05 Track Howl Revisited

[RSVECTORFREAK]

maybe mines not so loud because I run my track so loose it's on the edge of ratcheting???

I also run mine looser than yamaha specs....And it does ratchet in the deep powder during WOT at times. It seemed like the adjusters have a fine line between too tight and too loose at least on my sled.

 

[Groomerdriver]

maybe mines not so loud because I run my track so loose it's on the edge of ratcheting???

I also run mine looser than yamaha specs....And it does ratchet in the deep powder during WOT at times. It seemed like the adjusters have a fine line between too tight and too loose at least on my sled.

Now that I think about it, mine is the same.

 

[Tfin]

I also run my track lose and will ratched in deep powder when I grab a fist full of throttle.

Wonder if running your track lose may make the difference here?

 

[az99]

I have it what I thought was pretty loose already. But I will loosen it till it just ratchets in deep snow. It is sure worth a try and easy enough to do.

I am also going to measure the hole location of the front suspension bolts vs. another Vector.

 

[farmguy]

New to this site but have been a guest for some time.
I have a 07 Venture GT
I have been having the same isues.Here is what I have done so far.
Cliped every hole.
Put 6 Polaris oversized wheels.
Was told to change my drivers to interverts by some shops and was told by others to save my money as it would not help.
I love the sled but if I can't find a fix to the problem it is gone, winter is too short even if I live in the great white north.
I have been reading Hondo's threads on the problem but I have found somebody that has tried studs and say that that they have a resonable and inexpensive cure.Here is his statment on the cure.

( OK, Here's an update on the track howl,
After extensive experimenting, I finally settled on a cure that took care of almost all of the deafening track howl: Polaris wheels (the older, smaller ones), 116 woody's signature flat topped 1.325" studs, placed in line w/ 4 inner wheels, w/ thin 1" washers placed under the heads to cause them to be raised approx. 1 mm above flush inside the track. I placed the studs in two rows, between every bar.
What I did was mimic Cat's patented " Quiet Track" by using studs to stiffen the inter-lug area and support the wheels, smoothing out the vibration & reducing the "rumblestrip" effect.
Cat's track uses molded in wedges for the same purpose.

Summary of experiments:

DEAFENINGLY LOUD- Stock plastic wheels, especially at speeds of 40-60mph. Earplugs don't help
because the frequency is too low & the sound basically travels right through the skull.

QUIETER- Replace all 6 wheels w/ rubber polaris wheels. Many have done this w/ good results.

QUIETER YET- Add studs as mentioned above. Note: without the added washers, the studs
will probably make the noise worse since they will countersink slightly, causing the wheels
to dive even deeper between the lugs.

QUIETEST- Remove all 6 wheels. I did this for approx. 300 miles & enjoyed the silence. Of course I
had to stay in the powder for the slides.

Also, I didn't see the need for tunnel protectors w/ this stud pattern since the exhaust pipe actually protrudes down about an inch, thus acting as a tunnel protector. I can't see how there could ever be any contact, barring a total track sepatation. I have several hundred miles on & so far so good.

Hope this helps save some hearing!
UPDATE: 4000 miles & all is still quiet! I did end up putting in some alum tubing for tunnel protectors for peace of mind. Great sled now that the howl is gone! )
Has anybody else tried this with any results?
Thank you.
Guy

 

[az99]

I have not tried that method with the studs but I do agree that the howl is deafening.

 

[jbar]

I have the 06 Vector GT and tried some of the ideas ,in the other posts,
with no improvment. Just changed to a Artic Cat quiet track . I have only
gone 30 miles, but there has been no howel or vibration so far.

 

[yank]

The studs really do work. Like I said above, if you use a washer to raise the heads about 1 mm above flush inside the track, it serves the same purpose as Cat's patented "quiet track" which uses the molded in little rubber ramps to support the wheels through the inter-lug area & smoothen the washboard effect & resulting resonant vibration. Just supporting the inner wheels seems to do the trick so I didn't see the need to stud the outer edges of the track. 4000 miles & all is still quiet!

 

[aVenture]

Thanks for your test report farmguy... did you turned into yank ?

 

[farmguy]

No I did not turn in Yank, but I was Quoting his response on another site asking if anybody else had tried the stud idea and if anybody else had a better plan because I have been told all kinds of way's to fix the problem.
So far yank is the only one with a reasonable solution.
Guy