A arm Straightening?

[Killer Time Racing]

I have a lower that was minimaly bent. As weak as these are how much can be straightened?
Old Steel arms were toast but these are so flimsy that a weak arm wouldn't be much less prone to a future bend.

I got it pretty straight and would reuse it if no other is available but looking for others that have made it 5-10' feet or are running one still ..
Just throw it away??

 

[couch]

Pics?
Have straightened and run again ... Heat and slowly bend back ...

Sent from my motorola edge plus using Tapatalk

 

[SRXSRULE]

Ive straightened several. I dont even heat them, just put them in the press and go slow. If the metal tears, your done.
Have done the same thing with bent suspension rails for years.

 

[FatDogX]

Straighten it and keep it as a spare!!

 

[Ultrasauras]

Ive straightened several. I dont even heat them, just put them in the press and go slow. If the metal tears, your done.
Have done the same thing with bent suspension rails for years.

Same here straightened pretty easy, also check your shock shaft they are also soft and straighten easily.

 

[goridedoo]

Have straightened a couple. No heat, just a press. Been running a lower that was bent fairly good for a couple years now.

As mentioned above you may have bent shock shafts if you've bent a arms, especially if you have 1/2" shafts. I just got my shocks back from revalve and both shafts were bent.

 

[Killer Time Racing]

Got two straightened for spares as end of trip or limited stock backup .
Torch and very minimal twist and pull..

Post which side you hit most
Mine is
2 left Lower
1 Right Lower

Some of us have been around the sun more than others so limit it to React Fronts

 

[BeartoothBaron]

Just me, but I'd run the straightened ones and keep the good ones as a backup (unless they're just for your parts stash). Or at least run the straightened ones for a day to make sure they'll hold up to normal use. Worst case, you're far from home, smoke the new one, then the straightened one bends as soon as you take it out. Probably not a concern if you can make it look like new, but any noticeable distortion means it's weaker than before.

 

[Mentzel]

Any time you over stress metal in one direction you never want to bend it back. It will stress crack at the bend location. If not immediately it will break when you don’t want it too.. Get a new part.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Have straightened a couple. No heat, just a press. Been running a lower that was bent fairly good for a couple years now.

As mentioned above you may have bent shock shafts if you've bent a arms, especially if you have 1/2" shafts. I just got my shocks back from revalve and both shafts were bent.

Yep it’s very common to bend shafts.

the main reason for aftermarket A arms with non encapsulated ball joints.

(I’ve taken all the aluminum A arms off as soon as i buy a sled)

no matter what A arms you use it’s a good idea to have a full spare set in the truck.

an epic snow day ending short is sooooo painful I easily justify buying the complete extra set.

 

[d8grandpa]

I am with sheetmetal. I remove and put on aftermarkets before the sled hits the snow for first time. The stock ones are lighter but I don’t care about an extra 1/2 pound. I have bent the stock aluminum ones bouncing a small branch off the side of the ski. Aftermarkets I have hit trees so hard I have done hand stands off the bars several times and they are still straight. Absolute no comparison. And to me you are actually saving money by putting on aftermarkets right away. Over time stock replacements cost way more. When you sell the sled you can through the stock ones on and they look brand new. JMO

 

[kootsrider]

Yep it’s very common to bend shafts.

the main reason for aftermarket A arms with non encapsulated ball joints.

(I’ve taken all the aluminum A arms off as soon as i buy a sled)

no matter what A arms you use it’s a good idea to have a full spare set in the truck.

an epic snow day ending short is sooooo painful I easily justify buying the complete extra set.

Is it necessary to reinforce the bulkhead or other parts when adding stronger A-arms? I was thinking one of the reasons the stock A arms bend easily was sort of as a crumple zone to protect the rest of the sled. Which aftermarket arms do you recommend?

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Is it necessary to reinforce the bulkhead or other parts when adding stronger A-arms? I was thinking one of the reasons the A arms bend easily was sort of as a crumple zone to protect the rest of the sled?

I’ve bent a pile of A arms on my axys sleds without any issues.

The weakest point is at the clutch side driveshaft mounting plate. (Seen a few sleds bend there on big smashing hits)

Adding a simple flat aluminum piece bridging that area is cheap insurance.

(Personally I would crash it, collect insurance and then straighten it with a dead blow hammer and brace it after the fact. )



This style you will snap the ball joints (replaceable and carryable in the field) and the shock is protected.

 

[kootsrider]

I’ve bent a pile of A arms on my axys sleds without any issues.

The weakest point is at the clutch side driveshaft mounting plate. (Seen a few sleds bend there on big smashing hits)

Adding a simple flat aluminum piece bridging that area is cheap insurance.

(Personally I would crash it, collect insurance and then straighten it with a dead blow hammer and brace it after the fact. )

View attachment 364940

This style you will snap the ball joints (replaceable and carryable in the field) and the shock is protected.

Good to hear and thanks for the suggestions


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Teth-Air]

If the arm is bent in the narrowest section, put a set of our braces on after you straighten. Note CDN price shown and we anodize black for $20 more.

Polaris AXYS ARM CANDY - A-ARM BRACE KIT. Black Anodized

CNC Aluminum brace kit for the 2016-2021 AXYS RMK and other models utilizing the forged aluminum A-Arms, including the newest "REACT" narrowed front end design. Designed to strengthen the thin rear segment of the lower A-Arms, the Source Innovations Ltd., Arm Candy Brace Kit, will reduce...

www.sourceinnovations.ca

They will still bend with the braces on, if hit hard enough but not on the small hits that these arms are famous for. Many sold and no damaged bulkheads to report.