Home made alpha skid, first ride

madmax · Feb 15, 2019

Skis Up said:
Can you post a pic or 2 how is the Wheel mod holding up.
I'm not sure how you can stay off the Alpha long enough to really test it though.....
Thanks

Been riding my 19’ alpha so much the home-made alpha hasn’t got much seat time. Probably only put 150ish miles on it since I built it. It seems to carve just as well as the real alpha. For the home-made job to really go to the next level it’s needs a little tweaking, but not much. I’m happy that in the miles I’ve put on it nothing has broken or come apart. Honestly I have too many sleds and since this is the oldest it’s for sale. If anyone local to Salt Lake City wants the 153 alpha skid to use as a project I’d give it to the right person. I just put the sled it was on back to a 2 rail sled so I could sell it.

Frostbite · Feb 15, 2019

I have a 153" rear skid on my 15. If your skid would work, I would absolutely be interested in buying it. My 15 is already dialed in with clutching, 3" and a belt drive. All it's missing is an Alpha skid...... I will send you a PM.

spomey · Feb 20, 2019

I love it! I love when people mod their own stuff! Back in the day it was required but mostly nowadays its bolt on stuff from the factory. Love it! hope it works out for you!

Skis Up · Mar 11, 2019

Latest on the Mad Max Mod

So how did things go is the Mad Max Mod skid still in use???

Krause09 · Mar 14, 2019

Is this for sale still?

Mistrgekko · Jun 22, 2019

Alpha One

So how did your monorail hold up? Anyone does a alpha rail to Yamaha swap yet? :eyebrows:

madmax · Jun 25, 2019

It was a fun project for the end of the 17/18 season since we had little snow. The home made alpha rail worked pretty well. I sold it to a guy a couple months ago who I hope will use it.
I did see some pics of a king kat (essentially a yammi) with an alpha skid. Coming from a few pretty modded 1100t cats, I’d really like to ride a king kat or yami with a alpha skid, I bet it would be a riot!!

nytro41 · Jun 28, 2019

I did one on my sidewinder. Worked awesome but the track was to flexible and it wouldn’t hold an edge. I’m gonna put my alpha skid and track under it this year and see how it works.

Teth-Air · Jun 28, 2019

I would like to see an Alpha skid tried out in an AXYS chassis. Would be fun.

madmax · Jun 28, 2019

Teth-Air said:
I would like to see an Alpha skid tried out in an AXYS chassis. Would be fun.

I have an extra 165 alpha rail. I may build some arms for it this summer and try it on my 850 axys when it comes in. Still not 100% convinced the alpha rail is the best thing out there for extreme boondocking. It is easier to ride, but in extreme tree riding my twin rail 18’ cat seemed a little more predictable to me.

tinkerjohnson · Jun 28, 2019

madmax said:
I have an extra 165 alpha rail. I may build some arms for it this summer and try it on my 850 axys when it comes in. Still not 100% convinced the alpha rail is the best thing out there for extreme boondocking. It is easier to ride, but in extreme tree riding my twin rail 18’ cat seemed a little more predictable to me.

That's my biggest fear with my new 2020 alfa. I love my 18 And how predictable and comfortable it is for my riding style. I'm a little worried about how the alfa is going to be to ride in the trees and technical terrain. On my t-3 with t-motion I hated that sled until I locked out the t-motion then it was great. I plan on doing the elevate on my alfa but a little concerned about it's handling for me. I just hope I can adapt to it or a twin rail skid will go back in it.

nytro41 · Jun 28, 2019

The t motion is nothing like the alpha. I have only heard 2 people who didn’t like an alpha and they don’t like anything that anyone else likes.

summ8rmk · Jun 28, 2019

tinkerjohnson said:
That's my biggest fear with my new 2020 alfa. I love my 18 And how predictable and comfortable it is for my riding style. I'm a little worried about how the alfa is going to be to ride in the trees and technical terrain. On my t-3 with t-motion I hated that sled until I locked out the t-motion then it was great. I plan on doing the elevate on my alfa but a little concerned about it's handling for me. I just hope I can adapt to it or a twin rail skid will go back in it.

The only downfall/drawback to the Alpha is, firm snow on sidehills at slow speeds,
It will "washout". You have to be easy on the throttle. Any track spin and the back is sliding down.
In May/June type snow, it had me so frustrated that i bought a 162 skid to throw in my Alpha. Then i rode my Seahawk, its a 14/16 M8000. Yes it held a sidehill better on hard snow but every other aspect took much more effort.
My Alpha is so much easier to ride all day long that i have energy left when my sled is out of fuel! It's been a lot of years since my sled ran out of fuel before my body did....

Clips on Alpha track hit both shocks top and bottom with twin rail skid. At over $200 dollars to replace track clips, i decided not to cut them and try the twin rail skid with the Alpha track.

Polaris

Fredrik · Jul 5, 2019

tinkerjohnson said:
That's my biggest fear with my new 2020 alfa. I love my 18 And how predictable and comfortable it is for my riding style. I'm a little worried about how the alfa is going to be to ride in the trees and technical terrain. On my t-3 with t-motion I hated that sled until I locked out the t-motion then it was great. I plan on doing the elevate on my alfa but a little concerned about it's handling for me. I just hope I can adapt to it or a twin rail skid will go back in it.

Madmax check your inbox.

Teth-Air · Jul 10, 2019

summ8rmk said:
The only downfall/drawback to the Alpha is, firm snow on sidehills at slow speeds,
It will "washout". You have to be easy on the throttle. Any track spin and the back is sliding down.
In May/June type snow, it had me so frustrated that i bought a 162 skid to throw in my Alpha. Then i rode my Seahawk, its a 14/16 M8000. Yes it held a sidehill better on hard snow but every other aspect took much more effort.
My Alpha is so much easier to ride all day long that i have energy left when my sled is out of fuel! It's been a lot of years since my sled ran out of fuel before my body did....

Clips on Alpha track hit both shocks top and bottom with twin rail skid. At over $200 dollars to replace track clips, i decided not to cut them and try the twin rail skid with the Alpha track.

Polaris

So you are running the Alpha track with the twin rail and there are no clips where the rails run? Must be bad when snow is low to be sliding on the bare rubber?

1Mike900 · Jul 10, 2019

Looks like he just let them wear in and groove them?

summ8rmk · Jul 11, 2019

Teth-Air said:
So you are running the Alpha track with the twin rail and there are no clips where the rails run? Must be bad when snow is low to be sliding on the bare rubber?

Can't run the twin rail, you would cut the shocks off before u damage the track.
The shocks are in the center of the sled, so are the Alpha clips, They hit the shocks hard.
I want to try the Track on twin rails but couldn't commit to cutting the track clips down to clear shocks. If the clips weren't $200, i would have just cut them.

Polaris

1Mike900 · Jul 14, 2019

Summ8rmk, can you get measurements of the rear Alpha arm? The upper Alpha arm looks shorter than the twin rail design? Also are the bolt ctr's closer together on the lower swing hangers? I am in the process of making an on ctr design. The bottom of the shocks will not rub, but the top is my concern! Does the top of ea. shock rub in static, or when suspension starts to compress matter get worse? I have made my clips, will probably adjust height down on the ctr. guide if needed (.440 tall presently) Thanks, any info would be appreciated Mike

1Mike900 · Jul 14, 2019

I am sure it is shorter due to the 10" rear wheel, to limit travel? If they had a taller drop bracket then the current 2 rail design could be used? I would assume this would screw with the rate of compression with the given shock design? I would assume that is why they switched to the coil overs, and re-valved the current air shocks? Mike

madmax · Jul 14, 2019

1Mike900 said:
Summ8rmk, can you get measurements of the rear Alpha arm? The upper Alpha arm looks shorter than the twin rail design? Also are the bolt ctr's closer together on the lower swing hangers? I am in the process of making an on ctr design. The bottom of the shocks will not rub, but the top is my concern! Does the top of ea. shock rub in static, or when suspension starts to compress matter get worse? I have made my clips, will probably adjust height down on the ctr. guide if needed (.440 tall presently) Thanks, any info would be appreciated Mike

I measuredly twin rail arm vs alpha arm. Not exact measurements, done with measuring tape in the trailer. The rear scissor arm on the alpha is about 9.5" ctc, 18' twin rail 11.5". So the alpha arm about 2' shorter.

Home made alpha skid, first ride

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