tracks 144, 151, 154, 159, 162, 166 help

rmking600 · Dec 10, 2009

i have mr rmk with the 133 and i am going to a long track in the summer i have the 600 tripple with 34mm carbs all stock except skis. what track will still keep me on top of snow and my 600 be able to push. i want to go as long as posable

BB454 · Dec 11, 2009

track

I think 151 is about the limit. 154 and 162 will need different drivers and I am not sure you have enough HP for those unless you gear it down a bunch. Depending on what chassis you have, you may need drivers anyway to clear or a rolled chain case.

skis_n_skid · Dec 11, 2009

I personally wouldn't go over 144 with these motors. Going from 133.5 to 144 makes a huge improvement.

BB454 said:
I think 151 is about the limit. 154 and 162 will need different drivers and I am not sure you have enough HP for those unless you gear it down a bunch. Depending on what chassis you have, you may need drivers anyway to clear or a rolled chain case.

I'm trying to figure out what the relationship is between track length and driver size. Why would someone need different drivers just for longer track length? It is my understanding that if you don't change lug/paddle height, there would be no reason to change drivers just because of a longer track. Are the 154 and 162 tracks not available in 2.54" pitch?

Most people want to change to taller lugs/paddles when they increase track length, so changing to smaller drivers is pretty common (so much easier than doing a chain case D&R).

fordpickupman · Dec 11, 2009

drop n roll....

I am getting ready to put a 151 on my '93 XLT. It is geared as low as possible and the engine is stock. We will see how it works.

I just finished doin' a drop n roll on my wife's 500 SKS and put a 144 on it.

The drop n roll is not that big of a deal, just time consuming. They sure work better in the powder after a drop n roll. They really shine in wet powder, the slush does not jam in the front of the tunnel as bad. The machine seems to roll freer also, must be the flatter approach angle.

skis_n_skid · Dec 11, 2009

fordpickupman said:
The drop n roll is not that big of a deal, just time consuming. They sure work better in the powder after a drop n roll. They really shine in wet powder, the slush does not jam in the front of the tunnel as bad. The machine seems to roll freer also, must be the flatter approach angle.

Just curious, how much drop and how far back did you move the drive shaft? With most D&Rs, it's moved back just as much or more than it's dropped. If that's the case it doesn't significantly improve the approach angle (if at all) unless you change to larger drivers (or unless you move the skid back the same amount you move the drive shaft back).

rdr99 · Dec 11, 2009

I put a 151 on our 600 RMK twin, geared it down a little does pretty good. A 144 or 151 would do fine.

skis_n_skid · Dec 11, 2009

Isn't the 600 twin quite a bit stronger than the XLT mono-block 600.

BB454 · Dec 11, 2009

track

The 154 and 162 indeed have different pitch drivers where the 144,151, 159, and 166 have the 2.52 pitch. That's why I mentioned changing drivers. The stock XLT only has enough room for a 1 inch track with the 9 tooth driver. Polaris made a 1.5 kit but it had 8 tooth drivers. If you go longer than that then drop and roll is th only option. On the wedge chassis, the drop is need for the paddle clearance the roll as well otherwise the paddles will hit the crossover cooler when they come around off the drivers. Flatter approach angle is and additional benefit. That makes them climb up on the snow better too.
The XLT chain case will only accept a 40 or 41 tooth bottom gear. Mated with a 18 tooth top gear will get you 2.22 or 2.27 ratio. I would not go to any smaller top gear. Those ratios will be fine for either the 144 or the 151.
8 Tooth drivers go down another 8% I believe so final ratio could be in the 2.4 range. If you go smaller drivers, I would use a 19 top gear, it will wear better.

The 600 twin does put up more HP than the triple so I wouldn't go any longer.

modded93xlt · Dec 11, 2009

I put a 144 2" finger track in mine with an 02 edge RMK skid. I had to drop to 8 tooth drivers and it is a TIGHT fit. I wound up grinding down the flare below the front cooler to make sure it cleared. But unless you D&R 2" is the max I would try. As for power I had no problems with the 580 tripple in it but swapped out to a 680 ultra motor with slp pipes for more.

Good luck man, I would of liked a longer track but got a good deal on mine so went with the 144 but I don't ride the mountains so you might want more float.

skis_n_skid · Dec 11, 2009

BB454 said:
The XLT chain case will only accept a 40 or 41 tooth bottom gear. Mated with a 18 tooth top gear will get you 2.22 or 2.27 ratio. I would not go to any smaller top gear. Those ratios will be fine for either the 144 or the 151.
8 Tooth drivers go down another 8% I believe so final ratio could be in the 2.4 range. If you go smaller drivers, I would use a 19 top gear, it will wear better.

I went with 18/41 with 8t drivers for a 144 track (2" track cut to 1.8") and it works pretty well. A 151" track isn't THAT much longer/heavier, and if I would have stumbled on a good deal on one I might have given it a shot. It seems that used 144 tracks are more common.

rmking600 · Dec 11, 2009

so 2 inch lugs will fit and will a 141 do as good as a 144

volcano buster · Dec 11, 2009

I had put a 1.75" in my '94 XLT with 8 tooth drivers. I have sold the sled since then, but I don't think a 2" would fit without a D&R and possibly rubbing somewhere at least some of the time.

Rumor has it that the 141 track from Polaris was not a bad pattern compared to the older 144. Avoid the 141 made by Yokohama for Yamaha, they were very heavy and came apart pretty easy. If you are after a 144, the Series 4 has been a nice durable track that has soft tips on it so it doesn't trench as bad as the earlier style with stiff paddles. The stiffer paddles made for arm pulling hookups, but I like the idea of motoring around without the thing trenching too often. Also, with your minimal suspension travel, you won't have as much clearance once the track starts digging until you are hung up on your running boards (remember the coolers are under there taking up room on the older liquid wedges).

skis_n_skid · Dec 12, 2009

volcano buster said:
Also, with your minimal suspension travel, you won't have as much clearance once the track starts digging until you are hung up on your running boards (remember the coolers are under there taking up room on the older liquid wedges).

In my experience with these wedge chassis, I've never had one get "hung up" on the running boards. With the under board coolers, I thought it was better if they're in the snow. If you're "hung up" and the running boards are buried that deep it might be because the skis are buried. Better flotation plastic skis help a lot.

rmking600 · Dec 12, 2009

i have slp plastic skis my questions is will a 2 inch lugs fit with the stock drivers and know drop and roll it is a 96 xlt rmk 600

volcano buster · Dec 12, 2009

Wait until you drop into a trench made by a bigger sled. Then you'll know what I mean by hung up.

skis_n_skid · Dec 12, 2009

volcano buster said:
Wait until you drop into a trench made by a bigger sled. Then you'll know what I mean by hung up.

Nope, already done that many times.

I bury the running boards in the snow all the time without any problems. Getting the skis buried in wet heavy snow is another matter though. That has definitely caused me to get hung up when I was using the stock steel skis.

skis_n_skid · Dec 12, 2009

rmking600 said:
i have slp plastic skis my questions is will a 2 inch lugs fit with the stock drivers and know drop and roll it is a 96 xlt rmk 600

Here's a link to a thread where someone put a 2" track on an xlt with 8t drivers:

http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154711

rmking600 · Dec 12, 2009

does it come stock with the 8 tooth drivers

skis_n_skid · Dec 12, 2009

9t drivers are stock. I believe you can only go up to a 1.5" track with the stock drivers without a D&R.

rmking600 · Dec 12, 2009

i herd tat the sks modles have the 9 inch and the rmk modles have the 8 inch. is there a way to check this with the track and suspentions still on

tracks 144, 151, 154, 159, 162, 166 help

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