How to Install a Spring Kit on Your UTV: Preparation and Setup

Installing a UTV spring kit involves confirming fitment, safely unloading the suspension, replacing the specified spring components, and setting ride height. The removal procedure, spring arrangement, torque specifications, and adjustment limits depend on your vehicle, installed shocks, and spring kit.

This guide explains what to check before installation and how to approach the finished setup. It is a general overview, not a replacement for the service manual or instructions for your exact kit.

Confirm the kit matches your vehicle and shocks

Start with the complete vehicle information:

• Model year, make, and model
• Two-seat or four-seat configuration
• Installed shock brand and model, including electronic adjustment where applicable
• Existing suspension modifications
• Usual passengers, cargo, and added accessories

Check the shocks actually installed on the machine, especially if you bought it used or changed suspension components.

For example, our RZR S 900 two-seat tender spring kit for Walker Evans shocks specifies reservoir-equipped Walker Evans shocks. A similar vehicle name alone does not confirm compatibility.

Also check the contents of your selected package. A tender spring kit and a kit that replaces lower springs can require different components and setup. Our 2017–2021 RZR XP 1000 two-seat Level Up kit, for example, has full and partial packages with different contents.

Check the existing suspension before replacing springs

Record what you want to address: reduced ride height, harshness, frequent bottoming, or a change after adding weight. These observations help explain the problem, but they do not identify the cause on their own.

A compressed tender spring is not automatically a worn-out spring. Polaris explains that some factory RZR spring arrangements are designed to have the tender or helper spring compressed at normal ride height. See Polaris’s spring setup explanation.

Have leaking shocks, damaged components, or unexplained handling changes inspected before proceeding. A spring replacement does not repair a damaged damper.

Gather the instructions and equipment first

Before taking anything apart, have:

• The vehicle service procedure for your exact model year
• Instructions identifying the kit’s spring order, retained parts, and initial settings
• Suitable lifting and support equipment
• The specified hand tools and a suitable torque wrench
• Spring-handling equipment compatible with the shock and spring assembly
• Eye protection and a clear work area

Coil springs store energy. Never remove a spring retainer while it remains under spring load. Follow the shock, kit, and tool manufacturers’ procedures for controlling and releasing that load.

If you cannot confirm the procedure or do not have suitable equipment, have a qualified suspension technician perform the work. Spring replacement also does not require opening the pressurized damper as a general step.

What the installation involves

The exact sequence comes from your service instructions. Use the following as a checklist for planning the job.

Record the starting setup. On level ground, note tire pressures, vehicle load, ride-height measurements, and existing adjustments. Use the measurement points specified for your application so the before-and-after readings are comparable.

Raise and support the vehicle correctly. Follow the vehicle’s lifting instructions and support requirements. A jack alone is not a work support. Follow the service procedure for supporting suspension components during shock removal.

Replace only the specified components. Identify front and rear parts, spring order, spacers, dividers, and retainers from the kit instructions. Do not assume that every original component is reused or that every spring stack assembles the same way.

Reinstall and check the assembly. Follow the applicable fastener replacement requirements and torque specifications. Confirm correct spring seating, shock orientation, and clearance before operating the vehicle.

Do not substitute a torque value, preload measurement, or spring arrangement from another UTV.

Set ride height using the correct reference

Follow the starting settings and adjustment limits for your installed shocks and spring kit. Use the specified vehicle load and measurement points.

Preload and crossover adjustments serve different purposes. In an adjustable dual-spring system, preload affects the initial spring force and ride height; the crossover setting controls where the system transitions to its secondary rate. They should not be treated as interchangeable adjustments. FOX’s Maverick X3 shock manual explains this distinction for that particular shock system; its numerical settings should not be transferred to other applications.

Settle the suspension as directed before measuring again. Keep a record of each change, and follow the applicable left-to-right adjustment requirements.

If the desired height cannot be reached within the permitted adjustment range, stop and check the spring selection and setup. Adding more preload beyond the limit is not the solution.

Check the finished setup before trail use

Complete the inspection required by the vehicle, shock, and kit instructions. Confirm that removed hardware has been tightened correctly and that springs, retainers, hoses, and wiring are properly positioned.

Begin with a cautious, low-speed check in a suitable area. Suspension changes can alter handling. Stop if you notice unusual noises, rubbing, loose components, or unpredictable behavior, and have the cause checked before continuing.

Follow the specified reinspection schedule. Record the final ride height and settings so you have a reference for future checks.

Find the right spring kit

At All Thingz UTV, we stock thousands of springs in over 19 colors. Color availability varies by model.

Browse our UTV spring kits and compare the fitment and package contents with your machine.

If anything is unclear, contact All Thingz UTV before ordering or disassembly. Include your model year, full model name, seat count, installed shocks, suspension changes, and usual load so we can review the relevant kit with you.