Personally I don't like a lot of pre load on the ski shocks, it makes the sled feel more planted. I prefer to load the front track shock a lot more, it creates a pivot point.
I like to be able to ride down the trail and whip my bars back and forth and not have them have a lot of resistance because the front track shock is supporting the bulk of the front load, the rear shock I adjust to control the transfer. This is on just about any length sled.
My buddies on his 174 loads his center shock even more so than I do and when I jumped on it to load it on my sled deck I was surprised how much more it was but his 174 is as playful as any 163. You would never know its a 174 on a deep day with how it responds.
Now that the sled has a lot of center load, its a quick blip of the throttle, a slightly counter steer depending on the angle of the slope, some times none is required and the sled is on edge. This is a reason I prefer a 2.6" track over a 3" as well, the track can slip more and not hook up and initiate onto its side quicker.
The Axys like the Pro ride is a very rigid chassis unlike the Skidoo and works very well with a stiff shock set up depending on how you ride and the set up you prefer.
