2scoops

Thank God I live in a state that isn't bankrupt, run by Hollywood liberals, and hasn't stripped me of all my freedoms. I guess people like it there because they voted themselves another tax increase. I feel bad for all the good people in Cali that aren't mezmorized by the glitz and glam still working hard for their money and trying to have some fun in the great recreational areas Cali has to offer. I can see safety issues if it is not done correctly or professionally. Also, there are size limitations. If you are putting someone in back and their heads stick out that is a problem. Common sense dictates safety most often. Luckily you and I Rick still live in states which let us practice common sense. My rear cage is 1 3/4" .120 wall DOM. If my Trooper were to roll down a hill the only thing that would be left would be the rear cage. It is like a safety pod for my kids. The Trooper cage is garbage. Eventually I will build a stronger cage. Until then, rolling over is not an option.

I think the wildcat 4 is insanely long thanks to the rear trailing arms. I would buy a RZR XP 2 seater and put a rear bench seat in it. It will fit your kid until he or she is 8 years old. Or, if you can wait I think the best 4 seat option will be the Can Am Maverick. It will be shorter than the Wildcat 4 and have more horsepower.

Nope, sorry video is proof--lol. I figure if I keep nagging you I about your Mav I can get you to keep checking in us Trooper folk once in awhile. I believe the X can beat the Mav in a flat plane. I am much more skeptical up a hill. As for the whoops, nothing comes close to the wildcats in that department. Even most RZR guys admit to that! However, I am thinking the speeds at which they hit the bumps is in question. Can Am is guilty of similar video manipulation in their test against the base wildcat. I say lets keep the video coming!

I run dual rate fox coil overs with 30" Dominator tires. I have 14 3/4" from floor to bottom of frame in the front and 13" in the rear.

New vid of the Wildcat X. Way too expensive for my blood, but it is the baddest IMHO for the time being... It doesn't appear they have fixed the visco loc, but it sounds like there is an upgrade? I really like its look. Can't wait to see one in person. Which model did you get? I don't plan on making it to Moab until Memorial weekend, but we will see how things go. Due to this whole govt sequestration deal my wife it looks as though my wife and I are getting furloughed which basically means a 20% paycut for the next 6 months. This cuts into my fun money. Give me the dates you plan on being in Moab in October. You can PM me or txt me if you still have my number.

That is a great deal. I do alot of low speed crawling. How does this turbo package effect that? I don't want to lose the low end grunt I picked up from my SB fuel controller. I would love to see some video of some low rpm crawling and show off its high end pick up. Also, do you have a package with an intercooler?

I'll bet it is awesome and I am glad you are enjoying it. Do you miss the stick shift at all? I am really not very familiar with the Can Am's. I have only sat in a few at dealerships. If they are fast, have great suspension, are reliable and well built, where do they make their money? No flaws? Honest question here, I don't know anyone personally who owns one. For instance Polaris has made their money on using the same chassis over and over, being the first to build a true sport side by side, and volume of sales. My only knock on them is using the same chassis for years which allowed them to save on engineering and new manufacturing. Arctic Cat saved on the Wildcat by using the same motor as the Prowler, some fit and finish details, and it needed some more R & D before release (drivetrain needed more testing before release). The only thing I can complain about is a loose glove box and my door latch. But they dropped some coin into the chassis, suspension, and engineering. Hopefully we can get together in Moab again. I would love to check it out.

Visco loc...pretty bad: http://www.wildcatforums.net/forum/wildcat-videos-pictures/4243-moab-fun-pix-videos-feb-2013-a.html

That differential is really cool. It looks a little wide for UTV applications, but I can think of a few other projects I would be interested in using it in. The best idea I have right now for mounting the hand break would be on vertically on the shift lever. The only place better would be on the steering wheel, but I cant think of how that would be possible. In order to mount it vertically I was thinking about using a hydraulic mt. bike brake lever or a cable lever hooked to a master cylinder. I don't plan on using it for breaking while moving. I really just need something to hold me on an incline while I get the RPM's up and release the clutch.

We are still burried in snow here and I am an avid snowboarder, so I haven't played with the UTV's at all this winter. Items I would like to do prior to UTV season are: I need to install my new swaybar (stiffer) in the T2, raise my rear differential (went about an inch too low), and I have been playing with ideas on how to make it a better rock crawler. I don't want to get rid of the manual transmission, but I am want to take the T2 in places where a manual transmission and low torque motor don't belong. So, I need some hand controls. My final verdict, but I am open to suggestions, is a hand brake on the shifter which will be hooked to a driveline brake rotor. With this I can get 4 wheel braking, it should be relatively simple, and safe (as opposed to a hand throttle). I also trust my right foot better than I do my hand when reving the motor in jolting/bouncing situations. I thought of a cutting brake, but I really want 4 wheel braking. I will be in situations where only 3 wheels will be touching. Any suggestions? Thoughts?

Does it come with the visco loc front diff? If it does I will winch you up next time we wheel in Moab . So you are ditching the family and not holding out for the 4 seater? I would pitch the wildcat x, but it is $2500 more. So, I would call it 6's there. Also, supposedly Polaris is coming out with some a new machine which is supposed to be amazing. I like the ergonomics, quality, and power of the maverik. I could not live with the visco loc and the seating is a little too utility for me (higher seating position). I am not against you upgrading from the T2 at all, I would maybe just hold out for a little bit. If the dunes is all you do then I would say yes...go for the maverik. I have yet to see any impressive footage of a Can Am rock crawling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE8wDzIGUCs

The Wildcat is 1300lbs.

I took the Wildcat out for my first ride today. I went to the Knolls. This thing is amazing over the whoops and lands jumps like its on a pillow. I haven't ever gotten enough air in the Trooper to worth mentioning. Today I jumped about 30 ft & it is quite addicting. In the slow rocky stuff I was missing my Trooper. My Trooper rides much smoother. I also missed the manual in the wide open stuff. But in the dunes I did not. I would have been grabbing gears alot to keep the wheels spinning. The power is really fun. It is smooth & there is no waiting for the motor to spin up to higher rpms like the Trooper. I can't wait to take them both out and switch out every so often to see where they excel, but I do think it is already obvious. On a flat to semi-rough track I think the Trooper could hold its own...throw in some whoops and jumps and the Wildcat would eat its lunch. I would describe the feel of the Wildcat more like a go cart and the Trooper more car-like.

There is more expensive, but not necessarily better. All the electric ps systems are based on the same design principals. I haven't driven the hydraulic unit some vendors used to sell. I would imagine is would steer more effortlessly, but give you less feel in the steering wheel. Thermal shutdown is common in electrical units.

Yeah, St. George, UT. I stopped by at a powersports dealer while I was on my way to Las Vegas.

Not sure I understand your question Banjo...it was either a sarcastic joke if you would see an XP or a Wildcat at Glamis...cause you can't throw a rock with out hitting one (I laughed at your joke) or you meant you want to litterally see an XP and a Wildcat sitting right next to each other or racing. I will tell you my honest opinion. When sitting next to each other you will find it hard to take your eyes off the Wildcat. It is just so different--hate it or love it. I spent all morning at a Polaris, Arctic Cat, and Can Am dealer today. The RZR's are just another sheep in the heard looks wise. Don't get me wrong, I like em' but when I walked by about 10 RZR's and finally layed eyes on my Wildcat the wife got jealous. They look more refined both inside and out. Now that doesn't mean anything about reliability or performance. But from the Walker Evan adjustable shocks, exhaust, and seats the Cat looks like it should cost $20k. Now in the dunes the XP will outclimb and out manuver the Wildcat. But add jumps and whoops the Wildcat catches right back up. Even the RZR guys at the dealerships I have talked to say that on a flat track the XP excells over the Wildcat, but as soon as you add turbulance the Wildcat makes its pass. I was at a Can Am dealer in St. George and they were pushing their Commander with long travel suspension on me, but when I asked which one was the funnest to drive they all looked at each other and said the Wildcat. Don't worry guys, I bragged about the ol' T2 while I was there. As a matter of fact the plan is for me to drive the T2 and let the wife drive the Wildcat. We'll see how long I can hold out.

Thanks guys & will do. I tell you what, I have been reading nothing but horror stories on the Wildcat forum...sound familiar? I have been researching issues and problems with them so I know what to look for. But, just like this forum not many people check in until they have problems. You think we have funky stuff go wrong... I find for every 1 guy that has an issue there is like 5 guys saying it has never happened to them. I will tell you one thing. Joyner owners are a different breed. We really help each other on this forum. Over on the Wildcat forum it seems like there is just a bunch of bickering and guys measuring their c#cks. There are a few guys with good info, but not too many. They definately don't have a Lenny, Kinarfi, or Rocmoc. I will let you know my honest impression once I get some seat time. And, if I ever have to tow it with my T2 I will definately be posting a picture here.

Picking up my Wildcat tomorrow. 180 miles full cab enclosure--$13k. I just hope it is as reliable as my T2 (not kidding).

I was wondering if you just stripped the splines when I read your post. That is what happened to me in Moab when I had to crawl out of Kanes Creek in front wheel drive. It didn't strip completely. I snugged it down at camp and finished the trip. I knew we were on borrowed time by since the splines different. Since, I have welded my steering shaft to the u-joint. The Joyner stuff is an odd spline. I couldn't find any common u-joints with that spline count. I haven't had any problems with the power steering except for the one time it shut down when I bottomed out really hard. I would imagine SuperATV will be able to help.

Yeah, everyone likes what they have. That is why I asked the down to earth Joyner crowd--for an honest response. The Can Am's definately have a build quality about them you can feel. That is why they usually want a pretty penny for them. My only knock on them, having only sat in a few, was the upright seating position (felt more utility than race), they feel really large, and the short wheelbase (the Maverick has addressed that). Oh, one more, the rear swing arm is tiny(once again the Maverick has addressed that). Honestly RZR's don't impress me on quality but they do have a good track record for engines & drivetrain. Also, I am disapointed that even though they widened the track width of the XP they didn't increase the seating area. It is exactly the same as the RZR 4's & S'. Last, I hate how I feel like my shoulders hang out of the RZR's. I feel exposed. What I liked about the Wildcat after sitting in it was the race car like seating (low & long). It also felt smaller than it is. Also the doors are nice and the rollcage extends well past my shoulder giving me a sense of security. Legroom is also better than the RZR's. Without a doubt the Can Am Maverick will be the king of the hill in stock form. Don't be suprised if we see some of the reliability of the Can Am's go down as they push the envelope.