I've only got 35 trail miles on my 175 in 18"-24" of untracked fresh powder, so my experience is limited. I was running the 165/295 secondary spring from HRSS, but everything else was stock. Clutching felt strong and super responsive, but I was pulling 8100 rpm with the clicker setting recommended by Doo for my elevation. Not sure how much the different secondary spring affected RPM. Gearing felt good.
I don't know how hot the 17's were, but I am a little concerned about the primary clutch temperature. It was noticeably hotter than the Axys I was running with. Not blister you fingers hot, but I could only put my hand on the clutch for a second or so. Hotter than I had hoped for just a break-in ride. I also had a black mark on the lower third of the primary. I'm going to install ZRP Tail Stander weights for the next ride to see if the black mark goes away and hopefully a little cooler temps. Secondary temps weren't bad. I have removed the felt from the clutch cover and done the Rasmussen mod to the bottom 2".
One thing to check if you haven't already is make sure you can loosen the clicker bolt with the tools will have with you on the hill. I tried using the wrench on the clutch cover while I was on the hill, and there was no way. When I got home I had to use a 3/8" drive because it was so tight and there was a fairly loud "pop" when it finally came loose. Also, the clicker bolt is a 4mm hex head. The tool on the clutch cover is a torx drive, and it will work if the bolt isn't too tight. But if it is like mine was you can strip out the bolt head using that tool.
