Every once in a while your shocks are going to run into some issues. Maybe they’re broken, maybe they’re rusting or maybe they are just too old. Unfortunately, these happen all too much and to keep you and your ATV happy, you will need some new shocks. Buying them however can be complicated, confusing and overall not a fun process. This article is designed to help you find the best shocks for your ATV.
To know what shocks you need you will need to make one measurement. You need to fully extend the shock and find the distance from the top bearing (hole) to the bottom bearing (hole). After taking this measurement you can use it to search for the right size ATV shock.
Finding where to buy them, which ones are quality and how to get the best bang for your buck can be a hard process. In the next portion of the article we tackle these factors to ensure when you go to buy your shocks, they are the perfect ones.
Which Shocks Do You Buy?
Finding which shocks to buy can be hard and the last thing you want to do is buy the wrong ones. There are many factors that go into finding the right size and fit which can be a hard or annoying process. This article is designed to optimize that process and make everything easier on you.
The first and best strategy to find your shocks is searching for your ATV. Lets say you have a Polaris Sportsman 500, you can search “Polaris Sportsman 500 shocks” and the right options may show up. This will not apply to every ATV, some lesser known brands or older models will not show up simply because they are not popular enough. I still recommend trying this option no matter the circumstances but if you can’t find the right ones don’t fret.
If you can’t find your shocks there or you just want to buy in person because it is much less risky then this next option is for you. The first step will be to remove your old shocks and measure them. You need to measure the shocks when they are fully extended. This means they are as long as they can go. Find the top bearing (the hole) and measure the distance to the bottom bearing (the other hole). Make sure the shock is as extended as it can be or else the measurement is inaccurate. You can use this measurement to search on the internet or in a store.
If you don’t know how to remove the shock (which you will need to do if you want to measure it) check out this article we wrote which explains how to do just that:
Installing New ATV Shocks – A Helpful Tutorial
A very important factor to note is that the front shocks and rear shocks are not the same so make sure to measure both.
Another important thing to remember is that shocks are expensive. Shocks that cost $400 or $500 are not uncommon. You will be able to find shocks that are like $50 but realistically, they aren’t worth it. Shocks are important and cheaping out is not safe for you or your ATV. Shocks that cost that much sacrifice greatly on design and quality so they are either going to break or not work. Both will just leave you with no shocks and more money to pay. In most cases buying the expensive, normal shocks will actually be cheaper in the long run.
Adjusting Your Shocks
Sometimes people confuse broken shocks will shocks that aren’t adjusted. You can save lots of money and time by adjusting them if that is the case. If you are wondering how to adjust shocks, check out this article we wrote on that:
Adjusting Your ATV Shocks – A Helpful Guide
When To Change Your Shocks
Knowing when to change them or when not to change them can save you money and time. If you want to learn about when to change them, check out this article we wrote:
