• Don't miss out on all the fun! Register on our forums to post and have added features! Membership levels include a FREE membership tier.

Ported track poll

what would be your choice of track

  • no ports

    Votes: 203 50.8%
  • mildly ported

    Votes: 150 37.5%
  • full porting

    Votes: 47 11.8%

  • Total voters
    400
9
Nov 12, 2009
342
45
28
Camrose, AB
just took a look at my 3 inch and not sure what your saying(inner numbs), what is the intented job of the clips??

that is a big weight savings, back to stock track weight once again....


Inner nubs.... there is 6 in each row. two (four) to guide the rails and then one (two) on the inside doing nothing. Those ones where for the old style drivers before extroverts existed, on the skidoo drivers you dont utilize this set. Arctic cats do with there driver design but no the doos. So we shaved them off with a razor.

Track clips... If you notice every 4th clip you have a shoulder on it and the rest you dont. So between every for you have 2 without a shoulder, these go removed. Now someone will say how this "might" cause more friction between the slider and track. My opion is mayby at slow speeds and low snow. Powder wise i dont belive it is a problem. If you look at the older tracks, before extroverts where out, they had every second window closed. They did this to keep snow from entering the track and as a result where only clipped every fourth. Once extroverts where brought out obviously they steered away from this design. But again history here they used to only every clip every second row to save on rotating weight. Etc etc. Bottom line this is a big saving here.

Another option would be is that recreation supply has ported track clips, now this would be remove them all and replace them with these, this would be the lightest you could go but the greatest effort into reducing weight. This would also help you benefit from hifax cooling as snow will get in the ports and cool the highfax.
 
F
Nov 27, 2007
2,495
712
113
medicine hat
yes it makes sense now, two inner nubs do nothing, also taking to metal clips out between three, and i see you also ported the track, is this a three inch and how many ports are you doing accross and what sise, thanks for the pictures

your saying a 8lb loss with doing this mod
 

1Mike900

Well-known member
Premium Member
Dec 5, 2007
996
169
43
Bellevue, Wa
Sledsrock, Can you measure the thickness of the track clip? Is it .058 or .062? Also how do you remove the clips without damage to the track? Is there a tool to clip new back on? Thanks Mike
 
9
Nov 12, 2009
342
45
28
Camrose, AB
Sledsrock, Can you measure the thickness of the track clip? Is it .058 or .062? Also how do you remove the clips without damage to the track? Is there a tool to clip new back on? Thanks Mike

we used a air grinder with a thin 4" disk on it. just score it deep, and pry off with a screw driver or something.
 
F
Nov 27, 2007
2,495
712
113
medicine hat
well i cut all the inside nubs off a 162 track and weighed them...1.25lbs or 20 oz, labor intesive job

long ways away from the 8lbs, cannot see the the metal clips being 6.75 lbs
 
C

cortez

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2009
535
283
63
I think doo went way overboard on the porting on the 08-10 year sleds. I blew my track entirely apart with only 500 miles on it because of a tear that started between the 2 ports in my 08 track.. Just removes too much material and makes it far to easy to start a tear if you happen to run anything over... not to mention i think it compromises your flotation in pow... Also, did you notice how the new 2011's aren't ported at all? I tried to get the 2011 track on mine when i tried to warranty my blown track, but they denied the claim, told me i must have run something over, which i dont remember ever doing :face-icon-small-dis
ended up buying a new track, good thing for warranties hey?!
 
Last edited:
S

sledsrock

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
1,826
510
113
Grand Junction, Co.
4.45 lbs with 1 hole porting and extra parts removed

Okay, I'm running the 162x2.5 CE, not the 3.0 paddle. But the weight removed should be the same, I weighed my track before and after and even weighed the bag of extras when it was all said and done - 4.45lbs was all that was removed. All my numbers added up using a certifed FedEx scale. I did only remove every other clip.

Yes, the inner nubs are very labor intensive, a sharp fillet knife and WD-40 is what I found works well.

Just score the clips with a cut-off wheel and pry open/off with a big flat blade screwdriver. NOTE: DO NOT REMOVE ANY CLIP DIRECTLY CRIMPED TO A PADDLE, there is alot of pressure on the hifax at that point and it can cause big problems (speaking from experience). I removed every other clip.

I did a single hole port with 1.250 size hole saw.

Oh, and my clips measure about .064 thick on the flat.

S4010017.JPG
 
Last edited:
R

Red-eye

Well-known member
Dec 3, 2008
1,342
328
83
Sparwood, B.C. Can.
I was one of 12 sleds that ripped accross a slushy lake last season. 2 riders came off of the lake with fear on their face. I was one of the two riders with a ported track. Scared chitless. 10 min latter I was going to scoop a buddy on a hill ( he didn't know I was coming and I had lots of speed ), It turned out that I pulled out in the sunny and softer snow. The sled had the exact same feeling that I had on the lake. I tryed it in the shade and it was a different sled. I have had that feeling before but blamed it on the sleds performance, clutching, etc. etc.(rider):face-icon-small-dis
I bought a non ported track.........no problems yet.
 
F
Nov 27, 2007
2,495
712
113
medicine hat
yes i feel track porting and water skiping do not work well, but a track running 50mph in powder with a three inch bite, does not give much time for snow to enter the ports
 
F
Nov 27, 2007
2,495
712
113
medicine hat
here are a few pictures of the finished product, as for the metal clips after looking at the other 3 inch track, it looks like the clamps help in holding the paddle on, you can see the rip happens after the clip

sled 001.jpg sled 002.jpg sled 003.jpg sled 004.jpg
 

idahoskiguy

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Feb 17, 2008
893
663
93
Boise, ID
Took delivery of my new 2011 Summit SP today and it came with a NON-PORTED track.

I think this is going to be a great sled.
 
R

Red-eye

Well-known member
Dec 3, 2008
1,342
328
83
Sparwood, B.C. Can.
2 brothers, 2 identical sleds. Mark for mark, every weekend.
One put a camo nonpoprted on. 5-6 lengths higher on every hill the rest of the season.
The other brother also put a camo nonported on. Mark for mark, every weekend.
True story.
 

1Mike900

Well-known member
Premium Member
Dec 5, 2007
996
169
43
Bellevue, Wa
Sledrock, Thankyou for the clip measurement! as I have had a few ideas. The std. clip must weigh about .05 lbs? The one you showed looks to weigh .043 and I am looking for about 1/3 the weight and much more slippery against the plastic hyfax. When you are running down a compact road I would not want rubber directly against the hyfax!

Thanks Mike
 
I also bought the 2011 sp this year. The sled is awesome. I rode a porter 2010 everest in the same day in deep pow. The two sleds are night and day. The new skis with the non porter track are awesome. the sled gets on top a lot faster. The sled rips
 
S
Feb 24, 2009
41
0
6
57
window port covers

I have a 2008xp, my brother has a 2009xp, we both put window covers that were made by XTREME MACHINE in Nibley, Ut, they made a big difference, both sleds seemed to float on the snow better , simple installation, just drill in the center of the track, and rivet in. Price $75.00 435-787-4199
 

BIG JOHN

Well-known member
Premium Member
Nov 26, 2007
1,953
1,146
113
Minnesoooota
2 brothers, 2 identical sleds. Mark for mark, every weekend.
One put a camo nonpoprted on. 5-6 lengths higher on every hill the rest of the season.
The other brother also put a camo nonported on. Mark for mark, every weekend.
True story.

Unported...remove every other track clip (3-5 lbs savings depending on length of track) and remove the clips BETWEEN the paddles...at most...adding a 1.25" hole down the middle for snow evac...thats it..IMHO-BJ
 
Premium Features