After receiving our new XP4 Turbo demo unit from Polaris at Camp RZR, we spent some time with it in stock trim in Glamis and then out in the desert to see how it performed (see RZR XP 4 Turbo Dune Review and Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo Desert Review). Hands down, the XP4 Turbo is the best performing stock UTV for these environments. When it came time to do some customization, it was clear to us that we needed to accentuate the cars strengths.
We teamed up with industry leader SDR Motorsports on the build of our Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo. SDR Motorsports in Corona, California, produces some of the cleanest, most well-built custom rigs around, so we were excited to see what they would do on this build.
Suspension:
The suspension we chose for this build is the SDR Hi-Bred Suspension System. The arms are 3-inches wider than stock. Move the front arms forward 2-inches and rear arms back 1-inch. The kit features RCV 300M axle shafts and re-uses stock shocks with no valving or spring changes needed. The kit also uses FK Bearing Uniballs and 4130 Chromoly Spindle Pins with Delrin Pivot bushings up front. And FK Bearings uniball for the rear trailing arm pivot.
SDR Motorsports uses the same custom alloy as the popular HCR Elite suspension kit to manufacture the RZR XP-1000 Hi-Bred Suspension System. This proprietary material boasts 25% stronger tensile and yield strength compared to 4130 series chromoly. The material goes through several processes and is hardened for better wear resistance and overall strength. The design brings together the strength of boxed construction where you need it, and the weight savings of 4130 chromoly tubing where you dont. this approach gives you a lighter stronger overall design.
Walker Evans Racing 2.5″ Velocity Series Shocks
We upgraded the shocks to Walker Evans Racing 2.5″ Velocity Series. These shocks utilize a Stepped Needle for position sensitive control, which offers higher resistance to bottoming out while allowing for a smoother, more compliant ride in the choppy bumps. The Velocity Shocks have High and Low Speed Compression adjustment.
Cage and Doors:
We decided to go with a cage that ended in the bed instead of wrapping around the rear-end. The SDR Motorsports XPR-4 Sport Cage. This cage has a radius roof line with plenty of cross-bracing, intrusion bars and properly placed harness bars. L
SDR Hi-Bred Bolt-in Doors start with a patent pending single pivot aluminum hinge. These doors are styled and designed to look more like a custom fixed door instead of a bolt on door. They feature full length 1 piece 3-D formed aluminum panels that are Dzus buttoned on which allows maximum opening room to get in and out of your car.
Audio:
We installed a SSV Works Polaris RZR XP4 5 speaker system. With this package we chose kick panel with 6.5″ speakers up front, cage mount with 6.5″ speakers in the rear, 10″ glovebox subwoofer, 4ch amplifier and iPod/MP3 input with volume control and 2.1a USB charge.
We also chose the new MRB2 dash-mounted control pad that allows you to keep your smartphone, iPod or MP3 player tucked away safely and control your audio directly from the control pad using wireless Bluetooth technology. Your phone automatically pairs when the system is powered on, allowing you to play music without having to fumble through apps and on-screen controls. Volume, track forward/back, play, and pause are all a finger’s reach away, arranged neatly on the weather-proof control pad.
Exhaust:
We chose the Trinity RacingStage 5 Slip-on Exhaust to ad a little more punch as well as dress up the rear of our XP4 Turbo. The 304 brushed stainless steel dual aluminum mufflers are fully tig welded and we selected a black finish.
Lighting:
We wanted to do something a bit different on this build, so we partnered with Vision X and decided to add seven 4.5″ Light Cannons to the roof to really set the bar. The Vision X 4.5″ CANNON CTL-CPZ110 packs a big punch compared to other lights in its class. Capable of shining up to 1,000 feet from a single LED, it features one 25-Watt LED, a spot beam pattern that offers you a focused amount of light with great distance, IRIS Reflector Technology, and black hybrid aluminum poly carbonate housing.
In addition, LED Light Cannons are capable of being 20 lights in 1 with Snap On Polycarbonate Covers. Quickly go from Spot, to Euro, to Flood or Wide Flood, or even Elliptical beam patterns. Each beam pattern is available in Red, Blue, Amber, or Clear and a Black Out Vision X logo cover is also available for additional protection. More details: LED Lighting on our RZR XP 4 Turbo.
Seats & Harnesses
We worked with Twisted Stitch and Simpson Race Products for the seats and harnesses in our XP4 Turbo. The new Vortex seat provides high containment while still allowing easy entry/exit with its cutaway lower bolster design. It also features headrest holes for easy removal of 5 point safety harnesses and a submarine belt slot. It is designed to work with the factory slider without raising the rider in the vehicle by using Twisted Stitch Seats exclusive billet aluminum mounting system. It features a removable seat cushion for added comfort, more durability and easy cleaning.
Tires & Wheels
For the dirt, we wanted to go big. It wasn’t long ago that 30-inch tires were considered big. Now with improvements to horsepower, torque and driveline these RZR Turbos can handle 32-inch tires in the dirt. Not only do 32-inch tires just look more aggressive, they increase ground clearance. We selected the new STI 32x10R15 Chicane RX tire. The Chicane features a unique split-knob non-directional tread design that is DOT marked and ready to hit the road for powerful performance and high-mileage value. The designs 8-ply carcass offers the perfect mix of durability, light weight, and smooth ride flexibility.
We mounted the Chicane tires on STI 15×7 HD5 Beadlock wheels. The HD5 wheels feature a reinforced inner bead lip for durability, and the beadlock hardware is beefed up for increased tire-clamping pressure. Plus you can customized the look, with a wide selection of colored beadlock rings.
For the sand, we went a little different route. We discussed the build with Fullerton Sand Sports and they recommended a custom shaved set of Desert Trak tires mounted up on Method beadlocks. The Desert Trak was originally designed years ago as a dual sport tire for VW Buggies. The center bars in the tires will lift the paddles up on hard pack, then when you get in sand washes or sand dunes the paddles will sink in and hook up. From Desert to Sand a great dual sport tire. For a long time, Fullerton Sand Sports has been suggesting the Desert Traks to VW Buggy owners with lower HP smaller motors as a great alternative to a paddle tire. With the short paddle design you don’t have as much rolling resistance to pull your power down, along with that paddle being thicker, it will be more durable than just running a thinner paddle. With knowing how well the tires worked on buggies in the 120 HP range, we decided to give them a shot on the new XP4 Turbo. If you’re a Duner and especially, if you ride in areas with hard pack and sand, you will love the Desert Traks on your 2 or 4 seat Turbo.
Communication
The Rugged Radios car to car radio kit is a 50 watt VHF radio that comes pre-programmed with 75 of the most popular offroad frequencies. It uses the same helmet speakers and microphone as the intercom, allowing you to broadcast and receive communication from any VHF radio in range. Its an effective way to communicate with other cars, base camps, on-road vehicles, and more.
Being able to communicate with your own passengers, as well as other vehicles, is a blessing no matter where you ride. It makes the ride more entertaining, safer, and almost eliminates wrong turns on the trail. Lastly, the intercom kit comes with a line in adapter (or Bluetooth if you option it) that allows you to play music through the helmet headsets. The music automatically fades when someone talks, so you can enjoy your favorite tunes with your passengers while you ride!
Build Specifications:
- 2016 Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo
- SDR Motorsports XPR-4 Fastback Sport Cage, Front Bumper
- SDR Motorsports Hi-Bred Doors
- SDR Motorsports 3.5″ Long Travel Suspension
- Walker Evans Racing 2.5″ Velocity Series Shocks
- SSV Works 5 Speaker Audio System with MRB2 Bluetooth Dash Controller
- Vision X Tantrum LED Pod Kit,Optimus Halo LED,4.5″ LED Light Cannon
- Axia Alloys 6″ Glass Folding Side Mirrors, 12″ Panoramic Mirrors with Sun Visor, Quick Release Fire Extinguisher, Light mounts
- Trinity Racing Stage 5 Slip-on Exhaust
- STI 32″ Chicane Tire mounted on HD5 Beadlock Wheels (Dirt)
- Fullerton Sand Sports Dune Tires mounted on 15″ Method Beadlock Wheels
- Simpson / Twisted Stitch Seats and Harnesses
- Whip Tech 4 foot LED Whips
- XTC Power Products Power Control System
- Rugged Radios 50W Radio and Intercom
- Wolf Designs Graphics Wrap
Trips:
Mesquite to Grand Canyon – March 2016
More Photos:
More Resources:
- RZR XP 4 Turbo Dune Review
- Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo Desert Review
- SDR Motorsports Company Profile
- SSV Works Company Profile
- Vision X Shop Tour