16 m8000 mod opinions

715sledUP · Mar 19, 2018

Still a beginner and learning, have done some flat landing in UP and have a week trip in WY under my belt.
My current sled is a 16 m8000 sno pro(not a Ltd) I have a Speedwerx can, cut the fingers off of the 2.6 power claw. Arctic cats low elevation kit for when at home and I ran a Speedwerx secondary with cat factory primary spring and 66.4 gram weights. Held good rpm out west, sled seemed to do better after adjusting pressures on the suspension(all 4 shocks were just rebuilt before the trip.)
For overall improvement on performance or handling what do you guys recommend for mods/what’s the best money spent on these sleds? Boards, skis, belt drive, etc.
Have considered going to an 18 or newer but I only have 600 some miles on the sled so there’s a lot of life in her yet... Maybe I just need more practice and time on it, thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks

knh208 · Mar 19, 2018

BM Fab skinny boards, 3", and lowered driveshaft.

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sno*jet · Mar 19, 2018

WhiskeyTee · Mar 19, 2018

Just ride it! Get some time to figure out what you might want to improve on it. Go from there.

Allseasons · Mar 19, 2018

I got my 16 to where I really like it. I got the sled cheaper as a holdover. I’ve dumped the same purchase price into mods into it to get her where she is, and it’s not even turbo’d sadly. I’ve claimed this was my last sled so I didn’t care really, but now I have my name on an alpha 165. Careful how far you go, unless you don’t care lol. It is goofy that one could have 30g into a full mod and only get 8-9k out of it 3-4 years later.

Whiskey worded it perfect

john6719 · Mar 19, 2018

715sledUP said:
Still a beginner and learning, have done some flat landing in UP and have a week trip in WY under my belt.
My current sled is a 16 m8000 sno pro(not a Ltd) I have a Speedwerx can, cut the fingers off of the 2.6 power claw. Arctic cats low elevation kit for when at home and I ran a Speedwerx secondary with cat factory primary spring and 66.4 gram weights. Held good rpm out west, sled seemed to do better after adjusting pressures on the suspension(all 4 shocks were just rebuilt before the trip.)
For overall improvement on performance or handling what do you guys recommend for mods/what’s the best money spent on these sleds? Boards, skis, belt drive, etc.
Have considered going to an 18 or newer but I only have 600 some miles on the sled so there’s a lot of life in her yet... Maybe I just need more practice and time on it, thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks

That sled stock is way more sled than any beginner needs to learn. Ride it. Make the sled do what it's capable of, which is more than pretty much any of us are capable of...especially in the first few years of riding mountains. That's how you get better. Once you get good and can handle the sled, then start upgrading. There is nothing on that sled holding you back if you are a beginner.

kiliki · Mar 20, 2018

put gripper skis on it and ride it.

MountainCat1 · Mar 20, 2018

kiliki said:
put gripper skis on it and ride it.

X2 on skis, plus set up the air shocks up for your weight; many threads on this on Snow-west. Enjoy!

715sledUP · Mar 20, 2018

I appreciate all the replies, I think I’m going to try a set of grippers. I also have my eye on a set of boards that are on clearance. They are 1” narrower than stock, my question is, will they help or do the panels still hinder it?

Big10inch · Mar 20, 2018

Narrow boards are better. You can pull the plastic in some. I would do the drop and roll chaincase too, make it into a Mtn Cat. That gets you the handling improvements of the new sleds.

715sledUP · Mar 20, 2018

Big10inch said:
Narrow boards are better. You can pull the plastic in some. I would do the drop and roll chaincase too, make it into a Mtn Cat. That gets you the handling improvements of the new sleds.

Doesn’t the drop and roll get pricey? Is there a way to do it and keep my current track?

715sledUP · Mar 20, 2018

Does anyone have experience or opinion on the Arctic Cat proclimb running boards built by diamond extreme? I can get a new set for $260, seems like a good buy. And do the grippers help flotation wise during slow maneuvers/keep the front end up better than the proclimb 7 skis?

john6719 · Mar 20, 2018

715sledUP said:
.... And do the grippers help flotation wise during slow maneuvers/keep the front end up better than the proclimb 7 skis?

No. Same flotation. Only real difference is the keel.

d1100t · Mar 20, 2018

Mods

715sledUP said:
Does anyone have experience or opinion on the Arctic Cat proclimb running boards built by diamond extreme? I can get a new set for $260, seems like a good buy. And do the grippers help flotation wise during slow maneuvers/keep the front end up better than the proclimb 7 skis?

The drop and roll is a very good mod. It's not very expensive but it is time consuming and you have to be ok with cutting/grinding your tunnel to mount the new longer mountain cat chain case. You already have 8 tooth drivers so you'll need the tki templates and the mountain cat chain case and possibly a tki belt drive. You'll have to decide how far you want to go with this and how much money you want to spend.

knh208 · Mar 20, 2018

Mods are not about logic. They're a bad investment.

If you like the sled and want to mod it, have fun. I did mine, and I love the outcome. Is it a waste of money? Probably.

Just because it's a bad idea doesn't mean it won't be a good time.

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715sledUP · Mar 20, 2018

d1100t said:
The drop and roll is a very good mod. It's not very expensive but it is time consuming and you have to be ok with cutting/grinding your tunnel to mount the new longer mountain cat chain case. You already have 8 tooth drivers so you'll need the tki templates and the mountain cat chain case and possibly a tki belt drive. You'll have to decide how far you want to go with this and how much money you want to spend.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I have the 2.6 power claw so I’d need to purchase a track, drivers, mc chain case and template to do the drop and roll? That may get pricey..
Is there a benefit to belt drive without doing drop and roll or not really?

Tyshu2 · Mar 20, 2018

Best thing you can do is B and M Fab skinny boards and pull in the panels. I did this and a whole bunch of other stuff to my 16 LTD.... Like turbo, steering, zbros 38" a arms. Just a thought that you have better chain case clearance from the ground with the 16 chain case and if you smack a rock then maybe change it out. Take a look at pictures of the 2018 skidoo G4 and the Ascender track approach angles.... Compared to yours. In my opinion the doo approach angle is what gives it a nimble ride plus A arm stance. Notice the geometry. Also you really have to play with the shock setting on the 2016. My ski shocks were valved too stiff on the floats that hindered performance. I valved my shocks similar to the 2013 valving and am very happy with the whole sled. If you are just beginning I would really recommend understanding your suspension setup first and make small changes like ski spring pressure, limiter strap, etc and see how it changes the ride. It is good to learn this aspect of suspension geometry

d1100t · Mar 20, 2018

Mods

715sledUP said:
Correct me if I’m wrong but I have the 2.6 power claw so I’d need to purchase a track, drivers, mc chain case and template to do the drop and roll? That may get pricey..
Is there a benefit to belt drive without doing drop and roll or not really?

2016 sno pros came with 8 tooth drivers and 2.6" tracks.
2016 ltds came with 7 tooth drivers and 3" tracks.
There's a few reason for doing a drop and roll.
More clearance in the tunnel for 3" track to tunnel clearance with 8 tooth drivers and gaining a better attack angle were the 3 reason I did this mod. I hated the way my sled worked with the 7 tooth drivers. After doing the MC drop and roll and adding 8 tooth drivers my sled worked way better. Everybody in my riding group was very surprised at how this mod changed the way my sled handled and got up on top of the snow.

d1100t · Mar 20, 2018

Mods

715sledUP said:
Correct me if I’m wrong but I have the 2.6 power claw so I’d need to purchase a track, drivers, mc chain case and template to do the drop and roll? That may get pricey..
Is there a benefit to belt drive without doing drop and roll or not really?

I guess I really didn't answer your question.
You don't need new drivers or drive shaft if you have 8 tooth drivers now.
Your track will work. 3" powder claw is a better track for soft deep snow.

My 2016 ltd is heavily modded now.
Boost-it turbo kit.
Camoplast X3 174"x3" track.
174" KMOD rear suspension.
Raptor shocks.
MC drop and rolled chain case.
TKI belt drive.
8 tooth drivers.
2018 body work.
BM Fab skinny boards
Vanamburg 174" tunnel extension and rear bumper.
Mountain fit hood.
Snorkel intake.
I love the way all theses mods have worked together.

sno*jet · Mar 20, 2018

d1100t do you think a full 18 bodywork kit would be worth the roughly $1500 it costs (bdx)? i want that slimmer feel but i dont notice the proclimb bodywork really hanging me up anywhere.

16 m8000 mod opinions

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