13 xm suspension mods for the big guys????

Bocephus · Sep 3, 2013

i weigh 275 lbs plus gear, and i had a real tough time with the fox float suspension on my M8 i used to ride. it was always either too soft or hard as a rock. if i set the rear end so it wouldnt continuously bottom out on the rough trails leading back in the hills, then it would flat out suck in the deep snow. if i set it up for deep snow, i would bottom it out anywhere there wanst good, deep snow or the trail. i tried OEM spring shocks rather than the floats, and it seemed to help a little bit......but it wasnt much of an improvement. i then outfitted it with raptor shocks front and rear, and it made all the difference in the world. it seemed as if i could find that happy meduim, and have a damn good ride and performance in all areas......at a heft price tag.

in this off season i sold the M8 and picked up a 13 X model. my question is this.....are there any other big guys here that have had luck with the OEM X model shocks? im not sure if they are much of an improvement over the non-x shocks.......i am mostly concerned about how they act with us fat guys on them. i know i could always just go spend $2000 and have raptors again, but id like to explore my options first.

im not the fat, lazy guy that just sits on the seat and lolly-gags along. while im not the best, most agressive rider, i feel im a pretty active guy for my size. im not doing any 50 foot cliff drops.....im an average rider. im just throwing this out there because some people automatically think "fat guy" = slow, lazy, doesnt ride hard, stays on the trail lol....... im still an average rider....i just carry around an extra 100 lbs. any suggestions are welcome. and by suggestions, i mean suspension related, not going on a diet! i hear that enough from da wife! :whip:

Sheetmetalfab · Sep 3, 2013

.....

Rear scissor relocate 5/8 towards the rear. Helps with wheelie factor.
Rear spring upgrade.
Revalve the stock shocks.

winter brew · Sep 4, 2013

I agree....I go 3/4" on the rear scissor on the XM. Have gone as far as 1.5" on the XP but that is overkill on the XM. This will firm up the rear without the need for HD springs. It will sit slightly lower in the rear at rest, but because it is firmer it will be the same or higher when riding.
Limiter in stock location or try it 1 hole looser (with the scissor relocate). Front spring set for riding style.....if you just ride the deep keep it somewhat soft, firm it up for the bumps and easier handling/turning.
Ski springs to your liking, I prefer them soft (#2ish) with swaybar.

Murrin · Sep 4, 2013

winter brew said:
I agree....I go 3/4" on the rear scissor on the XM. Have gone as far as 1.5" on the XP but that is overkill on the XM. This will firm up the rear without the need for HD springs. It will sit slightly lower in the rear at rest, but because it is firmer it will be the same or higher when riding.
Limiter in stock location or try it 1 hole looser (with the scissor relocate). Front spring set for riding style.....if you just ride the deep keep it somewhat soft, firm it up for the bumps and easier handling/turning.
Ski springs to your liking, I prefer them soft (#2ish) with swaybar.

When you say no need for hd springs, do you mean the torsion springs? Because I put a heavier set of those on and got my shocks resprung and revalved with a new, heavier rear rear shock. It seems a lot stiffer, but I think I would get a better ride if I had the stock torsion springs in. Any pics of where I would have to drill the new hole as I'm new to working on a sled, not even really sure what the scissor bracket is?

snengineer · Sep 4, 2013

winter brew said:
It will sit slightly lower in the rear at rest, .

Has anyone tried moving it back and slightly up on the rail to compensate for this minimal drop in relocating back? any negative to trying this?

Chubbydog · Sep 4, 2013

What is the purpose of relocating the scissor bracket? Is it just to get you up on the snow faster? Also, can you please post some pix to show where you drilled the holes at from stock? I remember doing this on my XP, but that was 5 years ago.

bnorth · Sep 4, 2013

Chubbydog said:
What is the purpose of relocating the scissor bracket? Is it just to get you up on the snow faster? Also, can you please post some pix to show where you drilled the holes at from stock? I remember doing this on my XP, but that was 5 years ago.

Relocating it keeps it more lineal and it won't collapse so easily. When I did my demo ride on the XM I was about 280# and while the suspension felt soft it didn't ever bottom on me. Once I am more used to the sled and riding more difficult terrain that may change though. I will be about 240# before gear this season so I am excited for that big change.

Matte Murder · Sep 4, 2013

I'm 230 before gear. I REALLY like the Evolution air set up I got from Toms. You said you didn't want to do shocks so I would get the Doo factory heavy rear springs and do the scissor relocate.You would probably run them on 2 or 3 so you would have the ability to make an increase if you had the tunnel loaded up with gear or gas or riding big whoops. The stock springs are crap. Way too light for most guys and they actually soften way up with use. I would also figure out a heavy front spring too, you might see if the raptor triple rate spring would work. If I wanted to keep the cost down but get better ride and handling I would find a set of used front Fox shocks and run the heavy Doo spring in the back.

Bocephus · Sep 4, 2013

where are you guys seeing this doo heavy spring? i looked in their catalog and didnt see it

Matte Murder · Sep 4, 2013

I asked the guys at I90 Motorsports in Issaquah, WA about them. They were really cheap too. I think less than $50.

jvb · Sep 4, 2013

I'm 250 before gear and I always put "fat boy springs" in, on my 13 I didn't do it and or the scissor relocate and I thought it worked pretty good just the way it was.

skidoo_guy · Sep 5, 2013

Just get on and ride it. I put fox floats on the front of mine, but the only reason I did that was because I wrecked a shock and found a cheap set of floats used. I plan on trying the scissor relocate on mine this year and move the limiter strap back from 1 hole tight to stock and try that out. Limiter strap stock and no scissor relocate is way to uncontrollable when climbing, it is easy to throw over though.

Bocephus · Sep 5, 2013

thanks stranger

Bocephus · Sep 14, 2013

i am not seeing these heavier rear torsion springs anywhere in a skidoo parts list (looked on several web sites). are they actually a doo part, or is it aftermarket?

xc_rider08 · Sep 15, 2013

i got nothign usefull for this thread, but bocephus and skidoo_guy we gotta do another ride this year. was a good time last year :beer;

Bocephus · Sep 15, 2013

xc_rider08 said:
i got nothign usefull for this thread, but bocephus and skidoo_guy we gotta do another ride this year. was a good time last year :beer;

i have to learn the in's and out's of these damn yellow sleds first!

......................and brew up about 5 gallons of apple pie, because obviously the 2 gallons i brought last year wasnt enough

skidoo_guy · Sep 17, 2013

Bocephus said:
i have to learn the in's and out's of these damn yellow sleds first!

......................and brew up about 5 gallons of apple pie, because obviously the 2 gallons i brought last year wasnt enough

Drinking isn't always like that, just on the Tony Lama trips.

P/N 503191614 & 503191615 for the springs. They are from the race sleds. 503191617 & 503191616 are even heavier

xc_rider08 · Sep 17, 2013

Bocephus said:
i have to learn the in's and out's of these damn yellow sleds first!

......................and brew up about 5 gallons of apple pie, because obviously the 2 gallons i brought last year wasnt enough

haha o yeah gawd damn that was ruff. lol

skidoo_guy said:
Drinking isn't always like that, just on the Tony Lama trips.

P/N 503191614 & 503191615 for the springs. They are from the race sleds. 503191617 & 503191616 are even heavier

come on now nancy, dont tell me you would wuss out drinking just cause its not the tony lama's trip???

skidoo_guy · Sep 19, 2013

xc_rider08 said:
haha o yeah gawd damn that was ruff. lol

come on now nancy, dont tell me you would wuss out drinking just cause its not the tony lama's trip???

Just like feeling like I can ride with my helmet strap strapped lol. We still drink, just usually not that much.

13 xm suspension mods for the big guys????

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