Has anyone done the math on what you gain or don’t gain from adding spacers or not? I realize there are a ton of variables that can change COG.. just curious on a base line though. If you have stock machine with stock wheels and put it on an incline vs a machine with lift on the incline vs a machine with lift and spacers on the incline. What kind of degrees of stabilization and change do spacers and height actually gain and decrease the machine from stock.
If you lift it or use the offset a-arms you’re effectively narrowing the machine at the same time. So the center of mass (COM) is going to be elevated.
So a 2” lift wouldn’t raise the COM a maximum of 2”, it would raise it a minimum of 2”. In reality it would be more because you’re narrowing the machine by moving the hubs further away from being extended straight out from the centerline of the diff which would make for the widest possible stance, by lifting it AND offset the centerline of the hubs forward. It will be even more exaggerated.
My 700-4 was more top heavy than Dolly Parton, 4” lift, 28” tires, I had 2 heavy lightbars up high, HEAVY fiberglass speaker enclosure at roof level, hard mid panel, HEAVY swing away tire carrier with a Roto-Pak toolkit/gas can and and spare mounted, heater was mounted right at the level of the dash. It was tipsy.
On my 1000 I mounted everything as low as I could get it and it still be useful. I used a soft mid panel to reduce high mass, I put my second battery down low under drivers seat, instead of under the hood, I mounted the single lightbar, out front at bumper level, tool kit is put under the drivers seat, no spare unless it’s a long trip.
There’s an incredibly difference in tipsiness just between having the glass windshield on and off and it’s only 35-40lbs. Its most noticeable when the rig is moving back and forth, it doesn’t settle on the suspension as quickly and is nowhere near as stable, because that mass is higher and further away from the points of the machine that are contacting the ground.
Think of these two things:
1.The way it’s very difficult to turn a bolt with a short wrench but can be made to break loose very easily with a longer wrench.
B.Holding a sledge hammer by the end of the wooden handle and moving it around vs holding it by the heavy steel head and swinging the light wooden handle. It’s easier to suddenly change the direction of the wooden handle when you’re holding it by the head but not so much the direction of the head when you’re holding it by the handle.
When I mount my wetsounds bar I’ll measure the tip over point to show how such little weight will make a difference when it’s so far from the contact with the ground.
