Off Roading Forums banner

Shades of Grey | 2017 RZR Build

13K views 12 replies 1 participant last post by  Discount Tire 
#1 · (Edited)
With the "Six Seater Whoop Eater" officially retired and off to a new home, it's time to build a machine that can take on the slick rock of Moab, rip in the sand sand dunes, and hold up through the harsh desert trails of Arizona. The plan is to build a 2017 XP1K4 dubbed "Shades of Grey", over the next few months with the goal of incorporating aftermarket products that fit within a grey color scheme. Mods will come quick so be sure to subscribe to this thread for updates; we may even giveaway a few items along the way :cool:

But before we delve into the mods, here's a little insight from the owner (DTC employee) as to why the switch from the Ranger Crew, A.K.A. " Six Seater Whoop Eater", to the XP1K4...

"I'm sure I have the same story as many of you... started with a lifted golf cart, moved on to a Yamaha Rhino and then as machines began to evolve I eventually upgraded to a brand new 2013 Polaris Ranger Crew. After many sleepless nights and lots of discussion my wife and I decided that would be the best machine to meet the needs of our family of four. We weren't really "duners" or rock-crawlers, just trail riding and hunting so this was really a perfect machine and fit our needs perfectly. After almost four years, the kids getting older, a few trips to the dunes and Discount Tire Rally on the Rocks we decided it was time to upgrade. Not that the Crew wasn't perfectly capable but it just didn't keep up with everyone in our riding group and as our riding advanced (especially in Moab) it wasn't exactly suited for that type of use.

Again, after many sleepless nights and debates back and forth between the new General 4-Seat and RZR XP1K4, the RZR won out. After checking them both out firsthand the General still felt too "work" and not enough "play"; we are old enough now to want to get out and play a little more (midlife crisis?). After the final decision was made it came time to decide what was essential in making this things ours... first off we hated the two(2) color options for the 2017 models so after seeing them in person we decided that we could do enough to the Titanium model to make it satisfactory as far as color schemes and that is where the snowball began to gain momentum."

-Chad

-Starting Point-







Only two(2) miles on her!​

 
See less See more
4
#4 ·
This weekend the goal is suspension! More info regarding that to follow.



In the means time, here's a few more mods accomplished from last week...

-Mod #3 | Storage-

Installed a set of PRP door bags from SXS Performance. We considered going with the grey piping/trim, but ultimately decided all black fits in best. The extra storage of personal items and gear is awesome and they also help keep your knees from hitting the doors.



 
#5 · (Edited)
-MOD #4 | Keeping Things Cool-

This is probably the favorite mod of Chad's thus far (YETI fanatic) and how can it not with this functional cooler bracket by Outdoor Logic! This bracket is specifically designed to house a YETI 35 Tundra Cooler; perfect addition to house those frosty cold... water bottles.











Some future mods right around the corner include: lighting, harnesses, seats, and a very special new product from Rugged Radios! We can't say much about Rugged's latest development, but lets just say it ROCKS!

 
#6 ·
-MOD #5 | Seating-

It was decided to go with a local company for the seats; there are a couple of reasons for this:

A) It is always nice to be able to support local, family owned companies.
B) Because they are local the better half can see, touch and test them before telling you what you're allowed to get!

"I called Herbie at Triple X and he was very happy to help us out with our build. The wife and I met him at his location so that she could decide on material, pattern, piping color, etc.. etc. Herbie was amazing to deal to with, had the seats done on time as promised (even while trying to get everything ready for Sand Sport Super Show) and we couldn't be happier!

One thing that did take some negotiation between the wife and I was what to do with the rear seats. I was leaning heavily towards two buckets and she really wanted a bench. I seemed to think the buckets would look better; you still retain both cup holders and they are easier to get in and out. However, my wife had other ideas. We try and take our dog on as many travels with us as we can and my wife insisted that Zoey would prefer a bench (so she can lay down) versus a bucket. At that point I was out of ammo and could debate no more. As you can clearly tell we have a bench seat in the back of our RZR. My wife and Zoey are both very pleased that I eventually came to my senses."

-Chad





 
#7 ·
For those curious about the suspension upgrade... well, that didn't go exactly as planned.

"We ordered new +2 forward a-arms, high-clearance radius rods and high-clearance trailing arms from our good buddy Nate over Zbroz Racing. We have known these guys for years through events such as Discount Tire Rally on the Rocks. They build great products and are great guys!! Anyhow... Saturday morning rolls around, the shop is prepped, we have everything we need and are ready to get a full suspension upgrade underway.

Figuring the front is going to be the most time consuming we decide to start there. Once we get the stock arms off and begin pressing out the bushings we realize something is different. The 2017 comes with brass bushings!! Oh Boy, we've already got these things pressed out and pretty much destroyed the little plastic spacer "thing's" that keep the bushings from going too far into the arm. At this point we have our fingers crossed that these things will fit into the ZBroz arms... well our optimism was soon shredded to pieces!!

The 2017 brass bushings will NOT fit into a-arms from previous model years. At this point we can't get the OE stuff back on (we ruined the spacers) and we have no bushings for the new arms. After calling all over town we find some 2016 bushings for everything except the short side on the upper arms. three hours later (after chasing parts) we come to the conclusion that we are going to have to fabricate something just to get the new arms on and secure enough to hold everything together well enough to get the machine back on the trailer. Some grinding, sanding and filing on a couple of the OE bushings and we manage to get them in the new arms enough to be able to roll "Shades of Grey" back on the trailer.

However, the day was not a complete waste. We were able to get the entire rear end done without any complications at all and we did actually learn something that may be helpful to some of you other guys (and ZBroz) regarding the front suspension on the 2017 models. Nate is getting us a set of his premium brass bushings for his arms sent out ASAP and we will have this all dialed in by the end of the week. Sometimes you just have to do things twice."

-Chad

Suspension photos coming soon; stay tuned!
 
#9 ·
Happy Friday, everyone!

The suspension is nearly wrapped up! All that needs to be installed is some of the brass bushing we received from Zbroz. Some of you may be asking why it was decided to go with ZBroz suspension parts? Honest question, here's why...

"We have been working with Nate and the ZBroz crew for the past several years and they are stand-up guys... that is a huge factor for us! Aside from that they build what we consider to be an awesome product. Up front we chose the ARS-FX +2" A-Arm kit so that we have the option of going up to a 32" tire and will have no tire rubbing concerns while crawling in Moab (plus they look AWESOME)! In the rear we chose to replace the stock radius rods with ARS-FX high clearance set up; much stronger than the stock rods, great clearance for rock crawling and they look fantastic! With that being done we just couldn't leave the stock trailing arms alone... this is "Shades of Grey" right? We chose to complete the ARS-FX suspension package with the high clearance trailing arms and quick disconnects for the sway bar. This rig should be ready for the rocks or anything else the trails or the dunes can throw at it."

-Chad​



















Here's the project for this weekend :cool:

 
#10 ·
Our apologies for the extended delay, everyone! Work schedules and events prevented us from posting, so thank you all for your patience. Back to the mods!

-MOD #6 | Roll Protection-

"This may have been one of the toughest decisions we had to make. After looking at a ton of different options that are available today and trying to figure out just what kind of look we were trying to achieve we came across a young man here locally (Phoenix area) that does really nice work. He only uses DOM tubing and everything is TIG welded, which to us helped solidify the decision.

Another thing that was very important to us was trying to use local small businesses whenever possible. After looking through hundreds of pictures and meeting with the owner of Chantzit Racing we decided to have Chantz Schanaman build our cage and bumpers. We are extremely pleased with the look of the finished product and couldn't be happier with the fit and finish. Not only is his work meticulous, but he has a fantastic attitude and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep a project on track and his customers happy. If you are interested in contacting Chantzit Racing please shoot us a PM and we will get you his contact info."












-MOD #7 | Lighting-

"Moving on to the lighting choices that were made for this project - First off, one of the most important is cab lighting. There is nothing worse than being on a night ride and not being able to see what you're doing inside the cab. It is also extremely helpful to have lighting in the bed/storage area when looking for tools, a jacket or you simply need to dig something out of the ice chest. To resolve this problem we decided on 4 of the LED dome lights from Assault Industries (front seat, rear seat and 2 in the back). They are extremely bright, use minimal power and do a great job of lighting things up".















"Next up are the rock lights...For this we chose red MICROcolor LED's from Lux Lighting Systems. These things are incredibly well made, the magnetic bases make mounting super easy and they are crazy bright for how small they are. The construction of these lights are top notch! We wanted to simply create a warm glow effect versus creating true light for rock crawling and we feel like the MICROcolor choice was spot on".





Last but certainly not least are the light bar and A-Pillar lights - For the light bar we chose a 42" radius bar from Mictuning. Many of you are probably thinking "Why did they go cheap on this part?". Well, the simple answer is because we want to see just how well the less expensive product performs and lasts compared to some of the more expensive lighting options available today. So far, the Mictuning bar is extremely bright, appears to be well constructed and was a piece of cake to install. Time will tell if the $700-800 savings pays off".





"We upped the game a bit with the A-pillar lights and went with KC Hilites Flex LED Duals with red bezels. I must admit, these things put out some amazing light! The construction of these lights is flawless, they seem to be made to stand up to anything that is thrown at them and we couldn't be happier with the way they look".





"All in all we are very happy with all of the lighting options on the "Shades of Grey" build. We did not run into any installation problems or defective parts. We are very excited to get this out to Glamis and Moab to find out just how well everything performs and holds up in the real world! We will be sure and keep everyone posted with the good and/or bad that comes in the future."

-MOD #8 | Headlight Covers & Windshield-

Marty over at MotoArmor was kind enough to help us out with a set of really cool headlight covers and hard-coated 1/2 windshield. Let me start by saying, "I love the way the headlight covers look"! I realize that this may not be everyone's cup of tea but I really like the fact that it makes the RZR stand out from the crowd without being obnoxious. The tinted lenses that are offered by MotoArmor are also very cool. We were lucky enough to have ours in time to get them powder-coated at the same time as the cage, bumpers and dash accessories so that kinda adds to the cool factor also. They were super, super easy to install and should help protect the factory headlights and get us a few nods in "looks good" department.

The windshield was a super easy install on our aftermarket cage once we decided that it should follow the crossbar on the cage versus resting against the hood. Because the dimensions are different on our cage versus the stock cage, we had to make some modifications - This was easily accomplished with a router table, painters tape and a sharpie marker...We think the end result is a very cool looking, very, very functional 1/2 windshield. We are trying to decide whether or not to have it tinted .... What do you guys think .....Tint or Clear ???

-Chad








 
#11 ·
One quick additional update...

One of the first mods performed on Shades of Grey was replacing the factory speedometer bezel with the black and machined bezel by MODQUAD Racing. While the cage was undergoing powder-coat, Chad sent the replacement bezel along with it for some color matching. We think it turned out pretty good; simple, but nice nonetheless!

 
#12 ·
Our apologies for the delay here, guys! Back to the mods!

-MOD #9 | Stereo-

Tunes, Tunes, Tunes… :icon_rockwoot:

"Well, there is a bit of a story behind this. The 6-seater-whoop-eater had a great sounding system in it and we (my wife and I) loved it. However, since we installed the Rugged Radio system and were then able to talk and listen to music through the headsets, we really didn't use the stereo system all the often. So, I had decided to NOT install a stereo system in "Shades of Grey" since we had planned for a full blown system from Rugged Radios. Well, my wife was not super happy about that. She loves to have the radio available when we stop along the trail or take a break at the dunes, etc.. etc... It just so happens that a very good friend of mine happens to own Creative Audio Werks and does a ton of custom installs throughout his 20 years+ of experience.

Through some conversation he mentioned that Rockford Fosgate had recently introduced a new product that is specifically designed to fit the RZR. After a little bit of research, some Youtube video watching and an attempt to keep the wife happy, I worked out a deal with Rick from CAW to install the Rockford Fosgate Stage 4 kit. At first I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant…how will it sound, will it hold up against the dust, water, etc, I have to give up the storage box… lots of things crossed my mind, but thanks to RZRForums most of these worries were put to bed.

Let me be the first to say….This system is KILLER! I cannot believe how great it sounds. It's not just loud like a teenagers first car; it actually sounds amazing! The sound is very crisp and clear, the Bluetooth, Pandora, Sirius options in the head unit are very well thought out and super easy to use. I am very happy to admit that I love the system (and it kept my wife happy). I can't thank Creative Audio Werks and Rockford Fosgate enough with the help on this… especially the over the top install job that Creative did."
















-MOD #10 | Communication-

Talk, Talk, Talk...

"I used to look at the guys riding around with headset/radio setups and think "Why in the he** would anyone want that?"

After meeting up with a couple of guys from Rugged Radios at an event held at Mormon Lake near Flagstaff, AZ my mind has been changed. At first I was a bit shocked by the retail prices on these things. Who really needs to talk to their passengers that bad? But, after a little more education and learning that you can talk car to car, listen to the radio, make phone calls, all through the headsets, I was SOLD!! In fact, there were seven or eight of us at that particular event and we all ended up purchasing kits that weekend.

After having them installed for several months (in the 6-seater-whoop-eater) and attending a few different events which included Discount Tire Rally on the Rocks I am a firm believer in the fact these radio systems make the rides not only safer, but tremendously more enjoyable. Being able to talk to your buddies while cruising the trails, blasting through the dunes or crawling the obstacles in Moab makes riding an entirely new experience.

I can't say enough good things about Rugged Radios or the guys that work for them... incredibly awesome!! The product has held up to everything we have dished out, install is relatively easy and straightforward, so there really is no excuse to not get hooked up. I am super excited about trying out the new RRP-660 Intercom, RM-60 radio and Alpha Bass headsets, also knows as "Triple Threat". These are a definite upgrade from the equipment we had in the 6-seater and I can't wait for the SEMA show to be over so that we can actually get this new toy out and play. I'm pretty sure that a trip to Glamis will be one of the first trips that "Shades of Grey" actually gets to get out and tear it up a bit!!

Circling back to installation real quick... in order to figure out a way of getting the radio and intercom mounted (because the stereo took up the perfect spot) without losing the cup holders, without losing the passenger foot-well and without hanging them from the roll cage, took a bit of creativity. Rick from CAW was very concerned about the radios being solidly mounted, easily accessible and out of the way. In order to achieve this we ordered a mount intended for an Arctic Cat and a faceplate for a sandcar. Yes, the guys at Rugged thought we were crazy... still do!! But, we were able to make it work in such a way that it mounts directly to the front of the tunnel and the radio connections can easily be unhooked in order to remove the tunnel to run or repair any wiring or whatever else you may need to access. Rick was able to use some steel plate and "sandwich" the plastic tunnel and create a very solid mount that is super easy to access from the driver seat. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box... LOL!!"

-Chad










Happy Monday everyone!

The next mod is one of our favorites made to Shades of Grey and duh... I mean we are in the tire and wheel business!

-MOD #11 | Tires & Wheels-

"Over the past few years we have seen a huge shift in the products and sizes that are available in the ATV/UTV market. Just a few years back 25" tire on 12" wheels were pretty much the norm with a 27" package considered "extreme". As we all know machines are getting bigger, with significantly more horsepower and torque. Because of the this the tire and wheel industry has had to react. Many of today's machines come from the factory with tire sizes that are greater than 27" and 30" packages have become run of the mill so to speak. This allows the end users to be able to take their off-road adventures to many places that were unreachable in the past due to limited ground clearance, horsepower, torque, etc..etc..etc. We definitely consider this to be a good thing.

As I'm sure all of you are very aware, the wheel market over the last few years has been black, black, black... matte black, gloss black, black with some machining and frankly it has gotten a bit boring. With that being said we decided NOT to do black wheels on "Shades of Grey". Well, there were not a whole lot of options available, some but not many. We wanted this to be unique and to show customers that there are other options out there. Method Race Wheels really stepped up to the plate and crushed this set of 15x7 401 Beadlocks. This is a wheel that, in Titanium Grey, is NOT available in the size we were hoping to use. Method's response to this "No problem. We got ya"! Because these guys manufacture a killer product, are willing to think outside the box and are just all around great guys I think it is reflected in the final product. The Titanium grey is a pretty close to the cage and bumpers finish and the candy-red rings really set the whole thing off. It adds just enough color to keep things interesting.

We are very, very happy with the 30x10-14 Tensor and 15x7 Method 401 package on the finished machine. We could have easily went with a 32" tire and had no clearance problems at all. However, the stock clutch is being utilized so it was decide that the 30" tires were a safer (more dependable) option. Anyhow, we hope that you all like the choices we made and this build gives you things to consider when adding to or creating your own project".

-Chad






 
#13 ·
-MOD #12 | Suspension Tuning-

"So, we saved one of the biggest and best (according to the wife) upgrades until last. We finally got out to Shock Therapy to see Ernie and Justin... these guys have been super busy with events for the past couple of months. Anyhow, being able to watch them work their magic and have them explain exactly what they are doing and how it will affect the ride quality was awesome! If you are on the fence about having your suspension tuned (I was) let me tell ya, it truly makes a remarkable difference!!

I still don't quite fully understand all of the "tech-speak" behind all of the things they did, but I know for sure that it made a HUGE difference in the ride and handling. We went ahead and had them perform their Stage 3 Ride Improvement System (RIS) and this is what that includes: Internal shock work, valving, machine work, dual rate spring kit, rear anti sway bar and complete installation.

Justin from Shock Therapy says "This system will be super plush and level in the whoops and still not bottom out in the big hits. The sway bar will cure all top heavy body roll issues too. Overall ride height will be higher than stock as well."

-Chad








 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top