What did I bend, and how excited should I get?

[03RMK800]

Well, after bending something twice (one trailing arm, one ski) in the last twenty years, I got my third ding today. 2018 Summit 850, caught a rock on the right side. Of course, this was in the first fifteen minutes of the first ride. I went ahead and put in about 20 miles.

The right ski is set back about an inch/inch & a half compared to the left ski.. The caster difference at the spindle between left and right is 2.5 degrees; the caster difference is about 2 degrees. The right ski is canted outward 2.2 degrees against the left cant of .8. The upper and lower control arms, front and rear segments, measure the same point to point, so no obvious control arm bend.

The questions -- what did I bend and how excited should I get?

Thanks!

 

[steenso]

I’m not an expert but if impact was severe you could have tweaked your steering module. I had this happen on a 2013. The parts aren’t the expensive part it’s the labour cost to tear the bulkhead down and put it together. Cost in 2013 at a dealer was $1300. Again I could be wrong and it might just be something simple- good luck!

 

[03RMK800]

I’m not an expert but if impact was severe you could have tweaked your steering module. I had this happen on a 2013. The parts aren’t the expensive part it’s the labour cost to tear the bulkhead down and put it together. Cost in 2013 at a dealer was $1300. Again I could be wrong and it might just be something simple- good luck!

Thanks for the info. I am on the same train of thought. I was actually hoping to find a noticeably bent control arm, and didn't.

 

[Rick E]

My two cents:

During an impact, the A arms can have a tremendous leverage advantage over the module, and can easily torque it causing a fracture or a break.

You may want to speak with a tech and learn how to measure the critical points to determine if the module is damaged.

I am no expert, but I'd pull the A arms and I would carefully compare their dimensions to that of new ones.

 

[TreewellDweller]

If you are lucky, you only bent an a-arm. Worst case, you bent or fractured the s-module that the a-arms connect to. A-arms are relatively easy to change out but the s-module is extremely expensive due to the labor involved. All of the front suspension, plastic, and probably the motor would need to be removed.
Good luck.

 

[chickenstixx]

If your arms aren't bent, then you tweaked the s-mod. Look underneath the pipe and see the modules spacing or look for cracks.

Fairly common on the skidoos as their a-arms are too beefy vs mod.
Not an expensive part, but have to basically tear down the whole sled to replace.

 

[simnil]

My best guess is you tweaked an a-arm. And by the sound of it not very much. Check the plate connecting the ends of the upper a-arm, (inside/behind the shock). If it's warped in any way that's a fairly certain sign that the arm is tweaked. Compare between sides. Lower arms are harder to see damage on, but front and rear legs are supposed to be parallell, if anyone of them, (99 times out of 100 the rear though), has a drop in the middle it's tweaked.

I've tweaked upper arms and spindles without s-module damage and with larger displacements than you describe. Measuring the arms isn't easy, and especially on the sled.

 

[Racer220]

Can you get it on the side somewhat and snap a few pics and post them? Sometimes visually it’s very apparent but like most posts above say there’s quite a range of cost and labor you could be up against.

 

[03RMK800]

Pulled the hood. No bent, wrinkled, warped, cracked or broken aluminum or bolts or rivets in the steering module. Things are looking up!
Thanks for all the comments.

 

[Inthe8s]

If its all good on the S and E module I would pick up Tim's Grip N Rip set up for that front end.... they take a hard hit and usually only cost ya a a-arm or so......