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The topic has been debated greatly, so much I am confused and have a hard time sorting through all that is dispersed everywhere. I want to wrench until I get it right. Then I'll probably ride it a bit longer and sell to get someting newer but the work spent on this will be valuable knowledge for any future sled I will own.
I own a 2009 RMK shift 800 that had a 144" x2". Liked it until I rode a pimped out skidoo 163" with holtz suspention all around and finger track. The old man who had that sled was the first to introduce to me the principle to ride the limiter strap tight to get the skis down. It worked very well on his setup.
Back to mine. I wanted to do a swap for my track/skid and longtrack my RMK. My friend offered to use his skid and track that were kicking around his place. I offered to help do one of his sled first to see how the project works to switch skid and track and the result was great. We transformed his 05 RMK 151" x 2.25" to a 159" skid with 162" x 2.5" finger track setting the skid back drilling tunnel in front and making a braket back. Great results out of this mod. So I took the 151 skid, put rail extensions with big wheels and put a 159" x 2.5" set up on my sled. original holes front, bracket back. I first setted the strap in middle holes and I had poor result on my first trials last weekend. We were riding a bowl with deep powder with steep last pitch to exit. My first attemps to get out were really frustrating and the obvious that is was no succes so far. Sidehilled my way out and dropped the limiter strap to lowest. Back in there and wham! big difference. I was pulling out even when staying out of the tracks. So I take on the project of advancing my suspension knowledge. I want to understand the works of suspensions.
So far, I get mixed information as I expected from reading different opinions on discussion forums. Go figure. I read on the one hand limiter strap full in to keep skis down and flot on snow. Funny but my trials last weekend were screaming the opposite. I want to understand how dufferent goemetry affect things, shock setups too.
I feel stupid that I am looking on internet right now to improve my fun in snow and I am facing my window since the sun came out and it's puking snow. I brushed off 12" off my truck earlier, we must be at 14''-16" by now. I'm holding back cause I feel I need to give my clutch some love, check on the head as I was feeling unsure about how it performed and was getting things my engine never did before and my trottle seemed off. Cable of TPS. So not heading out in this sexy fluff. March is always great around here.
Weight info; I weight 180-190 and carry 5 to 10 on me, another 5 to 10 on sled. The mods I made for the tunnel extentions may add weight too as I used 3/16 alu for sides, 1/8 on top and a big beefy bar for added streght for towning. The extension catches snow on top and under as no heat exchanger to it. Skid seemed to carry snow too. Anyone ever cut open the exchangers to extend them up?
So looking for advice of things I can try while I'm out there. I like to do my trials out there in the snow. Same conditions trials better than garage fixes. Although I may try dropping the whole suspention lower/back in tunnel drilling holes after trials and research. Any help welcome, links to useful threads, why newer suspention work good, aftermarkets, better shocks, what do you think of big boy springs, mods people do, I'm enclined to fab stuff up rather than paying as I'm not working now. And having a bunch of other toys gets the budget limited to each sport.
Cheers!
I own a 2009 RMK shift 800 that had a 144" x2". Liked it until I rode a pimped out skidoo 163" with holtz suspention all around and finger track. The old man who had that sled was the first to introduce to me the principle to ride the limiter strap tight to get the skis down. It worked very well on his setup.
Back to mine. I wanted to do a swap for my track/skid and longtrack my RMK. My friend offered to use his skid and track that were kicking around his place. I offered to help do one of his sled first to see how the project works to switch skid and track and the result was great. We transformed his 05 RMK 151" x 2.25" to a 159" skid with 162" x 2.5" finger track setting the skid back drilling tunnel in front and making a braket back. Great results out of this mod. So I took the 151 skid, put rail extensions with big wheels and put a 159" x 2.5" set up on my sled. original holes front, bracket back. I first setted the strap in middle holes and I had poor result on my first trials last weekend. We were riding a bowl with deep powder with steep last pitch to exit. My first attemps to get out were really frustrating and the obvious that is was no succes so far. Sidehilled my way out and dropped the limiter strap to lowest. Back in there and wham! big difference. I was pulling out even when staying out of the tracks. So I take on the project of advancing my suspension knowledge. I want to understand the works of suspensions.
So far, I get mixed information as I expected from reading different opinions on discussion forums. Go figure. I read on the one hand limiter strap full in to keep skis down and flot on snow. Funny but my trials last weekend were screaming the opposite. I want to understand how dufferent goemetry affect things, shock setups too.
I feel stupid that I am looking on internet right now to improve my fun in snow and I am facing my window since the sun came out and it's puking snow. I brushed off 12" off my truck earlier, we must be at 14''-16" by now. I'm holding back cause I feel I need to give my clutch some love, check on the head as I was feeling unsure about how it performed and was getting things my engine never did before and my trottle seemed off. Cable of TPS. So not heading out in this sexy fluff. March is always great around here.
Weight info; I weight 180-190 and carry 5 to 10 on me, another 5 to 10 on sled. The mods I made for the tunnel extentions may add weight too as I used 3/16 alu for sides, 1/8 on top and a big beefy bar for added streght for towning. The extension catches snow on top and under as no heat exchanger to it. Skid seemed to carry snow too. Anyone ever cut open the exchangers to extend them up?
So looking for advice of things I can try while I'm out there. I like to do my trials out there in the snow. Same conditions trials better than garage fixes. Although I may try dropping the whole suspention lower/back in tunnel drilling holes after trials and research. Any help welcome, links to useful threads, why newer suspention work good, aftermarkets, better shocks, what do you think of big boy springs, mods people do, I'm enclined to fab stuff up rather than paying as I'm not working now. And having a bunch of other toys gets the budget limited to each sport.
Cheers!
