By Jon Crowley
Although the original Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 was designed primarily for high-speed desert terrain, its long-travel suspension and generous ground clearance also gave it plenty of potential in the rocks. To find out how well it could crawl, we equipped our 2012 Wildcat with 31-inch tires, rock sliders and upgraded underbody protection before taking it to Prairie City SVRA near Sacramento, California.
This was an intentionally extreme tire test. A stock Wildcat could handle many of these obstacles, but the larger tires allowed us to explore the chassis’ clearance limits—and the additional strain that comes with adding substantially larger and heavier rubber.
Preparing the Wildcat for Rock Crawling
Ground clearance is especially important in a rock garden. Once the center of a UTV becomes planted on a boulder, one or more tires can lose contact with the ground—and traction disappears with them. Increasing tire diameter is one way to create more space beneath the chassis.
For this test, I installed 31×11.50R15 Pit Bull Growler LT tires. These were considerably larger than the Wildcat’s stock 26-inch tires, but I had previously used the Growlers successfully on several other UTVs.
The biggest questions were whether the tires would clear the body and frame and how the drivetrain would respond to the additional diameter and rotating weight. Full suspension compression was less of a concern while crawling at low speed, but tire contact could become a much larger issue if the vehicle were driven aggressively.
The tires were mounted on OMF Performance beadlock wheels with interchangeable billet centers. By changing the centers, I could adapt the wheels to different UTV bolt patterns instead of buying a dedicated wheel-and-tire package for every vehicle.
Do 31-Inch Tires Fit a Stock Wildcat 1000?
After changing the wheel centers, the 31-inch tires mounted without any clearance problems. That was impressive because this was the first stock-suspension UTV on which I had successfully fitted this particular tire package. Previous installations had required aftermarket long-travel suspension.
Moving from the stock 26-inch tires to 31-inch tires theoretically increased ground clearance by approximately 2.5 inches. I left the Wildcat’s spring preload at its factory setting rather than raising the ride height further.
A lift kit could provide additional clearance, but it can also affect suspension geometry, axle angles and stability. For a dedicated slow-speed rock or mud build, the tradeoff may be worthwhile. For a multipurpose Wildcat, tire weight, gearing and drivetrain durability all deserve consideration before making such a large jump in tire size.
Rock Sliders and UHMW Protection
With the tire package installed, I turned my attention to protecting the body and underside of the Wildcat. When rock crawling, the goal is usually to place the tires on top of obstacles and keep the center of the chassis away from them. As the front tire comes off a rock, however, that same rock can strike the rocker area beneath the door.
The original Wildcat had a tube running along the outer edge of the chassis, but the plastic bodywork extended beyond it. That left the plastic vulnerable when pivoting around rocks.
Arctic Cat offered a bolt-on rock slider for the Wildcat under part number 1436-727. The original advertised price was $229.95. These sliders provided a sacrificial surface that could take an impact before it reached the bodywork, without requiring custom fabrication or welding.
The stock underside also needed more protection. A UTV skid plate can be subjected to repeated sliding and hard impacts that threaten the engine, transmission and differentials.
Aluminum was once the traditional skid-plate material, but it can dent and hang up as it drags across rocks. We installed a 1/2-inch UHMW skid plate from Factory UTV along with front A-arm guards. UHMW provides a relatively slick surface that slides over rock and can return to shape after impacts that might permanently deform an aluminum plate.
Testing at Prairie City SVRA
With the tires and protective equipment installed, we headed to the 4×4 area at Prairie City SVRA. Its mix of constructed rock obstacles provided a useful place to examine articulation, clearance, maneuverability and traction.
The Wildcat’s 17 inches of front suspension travel was immediately noticeable. The front suspension articulated extremely well and kept the tires in contact with the terrain through substantial chassis flex.
We left the rear anti-sway bar connected during the test. Disconnecting it could potentially free additional articulation, but the Wildcat worked well enough in our test that I did not consider the modification necessary for most recreational situations.
Wheelbase: Stability Versus Breakover
The original two-seat Wildcat had a 95-inch wheelbase. That length helped in some situations and hurt in others.
On terrain such as Moab’s broad ledges and stair-step climbs, a longer wheelbase can make a vehicle feel planted and stable. Combined with the Wildcat’s wide stance and long suspension travel, it helped the machine climb with confidence.
In tighter boulder fields like those found on portions of the Rubicon Trail, the long wheelbase reduced the breakover angle and made it easier to contact rocks with the center skid plate. It also increased the turning radius, which was a disadvantage when navigating tight obstacles.
The Wildcat’s always-locked rear differential added to that tendency. Keeping both rear tires driving is useful when traction is limited, but a locked rear axle can make a vehicle push forward instead of turning tightly. A selectable rear differential would have made the Wildcat more maneuverable in confined terrain.
Approach and Departure Angles
Approach and departure angles determine how steep an obstacle a vehicle can meet or leave without striking its body or bumpers. The Wildcat’s bodywork did not extend excessively beyond the tires, and the 31-inch tire package improved these angles further.
That combination worked exceptionally well on steep faces and drop-offs. Despite the compromises created by its long wheelbase, the Wildcat’s approach and departure clearance were major advantages in the rocks.
Trailing-Arm Clearance
The Wildcat’s long rear trailing arms were developed to deliver substantial suspension travel and stability in rough, high-speed terrain. In a rock garden, however, those arms could become contact points.
We encountered situations where a trailing arm struck an obstacle before the rear tire could climb it. The larger tires helped increase clearance beneath the arms, but they could not eliminate the problem. As with a bumper that reduces approach angle, anything reaching the rock before the tire can interrupt forward progress.
The Arctic Cat rock sliders protected the side plastics effectively, although their front mounting points extended below the skid plate and occasionally caught on rocks. A mounting design that remained flush with the underside would have slid across obstacles more cleanly.
How the Wildcat Handled 31-Inch Tires
We did not experience any tire-to-body or tire-to-frame interference during the test. The front tires cleared while turning, under compression and at full suspension droop.
The clutch also handled the tires without an obvious problem during our low-speed test. We noticed an occasional clunk from the steering box, but otherwise experienced no mechanical issues.
That does not mean 31-inch tires were an ideal everyday setup. Their additional weight and effective gearing could place more stress on the CVT, axles, CV joints, differentials, wheel bearings and steering components. A tire package this large also was not well suited to the high-speed driving for which the Wildcat was originally designed.
Smooth throttle application was especially important. Shock-loading the drivetrain while a tire was wedged against a rock could quickly turn the additional traction and leverage into broken parts.
Final Verdict
The 2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 performed surprisingly well in the rocks for a sport UTV developed around high-speed desert and dune use. Its long-travel front suspension, stable chassis, favorable approach and departure angles and ability to clear 31-inch tires were genuine strengths.
Its long wheelbase, wide turning radius, locked rear differential and exposed trailing arms prevented it from being an ideal technical rock crawler. The large tires also introduced drivetrain and handling compromises that made them better suited to a specialized crawling setup than an all-around trail machine.
If I were setting up an original Wildcat for regular recreational rock crawling, I would choose a lighter 28-inch tire and add underbody protection before considering additional lift. That would provide useful clearance without imposing as much leverage and rotating mass on the aging drivetrain.
Overall, the Wildcat was not my first choice for dedicated rock crawling, but it performed near the top of the early sport UTVs we tested.
