This question gets asked a lot, so here's an official sticky on it. Feel free to add if you have additional information on this. Generally this information will apply to all years of the Warrior and Raptor 350.
DISCLAIMER:
This is what I have learned through the years, it is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate and I will take no personal responsibility for any inaccuracies, or bodily harm or property damage caused from the use or misuse of this information. Now to the information...
FRONT SHOCKS:
Stock banshee shocks (all years) will work. They are softer than stock warrior shocks, and are progressive sprung shocks so they ride smoother than stock warrior shocks so they're good for trail riding. They will roll more in the corners though, and are not recommended for jumping more than a couple feet. Stockers are not adjustable except 5 positions for the preload. Aftermarket Banshee fronts will work well, of course they will need to be valved and sprung accordingly like any aftermarket shock or they will perform ******.
Stock Raptor 350 shocks can be considered an upgrade to warriors, especially if you have an older one with worn out shocks. Not a huge improvement, but a little better all-around vs warrior shocks. Still no adjustability except 5 notches for preload.
Stock YFZ, Raptor 660, Raptor 700, 450R shocks, and all other newer, longer shocks CAN be made to fit, but this is strongly discouraged. The longer length forces the suspenion into angles greater than they were intended, and can easily cause components to catastrophically fail. This has been proven several times by members who thought it would be fine, then the ball joints gave out. You can bet that when they do fail, it's going to hurt like a bitch because it's going to be during a jump or pounding some whoops, where the supension is really getting worked. The upper shock mounts on the frame can be raised or modified to make more room for the shocks so this isn't as big of an issue, but don't try this unless you know what you're doing.
The best performing front shocks are going to be aftermarket ones for your machine, set up for your particular application. They are available from Superior Suspension (SS), Works, Elka, PEP, Ohlins, Fox, Pro Axis, Race Tech, Total Control Suspension (TCS), and others. You get what you pay for here. SS and Works are an improvement over stock, but you'll get better tuning and performance out of the more expensive ones.
REAR SHOCK:
Stock Banshee (all years) will work *with slight modification of airbox*. The stock banshee shocks are more forgiving than the stock yfm shocks, and offer better adjustability. While the stock yfm shocks are only 2 way adjustable (preload and rebound) the Banshee shocks are 3 way (preload, compression, and rebound). As previously noted, a slight modification to the plastic airbox is necessary to make way for the piggyback reservoir. Most have simply removed the airbox, heated it up with a heat gun until the plastic is soft and pliable (not melting, smoldering, and on fire). Just heat the bottom sump of the box and push it in with something other than your bare skin to make a little clearance for where the reservoir will be sitting. If you have a UM or other aluminum airbox this should not be necessary. You can also get more creative with this mod, I hacked the whole sump off the box so it was level with the rest of the box, and formed and pop riveted in some light steel as a filler.
Stock 2001 Raptor 660 shocks will work *also involves some slight fabrication, creativity, or a lot of duct tape). The 660 shock is slightly longer than stock, so it will raise the rear ride height which can be undesirable, approximately 2 or 3 inches higher measured at the grab bar. The increased angle of the swingarm will also affect the chain adjustment some, it will have to be adjusted more often and in smaller increments to keep the slack correct throughout the stroke. The hose on the remote reservoir is shorter than the stock 350 line, so the stock reservoir mounting location won’t work. I mounted mine on the left side of the airbox with the stock mounting clamps and some wood screws into the airbox. Be careful about the size of the screws, you don’t want to run one through your filter. Also watch that it is very secure, and everything is clear of the chain, if your mount comes loose the chain will annihilate that reservoir. I had mine almost completely hidden by the part of the rear fender that runs underneath the seat, with the reservoir angled so the compression adjustment screws are still easily accessible. Make sure you’re getting a 2001 660 rear shock, the 2002-up shocks use an offset piggyback reservoir which will not clear the swingarm. Take a look through the tutorials section and you should be able to find a short tutorial with pictures that I made when I installed the 660 on my warrior.
Rear shocks from 450’s, and all other newer machines will not work for various reasons, either different mounts, reservoir location, length, or whatever else.
Just like the front shocks, an aftermarket rear shock is going to be the best option for performance, but at a starting price of $460 for the bottom line Works shocks, it’s a big investment. If you want aftermarket performance on a budget I would recommend getting a used Banshee shock and sending it out to TCS/Race Tech to get it rebuilt, revalved, and resprung for your machine and application.
ETC:
While we’re on the subject I will take the time to note that changes in width in the front suspension, whether it be from flipped or offset wheels, or wider aftermarket a-arms, will put additional leverage on the front shocks and can cause them to be softer and weaker. Because of this, you can actually lose some cornering ability and aggressive ridability with additional width if the shocks aren’t changed accordingly. Same goes with the rear swingarm length, if you have an extended swingarm your rear shock will have more leverage on it and perform as if it is softer and weaker. Axle length will not affect the rear shock’s performance.
Also keep in mind that shocks will lose performance over time. The oil will become contaminated, lose viscocity, and if/when the seals begin to leak the oil will run out, resulting in a "blown" shock. The springs will also lose their tension and become softer over time. Good deals can be found on used shocks on fleabay and other sources, but when possible try to be picky and get something no more than 5 years old. Even an older shock that appears to be in good physical shape and isn't leaking will be working at reduced performance. The biggest thing to watch for when buying a used shock other than obvious damage is oil or other evidence of leakage where the shaft enters the shock body, and pitting and damage to the exposed part of the shaft. The bushings on the shocks can also become worn and loose over time which will result in a clunky, loose feeling.
If anybody has any questions, comments, or additional information go ahead and post it up here instead of starting another thread on it.
DISCLAIMER:
This is what I have learned through the years, it is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate and I will take no personal responsibility for any inaccuracies, or bodily harm or property damage caused from the use or misuse of this information. Now to the information...
FRONT SHOCKS:
Stock banshee shocks (all years) will work. They are softer than stock warrior shocks, and are progressive sprung shocks so they ride smoother than stock warrior shocks so they're good for trail riding. They will roll more in the corners though, and are not recommended for jumping more than a couple feet. Stockers are not adjustable except 5 positions for the preload. Aftermarket Banshee fronts will work well, of course they will need to be valved and sprung accordingly like any aftermarket shock or they will perform ******.
Stock Raptor 350 shocks can be considered an upgrade to warriors, especially if you have an older one with worn out shocks. Not a huge improvement, but a little better all-around vs warrior shocks. Still no adjustability except 5 notches for preload.
Stock YFZ, Raptor 660, Raptor 700, 450R shocks, and all other newer, longer shocks CAN be made to fit, but this is strongly discouraged. The longer length forces the suspenion into angles greater than they were intended, and can easily cause components to catastrophically fail. This has been proven several times by members who thought it would be fine, then the ball joints gave out. You can bet that when they do fail, it's going to hurt like a bitch because it's going to be during a jump or pounding some whoops, where the supension is really getting worked. The upper shock mounts on the frame can be raised or modified to make more room for the shocks so this isn't as big of an issue, but don't try this unless you know what you're doing.
The best performing front shocks are going to be aftermarket ones for your machine, set up for your particular application. They are available from Superior Suspension (SS), Works, Elka, PEP, Ohlins, Fox, Pro Axis, Race Tech, Total Control Suspension (TCS), and others. You get what you pay for here. SS and Works are an improvement over stock, but you'll get better tuning and performance out of the more expensive ones.
REAR SHOCK:
Stock Banshee (all years) will work *with slight modification of airbox*. The stock banshee shocks are more forgiving than the stock yfm shocks, and offer better adjustability. While the stock yfm shocks are only 2 way adjustable (preload and rebound) the Banshee shocks are 3 way (preload, compression, and rebound). As previously noted, a slight modification to the plastic airbox is necessary to make way for the piggyback reservoir. Most have simply removed the airbox, heated it up with a heat gun until the plastic is soft and pliable (not melting, smoldering, and on fire). Just heat the bottom sump of the box and push it in with something other than your bare skin to make a little clearance for where the reservoir will be sitting. If you have a UM or other aluminum airbox this should not be necessary. You can also get more creative with this mod, I hacked the whole sump off the box so it was level with the rest of the box, and formed and pop riveted in some light steel as a filler.
Stock 2001 Raptor 660 shocks will work *also involves some slight fabrication, creativity, or a lot of duct tape). The 660 shock is slightly longer than stock, so it will raise the rear ride height which can be undesirable, approximately 2 or 3 inches higher measured at the grab bar. The increased angle of the swingarm will also affect the chain adjustment some, it will have to be adjusted more often and in smaller increments to keep the slack correct throughout the stroke. The hose on the remote reservoir is shorter than the stock 350 line, so the stock reservoir mounting location won’t work. I mounted mine on the left side of the airbox with the stock mounting clamps and some wood screws into the airbox. Be careful about the size of the screws, you don’t want to run one through your filter. Also watch that it is very secure, and everything is clear of the chain, if your mount comes loose the chain will annihilate that reservoir. I had mine almost completely hidden by the part of the rear fender that runs underneath the seat, with the reservoir angled so the compression adjustment screws are still easily accessible. Make sure you’re getting a 2001 660 rear shock, the 2002-up shocks use an offset piggyback reservoir which will not clear the swingarm. Take a look through the tutorials section and you should be able to find a short tutorial with pictures that I made when I installed the 660 on my warrior.
Rear shocks from 450’s, and all other newer machines will not work for various reasons, either different mounts, reservoir location, length, or whatever else.
Just like the front shocks, an aftermarket rear shock is going to be the best option for performance, but at a starting price of $460 for the bottom line Works shocks, it’s a big investment. If you want aftermarket performance on a budget I would recommend getting a used Banshee shock and sending it out to TCS/Race Tech to get it rebuilt, revalved, and resprung for your machine and application.
ETC:
While we’re on the subject I will take the time to note that changes in width in the front suspension, whether it be from flipped or offset wheels, or wider aftermarket a-arms, will put additional leverage on the front shocks and can cause them to be softer and weaker. Because of this, you can actually lose some cornering ability and aggressive ridability with additional width if the shocks aren’t changed accordingly. Same goes with the rear swingarm length, if you have an extended swingarm your rear shock will have more leverage on it and perform as if it is softer and weaker. Axle length will not affect the rear shock’s performance.
Also keep in mind that shocks will lose performance over time. The oil will become contaminated, lose viscocity, and if/when the seals begin to leak the oil will run out, resulting in a "blown" shock. The springs will also lose their tension and become softer over time. Good deals can be found on used shocks on fleabay and other sources, but when possible try to be picky and get something no more than 5 years old. Even an older shock that appears to be in good physical shape and isn't leaking will be working at reduced performance. The biggest thing to watch for when buying a used shock other than obvious damage is oil or other evidence of leakage where the shaft enters the shock body, and pitting and damage to the exposed part of the shaft. The bushings on the shocks can also become worn and loose over time which will result in a clunky, loose feeling.
If anybody has any questions, comments, or additional information go ahead and post it up here instead of starting another thread on it.
