All Sports ASM-Y22 G-MAX/G22 6" Lift Kit

[cohocarl]

Wanting a lift for my G22 (gas), I tried to fine all the info I could regarding the different types of lifts for the G22 (G-Max), which from what I am finding out has some differences in the front suspension than prior "G" models, and the newer "Drive" model.
I am on a limited budget, so long travel lifts were out of the question. There are quite a few different companies making spindle lifts, and from what I've read on the forum, most kits work fine.
I know I'm going to be barked at, but I just do not like the design of the spindle lifts.

The design of the G22's front suspension is similar to a strut system in an automobile with a single a-arm at the bottom of the strut. (I'm not sure what the prior G models had, but I believe it is different than the G22).
So besides the expensive long travel, and spindle kits, I found two alternatives. Rhox has a "BMF" A-arm lift kit (LIFT-504), and All Sports also makes one (ASM-Y22). It looks like both kits are similar, with the Rhox using their own A-arms, while the All Sports utilizing the stock A-arm, along with moving the actual steering rack down also (includes extension for steering shaft), and some camber adjustability. I believe both are made in U.S.A., but I could be wrong.

It was a toss-up between the two, but I liked the idea of the steering rack being moved down with the struts, and the camber adjustments, (quite drastic choices.....may be beneficial, may not), and the All Sports was less $, so went with them.

I just received the kit yesterday, and my wheels today, so I haven't had a chance to install them yet. I plan on following up with pics of the install when I do. But for now, I thought I'd post some pics of the All Sports ASM-Y22 G-MAX/G22 lift kit. I could find NO pics of this lift kit, other than the crappy one All Sports has on their web site, and dealers have copied that same crappy image.

I would like to note that the box All Sports shipped it in I would consider to be of marginal strength and could use to be beefed up a little. Was pretty poorly taped up also. As you can see in one of the pics, on the top of the "cradle" where it mounts up to the old A-arm frame mounts, it was bent in. No biggie, I can bend it back out and give it a shot of black paint where it has flaked off to keep it from rusting, but even though the shipping box is kind of flimsy, it wasn't damaged to where that bend would have happened in shipping. I would have to say it was like that before it was put in the box to be shipped.
Like I said no biggie, but worth noting.

Here's some pics. Will follow up with some install pics later. I have 6 jackstands in my barn....ALL 6 are under my Vette that's almost done with installing new poly suspension bushings, wheel bearings, calipers, rotors, shocks, etc. I'm thinking I may be able to use my cherry picker to hold the end of the cart up while I do the lift install.

[cohocarl]

I thought I'd take some pics while I installed the lift today. All Sports really needs to revamp the instructions (if you want to call them that) in this kit.
Hopefully I installed it correctly, and hope some of the pics/descriptions helps someone.

Sorry if I seem a little redundant in some of this, but I guess I'd rather throw out too much info than not enough.

My boy didn't want the roof on the cart anyways, so that came off first, along with the windshield frame so I could get the front body off. Roof bolts came off with a 5mm allen wrench & 10mm wrench for the nuts. The front body comes off very easily by taking off the 10mm nuts along the sides & top of the dash.

Good idea to break the lug nuts loose before raising the front end with a 19mm socket & extension. A 6 pt 3/4" will work also.

I posted a pic of the instructions that All Sports gives you for this kit, and here's a pic of the hardware spread out. All are 9/16" except the tie rod extensions.



My jackstands were already tied up, so I used a floor jack to raise up the front of the cart enough so I could get my engine hoist feet under the cart, raised it the rest of the way, then moved the jack off to the side, but still under the cart just in case my straps broke or something.



Then get your tie rod ends off the steering arms with a 17mm wrench on the top, and a 17mm socket on the nut after getting the cotter pins out. While you're down there....(I've heard that before), might as well get the cotter pins out of the other bolts that hold the steering arms to the spindle because those will come out later.



Take a 12mm socket w/ extension and fully remove the bolt holding the steering shaft on the steering column, and pry apart the clamp a little so it will pull out. If you pull up on the steering wheel now, it will pull right out if you're going to put on a chrome column cover., but you don't have to pull it all the way out for the lower shaft to come off.



Then take a 13mm socket with extension to get all 4 bolts out of the steering rack which will fall out.



Instructions say to remove upper shock bolts, then the bottom a-arm bolts, which I did, but I think if you removed the a-arm bolts first it would be easier because after the upper bolt is removed, the strut/spindle assembly flops around & makes removing the a-arm bolts a P.I.A. The nuts are a little hard to get at, but not real bad. 14mm if I recall. Wrench on nut, socket on bolt head.



Everything off, ready for re-assembly. Some of the bolts I removed were fairly corroded, so I put some grease on the new bolts before I installed them to hopefully minimize it down the road.



First thing the instructions call for is to bolt up the steering rack to the new frame assembly. You can see which supplied bolt I used.



Next is to bolt the frame assembly up to the cart's old a-arm location with the supplied bolts & spacers. Since I was doing this alone (could have used a 3rd hand now and then) I held up one side of the assembly and stuck just a bolt through one of the spaces, then it was easier to put a bolt and spacer in the opposite one, then lifted the other side up and did the same, then went back and put the spacers in the first ones.


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[cohocarl]

Time to put on the new spiffy adjustable length steering shaft. Loosen the set screw with a 1/8" allen wrench before installing. And fully remove the clamping bolt (won't fully go over steering column shaft or input shaft on rack unless it's all the way out.




HERE COMES MY FIRST PROBLEM.... I don't know if I assembled something incorrectly, or it's possible Yamaha changed the hole opening location/size for the steering shaft to pass through at some point or what, but there was not enough clearance to put the new steering shaft extension. I tried it both ways, and still hit the frame. So the redneck that I am, I broke out the angle grinder and made some sparks. The pic below is deceptive but there is more room than it appears (now). Had a can of black spary paint and gave it a quick shot to keep it from rusting. Don't forget to put the bolts in and tighten up the claps on both ends of the new steering shaft. (make sure the clamps are all the way on first...)


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Next was the upper strut mount. Instructions say to install it. There were two good size washers in the hardware kit, so I assumed those should go on the bolt that you feed up through the large holes in the cart's front frame because I think the hole is big enough for the bolt head to pass through. Those bolts are a little tricky to get up through to put the nut on the top.


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Now it's time for the strut/a-arm assembly to go back on with new hardware.
I put the lower a-arm bolts & nuts on first, then moved to the top bolt & nut. I figured the bolt holes may line up easier if the top one wasn't on yet. Bottom ones went on ok, but as you can see in the pic the top of the strut was a little off alignment on both sides, and needed a little persuasion. Not real bad, but I don't like the strut being forced over to get it into the top mount. It's not like I needed a breaker bar to force it in, but more than I'm happy with. I don't see where I may have screwed something on assembly...(?).



Next is the extensions for the tie rod ends, then removing the plates on the spindle (steering arms) and installing the new ones using the stock nuts & bolts. I centered the steering rack. (steering wheel turns 3 revolutions stop to stop, so I went from one stop back 1 1/2 turns, then adjusted the tie rods to eyeball the toe and secure the tie rod to the new steering arm. I'll set the toe (or according to the instructions "tow") after I get the rear lift & tires on by laying a pipe along the side of the wheels/tires.



After going back over everything to make sure I didn't forget to tighten something down, I put the new wheels on, only snugging them up before setting it on the ground before putting some more tq on the lugnuts.
Seem to have plenty of room around the hardware.


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After I took a break for dinner, I went back out and installed the lift for the rear. Nothing different than most of the rest. Just loosen the lug nuts, raise it up just enough to get the rear tires barely touching, remove the lower, right (if you were standing behind the cart) panhard rod (a.k.a. sway bar) remove the nuts & bolts from the tops of the shocks, (I lifted mine a little at a time, checking the fuel and electrical lines to make sure they weren't being stressed as I lifted the rear end of the car further.
Install the "H" beam on the old top shock mounts with the new hardware that was supplied, swing the shocks up & bolt them to the new H beam. Drill out/enlarge the hole in the bracket that the panhard rod had been bolted to, bolt up the new bracket that the panhard will bolt up to and install it with it's supplied bolt. Raise the cart further, remove the old wheels, put on the new ones, Snug up the lug nuts, lower the cart & tighten them further.

What should have taken about 45 mins to install, took a couple hours... First of all, the instructions say to remove the body, but I did it by just taking off the seat and rear access panel, but what gave me trouble was either my frame was tweaked a little, or the "H" beam was welded up a little off. I could get one bolt in the top, but not the other. Even took the beam back out and turned it around hoping things may line up a little better, but no. It wasn't off much, but the holes in the "H" beam are not any larger than what's needed for the bolt to go through, so when trying to get both bolts through the "H" beam and the old cart's shock mounts, it wasn't going to happen. I took the beam back out and enlarged the holes the next bigger drill bit I had. Then I could get both bolts back through. Barely, but I did get them in, then tightened them up pretty well.

Paint and light kit being delivered Monday......

[dbmachine]

Looks good and nice write up on your progress so far. Thank you for your time

[cohocarl]

Originally Posted by dbmachine

Looks good and nice write up on your progress so far. Thank you for your time

Thanks. Hopefully someone will find it handy in researching lift kits, or installing theirs.

[cohocarl]

Found one thing to keep an eye on after you put any lift on a G22 (may be the same on other G's also). When putting on the lift, I checked the fuel and brake lines, electric wires, etc to see if they had enough play left after the suspension is dropped down the 6". Everything looked good, but yesterday when putting the body back on after painting, I noticed the choke lever needs some attention.

I found I could not mount up the choke handle assembly without the choke cable closing off the choke partially because it needs to be lengthened after the lift is put on. I didn't notice that when putting the lift on, but it pulls the outer shield on the cable out from it's "seats", pulls the choke closed, but is hidden under a rubber boot at the cable end.
Difficult for me to explain, but you could pull out the choke handle, and let it close back, but the choke would still be on 1/2 way or so. Wouldn't be good for the engine after a while.

[Daubers]

I know this is an old thread, but it is about the only one regarding the All Sports lift for a G22. What was your overall impression of it? How does it handle? Any insite would be appreciated, as I am in the same boat trying to find a new lift for my G22. Thanks for the detailed write up as well!

[xman67]

And the thread is even older now but I also have some questions about this lift. What were your final impressions? Did it ride and handle good? Would you recommend it?
Thanks