Careful where you measure

    Getting new shocks next week and decided to measure current height as I want to keep the stock height. Figured I'd just put a yardstick centered on front tire hubs and measure to bottom of fender. As you can see in first two pics--there's a 3/4" difference with left being higher.
    I then opened hood and measured to flat top shock mount brace on both sides. Identical measurement on both sides there. Obviously there's not a lot of QC setting up the front plastic body parts. I was able to measure about a 1/8" diff in the adjustable fender bumper, the other 1/2+ inch is on the factory.


    Looked at a brand new 2016 red one- Factory dash on the passenger side at an angle- just under a 3/4" rise, measured, when compared to the driver's side. Glove compartment had a huge gap on the outer perimeter. It seems like the body panels are hit or miss, with "miss" being far more prevalent.

    Here is an old trick works very well


    1- find a level spot in your shop.
    2- using tape mark the position of all 3 wheels so that you can put the bike back in the same spot to recheck later
    3- find measuring points I used - the lower front wing and the 4 recommended jack points as well as a mid point measurement.
    4- mark the floor with tape at each point
    5- Take your measurements and write them on the tape
    6- after install take you sling out for a ride to let everything settle in
    7- return the bike to the same spot and measure to the same tape marks.

    The more people I meet

    The more I love my Dog!

    Very thorough, I wonder if new coilovers settle a bit after sitting

    Personally I prefer I quick hard ride I think you will get better results..


    When you are installing them bounce the suspension a few times before you measure


    The most important part is measuring from the same points each time both the frame and floor


    I bet if you move it to a different spot the measurements will be off just due to the floor.

    The more people I meet

    The more I love my Dog!

    Uh, Bro, about those quick hard rides... Your wife asked me to have a little talk with you about that very issue... Please call or PM me.

    Slingshots: making children out of adults since 2014

    Thread has some age on it but just read it. The head honcho from JRI adjusted our shocks for us and stated that they always measure the threads on the shock, not the height of the machine and proceeded to do just that. I guess it makes sense as shocks can take a bit of driving before they adjust to their final position. May not apply to all shocks but something to consider....

    The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

    Quote from Aobfarm

    Thread has some age on it but just read it. The head honcho from JRI adjusted our shocks for us and stated that they always measure the threads on the shock, not the height of the machine and proceeded to do just that. I guess it makes sense as shocks can take a bit of driving before they adjust to their final position. May not apply to all shocks but something to consider....

    I thought about doing it this way....but then I also know that all things are not created equal, including shocks. Figured there might be some slight inconsistencies between them, and it was better to simply measure the frame height with the stock shocks, and use it for the final check after installing the new shocks. Of course, we could argue that Polaris is quite capable of having the ride height uneven out of the factory......so it comes down to personal preference I suppose.......good alternative way of setting your Sling up tho!!! :00000019:

    Those who will give up essential liberty to secure a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety


    2016 Slingshot SL Vin# 8855 (born in September 2015) w/ Alpha Stage 2 Turbo @ 7.5psi

    Watching Hahn install QA1s, he measured both.He first measured the front and back Sling height on a flat surface and then knew where to set the shocks to maintain that (or lower, if desired) by adjusting and measuring the threads on the shocks. He pretty much nailed it every time.

    Quote from NatomasSlingshot1

    Looked at a brand new 2016 red one- Factory dash on the passenger side at an angle- just under a 3/4" rise, measured, when compared to the driver's side. Glove compartment had a huge gap on the outer perimeter. It seems like the body panels are hit or miss, with "miss" being far more prevalent.

    My ‘15 glove box has the same big gap on the right side.