Has anyone lengthened the limiter strap on a 163?

Ive thought about it but havent done it yet. Seems you have to run the front track shock pretty stiff to get it to perform how you want, which OK for the most part. The down side is it rides like crap on the 5 miles of whooped out single track we have to ride leaving the parking lot. Eric

Correct me if I'm wrong but that would increase the angle of attack of your track and therefore turn your RMK into a 'Doo trenching machine.

Seems counter productive to what the sled was built for. IMO

I lengthened mine a small amount. No matter how much a cranked my preload on the FTS I always felt like there was too much ski pressure. For me it was a definite improvement, But...has anyone on Snowest ever performed any modification and then come on here and said the mod actually made the condition worse, reguardless of how ridiculous it was?

There is not much room to move down the front with the Pro rail but I installed the TS longer strap (with the rear arm kit) and have had no issues for a couple of seasons.
It is definitely set at max extension for fully bottomed rear and fully extended front. On it's own it is not a huge change though. I also added some mini wheels inside the rails in front of the shock mount to free up some HP. Sure made yanking the sled of the truck easier.

Jay, you are one to keep your sled for a while. The TS rear arm kit is awesome for adjustability for different snow conditions. IMO a good investment for the long run (and in case we get another year like this year).
With the adjustability of the EVO flt3 you can run almost any ride height pressure and still not bottom with proper EVO chamber pressure. Really allows for playful adjustments with the extended strap and the coupling adjuster will bring back your attack angle in seconds for a deep day (think next year).
This hard pack year I have my sled set to lift the ski's about a foot (leaning over the bars) going hard pack corner to corner. Stupid but fun. Careful to not loop out on the rollers.

The other way is to raise the rear mount in the tunnel but to get the playfulness you also need to shorten the front shocks or the transfer and playfulness is slow. Doing that though, and you will be reversing popular opinion. Seems like "taller is better" is the popular trend today.

I did it on my 2013 but found I could get equal results by tightening front skid shock and running rear slightly softer with ski shocks set soft.

Teth-Air said:

I did it on my 2013 but found I could get equal results by tightening front skid shock and running rear slightly softer with ski shocks set soft.

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Thats how mine is set-up and it performs good that way, just sucks on the 5 miles of beat up trail at the beginning and end of the day. Eric

Teth-Air said:

...I could get equal results by tightening front skid shock and running rear slightly softer with ski shocks set soft.

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Exactly, I took the same approach with my 11 and 14, but I'm running floats and a zero pro FTS - still not the same 'playfulness' as geo described with the TS rear kit, but pretty easy to get/keep the front up. Know all about that, since I also own lots of doos. Poo stock track doesn't help with the issue, either. Have not had trenching issues at all, tho. With snow this year, wish I did...

Speaking of doo - they're offering an on the fly adjustable limiter this year - but for the opposite reason - getting the front end down. Doo's had easy adjust limiters going back to the revs - can't recall if the ZX had them. But not on the fly. Regardless, something like it would be a poor man's Skinz, or easy adjust TS option, for the pro.

Reg2view said:

Exactly, I took the same approach with my 11 and 14, but I'm running floats and a zero pro FTS - still not the same 'playfulness' as geo described with the TS rear kit, but pretty easy to get/keep the front up. Know all about that, since I also own lots of doos. Poo stock track doesn't help with the issue, either. Have not had trenching issues at all, tho. With snow this year, wish I did...

Speaking of doo - they're offering an on the fly adjustable limiter this year - but for the opposite reason - getting the front end down. Doo's had easy adjust limiters going back to the revs - can't recall if the ZX had them. But not on the fly. Regardless, something like it would be a poor man's Skinz, or easy adjust TS option, for the pro.

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I'm sure Doo's new adjustable limiter strap was designed for the 3" x 154 track as that machine is going to be a bucking bronco without it.

I took a die grinder with a small carbide tip and turned the one hole in the strap into a slot about 1/2" long.

For your "mini wheels" did you just use an anti-stab kit? That sounds like a good idea even if for nothing else than (as your say) pulling off the truck (which is no joke with a pro some days).

Just made my own Jay. Skate board wheels and aluminum stuff. Started with two sets and ended up with just one set mounted just behind the front arm bumper.
The other thing to do for easier " yank out of the trucking" is cut the rear part of the sliders off until the track is contacting the bottom of the rear wheels (instead of the back edge of the sliders). Kinda like the AXYS slider-rail set-up.
For me, anytime the track rolls easier on the stand, it's free HP.

One thing I did on the stock Pro suspention is a dual rate middle spring. Holz, who design this set-up, sent out his skids this way. It takes good experience to get the tender, main and cross-over points just right but helps a lot with getting to the sweet spot on this skid.
Then get the rear arm softened (spring again) to further widen the sweet spot. Holz skids had longer shock travel (hydraulic help for bottoming) and way soft spring here.

Just do the TS arm kit Jay (standard EVO 3 they sell is valved well for 180lb plus IMO). Life's too short. Allows the soft front arm setting for comfort in bumps and response in soft yet still lighten ski pressure with rear preload adjustable for you and your needs with a little pump. Then in the deep, reach down and adj. the coupler to get the ski lift (or lack of) you want in the deep. Holds less snow and is lighter dry.
Best thing since sliced bread lol. Honestly though, the handling and suspension adjustability (after some loonies) for all the different snow seasons we get in BC of my Pro, for me, has made the thought of replacing it with something else almost revolting. Bin dere dun dat. Like the comfy couch in the rec room too.

As it has been said before but many have not experienced, a proper suspension set up for YOU makes every ride more funner. Not in a racing aspect, although suspension set-up has won many championships, but in a pleasure aspect.

Q on the side here: what is wrong since my sled is hard to turn around on the flats? Just wants to push straight forward. Just runners worn down?
Have adjustable limiter but set shorter, not longer.

Norway said:

Q on the side here: what is wrong since my sled is hard to turn around on the flats? Just wants to push straight forward. Just runners worn down?
Have adjustable limiter but set shorter, not longer.

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That is the weakest performance point of the grippers. FWIW, does it push when you stand and put more weight on the outside ski in that situation - the pro will rail around with that ski loaded regardless of ski and with a normal shock/skid setup.

Reg2view said:

That is the weakest performance point of the grippers. FWIW, does it push when you stand and put more weight on the outside ski in that situation - the pro will rail around with that ski loaded regardless of ski and with a normal shock/skid setup.

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Thanks, I will keep that simple trick in mind. For, sure, I was leaning like a monkey on the inside.

It's bad in spring snow. Will search for some new skags during summer and see where we are next winter. Don't remember this being such an issue much before.

RS

Jaynelson said:

Either changed it with a different one, or drilled out the stock one?

I've been toying with this idea. To get any transfer (ski lift), it seems you have to run the FTS fairly tight. Any thoughts on if a slightly longer strap would allow you some lift while letting your run the FTS a little looser?

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You could get the same result by putting the front arm in the lower hole. But you will get more trenching obviously