Home made alpha skid, first ride

off trail mike · Apr 14, 2018

Mad Max...that's brilliant thinking!!!!

There is absolutely no reason why this won't work. It's pretty easy to window and clip the center of a track. Narrowing the rails, shock relocation, etc is all doable.

keep the ride reports coming. No one is getting enough seat time to determine if Alpha is the real deal or not...but it sure looks cool!!!!

OTM

SnoPro1000 · Apr 15, 2018

Great job buddy,
I’m almost possible that back in 2012-2013 that is exactly what the engineer that thought of this came up with and it evolved into what we have today on the alpha great to see though awesome build

madmax · Apr 15, 2018

To answer an earlier question. I don’t think you have to do the jackshaft/driver mod. I still haven’t put in my modded driveshaft and it seems to work fine driving the track in the traditional location. I just had an extra 8t driver shaft sitting around and wanted to see if it was as easy as flipping the the drivers. I do believe you do need some track clips to ride on the skid slide rails. The rubber track riding against the plastic side rail will promote premature wear quickly in low snow conditions. Ive done it, it doesn’t take long before you start smelling burning rubber.
I’m not sure how stout the whole set up is. I’m really happy with the front arm/shock set up, but not so much with the rear arm attachment to the rail. I’ll rework that over the summer. This is mostly for my 13yo. He’s really gotten into sledding this year, but very frustrated that he can’t pull the sled over very easily. He’s only 120lbs, this has made it a lot easier for him.

d1100t · Apr 15, 2018

Rear arm

Madmax.
What do you think it'll take to make the rear arm stronger?
Do you think the way racers edge mounts the rear arm to the rails would be stronger?

BradM8 · Apr 15, 2018

Did you run the rails directly on the rubber track before you clipped them? Was the drag huge?

BradM8 · Apr 15, 2018

Shoot just reread the posts never mind question already answered.

Uncle Bob · Apr 15, 2018

Makes me wonder if it’s possible to make a skid that is easily interchangeable. Like an offset set of rails that can be installed so both offsets go to the inside to give an alpha ride. Then can be removed and switch sides so the offset goes to the outsides giving conventional skid handling while using all the same shocks and suspension parts between the rails. Now that would be a cool option on a sled. Best of both worlds.

KMMAC · Apr 16, 2018

On to it

1Mike900 said:
That would be the ticket! Just replace the bearing and you are set! Here is another thing I was thinking, would a 2.625 - 2.75" wheel fit inside of the 2 rails? Why not make it a roller blade design so friction is minimal at best! I bet with hyfax mods in that area it could be done. If the wheel set down a 1/16" you could angle the Hyfax slightly to make it really pivot? Just trim one edge of Hyfax to either allow the rails to be further apart to accommodate the wheels, or cut out the area surrounding the wheels? I would do at least 5 to 6 wheel full lg. starting from the tip back, maybe two at the front for stabilization for track coming off drivers. As for track maybe just sheet metal clips attached in a different manner than stamping holes/clipping? Mike

I think you are onto something, looks like there is room for separation between the rails and that would allow the wheels to
not only reduce drag but also let snow in to lube the hyfax as well.

madmax · Apr 16, 2018

d1100t said:
Madmax.
What do you think it'll take to make the rear arm stronger?
Do you think the way racers edge mounts the rear arm to the rails would be stronger?

Not thexarm strength I’m worried about. I don’t like how I mounted the rear arm to the rail. I think I’d prefer something I feel is stronger.

madmax · Apr 16, 2018

BradM8 said:
Did you run the rails directly on the rubber track before you clipped them? Was the drag huge?

The drag of the plastic rail on the rubber is pretty bad. Noticed it just driving the sled in and out of the garage. Spraying it with wd40 helped. I rode it in a foot of powder without clips and don’t think I could tell. I think as long as the track and rail slides are lubricated it’ll work for a short time. I would run it like that for very long though. I actually ran it in the snow before cutting any holes in the track for a short time. I wanted to feel confident enough on the new skid that I could cut up a perfectly good track and not regret it.

89sandman · Apr 16, 2018

You should make up some detailed instructions with templates and supply any parts that can't easily be done or need to be bought, like the clips and make a kit. Maybe even make a video of the process. If AC isn't smart enough to produce enough for the masses someone should. With a ridiculous price of $3500 for the Alpha kit you would make a killing

1Mike900 · Apr 16, 2018

Yes without metal clips it will have high drag, I have never been a big fan of rubber then clips. It is not the flat bottom of the skid, it is the front radius that creates the drag as the clip spacing at 6" to 7" does not keep the rubber away from the Hyfax especially when the front lifts at full throttle. An aluminum hard anodized clip in-between would be much better, or a small round tapered washer glued/screwed with a flush mount screw could suffice. I am sure there is something that could be used to reduce friction even better like the coating on frying pans etc.... Even tunnel interiors/exteriors could use this, along with the skid. But it would be at a price! I bet they are 3 yrs. ahead already so we will see what comes up! As for the aluminum clips I made 120+ of a couple designs, just need to hard anodize and clip. Mike

XCaSSAULT · Apr 16, 2018

How far apart are the rails? With windows center I imagine clips wouldn’t make full contact? How wide of a clip can u get? Maybe staggering the window right to left so every other clip rides center of rail.

madmax · Apr 17, 2018

XCaSSAULT said:
How far apart are the rails? With windows center I imagine clips wouldn’t make full contact? How wide of a clip can u get? Maybe staggering the window right to left so every other clip rides center of rail.

I spaced the rails 1/4” apart between the slide rails. That’s about what the alpha is spaced. I first tried using the camsno light weight clips, but they were a little wide. Then I went to the wps clip that is not as wide

madmax · Apr 17, 2018

madmax said:
I spaced the rails 1/4” apart between the sled rails. That’s about what the alpha is spaced. I first tried using the camsno light weight clips, but they were a little wide. Then I went to the wps clip that is not as wide

First pic is of the alpha track clip. The alpha track clip is kind of a special double clip I can find available anywhere yet.
Second pic of the camsno light weight clip.
Third pic is of the narrowest clip I could find to fit the 2” hole, if you put them side by side like the alpha double clip

Teth-Air · Apr 17, 2018

Uncle Bob said:
Makes me wonder if it’s possible to make a skid that is easily interchangeable. Like an offset set of rails that can be installed so both offsets go to the inside to give an alpha ride. Then can be removed and switch sides so the offset goes to the outsides giving conventional skid handling while using all the same shocks and suspension parts between the rails. Now that would be a cool option on a sled. Best of both worlds.

Better yet, adjustable rails to select width, only the track would need clips to accommodate.

boondocker97 · Apr 17, 2018

Teth-Air said:
Better yet, adjustable rails to select width, only the track would need clips to accommodate.

The problem with multiple rail width options is you get a cheese grader track that may end up with flotation and durability issues.

jeffheart153 · Apr 18, 2018

madmax said:
I spaced the rails 1/4” apart between the slide rails. That’s about what the alpha is spaced. I first tried using the camsno light weight clips, but they were a little wide. Then I went to the wps clip that is not as wide

Why not just weld the two available clips together to make one like the alpha track.

boondocker97 · Apr 18, 2018

I don't think there's any benefit to welding them together as long as you can get them installed right close side-by-side. Just have something to grind and a place to start rusting. The alpha clips are likely one piece just to ease manufacturing.

1Mike900 · Apr 18, 2018

May have to bend the tab a little straighter-up to get it to fit between the Hyfax's. What is the width between the upper rails we are looking for, I would assume the rails are .25 thick on the vertical surfaces? Mike

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