RZR TURBO S ELITE SUSPENSION
— Testing HCR’s long travel kit —
Hard-Core Racing (HCR) has been building long-travel suspension (LTS) kits since the Kawasaki Teryx, and we last tested the HCR Racing Long-Travel Polaris General 1000 in the August 2016, issue. With extreme-performance UTVs now having up to 2 feet of travel from the showroom floor, LTS kits are mostly for hard-core desert and short-course racers. With the release of the 64-inch Polaris RZR XP Turbo and Can-Am Maverick X3 line and the 72-inch Maverick X3 X rs and new RZR XP Turbo S and XP4 Turbo S, few need any more travel.
So, HCR has been concentrating on strengthening and improving on existing suspension for the high-end Turbos and 1000s with its Elite and Dual-Sport kits. Both series replace tubular A-arms and boxed trailing arms (and the stamped-steel trailing arms on X3s) with boxed components with an internal honeycomb design for much greater strength than stock. Elite-series components are designed with pocketing and multiple holes for lightness, yet added strength over stock to appeal to dune enthusiasts and general trail riders. The Dual Sport series is designed without the lightening pockets and open spaces and to be a much stronger OEM replacement suspension kit for racers and hard chargers.
In the case of the Polaris RZR XP Turbo S and XP 4 Turbo S, the Elite OEM stock replacement kit shaves 21.5 pounds from the Turbo and works with the OEM Fox Podium Live Valve shocks and Dynamix on-the-fly ride-quality tuning system to deliver an awesome ride.
ELITE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE S AND XP 4 S
HCR starts with proprietary material that is 30 percent stronger than 4130-series chromoly and performs several hardening passes for better wear resistance and strength. CAD-CAM design with verified critical angles and measurements is carried out on the Fiber Laser and CNC machines, then the individual pieces are hand-TIG-welded together to form the much lighter yet stronger arms. Mounting points are billet 4130 chromoly for the high-clearance A-arms and trailing arms, and the OEM ball joints are retained up front to maximize low-speed steering ease and smoothness during travel. Uniballs are an option for short-course racers, as are bolt-on or weld-on backplates, heavy-duty radius-rod links and powdercoating with 10 color options including clear. The Elite RZR XP Turbo S kit is 100 percent bolt-on and compatible with the Polaris factory wheels.
The Elite kit includes two upper and two lower boxed, high-clearance A-arms, with the lower arms arched for ground clearance, two high-clearance honeycombed trailing arms, and all of the hardware needed to mount the HCR Elite kit, including new A-arm bolts, trailing-arm bolts, shock and sway-bar mount bolts and nuts, and rear radius-rod links with mounting bolts. The Turbo S Elite kit retails for $3,799.99, while the heavier Dual-Sport Turbo S kit is $3,4999.99. Heavy-duty racing links are $599, and the bolt-on backplate is $79.99, while the Race-series weld-on backplate is $99.99.
COMPLETING THE BUILD
HCR powdercoated the Elite components and stock Turbo S cage to match the red Fox Podium shock springs and painted the OEM roof to match the silver and black HCR wrap by Toadcraft. SDR supplied the Hi-Bred half doors ($799.99) with rolled metal skins and tubular frames that use the OEM slam-latches and release buttons. The cage was fitted with a Vision X 50-inch LED light for night rides. For the Coral Pink Sand Dunes test, the HCR Turbo S was fitted with GMZ 30×15-14 Sand Stripper XL rear and 30×13-14 Sand Stripper TT front paddle tires ($200.95–$229.95 each) on Casino non-beadlock wheels ($125.95–$135.95 each).
ELITE DYNAMIX RIDE QUALITY
We met with HCR Racing at Coral Pink Sand Dunes to test their two-seat 2018 RZR XP Turbo S fitted with HCR’s Elite OEM suspension replacement kit. Between the lighter HCR suspension arms and the smaller, lighter GMZ sand tires, compared to the 32-inch ITP Coyotes, the Fox Live Valve shocks responded much quicker and better to dune chop. We started out on the medium Dynamix setting and buried the front end at the base of a large dune, so we switched to the hard-core setting. The ride quality remained plush and the bottoming on large G-outs went away. We’re impressed with the HCR Racing Elite OEM replacement suspension kit for the RZR XP Turbo S, and we’re sure it’ll be a hit with XP 4 Turbo S owners as well.
CONTACTS:
HCR Racing, LLC.
630 N. 800 W.
Cedar City, UT. 84721
(888) 928-RACE (7223)
(435) 865-9280
GMZ Race Products
El Cajon, CA
(619) 792-0178
SDR Motorsports
235 Benjamin Dr.
Corona, CA 92879
(800) 277-2280
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