2012 RZR XP 900 Build

[93 Krawler]

I figured I would document my build progress here. I bought it with front and rear bumpers, doors, front windshield, rear dust shield, rear view mirror, aftermarket steering wheel, rear cargo box, and 5 point harnesses.

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I bought a full roof and an empty stereo pod so I could build my own system.

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I'm waiting on the stereo parts to come in.

For anyone using the Cooter Brown roof and a flip down windshield, be aware that the windshield will not shut against the bars as it shuts against the roof. The only issue this may cause is if it's raining, the water might roll in between the roof and the shield. You could always pop out the two mounting screws and put the shield under the roof if it is raining a lot. You would not be able to fold the shield out unless you put it back the way it was.

I ordered a new winch, and power steering. It will be here today. Should have it on tomorrow. I still need to upgrade the trailing arms and a stronger skid plate under the engine.

[93 Krawler]

The power steering is killer. Glad I went ahead and put it on.

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The winch tucks in nicely so you really can't see it. All you see is the hook.

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One of the rear arms was bent, so I put some high clearance arms on.

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Put in a Kenwood marine stereo, and some 6" LED Kickers.

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There is a full cage in it's future.

[solar1]

Looks good. I'm leaving Thursday morning for 4 days at Royal Blue. Hit me up if you can make it down.

[93 Krawler]

Looks good. I'm leaving Thursday morning for 4 days at Royal Blue. Hit me up if you can make it down.

Sounds like a good time, but I can't make it.

[ITLLFLI]

Looking good!!

[93 Krawler]

Did some more updates. I found one of the front a-arms bent so I put on some high clearance arms. The stocks ones are cheap compared to the new ones. Also added a little LED bar to the front.
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[JeffK5]

What brand are the arms , I've got a tweaked one and have been looking for something new.

[93 Krawler]

What brand are the arms , I've got a tweaked one and have been looking for something new.

These are the ones from super ATV. They move the axle 1.5" forward, so you can run a 30" tire without a lift. They have a lifetime warranty, and come with all new ball joints. The only thing took some time was adjusting the camber. I like them. They are beefy.

http://www.superatv.com/Polaris-RZR-XP-900-High-Clearance-Forward-Offset-A-Arms-15-Inch-P8105C737.aspx

[solar1]

You'll love the 12" led. I find I use it more than my 30" or HIDs.

[93 Krawler]

You'll love the 12" led. I find I use it more than my 30" or HIDs.

Yeah, it should do the job. I have it wired to my brights. I have a 32" led bar on my rig. That sucker is like the sun.

[93 Krawler]

I bought a couple el cheapo shafts to try out. I'm putting one front and one rear on to see how long they last. I'll keep the factory ones as spares. They say they're 4340 steel, so hopefully they are stronger the OEM. The rear shaft was 1/8 thicker the OEM. We'll see...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TYWBMLG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I couldn't get the axles out of the case so I hit google to see why. Saw a video of a guy trying to get one out. It was rusted in there. I didn't know they weren't sealed inside and there's no seal to keep water out. So I got out some WD industrial and sprayed all 4 axles where they enter the case and let them soak all night. Sprayed them again next day and with a little pry and pull, they came out. I recommend spraying them often to keep them from rusting. Changing a rusty one on the trail would suck. I used anti seize on the new ones.

I had been noticing some play in the wheel bearings for a while. After I took everything off the play in the bearing was scary. I guess the caliper toned the play down some. I have 4 new ones on the way. I found a cool greaser for them too. This is something I want to add to my yearly maintenance routine.

WQplaB2tCQM

[93 Krawler]

After taking everything apart I found the bearings were in worse shape that I had thought. They were dry and had a bunch of play. Got the new ones from All Balls Racing. They are good and tight now. Definitely going to keep them greased from now on.

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[93 Krawler]

Added something new to the rzr, heat... My intention is to make a set of removable uppers for my lower doors to keep the heat in. Bring on the cold weather. :thumbup:
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[93 Krawler]

Got some new tires too. Same size, just more aggressive. 27" ITP Blackwater

[blazerbrad]

Figured you would be getting new tires after the DTOR trip. The Blackwaters are at the top of my list also.

[93 Krawler]

Figured you would be getting new tires after the DTOR trip. The Blackwaters are at the top of my list also.

Found out the hard way, they run small! :crying: Mine came with 26" Bighorns, the 27" Blackwaters are a tad smaller. I hear Bighorns run big. I would've got 28's if they had them in my rim size. I have 2 new 26x11x12 Blackwaters in my garage. What size do you need?

[blazerbrad]

I will go with at least a 28" tire, and maybe up to a 30", when I get new ones. From what I have seen the 26" Bighorns (which I have) run big compared to many other brands. Actually I think they just run true to size and most others run small. I know my 26" Bighorns look huge compared to the different brands of 25's on my dad's Polaris Ranger and Arctic Cat ATV.

When talking about the 28's in the Blackwaters I assume you are talking about the width? I know in the 28" size for a 12" rim they only make them in the 10" width so you can't run skinnier in the front and wider in the rear like factory. I'll probably wind up just getting the same size front and rear. If I had 14" rims I would really be looking at 29's, but they don't make anything that size for 12" rims.

[93 Krawler]

Yes, the width. Not sure I want a wider tire up front, and thinner out back. Bigger tires would be nice, but breaking axles all the time isn't. My rzr has survived a lot of abuse without breaking. I'd like to keep it that way.
How well will yours hold up with big tires?

[JeffK5]

I run 28x10x14's all around and love it. I like the spare working all around and being able to rotate tires is also nice.

SxS's go so good in 2wd that you'd have bald rear tires and the fronts would still be damn near full tread when you can't rotate. I bet my XP spends 90% of the time in 2wd when I'm at Rush/DTOR/Haspin/Windrock.

[blazerbrad]

Yes, the width. Not sure I want a wider tire up front, and thinner out back. Bigger tires would be nice, but breaking axles all the time isn't. My rzr has survived a lot of abuse without breaking. I'd like to keep it that way.
How well will yours hold up with big tires?

The Teryx's are known to be pretty beefy and breaking axles with 28-30" tires is not that common. Not trying to bash on RZR's or Polaris in general but they are not well known for durability.

[93 Krawler]

The Teryx's are known to be pretty beefy and breaking axles with 28-30" tires is not that common. Not trying to bash on RZR's or Polaris in general but they are not well known for durability.

Do you think a Teryx with 100hp and 30" tires would have an issue with breakage? It would if I drove it. LOL. I would say HP and aggressive driving style is what kills most RZR's. Next time around, I am getting bigger tires that are the same all around so I can rotate them.

[93 Krawler]

Put on some very needed belly, trailing arm, and rocker protection. :thumbup:
The 1/2" UHMW skid should do the job. Probably should've put the trailing arm guards on a long time ago. They are hit!! :d'oh:


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[blazerbrad]

Do you think a Teryx with 100hp and 30" tires would have an issue with breakage? It would if I drove it. LOL. I would say HP and aggressive driving style is what kills most RZR's. Next time around, I am getting bigger tires that are the same all around so I can rotate them.

Honestly I would feel comfortable with it. Obviously the chance of breaking increases, especially if you were driving it:thumbup:, but it should handle it without having to baby it everywhere. There are several Teryx's out there with engine kits or turbos that are claiming in the 100 hp range (several companies make kits for these) and never any reports of excessive breakage. CV shafts are the most common but don't think I have ever heard of a diff, trans, or anything else going out.

The guy in this video owns a well known CVT clutch, tuner, and engine performance aftermarket company for Kawasaki and Yamaha machines. This is a '14 Teryx with some engine work, clutch kit, programming, and 29" tires. It will outrun a stock Maverick 1000. This is not some sort of drag race specific build either as he takes it trailriding to a lot of big events and uses it for R&D work. He posts a lot on several boards and don't remember him ever reporting issues with anything over the last couple of years. Granted he has several grand $$ into this setup but it's mostly stuff you can buy off the shelf and bolt on minus some machine work on the engine. There is at least one other video on YouTube of a different Teryx with the same engine work beating a Mav 1000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gdmqij1mvg

Definitely not trying to put the Teryx in the same league as some of these other machines in regards to power or suspension.....and really wish Kawasaki would get going on an upgraded machine!

[93 Krawler]

Somehow i managed to bend the front driver axle. The center shaft has a nice crown now. It's one of the new ones i put on in June. Has a 1 year warranty, so I'll see if it's covered.
I always thought the joint would fail, not the shaft bending. Supposedly it's cro-moly

[solar1]

For me it has always been the CV joints that explode. Have yet to trash a shaft.


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[93 Krawler]

Checked the other shafts, and two of them have a slight wobble to them. Doh!

[93 Krawler]

Been checking out tires again.:thinking: Found two I really like in a 30x10x14. It's easy to see why the crawler weighs more. Looks like the Carnivore might clean out better. Opinions?

The Pro Armor Crawler XG - Weighs 39lbs, and tread depth is .78"

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The Maxxis Carnivore - Weighs 30.5 lbs, and tread depth is .875".

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[donaldcon]

Carnivore looks like it would clean better as said but I'd say the other would get better traction on rock

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[race10]

I've been watching the videos of the SRRS UTV races and Cash's RZR buggy has carnivores on it and he was the only one to make it up a hill in the race before last and this race he was one of five to make it up another hill but he was the only one that didn't break the tape. When it's time I'll be getting Carnivores for mine.

[93 Krawler]

I've been watching the videos of the SRRS UTV races and Cash's RZR buggy has carnivores on it and he was the only one to make it up a hill in the race before last and this race he was one of five to make it up another hill but he was the only one that didn't break the tape. When it's time I'll be getting Carnivores for mine.

Better plan ahead if you want 30's or 32's. They are on back order often. People buying them like crazy.
I decided to wait and get the Carnivores when they are available. I hate waiting....

[blazerbrad]

Didn't you just get new tires!

[93 Krawler]

Didn't you just get new tires!

Yes. :laughing:

I am going to sell my old tires and the rims. I ordered 30x10x14 Carnivores today. Supposed to be in around March 29th. Pic of my new rims.

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[93 Krawler]

Well, the Carnivores are still on back order, and for who knows how long. So I cancelled them and got the 30" Pro armor crawler XG's. I read online about people saying they run small, the 30 measures 29, but that's not what I found. At 10 psi, they measure 29 7/8. We'll see how my axles hold up at rush.

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[93 Krawler]

The new tires are killer in the mud and rocks. I took out a front and rear axle during the testing process. :d'oh: Oh well... Time for some rhino axles.

[93 Krawler]

Time for some Rhino axles. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170621/8214911f1bb3b40c05b8fb68c6531c70.jpg

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[Runoveru2]

O boy....looks like it's gonna be time to put your purse down and show us what that thing can do:laughing:

[93 Krawler]

O boy....looks like it's gonna be time to put your purse down and show us what that thing can do:laughing:

You know it... :D

[solar1]

Been checking out tires again.:thinking: Found two I really like in a 30x10x14. It's easy to see why the crawler weighs more. Looks like the Carnivore might clean out better. Opinions?



The Pro Armor Crawler XG - Weighs 39lbs, and tread depth is .78"



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The Maxxis Carnivore - Weighs 30.5 lbs, and tread depth is .875".



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Been on the trail with both. The XG I like better because they remind me of the old Maxxis full size tires. However after following by buddy at slade, they don't clean out well in the mud. The carnivores have really surprised me and I was holding out for them but if you can't get them, it doesn't do me any good.

[93 Krawler]

I was checking the machine over and found I had cracked the rack and pinion housing where It bolts up. So, time for upgrade number, uh, I lost count.
Bought the Super ATV rack boss. This one better hold up.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170726/0fff1249f0ed916447d7ceba4b41f799.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170726/e852a3a7c3551dd510b9705e7af70e96.jpg

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[93 Krawler]

Glad I replaced the rack. The old one was cracked in to places. Comes with some nice beefy heims.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170729/455a26a207c09c31d2ebd2ca3d80fc55.jpg

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[93 Krawler]

Been wanting to replace my factory seats with suspension seats. Went with the PRP GT-SE rzr seats with the +2" width. They make the old seats look tiny. Very comfy and roomy.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170729/cc3bd5e3a1397732fe16b7b8d04b08d0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170729/1c8f61f3a30a85075c55268954a879e5.jpg

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[Smiddy24]

Looks very comfy. I'll have to sit in them next time.

[WrenchMonkey]

I meant to ask at the meeting and I forgot: What are your plans for the old seats? They're valuable enough to sell, right?

[93 Krawler]

Yes, they're great shape. The plan was to keep them in case I sold the 900 and got a newer one. Sell it with the stock seats and keep the new ones for the new machine.

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[WrenchMonkey]

Cool. Good plan. I just wanted to make sure they weren't going in the garbage...

[93 Krawler]

The past few rides I've noticed the front diff making a ratchet noise when I'm getting on it hard. Opened up the diff up today to see what's up.

Found a tang missing and some bent ones on the armature plate.
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[93 Krawler]

I bought a heavy-duty sprag to put in because I figured it was cracked but the old one was in great shape. Unfortunately I found that I had cracked the ring and pinion. So I got to buy a new one of those as well.
The new Sprague
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The crack in the ring gear
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While I had the diff out I went ahead and replaced the three U joints and the carrier bearing on the drive shaft.

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[93 Krawler]

I ordered a new ring and pinion and found out that the new ring and pinion does not exactly fit like my old one. So I'm hoping I can get the lip milled off of the new ring gear to match my old one. I'm already into this diff for $600. Super ATV website says it should fit but it won't. Evidently there were certain years on the XP 900 that it would not fit. You can see in the picture that there is a ring connecting the ring gear teeth on the new one and not on the old one, that part needs to be milled off.

"Edit" I got the lip milled off and it worked great. Thanks for the help Chris.

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[93 Krawler]

HD Extreme has some nice upgraded parts for the front RZR diffs. I bought their HD armature plate. This is way stronger than the stock one. They now have 2 options, strong and stronger. The one for the 800 or 900 XP has 5 or 10 tabs, and the 1000 XP has 6 or 12 tabs. I believe with that many tabs gripping the sprag carrier, you are less likely to crack the sprag. There is also more area for the magnet to grip.
I tested it out at Harlan and the diff worked great.

The stock one on top of the new one.

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[93 Krawler]

I started having problems with my front diff at Winrock. I think my last trip to Harlan took a toll on it. All the new parts I put in last year are toast. Superatv now has a steel sprag that they claim is indestructible. That sounds like a challenge to me[emoji1]

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[Runoveru2]

Superatv now has a steel sprag that they claim is indestructible. That sounds like a challenge to me

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I believe 100% that you will be the person to prove them wrong and give them a bad name.:laughing:

[jeepmanjeff]

Wow you Grenade’d that!


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[93 Krawler]

Good thing i quit when i did...[emoji54]99289929

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[Runoveru2]

smileypoke Kevin it's time to park that $$ pit and get your new rig together.
Your starting to spend more time and $$ in that thing than you are wheeling it. :straight-face:
You are proof that those things are not cut out for what you wanna do with it.:thinking:

[93 Krawler]

smileypoke Kevin it's time to park that $$ pit and get your new rig together.
Your starting to spend more time and $$ in that thing than you are wheeling it. :straight-face:
You are proof that those things are not cut out for what you wanna do with it.:thinking:

Says the guy with a jacked up ring and pinion... Hey, put your factory parts back on your yota and tell me how it does...:rotf: Most of our rigs weren't made for this abuse.

So how much have you spent this year on your rig? :thinking: :eek:

[93 Krawler]

I got the front diff back together. Superatv has a lifetime warranty on their ring and pinion set and the sprag, so that cost me zero dollars. They also upgraded me to the 4140 steel sprag for free. I did have to buy a rebuild kit and a new armature plate. Between the 8 tab plate and the steel sprag, it should hold together better.

I believe the reason I broke the bearing carrier is I didn't know you were supposed to use Loctite 603 retaining compound on the bearing. That might have kept the c clip groove from breaking off. It will be on there from now on, so we will see if it happens again.

[Runoveru2]

[QUOTE=93 Krawler;89655] Most of our rigs weren't made for this abuse.

I'm ready to see progress and your new Rig on the trail that can handle abuse.smileypoke

[93 Krawler]

I'm ready to see progress and your new Rig on the trail that can handle abuse.smileypoke

:tongue_::tongue_::tongue_::tongue_::tongue_: