Frequently asked questions
How long is the warranty?
All shocks have a 90 day manufacturer defect warranty, and a 1 year structural hard part warranty. All coil springs have a Lifetime Warranty covering spring breakage. If a spring is broken it will be replaced to the original purchaser as long as the spring is in production. Please see our warranty page for more information.
Why does Bandit recommend shock covers?
Shock covers will keep mud, stones and rocks from pelting your shocks and shock shafts. Dents in shafts can happen with any brand of shock shafts. Once dents occur 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 us or companies such as PRP, or many other companies listed on Ebay. 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.
Does Bandit recommend me to run limit straps?
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. There are many strap companies to choose from, LIMIT STRAPZ, PRP, and Speed Strap.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 leavng 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.
Should I adjust the air pressure in my shocks?
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.
How do I adjust my preload?
-Settings vary widely from vehicle to vehicle. It is Impossible for us to give an answer to where you should start your Preload. With any coil-over shock, spring rates and preload 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 and how all of our shocks are shipped out. A common misconception is that Preload is to be 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 from the head of the shock 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.
Set the machine on the ground after setting both front and rear initial Preload. 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, UTV's handle better with the front end about 0.5-1" higher than the rear. There is no real "wrong" way to set your vehicle up. It should always be whatever works best for you. You can always add more Preload to get a little extra ride height but will sacrifice ride quality.
In the initial stages of adjusting your Preload to set your ground clearance we recommend starting with 1/2" adjustment increments. And always use a jack to lift front of rear of UTV off the ground when adjusting Preload. It is always best to make sure threads on shock body are clean. Using WD40 or any lubricant helps in adjusting Preload.
How do I adjust my compression adjustment?
Compression damping regulates the force that moves a shock through its travel. Compression damping is acheived with fluid, usually 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 1 which is the softest position. By using a small flat blade screw driver you may adjust to soft or towards firm and determine what click you are on by the small snap sound of each detent. All compression adjusters have 1-15 changable / usable adjustments.
Do I need to grease the spherical bearing between my gold bushings?
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 grease your spherical bearings you may.
What are the torque specs to tighten my shock bolts when installing new shocks?
Please see your manufacturer specific vehicle owners manual for torque specifications. Or call your local UTV Dealer.
How often do I need to change my oil in my shocks?
We highly recommend having the oil changed every 2000-3000 miles of normal trail type riding. Extreme racing type riding should have oil changes done more frequently.
Will springs rub shock bodies or cross-over rings if cross-over rings are applied to shocks?
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.
My spring divider is rubbing on the shock body, Why?
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.
Who are your springs made by?
We use three of the top spring manufacturers in the US.
Can I powder coat my springs? Do you offer them in different colors?
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.
How do I adjust my rebound adjustment?
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.
Cross-over Ring Adjustment..
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.