Anyone wish they didn't go to a narrow front end?

FatDogX · Sep 15, 2018

tuneman said:
IMO, it boils down to a rider's ability and style. If the wrong foot forward stance is your style and you can do it as easy a chewing gum, then you'll LOVE a narrower stance.

If you tend to keep both skis planted a use your body weight in a lean in hopes to make it around that ravine, you'll hate a narrower stance.

A narrow front sled will easily peel off a side hill with set up snow, unless you've got it tipped up. It's definitely more of a workout when the snow ain't fluffy.

I'm a narrow stance guy. Had a 36" on my '12 and have offset spindles on my Axys.

I would agree to some point, but honestly for me with a narrower front end, I find myself having to going into wrong foot forward less. With the narrow front end, I think a guy can use body positioning / body English / lean to get the sled to go into position. It just seems to roll and move easier or with you as you lean and move, if that makes sense?

With the wider front end, I found myself have to put more input or wrong foot forward position more often to get the sled to do what I want.

The wider stance I think is a little nicer for late season snow, marginal snow or rutted up snow. It is just more planted and and rolls across rough terrain a little better. The narrower front end is definitely nicer for average to great snow, allowing that roll from side to side with much less effort.

I've run the Alternative Impact 36" front end, the ZBroz 39, the K-mod 37 and now the new 850 is getting a full 37" Raptor front end. The other front ends also had Raptor Shocks.......which is also another benefit but is another topic as well.

Bottom line, like many others have already much stated......if you want to ride powder on one of these machines, the narrow front end does work!

mt.sledder · Sep 15, 2018

I went with the offset spindles on my 18 163 axys to start with then part way through the season tossed on a zbroz 36" front and raptor shocks. that setup is awesome for me. I'm 5'8" and 150 lbs and the narrow stance (Around 33") for me was absolutely wicked. Definitely tippy in the corners on the trail but I could care less about that. The narrow setup allowed me to hang with the top riders in our group once we got into the steep and tight trees. I will never go back.

Killer Time Racing · Sep 16, 2018

richracer1 said:
I have KMOD 37" on my '14 Pro-RMK 163 with Mohawk skis w 4" carbides, and it does push a bit in the turns. The Mohawks push far less than the grippers did when I had them on the sled. I also have the KMOD 37" on my '16 Pro-RMK 163 but went with Powder Pros and 4" carbides. It doesn't push much at all, in fact I have to watch my speed in the turns as I'm usually lifting the inside ski. The Powder Pros do track/hunt more than the Mohawks but it is what it is.

Not an AXYS .. totally different

I loved the 36" on a PRO but these already tip very easily, I wasn't as comfortable on the 16+ but I did get used to it . On a PRO you ride normally on a AXYS you need to counter steer or it will literally flip on its side. But it does it so easily you'll love it if your like the rest of us. The Burandt style guys will say different .

If your riding trails the 36" isn't a good option . 39" would be great but no 850 offered in the ASSAULT

polarisperformance · Sep 16, 2018

I'm 5'3" and 125 lbs, I have to use wrong foot foward most of the time on my 2016 sks, snow here in Québec is vary from powder to spring snow cause sometime we have rain in the winter. Do you think I can see benefit from going to 36 inch stance.

Havesledwilltravel · Sep 16, 2018

My summit xm came factory with 36" front end. I'm gonna ride my new Axys 850 for the first season to determine if I'm gonna narrow down to 36" from 39". Sure made a difference on the xm, I'm 5'6 200lbs with gear.

Sage Crusher · Sep 16, 2018

Actually,,, The K Mod 37" is one of my best sellers, pair it with a set of Raptors and never look back.
Best thing Peeps like about the K-Mod is you don't have to modify your shocks to run the 37 Kit.

Killer Time Racing · Sep 16, 2018

Havesledwilltravel said:
My summit xm came factory with 36" front end. I'm gonna ride my new Axys 850 for the first season to determine if I'm gonna narrow down to 36" from 39". Sure made a difference on the xm, I'm 5'6 200lbs with gear.

You got an 850 with a 39" ??

FatDogX · Sep 16, 2018

Correct, if your sled was a 39" Axys front end. If you have a new 2019 with the new front end and you have last year's Raptors that fit the previous Axys, these shocks will have to be modified by Jake to fit the new 2019.

Just went through this with my shocks and got them back from Jake at Raptor and there now good to go!!

I'll be running the Raptor 37 front end with the a full set of Raptor shocks on the new 850 that is coming !! The Raptor front end is basically the same as K-Mod except for the lowers are arched on the Raptor. Ran the K-Mod 37 the last two years and its great stuff too!!

Sage Crusher said:
Actually,,, The K Mod 37" is one of my best sellers, pair it with a set of Raptors and never look back.
Best thing Peeps like about the K-Mod is you don't have to modify your shocks to run the 37 Kit.

View attachment 296838

RMK935VA · Sep 17, 2018

I am an older guy (66) with a full hip replacement on the left side. I have other structural issues too. I rode my 37 Kmod with both feet on the running board did most of the time.?Wrong foot forward is something that I can do but not easily. The 37” Kmod worked better for me in every condition that I rode it in. The Kmod is tough too. I hit a hunk of metal with n top of the dam at Brundage Reservoir. It would have ruined a stock A arm. It dented it and bent it a little bit. I eventually replaced it but I probably did don’t need to.

FatDogX · Sep 17, 2018

RMK935VA said:
I am an older guy (66) with a full hip replacement on the left side. I have other structural issues too. I rode my 37 Kmod with both feet on the running board did most of the time.?Wrong foot forward is something that I can do but not easily. The 37” Kmod worked better for me in every condition that I rode it in. The Kmod is tough too. I hit a hunk of metal with n top of the dam at Brundage Reservoir. It would have ruined a stock A arm. It dented it and bent it a little bit. I eventually replaced it but I probably did don’t need to.

X2 on the K-Mod and Raptor a-arms being Tough!!

Last year, early season in Cooke, I was side hilling up and out of a creek and hit a rock just under the snow. Instant stop and I flew over the bars!!

When I went back to the sled and I was expecting the entire side to be ripped off and well....not so much. It basically crushed back, absorbed the hit and held together, well kinda held together. Ending up having to lash the spindle to the upper a-arm and the bottom was folded, bent, broke and whatever else!! I was able to limp it back but I truly think that if I would have had stock a-arms, it would have been far worse!!!

Havesledwilltravel · Sep 17, 2018

Killer Time Racing said:
You got an 850 with a 39" ??

Ya the SKS is from 39-41.

Indy_500 · Sep 17, 2018

FatDogX said:
X2 on the K-Mod and Raptor a-arms being Tough!!

Last year, early season in Cooke, I was side hilling up and out of a creek and hit a rock just under the snow. Instant stop and I flew over the bars!!

When I went back to the sled and I was expecting the entire side to be ripped off and well....not so much. It basically crushed back, absorbed the hit and held together, well kinda held together. Ending up having to lash the spindle to the upper a-arm and the bottom was folded, bent, broke and whatever else!! I was able to limp it back but I truly think that if I would have had stock a-arms, it would have been far worse!!!

X3 i smoked a rock also with my raptor a arms and got sent over the bars and got the wind knocked out of me. I hit it so hard i bent a zollinger spindle, a arms were just fine. Also smoked a tree so hard i cracked a carbide/wear rod in half and didnt tweak the arms.

no_uh · Sep 17, 2018

Not trying to derail this conversation, but how much should someone expect to get for new take-offs of the WE base front shocks? (just thinking about that Raptor upgrade...)

Havesledwilltravel · Jan 29, 2020

Havesledwilltravel said:
My summit xm came factory with 36" front end. I'm gonna ride my new Axys 850 for the first season to determine if I'm gonna narrow down to 36" from 39". Sure made a difference on the xm, I'm 5'6 200lbs with gear.

Verdict is in,.. Trenchers 36" kit going in next week on my Axys

Hairdryr · Feb 6, 2020

I have tried the 37" and did not like it. I think a lot of it has to do with a guys size. I'm 220 and have no problem getting the Axys on it's side. Read a post earlier this season. The narrower front end is not recommended for guys over 170 lbs. Still it's just rider preference. I'd say try one out before you spend the money.

iluv2fly · Feb 9, 2020

Hairdryr said:
I have tried the 37" and did not like it. I think a lot of it has to do with a guys size. I'm 220 and have no problem getting the Axys on it's side. Read a post earlier this season. The narrower front end is not recommended for guys over 170 lbs. Still it's just rider preference. I'd say try one out before you spend the money.

Heck I am 230 and much prefer the narrow 36" sleds. Axys at 39 is to planted for me so I did 1" offset spindles. Now I just need some good shocks.

Seabass152 · Feb 9, 2020

Hairdryr said:
I have tried the 37" and did not like it. I think a lot of it has to do with a guys size. I'm 220 and have no problem getting the Axys on it's side. Read a post earlier this season. The narrower front end is not recommended for guys over 170 lbs. Still it's just rider preference. I'd say try one out before you spend the money.

I'd say height plays a bigger role than weight. I'm 5-9 and 205, I dismissed the narrow front movement until this year. Now have Kmod and its an improvement on crappy or spring days. In powder the difference is less but still improved for me.

Quicksand · Feb 13, 2020

After A lot of rides on this trenchers 36" kit, I absolutely love it. I am 6'3" 210lbs and I'd never go back. I thought it would be a huge change and a night and day difference from stock but It really wasn't a big change, but after riding a few days on mine, I jumped on my sisters sled, (same sled but stock) and it was way more effort to ride. With the narrow stance, I find myself in the neutral position more often in all kinds of situations, I don't need to be wrong foot forward in most situations to get the sled to do what I want it to.

I honestly want to try a set of offset spindles with the narrow arms for a day just to see what it does

Sage Crusher · Feb 14, 2020

iluv2fly said:
Heck I am 230 and much prefer the narrow 36" sleds. Axys at 39 is to planted for me so I did 1" offset spindles. Now I just need some good shocks.

If you hook-up on here with Tony ( TRS ) he can make your stock mono-tube (Non clicker) shocks buttery smooth.. Heads above what factory valving is....

Anyone wish they didn't go to a narrow front end?

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