You stand in the garage staring at your 2006 Outlaw with a tape measure hooked over a bent lower tube. Finding reliable data on the polaris outlaw 500 front a arms length gets frustrating fast because factory service manuals list overall quad width rather than individual arm center-to-center dimensions.
Stock Polaris Outlaw 500 Front A Arms Length and Geometry
The factory front suspension on the 2006 to 2007 Outlaw 500 uses a double A-arm arrangement paired with 18.25-inch RydeFX or Fox Podium piggyback shocks. Because the upper and lower arms sit at different mounting widths on the main frame spars, their true lengths differ significantly from one another.
Upper Arm Measurements
The stock upper control arm measures 12.25 inches from the center of the frame pivot tube to the center of the upper ball joint stud. This shorter upper profile creates negative camber gain as the suspension compresses through its 10 inches of front wheel travel.
Lower Arm Pivot to Ball Joint
The stock lower control arm measures 15.875 inches from the frame mounting pivot bolt centerline straight across to the lower ball joint center point. The lower shock mount tab sits roughly 9.5 inches out from the inner frame pivot along that same lower spar.
When you measure the factory components off the machine, use this specific procedure to confirm if your parts match factory tolerances:
- Rest the bare control arm flat on a workbench with the frame bushing bores flush against a straight edge.
- Measure in a direct line from the center point of the inner pivot sleeve to the center point of the ball joint cup.
- Check the diagonal distance between the front and rear mounting ears to detect subtle frame crash twists.
- Compare the shock eyelet mounting distance against the factory 9.5-inch centerline spec.
A bent arm will pull your hub inward and ruin your baseline caster angle.
Measuring Control Arms Accurately on the Frame
Measuring suspension components while they remain bolted to the quad introduces several common errors. Many riders pull a tape measure along the exterior curved tubing, which adds nearly three-quarters of an inch to the true functional number.
Suspension geometry operates purely on straight lines between pivot points.
Center-to-Center Technique
To establish the actual polaris outlaw 500 front a arms length while the machine sits on tires, drop a plumb bob from the upper and lower ball joint centers down to the shop floor. Mark those points on masking tape stuck to the concrete, then repeat the process for the frame pivot bolts.
Accounting for Camber and Castor Offset
The front frame mounts on the Outlaw 500 chassis feature built-in anti-dive geometry. The rear pivot of the lower arm sits slightly higher than the front pivot. This tilt alters your functional arm length relative to the ground plane whenever ride height changes.
You will need a specific set of tools to verify these dimensions accurately without tearing down the entire front clip:
- Digital angle finder or magnetic bubble camber gauge
- Steel 24-inch machinist rule
- Outside vernier calipers for bushing shell diameters
- Plumb line kit and concrete marking chalk
- Metric socket set containing 14mm and 15mm sockets for pivot hardware
What most people get wrong is ignoring chassis sag when comparing left and right arms. If one preload collar on your front shock backed off by five threads, that side will show a false variance in measured arm reach due to the altered operating angle of the control arm assembly.
Upgrading to Aftermarket Extended Width Arms
Stock Outlaw 500 front width sits at approximately 47.5 inches depending on front wheel offset. Cross-country racers running tight woods often prefer the agility of the factory polaris outlaw 500 front a arms length, but motocross and open-desert riders consistently swap to wider aftermarket setups.
Rath Racing and Lonestar Racing historically produced the two most popular replacement sets for this platform.
Plus-Two Cross Country and MX Geometry
A standard plus-two aftermarket kit adds exactly 2.0 inches of length to both the upper and lower arms. This widens the overall stance to roughly 51.5 inches total width. The extended reach delivers massive high-speed stability through deep sand whoops and prevents high-side rollovers in flat dirt corners.
Tie Rod and Brake Line Extensions
Lengthening the control arms requires matching steering link hardware. You cannot run stock steering tie rods with extended arms because the inner tie rod threads will not safely engage the outer heim joints.
Follow these setup rules when installing extended front arms on an Outlaw chassis:
- Thread your extended tie rods evenly into the inner and outer ends to maintain at least 15mm of thread engagement inside each sleeve.
- Swap stock front brake hoses for steel-braided lines that are at least three inches longer than OEM hoses.
- Install heavier front shock springs to compensate for the increased leverage ratio acting on the damper body.
- Cycle the suspension with the shock springs removed to verify that the brake lines never pull taut at full suspension droop.
In my experience, moving to a plus-two arm layout transforms the machine in high-speed sweepers, but it creates noticeable steering feedback through the handlebars if you fail to adjust your caster brackets.
Handling Differences and Tradeoffs
Widening your A-arms shifts the leverage ratio applied directly to your front shock absorbers.
While extended arms smooth out rough chatter, they make the front end softer on identical shock valving. You must evaluate the practical mechanical drawbacks before swapping stock control arms:
- Stock front shocks will blow through their stroke on hard landings without stiffer valving and higher spring rates.
- Overall quad width will exceed the strict 50-inch trail gate limits common on public forestry trail systems.
- Steering effort increases noticeably when crawling over rock gardens at low speeds.
- Wheel bearings and ball joints wear out faster due to increased outboard mechanical leverage.
Solving Geometry and Wear Issues After Arm Swaps
Whenever you alter or rebuild front suspension components on the Outlaw 500, checking the ball joint angles is mandatory. Factory Polaris ball joints use a pressed-in housing design on the upper arm and a clip-retained design on the lower arm. Worn joints introduce unwanted front wheel play that feels identical to a loose steering stem bushing.
You can identify premature arm and bushing wear through a few distinct physical symptoms:
- Uneven outer tread wear on your front Maxxis Razr front tires within just a few rides
- Clunking noises when the front tires leave the ground over jumps
- Steering wander at speeds above 45 miles per hour on hardpack fire roads
- Visible ovalization of the frame pivot bolt holes on the chassis tabs
If you discover sloppy pivot points while checking your polaris outlaw 500 front a arms length, replace the worn Delrin bushings with self-lubricating bronze or heavy-duty polyurethane bushings. Reassembly requires careful torque sequencing to avoid crushing the thin sheet metal frame tabs.
Follow this exact assembly sequence to secure your control arms properly:
- Coat the inner steel pivot sleeves with waterproof marine-grade grease before sliding them into new bushings.
- Align the arm in the frame brackets and push the grade 8.8 pivot bolts through from the front toward the rear.
- Thread on fresh nylon-insert locknuts and torque the pivot bolts to 35 foot-pounds while the quad sits under full load.
- Set the machine on flat ground and dial your front toe setting to exactly 1/8-inch toe-in.
Proper torque prevents frame hole elongation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Outlaw Suspension
What is the stock front shock eye-to-eye length on an Outlaw 500?
The stock front shocks measure 18.25 inches from the center of the upper mounting eyelet to the lower eyelet. Shocks built for the later Outlaw 525 S or IRS models share similar mounting dimensions, but they feature different internal valving and spring rates.
Can you use Polaris Predator 500 A-arms on an Outlaw 500?
Predator 500 front A-arms do not fit the Outlaw 500 without frame modification. The frame mounting tab spacing and pivot sleeve diameters differ between the Predator solid-axle frame and the Outlaw hybrid chassis, even though both machines share the same 499cc Fuji engine platform.
How do you adjust front wheel camber on stock Outlaw control arms?
Stock Outlaw 500 upper control arms do not feature threaded camber adjusters at the ball joint. You can only alter camber slightly by changing front shock preload or by swapping the stock upper arms for aftermarket units equipped with threaded heim joints.
What is the correct front wheel alignment spec for an Outlaw 500?
The factory alignment calls for 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch of toe-in measured across the front tires at axle height. Setting toe neutral or outward causes the front end to dart aggressively across ruts and hardpack surfaces at trail speeds.
Take your tape measure out to the garage right now, hook it to the lower inner pivot bolt, and check both front lower arms to verify your chassis is straight before your next ride.