Just ordered some yesterday. Couldnt justify spending over 2 grand on shocks for a sxs. Will post a full review. Can't wait to eliminate all the body roll from the factory shocks. 2020 PK1-5
Remington
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Welcome From Commie run Michigan!
Nice your upgrading! But we need FULL pics, not just an Avitar pic of your rig, miles and mods done wouldn't hurt as well.
Mopower58
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@tiogajoe and @ChrisCrockett whats the latest on the RC shocks?
Weather and health have not allowed me to get out and ride. Still looking forward to our first trail ride with the new shocks.
Mopower58
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No hurry at all. Just seem a lot more economical for my way of riding. Plus the adjustability on the front to assist in recently added weight of bumper,winch and soon to be added double battery.
I had the same motivation. Dual battery and winch added a considerable amount of weight. The RC shocks seem to fit the bill without busting my budget.
C
Since adding some preload. About and inch all the way around. I am happy with the shocks. I put 15 bags (750 lbs)of corn in it and it barely squatted. I also road in a can am defender and the ride was tougher than mine. My buddy who has that can am ride in mine and asked what was different. I told him and he is looking at upgrading his shocks now. I use mine for hunting in some very rough and rocky areas with that being said it handles better now than ever before. I am happy about the shocks and how they are performing.
Mopower58
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That sounds good. I'm not the type that goes fast everywhere. Ours is used primarily for feeding,hauling hay, chicken and duck food, grass killing sprayer, yard work and we pull a trailer every now and then. Went to the Takeover last year and their influence caused me to do the skid plate, bumper and winch, all of which I had gotten by without for 6 years. We had fun riding with those guys though. I would normally have already bought shocks of the expensive variety but have become a lot tighter with my money. Thanks for the real world useage reply.
We finally got a break in the weather, home projects and health issues. We were able to take our P1K-5 out to get a long ride and evaluate the RC Shocks in detail. We rode about 70 miles at Mt. Magazine, AR; these are trails that were very familiar to us, so we could concentrate on getting a valid impression. These shocks work amazingly well, we immediately noticed that the machine does not chatter nearly as much over washboard roads. The machine us also less harsh over sharp edged bumps. The improvement is very evident.
The machine seems noticeably smoother over most bumps, however some additional preload may be needed. I believe that my initial preload "guestimate" was slightly low. However, that will be an easy fix. In addition, after 60 miles of initial break in, the ride height settled a bit, since all shocks will "settle" somewhat during break in. This allowed more sag than desired which in turn uses up more suspension travel. I will add some preload and re-test.
While these are not FOX, WE, ELKA or 814 Shocks, we were not anticipating that they would be. That being said, We still feel that the RC product is a good improvement over the stock shocks. One thing that needs to be considered is that these shocks do not have the "Self -Leveling" feature, this may be a deal breaker for some users. The adjustable preload and lift capability is worth the price alone. You can get 2" or so of lift without the disadvantage of a bracket lift changing the shock angles. These should ride better than stock shocks on a top mount bracket lift, if you reduce the preload.
The packaging of the product is very good and they arrived in good condition. There are tools provided in the box to adjust the preload, these tools are basic, but they do work. The very wide range of adjustment will also allow an additional 2" of lift for those who do not want to use a bracket lift. The user will need to experiment with the preload setting on their particular machine to get the best results. The instructions for adjusting preload are not well covered in the instructions or the install video, so the user is pretty much on their own. For preload adjustment, You Tube is your friend. If you bolt them on as they come out of the box, you are going to automatically get the additional full 2" of lift. Since I was not wanting additional lift from these shocks, the "as Shipped" preload was way too high. I reduced the preload down about 3" inches to benefit from the softer suspension.
These shocks and springs appear hefty and the finish looks good. The shafts are large and hard chromed. Shock bodies larger than stock and are bright zinc plated steel. Springs are nicely powder coated black. RC reports that the spring rates are as follows: 250# per Inch on Front and 275# per Inch on the Rear. Threaded adjustment collars are provided for ample preload adjustment. According to RC, the damping is accomplished using bending shim washer stacks, which is a premium feature. No adjustment for Compression or Rebound are provided, but none was expected at this price point. Both ends of the shocks feature OEM style bushings. All stock hardware is reused.
In summary, for $700, I consider them a good value, especially for those who cannot justify or maybe cannot afford $2k-$3k, or more for full blown "race" shocks. We ARE NOT aggressive or fast riders, this factor needs to be taken in to consideration by the user. A fast or aggressive rider will probably not benefit from this product. The stock Pioneer Suspension geometry is the ultimate limiting factor, shocks cannot change that fact. If you are like us and simply want a noticeably "better than stock" ride and possibly some additional lift, then these shocks might be for you. These are, at least a good substitute for the OEM shocks. The only thing that I have not determined was the long term durability of the product. They do have a 3 year warranty, so that should be some protection against problems, going forward. Time will tell. Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.
The machine seems noticeably smoother over most bumps, however some additional preload may be needed. I believe that my initial preload "guestimate" was slightly low. However, that will be an easy fix. In addition, after 60 miles of initial break in, the ride height settled a bit, since all shocks will "settle" somewhat during break in. This allowed more sag than desired which in turn uses up more suspension travel. I will add some preload and re-test.
While these are not FOX, WE, ELKA or 814 Shocks, we were not anticipating that they would be. That being said, We still feel that the RC product is a good improvement over the stock shocks. One thing that needs to be considered is that these shocks do not have the "Self -Leveling" feature, this may be a deal breaker for some users. The adjustable preload and lift capability is worth the price alone. You can get 2" or so of lift without the disadvantage of a bracket lift changing the shock angles. These should ride better than stock shocks on a top mount bracket lift, if you reduce the preload.
The packaging of the product is very good and they arrived in good condition. There are tools provided in the box to adjust the preload, these tools are basic, but they do work. The very wide range of adjustment will also allow an additional 2" of lift for those who do not want to use a bracket lift. The user will need to experiment with the preload setting on their particular machine to get the best results. The instructions for adjusting preload are not well covered in the instructions or the install video, so the user is pretty much on their own. For preload adjustment, You Tube is your friend. If you bolt them on as they come out of the box, you are going to automatically get the additional full 2" of lift. Since I was not wanting additional lift from these shocks, the "as Shipped" preload was way too high. I reduced the preload down about 3" inches to benefit from the softer suspension.
These shocks and springs appear hefty and the finish looks good. The shafts are large and hard chromed. Shock bodies larger than stock and are bright zinc plated steel. Springs are nicely powder coated black. RC reports that the spring rates are as follows: 250# per Inch on Front and 275# per Inch on the Rear. Threaded adjustment collars are provided for ample preload adjustment. According to RC, the damping is accomplished using bending shim washer stacks, which is a premium feature. No adjustment for Compression or Rebound are provided, but none was expected at this price point. Both ends of the shocks feature OEM style bushings. All stock hardware is reused.
In summary, for $700, I consider them a good value, especially for those who cannot justify or maybe cannot afford $2k-$3k, or more for full blown "race" shocks. We ARE NOT aggressive or fast riders, this factor needs to be taken in to consideration by the user. A fast or aggressive rider will probably not benefit from this product. The stock Pioneer Suspension geometry is the ultimate limiting factor, shocks cannot change that fact. If you are like us and simply want a noticeably "better than stock" ride and possibly some additional lift, then these shocks might be for you. These are, at least a good substitute for the OEM shocks. The only thing that I have not determined was the long term durability of the product. They do have a 3 year warranty, so that should be some protection against problems, going forward. Time will tell. Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.
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Robobrainiac
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B
I broke a rear coil spring on my 17 pioneer and replaced them with rough country, they seem real good, easy to put on.
GovtMule
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Never thought I’d be curious about a Rough Country shock…but I have to admit I think I am now!
B
heres mine, they raised the rear end a little in stock position,I can raise them another 2" if I want
Mudwisel
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I had looked at those but did not like the fact they had digressive valving. They probably would be harsh over small bumps and such at slow speeds. will be interesting to see what people really think. Plus I didn't like the fact they would not tell me the spring rates. Anything would be better than what Honda puts their UTVs
GovtMule
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I’ve always been one to just deal with it…and the factory shocks work for me since I don’t know any better. Can’t justify spending a fortune on Fox or even Elkas (I could do it but I’d have financial remorse) so the RC’s caught my attention. I do know that their Jeep shocks suck though (from experience) but wishfully I’d like these to work due to the cost. Again, you get what you pay for though!
R
Thanks for sharing that tidbit. I don’t like that valving profile in general either. I want a shock that’s progressive so I can crawl along with dogs and passengers and get a smooth ride.
Smitty335
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That's why I went stupid and bought Elka Stage 5
The spring rates on these are 250#per inch front and 275# per inch rear. I got this from the RC Rep himself after cornering him at the Outdoor Expo in Hot Springs Arkansas this year. He said that they are looking at offering an alternate spring as well. I have a set and they are better than stock. I do not find them rough over the small bumps and they do not chatter on washboard roads like the stock HONDA rear shocks did. They are not plush, but that is the fault of the limited wheel travel and other suspension geometry on the Pioneer 1000. The Pioneer will never ride like a Talon, Can Am or RZR. These shocks are not Elkas, Fox or other premium race type shocks, but for how we ride, for me they are a noticable improvement over stock.
Mudwisel
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All that matters is that you are happy with them. Yes anything is better than stock and no these are not Talons and will always be more on the utlity side. I did get to ride in a pioneer with these on it and they gave the ride characteristics I thought they would. Everybody's expectations are different. For the money most people would probably be happy with them
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t lease
Well, the HONDA Shocks set a very low bar. There was nowhere to go but up! Overall and for me, these are an improvement. I think that a set of long travel arms would make a bigger difference. At least they did not make it worse than it was stock. People need to be aware that if you install these on a 1000-5, you will lose the self-leveling feature, if that is important to you.
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