[Trailmaker]

Hi

I have read several topics here on suspension modifications and there seems to be some concensus and some differing opintions.

I ride a 2002 Polaris Classic Touring 600. It has one of the best ride qualities I have ever ridden but ... The stock track was really poor. I had it dealor studded and had a stud come through the front cooler so at repair time I had an 8 tooth driver cog set installed (for clearance) and an Ice Ripper 1.25" prestudded track. I also had to have the 133" Xtra-12 extended to 136" but the shop left me with many other clearance issues I am having to correct myself. I have installed a tunnel extension and tunnel protectors (God knows why they removed the old ones and did not replace then???), reduced the Idler Wheel size on the top of the suspension from 5.6" to 5" and had the top shock mount moved froward and down to accomodate this. I am still having clearance issues at the rear as the suspension travels to bottom out condition at the rear (slap and damage to the new tunnel extension). What I originally asked the shop to do was lower the suspesion ,which I now must do myself. They said that in that model year only, there was an issue with the mounts being unique, plus the side coolers are mounted under the foot rails (running boards).

I read a discussion about lowering suspension and the parallelagram that must be maintained by loweriig both front and rear mounts togerher ... here is the thing ... the original design was a horizontial seat and that makes for low running board clearance and therefore bad powder running (not enough track preasure on the snow). I really wnat to move the read of the sled up in the air. Also I cannot double up without bottoming constantly.

1. Are there heavier main springs available??? The stock ones have always been too soft for me.

2. I would like to lower the rear only and would like opinions ... can I do it bu moving the rear mounts both down and forward to maintain the exact same distance as the original from front to rear mount points. Would this not effectively just pivot the suspension around a constant circumference circle??? Imaging just undoing the mount bolts and lifting the chassis and then bolting back up to a new location with the chassis higher. The skid would still be horizontal on the ground, the skis would just pivot higher and in fact ski pressure should be increated (a good thing as the sled has always pushed in the corners so i installed U shaped aids to fix this very well).

How about it up and forward, would that work??

Greatfully yours for the input.
Trailmaker

By the way the sled is like a new machine with the Ice Ripper WOW!!!!

 

[timespentsearching]

i can help but dont have time right now to write it all. im give you some info tonight or tomorrow

 

[timespentsearching]

here is what i recomend for lowering the skid. first lower the front hole vertically down. i dotn know if they have it on this year but it may, predrilled holes on the steel plate right below the stock hole. if the predrilled hole is not there, lower the ront hole vertically 7/8 an inch. now after drilling the new holes (make sure to center punch and drill a small pilot hole first before running a larger bit through) it time for the rear. you have to either make ore buy drop brackets to lower the rear. this link will set you up with easy to use one you can buy, id recommend using them if you dont have a lot of time. buy the 1.75 inch drop brackets or make them and install them. you will have to measure the stock distnace form hole to hole and make sure these distances are the same. drill holes and rivit the drop bracket it. doulbe check everything, then putthe skid back it and you be set.
as for the springs, you can get heavier torsion and coil springs for all the shocks, but you also have indy slect shocks. you can turn the little screw on the shocks to as tight as they go and have much stiffer travel. id recommend buying only heavier torsion springs and adjusting the shocks and not buying heavier shock spring.
http://www.hiperf.com/acatalog/Online_Cata...ssories_70.html

 

[michahicks]

The problem with lowering the front arm mounting position is the fact that the front arm of the parallelogram will now be longer than the rear arm (timespent - this is why I didn't completely agree with your guy's otherwise well written article). This results in the track being stretched as the suspension is collapsing (Possibly the reason AK mentions he like to run the tracks looser with that setup). The front arm of the parallelogram length is determined by the distance from the drive wheels to the radius in the rails on the front of the skid. There is no way to move that front arm down without increasing that distance - although installing larger OD upper idlers in the rear might help compensate? Dunno. Just something to consider maybe.

Is this a Gen II sled, or an Edge? I hadn't heard about any big issues regarding tunnel clearance with the Xtra-12? Or heat exchanger clearance for that matter. Are you running the track really loose maybe? You mention moving the front shock mount forward and down. Is this shock mount located on the front arm? Not that up on the X-12....I had a couple, but that was a lot of miles ago.

 

[timespentsearching]

the thing is though if you move one you need to move the other. if you move the rear down you have to move the front down. if you dont do this the suspension will not compress right and the anlge will be messed up. if you lower both you will not mess this up or not a bad. i know hwat you are saying about track stretch but you can loosen the rear idles a lot. you are not tacking up any more track space by moving the suspension down, you are just chagning it path. if you loosen the rear idlers you will not have any track stetch. i have acaully dont this mod on an old xtra 12, 133 suspension and it worked and had not track stretch. but mich is right, what do you need the room for it doesnt make sense, are you putting on a huge luged track?