I went with the fox float evol RC2's up front and they are awesome, I love them!. The rear setup has been a nightmare. I got the Fox float 2 Center shock and the Zero Plus on the rear (everything ordered through H2R Distributing in Abbotsford, B.C. from Toms Snowmobile in Cali).
After about 800 km I noticed the Center shock lower split bushings were 100% gone. There was a slight bit of elongation to the shock bore from hitting the shock mounting shaft, but I seemed to catch it within a few km after the bushings totally vanished.
The zero pro is a direct replacement for the rear OEM shock (still uses the torsion springs). The shock came with oversized rubber bushings but not the inner steal bushings required as well. Naturally I decided to try the steal OEM bushings (OEM rear shock) and they fit perfect. I used a vice to press them into the rubber fox shock bushings. It seemed to be ok but after finding the lower center shock bushings gone I decided to check the rear shock bushings, after 800 km as well. The lower steal OEM bushing walked its way out of the rubber bushing and 1/2" into the shock mount. I had to use a punch to get the bushing out of the mount and properly seated back into the rubber bushing in order to get the shock out of the mount. In turn I damaged the OEM steal bushing.
Both upper bushings in each track shock were still in tact and doing their job.
Recently I put the OEM shocks back in the sled and have had no issues with them after about 300 km.
It's a whole other topic about why these bushings have failed. Apparently its "operator error" for the failure of the center shock bushings in Toms eyes. I've been waiting for a reply from H2R Distributing for almost a month about the rear shock.
To H2R's credit they sent me a brand new Center shock even after Tom wouldn't budge from His "operator error" theory. He said that I installed the bushings incorrectly and likely damaged them slightly, causing them to disintegrate into thin air. My brother and I installed them together and being very meticulous people we know we did absolutely no damage.
After getting the new shock and bushings I installed them exactly how he told me, to a tee. (Chamfer the end of the lower mount shaft, so as not to tear the bushing when installing the shaft through the shock and to make sure both bushings are fully seated into the shock bore before pushing the shaft through, use grease if needed.)
After installing the shock into the skid I could already see the bushings were starting to come out of the bore about 1/16" on each side. They were flush when I installed them into the shock bore. The slight bit of flexing to get the shock and lower shock mounting shaft in between the rails was enough to cause the bushings to work their way out. In 800 km I'm sure that they would have worked themselves out far enough to be destroyed by the shock, again.
Tom had mentioned to me that he's been using the same bushings for the last 10 years for the same Center shock setup, with very few issues, non T motion of course. But, he also said that when he ordered the bushings they were .020" ID to small forcing them to be tight/difficult to install onto the shock mount shaft and into the shock bore. He wasn't willing to send the 1000 bushings back for the proper sized ones as it would cost to much. He insists that they would never come out if installed correctly. I DISAGREE.
.020" ID may not make a difference on the non T motion but with the split front arm and rear heim joint there would be enough movement/flex for the split bushings to work their way out eventually. Non split or heim joints/rod ends (Raptor shocks) would not do the same thing.
I notice that there are a lot of guys with the E motion setup and though I think this would more then solve the rear shock setup I'm still not confident in the Center shock setup. Unless of course there is a better center shock lower bushing setup available.
SPLIT RUBBER BUSHINGS WITH THE FLEX OF THE T MOTION?? Come on Tom's you can do better than that! Or at very least make your customers feel appreciated and be willing to work with them in your XM R & D. I can't even use the $600 setup I purchased because of "operator error"? These shocks make great paperweights! Lol! I will, also, mention that I'm 6'5", 240lbs and I ride hard, putting the T motion through its paces.
Has anyone else had similar issues with this setup or a similar setup? Or did I miss something in all of this?.. I've been keeping my mouth shut on this issue out of respect for H2R Distributing, who have been more then helpful and gracious to me, but Tom at Tom's Snowmobile was the exact opposite. I bought his powder wedges, A arm bushings and hardened axle spacers. They work as advertised and I know that many guys praise him for his awesome service and products, but I won't be buying anything from him again unless he deals with this issue properly! Even H2R distributors were about to drop him as a vendor due to similar customer service issues with him. Lucky for him they decided to give him another chance!
Sorry about the novel, but I like to write and be very accurate in my story so it comes across honestly.
After about 800 km I noticed the Center shock lower split bushings were 100% gone. There was a slight bit of elongation to the shock bore from hitting the shock mounting shaft, but I seemed to catch it within a few km after the bushings totally vanished.
The zero pro is a direct replacement for the rear OEM shock (still uses the torsion springs). The shock came with oversized rubber bushings but not the inner steal bushings required as well. Naturally I decided to try the steal OEM bushings (OEM rear shock) and they fit perfect. I used a vice to press them into the rubber fox shock bushings. It seemed to be ok but after finding the lower center shock bushings gone I decided to check the rear shock bushings, after 800 km as well. The lower steal OEM bushing walked its way out of the rubber bushing and 1/2" into the shock mount. I had to use a punch to get the bushing out of the mount and properly seated back into the rubber bushing in order to get the shock out of the mount. In turn I damaged the OEM steal bushing.
Both upper bushings in each track shock were still in tact and doing their job.
Recently I put the OEM shocks back in the sled and have had no issues with them after about 300 km.
It's a whole other topic about why these bushings have failed. Apparently its "operator error" for the failure of the center shock bushings in Toms eyes. I've been waiting for a reply from H2R Distributing for almost a month about the rear shock.
To H2R's credit they sent me a brand new Center shock even after Tom wouldn't budge from His "operator error" theory. He said that I installed the bushings incorrectly and likely damaged them slightly, causing them to disintegrate into thin air. My brother and I installed them together and being very meticulous people we know we did absolutely no damage.
After getting the new shock and bushings I installed them exactly how he told me, to a tee. (Chamfer the end of the lower mount shaft, so as not to tear the bushing when installing the shaft through the shock and to make sure both bushings are fully seated into the shock bore before pushing the shaft through, use grease if needed.)
After installing the shock into the skid I could already see the bushings were starting to come out of the bore about 1/16" on each side. They were flush when I installed them into the shock bore. The slight bit of flexing to get the shock and lower shock mounting shaft in between the rails was enough to cause the bushings to work their way out. In 800 km I'm sure that they would have worked themselves out far enough to be destroyed by the shock, again.
Tom had mentioned to me that he's been using the same bushings for the last 10 years for the same Center shock setup, with very few issues, non T motion of course. But, he also said that when he ordered the bushings they were .020" ID to small forcing them to be tight/difficult to install onto the shock mount shaft and into the shock bore. He wasn't willing to send the 1000 bushings back for the proper sized ones as it would cost to much. He insists that they would never come out if installed correctly. I DISAGREE.
.020" ID may not make a difference on the non T motion but with the split front arm and rear heim joint there would be enough movement/flex for the split bushings to work their way out eventually. Non split or heim joints/rod ends (Raptor shocks) would not do the same thing.
I notice that there are a lot of guys with the E motion setup and though I think this would more then solve the rear shock setup I'm still not confident in the Center shock setup. Unless of course there is a better center shock lower bushing setup available.
SPLIT RUBBER BUSHINGS WITH THE FLEX OF THE T MOTION?? Come on Tom's you can do better than that! Or at very least make your customers feel appreciated and be willing to work with them in your XM R & D. I can't even use the $600 setup I purchased because of "operator error"? These shocks make great paperweights! Lol! I will, also, mention that I'm 6'5", 240lbs and I ride hard, putting the T motion through its paces.
Has anyone else had similar issues with this setup or a similar setup? Or did I miss something in all of this?.. I've been keeping my mouth shut on this issue out of respect for H2R Distributing, who have been more then helpful and gracious to me, but Tom at Tom's Snowmobile was the exact opposite. I bought his powder wedges, A arm bushings and hardened axle spacers. They work as advertised and I know that many guys praise him for his awesome service and products, but I won't be buying anything from him again unless he deals with this issue properly! Even H2R distributors were about to drop him as a vendor due to similar customer service issues with him. Lucky for him they decided to give him another chance!
Sorry about the novel, but I like to write and be very accurate in my story so it comes across honestly.
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