So I got my commander shocks put on tonight. I got a set from a 2012 Commander XT 1000. I found them by browsing craigslist, when I'd see a newer model Commander XT with aftermarket shocks, I replied asking if they still had the stock shocks, I scored and found a set of 4 with the black springs.
Ordered the bushings and British metal tube from ebay, then came across a good deal on a set of red springs from a commander, so I scooped them up as well. Only issue we ran into was the British metal tubing, I had to ream it out a little with a drill bit to make the Honda bolts go in. Might be a change in bolt size on the 2017's?
Front install was a breeze, I did that myself before my buddy got here. Rears were tougher, had to disconnect the sway links, and we used ratchet straps to compress the spring to get the whole shock in, but once we figured that out, the other side went in much easier.
We took a quick ride and it seems like a better ride, but we're going on a poker run Saturday so that'll be the real judge of ride quality. I forgot to measure before, but there's definitely a slight lift. Overall, looks like money and time well spent! Thanks to all the starters of this thread that did the research and testing to make this easier for the rest of us!
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