WHAT IT IS:
Walker Evans Racing (WER) has gotten into UTVs in a big way and is most famous for WER’s involvement with RJ Anderson and the XP1K video series. WER 2.0/2.5 needle shocks come standard on Polaris RZR XP 1000s, with staggered, stepped and relieved needles firming the last few inches of suspension travel to resist bottoming. WER also offers all sorts of upgrades to the OEM RZR needle shocks, including 7/8-inch shafts, piston/shim kits, dualrate springs and cross-over rings for use with standard suspension arms. For those wanting more performance and/ or travel, WER offers replacement 2.5 needle shocks with dual-rate springs and dual-compression clickers ($677.93 each) and new Velocity VS2.Five shocks ($899.99 each), which have piggyback reservoirs lower on the bodies, provide Internal ByPass (IBP) bottoming resistance. WER is also developing tiny shocks, dubbed Walker Links, that replace solid RZR torsion-bar links to further enhance ride quality.
WHAT YOU GET:
Where Blake Van de Loo won this year’s King of the Hammers UTV race with a rear torsion bar link that hydraulically locks and unlocks for articulation, multi-time KOH winner Mitch Guthrie uses a spring-type link to improve handling and articulation. The all-new Walker Link (part #400-00-002) is the best of both worlds; it’s a small oil-emulsion shock with a bottoming bumper and equal-rate top-out spring, so it can compress or extend for a total of 2 inches of travel. Walker Links are re-valvable and rebuildable, like WER RZR needle shocks, and have a 1/2-inch shaft and 1.75-inch body. Construction is billet aluminum with composite bearings and high-misalignment spacers, and a pair are $375.
WHO IS IT FOR?
Everybody. Torsion bars are needed to fight body roll, but the downside is that every impact to one side affects the other tire with solid links. When in a corner under power, the car tends to squat on its outside rear tire, which also forces the inside rear to lose traction and the rear end to step out. Walker Links eliminate the negatives of the torsion bar while still fighting body roll, the positive. They bolt on OEM sway bars on all RZRs with rear torsion bars and RZR XPs, XCs, 570s and Generals with front bars (rear 2016 General links are too short), and other applications are being developed (Yamaha YXZs, Mavericks, etc).
PERFORMANCE:
Walker Links have gone through extensive testing with WER-sponsored racers; some were skeptical, and one only ran one at first, doubling ride stiffness. WER fitted our 2015 RZR XP 1000 with Shock Therapy front and rear torsion bars with Walker Links on all four corners after we had tried WERmodified 2.5 needle shocks and Velocity 3.0s with standard links. Ride quality was astounding, as all four corners were always planted, and the RZR refused to step out on mid-turn bumps, rocks or other impacts.
Sold in sets of 2 shocks.
