the ski's and the steering arms (tie rods) are rubbing pretty hard on the chassis, or the opening that the rubber boots are mounted to. I have seen a lot of traffic on long travel but know one has ever mentioned the steering rods rubbing. The bind up pretty hard. I have seen that it maybe improved with longer spindles. Maxx performance never mentioned anyhting like this when I talked to them and it just doesn't seem right. Any suggestions?

 

[Maddogs700srx]

It will only bind when you take weight off the front end. With the sled on the ground the binding goes away. However either a set of Viper or SXR or XT or XTC radius rods will cure this binding weather on the ground or in the air.

 

[TimmySRX]

How would the radius rods cure the issue? I have already purchased the long travel rods from MAXX performance. The issue is the clearance for the steering rods. I am sure others have put on the long travel kits sold on the web or elsewhere, do thye have the same issue, or is there a modification they are doing I am not aware of. I would suppect that if I had the longer spindle which would raise the steering arms up might improve my situation but would not like to jam more money into this long travel mod. I am going to call Maxx Performance and see what they have to say about the kit.

 

[Maddogs700srx]

A taller spindle won't cure anything. All it will do is make the entire front of the sled higher. We did this on a 01 srx this year and had the same issue untill we installed longer radius rods from a sxr. In order to fix the binding you need to change the geometry of the front suspension. The longer shocks increase your travel, but they also pull your ski stance in up to 1.5 inches. When this occurs you streering rods are lowered in the chassis causing them to rub and bind which is increased with no weight on the front of the sled. By using longer radius rods you move the lower shock mounting point out away from the sled which in turn raises your steering rods back up away from the binding point. This is why the longer travel sleds do not use the short radius rods from the sx or srx's.