Get The Lift You Need To Survive In The Mud!

Words by Nick Nelson Photos by Enrico Pavia

MUDDING IS A WAY of life in the South. The West Coast has the sand dunes, the East Coast has the woods, and in the South they have the deep, sticky mud pits. Building a quad for the mud is quite a bit different than building a motocross, cross-country, or sand dune machine. One of the most important things on a mud quad is aggressive, oversized tires. In order to mount larger mud tires on today’s utility ATVs, the quad needs to be lifted for clearance. Much like those for an off-road truck, lift kits vary in price and simplicity. The High Lifter bolt-on lift kits will give you one to two inches of lift to clear those oversized mud tires. This is all it takes to install the High Lifter kit on a Kawasaki Brute Force.

STEP 1

START YOUR INSTALLATION with a clean quad. with a sturdy automotive floor jack under the center of the front end, lift the front until the wheels clear the ground. Ensure that the ATV is stable and remove the front wheels. Remove the lower shock bolts from the A-arm mount. (EASY)

STEP2

INSERT THE FRONT LIFT BRACKET onto the shock mount with a long spacer inside the mount and washers on the outside to prevent crushing. Insert the bottom bolt, being sure to install the bracket in the correct direction. Bolt the bottom of the shock into the bracket with a small spacer to the backside and a washer to the front. (EASY)

STEP 3

ATTACH THE LARGE SUPPORT BRACKET to the top bolt on the front lift bracket and then connect the other end to the two smaller support brackets. Use the supplied hardware to sandwich the rear A-arm tube for an attachment point. You may have to use a prybar to push the bracket into the correct position, slightly compressing the shock to get it to fit. Repeat on the other side. (INTERMEDIATE)

STEP 4

TIGHTEN ALL THE BRACKET BOLTS and replace the front wheels. With the front lug nuts torqued to spec, lower the front off the jack. Then place the jack under the rear skid plate and lift the ATV until all the weight is off the suspension. The tires should be touching the ground only slightly. (EASY)

STEP 5

ENSURE THAT THE QUAD is stable on the jack and remove the top shock bolts. With the rear shocks unhooked at the top, use the jack to lift the ATV up until the rear tires are just off the ground. This should be about two more inches of lifting until the ball joints bind and the tires come off the ground. (EASY)

STEP 6

PLACE THE REAR LIFT BRACKET over the end of the shock and the upper shock mount. Place a large spacer in between the mount and a small spacer between the shock and the lift bracket (just like the front, only without the washers). The side with the exhaust is a tight fit, but it will go in. Install the large support brackets and bolts using your fingers to line up the spacers. (INTERMEDIATE)

STEP 7

WITH THE LARGE SUPPORT BRACKETS in place, use the 10×45mm bolts to secure the small rear support bracket. You will sandwich the frame with the large bracket and small rear support brackets. with the top brackets loose, tighten the top brackets. With all bolts tight, repeat for the other side and then lower the jack. (INTERMEDIATE)

STEP 8

WITH THE ATV ON THE GROUND, remove the sway bar mounting bracket bolts from one side. Insert the sway bar bracket spacer onto the frame and reattach the sway bar with the provided 8×35mm bolts and 8mm washers. With one side tight, remove the other side and install the final spacer. Double check all your work, and then go find some mud and get dirty. (INTERMEDIATE)