Let's Talk About Side-By-Side Suspension

One of the most important and often overlooked parts of owning a side-by-side is suspension. If you care about having a stable and smooth ride across different types of terrain, you won’t want to ignore or glance over it anymore. Getting professional suspension tuning done can be the best money you ever spend on your side-by-side, when it comes to noticeable performance upgrades.

Start with the problem you want to solve: a harsh ride, lost ride height or a shock that needs service. A correctly matched All Thingz UTV tender spring kit is one option for improving ride quality. Worn or leaking shocks need inspection and service before a spring upgrade.

Anatomy of a UTV Shock

A UTV uses a coil-over shock. You can see the shock with labelled parts here:

utv shock diagram

Springs support the machine and store energy as they compress. The shock damper controls suspension motion and dissipates energy as heat. Coil-over layouts vary; the diagram shows common components rather than a parts list for every UTV.

Basic Parts of a UTV Coil-Over Shock

Shock body
Primary spring
Tender spring
Body cap
Preload adjuster
Cross-over rings
Spring divider
Shaft
Eyelet
Spring retainer and clip
Bottom-out bumper
Piggy back bridge
Piston assembly
Internal floating piston
Reservoir assembly
Nitrogen
Oil

How Noticeable Is Suspension Tuning?

rzr shocks

When done properly, suspension turning can drastically increase the performance of your SxS. If neglected or done incorrectly, it can negatively impact or even damage your side-by-side. That’s why it’s important to care about your suspension, whether you’ve owned your machine for five months or five years. You may be thinking the shocks on your UTV are expected to take a lot of abuse, and so they’re designed to be resilient, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need attention.

You’ll probably be surprised by how noticeably better the ride quality is after suspension tuning.

Too Much Preload Is Bad For UTV Shocks

polaris rzr shocks

Preload is part of setting ride height and sag. Too much or too little for the application can compromise the setup, but a harsh ride can also involve tire pressure, damping, load or worn components. Use the manufacturer’s specifications for your machine and shocks.

A professional UTV mechanic can make sure your shocks don’t have too much preload.

When Should You Upgrade Your Suspension?

fox utv shocks

If the machine sits lower than it used to, record loaded ride height and have the springs, shock condition and setup checked. Nitrogen pressure must follow the specification for the exact shock; there is no single pressure setting for every UTV.

A correctly selected spring kit may improve ride height and ride quality. Leaks, damage or poorly controlled suspension movement need diagnosis and may require shock service. A spring purchase does not replace that inspection.

Have Fox or Walker Evans shocks? Identify the exact shock model and its condition before choosing service or replacement springs. Our UTV service team can help assess the setup, and the All Thingz tender spring buyer’s guide explains how to match a kit.

Don’t Set It and Forget It

utv suspension

You don’t have to check your suspension every time you go out riding, but you should keep it in mind season to season. If you enjoy doing different types of riding, such as rock climbing and mudding, in addition to trail riding, then you may need to have your shocks adjusted to accommodate for the type of terrain you’re currently on. Have your shocks adjusted for higher ground clearance, go climb some rocks, and then have them readjusted to something more standard for trail riding. This way, you can take advantage of everything the shocks provide for you and your UTV.

UTV Suspension Kits and Tender Springs

For a noticeably more plush ride, Riley recommends correctly matched All Thingz UTV tender spring kits. Some factory upper springs are meant to be compressed at ride height, so that appearance alone does not indicate failure. Use our tender spring buyer’s guide to understand the options.

Ready to Improve Your Ride?

If you’re ready to take your UTV to the next level and haven’t already, you’ll want to get professional suspension tuning done, especially if you’ve been running stock parts for a while. At R1 Industries, our full-service UTV shop in Lindon, Utah, can help you improve your ride. Give us a call at 801-899-2520 to discuss your machine and riding style, so we can get you the performance your UTV was designed to provide with the proper shocks and suspension parts.