One of the biggest complaints heard about UTVs, regardless of manufacturer, is that springs collapse and sag over time. The ground clearances that are advertised from the factory quickly deteriorates over time. As owners of Polaris, Can-Am, Kawasaki and others add aftermarket accessories, the springs compress even more and the UTVs lose valuable ground clearance.
With modern top of the line UTVs, such as the Polaris RZR XP 1000, XP Turbo and Pro XP, along with the Can-Am X3 and Kawasaki KRX 1000, manufacturers use a coilover suspension. Coilovers are simply a type of suspension damper that has a coil spring encircling it. It packages these two important parts of a suspension into a easier to fit package instead of running shocks and springs in two different locations like most traditional vehicles.
Factory springs are chosen from manufacturers for two reasons. They’re designed to support the bare factory weights of the vehicles they are put on. Second, they are chosen because they are economical and at the preferred price point of the UTV manufacturers. For this reason, aftermarket spring packages are one of those most popular upgrades that people buy when they’re wanting additional performance and handling out of their machines.
With their racing roots, one of the premier and oldest names in coil springs is Eibach. Eibach production technology is recognized worldwide as leading its field, from their high-strength spring-steel alloys, their advanced CNC winding process, their high-quality corrosion protection and the legendary longevity of their components.
Before we go further, we should specify what weights are important when choosing different springs. With any vehicle, there are two key measurements: sprung weight and unsprung weight. Only one of these is really a factor when considering springs though. Your sprung weight is the biggest factor in determining how your rig handles.
To put things simply, unsprung weight is anything that is not supported by your UTV’s suspension. Things that are heavy, like your wheels and tires are not considered. While they do factor heavily into things like determining the wear and tear on your machine and how much stress components can or cannot handle, those things are part of what factors into your spring weights.
When you’re beefing up the protection of your SXS with things like bumpers, cages, tree kickers and rock sliders, adding in big sound systems or being prepared with recovery equipment such as winches, all these things add to your vehicle’s sprung weight. And the more you add, the more stress is put on your springs.
Eibach offers two main packages for multiple UTVs on the market. Their Stage 2 Kits are mainly developed for those that are looking for additional performance out of their SXS, but have added only minimal additional weight to their vehicles. UTVs with aftermarket cages with .095 wall tubing, along with front and rear bumpers are what were mostly in mind when these kits were put together. However, even stock UTVs that are driven aggressively can benefit from the Eibach Stage 2 kits.
For those running more accessories and heavier machines, the Eibach Stage 3 are built to tackle the extra weight that a fully loaded machine can have. .120 wall tube cages, heavy plated bumpers, skid systems, bed loaded coolers, etc are beyond the limits of what the machine is built for. Also, owners that push their machines hard and experiencing bottoming out frequently can benefit greatly from the Eibach State 3 system.
Regardless of what spring kit is chosen, each Eibach system comes complete with everything your machine needs for the new coils and are made in the USA with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer.
