2009 Nytro Front End+ Rebuild

[Hooray!]

Thanks, figure if my pics help another it is payback for all the great info and pics I have found here. Waiting for parts to tackle chain case cover. Wonder what I will find. Maybe just the royal purple gear oil is too thin and makes the whine more pronounced. Will tell if I drain and no metal in oil...

 

[Hooray!]

So lucked out on chain case. Drained chain case oil and looked clear just the slightest sparkle of metal in the last few drops. Good sign... So I next checked the chain tension bolt. Loosened the lock nut and no way I could back off the "hand tightened" bolt. Took at least two full turns of the bolt w a wrench to get even close to hand tightened. I cleaned the bolt with brake cleaner then greased it so it would spin freely in and out to get a sense for where the chain resistance was... Did a final hand tighten and backed off 1/4 turn and then used a second wrench to tighten the lock nut. ZERO chain case noise afterwards so was an overly tight chain and not any gear issues. Fantastic! I also put in Yamalube chain case oil which says it has noise inhibitors vs. synthetic which is quite thin... Will test synthetic again on next change. Last ride of season FR and SA in Ashland Maine. 60 F in York today so snow is gone, will go fast up north soon... Ride while you still can.

 

[Hooray!]

Locked and loaded for a Friday to Sunday last ride in northern Maine (leave for Africa 09-22MAR). 5" last night and another 6" tomorrow... : ) Angled the bars back quite a bit, found the ape hanger feel was great standing but hard on the throttle thumb (tendon at wrist) after 125 miles. Also torqued down the scratchers again, last ride they twisted up... hard to reach bolt but think I have them this time. Mountaintech skid plate add this summer as I cracked the stock plastic version on a rock last ride, will be careful this ride...

 

[Nefarious]

Wow. Just read the entire 11 pages of this and I want to go back and read it again for things I may have missed. Thank you for taking the time to do this! I definitely appreciate it. I'm putting my sled back together this weekend after my right stock spindle failed and I lost the ski at 45mph (somebody had welded the bottom of it back together). I went with JRE Sport Trail King spindles. Mark responded quickly to my questions and shipped the same day I paid. I received them from Washington state in four days and they look nice. He also includes an XTX skid kit free of charge. I'm about to wander out to the garage and throw them on. Hoping to salvage the season for a couple more rides, but looking out the window here in Augusta tells me we'll be riding in the county because the snow around here is almost non-existent.

 

[Hooray!]

Thanks Nefarious, I am glad the details and pics were helpful. The information was all here but often in five year old threads and without clear pics of all steps.

I checked out those spindles, look nice. Wonder if anyone here has tried them or the suspension repositioning bolts. The write up sounds promising.

As we drove through Agusta in the rain is was dismal. Not until Shin Pond did we find winter. Gas station at Sherman exit had 1/2" of slush after rain turned to sleet then to snow. At Shin all snow, 48" base, amazing, back in winter. But even there the cool temps warmed as we drove north to the county and Portage. Drove the "border loop" where you can ride the USA Canadian border swath. Pretty cool, granite monuments and all to mark border.

The Bergstrom system for the Tuner skis rocks. Handled all groomed trail condition from cold frozen to soft to mashed potatoe berms in every corner. They had zero darting and were totally predictable in what they would do... Took inside and outside entry lines no matter what ruts were in front of them from other sleds and held their line until I turned them often with power on the flipper so the sled would pivot off the skis biting and the rear end kicking out. Very cool and by tonight I knew enough what they would do so I could surf the mashed potatoe berms as I launched across the trail high enough to avoid the bumps at the inside of the corner. Highly recommend the full Bergstrom Tuner setup.

Will post more pics and specific impressions of various parts but very happy with the Nytro... Smile maker all the way.

 

[Nefarious]

You succinctly and thoroughly did your build well.
Shin Pond Village or Mount Chase is probably our favorite places to stay and it's a great staging area to head north or south depending on snow. Usually there, you are in the snow regardless of conditions south.
I'm "all in" with the C&A RZ and Agg. Snow Trackers. Going to tune again with the addition of the JRE spindles and skid kit. I'm going to make it work. I was close before my mishap. Here's to hoping we get a blizzard here in Maine before the end of the season. Don't be a stranger and I would like to link up and ogle your sled in real life. Be safe in Africa.

 

[Hooray!]

Thanks Nefarious, I tried to watch the bottom line while hitting all the maintenance items (I mean all) so I don't have to worry on the trail. I think my rebuild broke $2000 in parts after the starter but what a sled now for short dollars considering almost all wear parts are brand new... Amazing "last" weekend ride Day 1 from Shin Pond up to Portage (see track), then Day 2 in "The County" with Portage to Caribou to the border trail and around to Eagle Lake and back to Portage, then Day 3 return to Shin Pond via the Allagash via unmarked trails and maps and tracks (very cool) and rolling dirt roads only a handful had ridden before me and even was able to break 15 miles of trail as the sun shined through, really spectacular... Planned routes around grooming for TH, FR and SA nights to drive what was groomed the prior night in the AM. Good thing as trails did set up with 20's overnight but the sun was brutal by 10am the next morning. By end of day, mashed potato runs in sunny spots but learned how to surf the mashed on the outside of the corners darting to the inside to avoid the track spin generated bumps.

Will post a conclusion on all the items I did but have to make a major shout out to Bergstrom for an awesome Tuner ski setup, I mean awesome. I was in ten conditions from firm iced up groomed trails, to mashed potato berms to back country 6-8"powder breaking trail. EVERY condition, the Bergstrom set up was exactly as I learned to expect and trust. Entering soft afternoon corners at 50-55mph on the high side being able to trust the skis would bite and rocket me back to the inside was fantastic. Cruising down the trail at speed and opening things up when I had a clear shot and never, I mean never darting or pushing was a major reason I enjoyed the rides so much. How Bergstrom figured out the geometry to make them also be predictable in powder in spite of Tuner's tendency to push and dive in powder was nothing short of amazing. I think the ski savers extra 3/8" spacer under the triple point carbides and reversed shimmed rubbers all added up to a big : ) thanks to team Bergstrom.

Rockmeister's HIDs were nothing short of night and day on the trail, super clarity and no flicker, great job. I kept thinking about your sound system for my helmet as I ticked off the miles. My Yamaheaters also worked great too when called on, although this trip it was warm so the stock settings worked 90% of the time.

Also a shout out to Chris Schmidt at Schmidt Brothers racing. Every single SB part performed: the tunnel block off once again kept snow build up to a minimum, the front end steering bolt / pins and shim took all the play out of the steering, his rear end collars made the skid feel so coupled on bumps letting the Bergstrom ski setup shine while the air intake breathers created a symphony of sound at 75mph and when I went WOT on some of the two mile straights, just better and better sound with those carbs sucking air at 80, 85, 90mph... what a sound and likely what allowed the SB phase I clutch kit (smaller rollers, spring) to engage so smoothly down low yet get 103mph out at the top end. At those speeds, trail has to be super and skis have to work as expected, with zero darting and just crazy predictable feel the Bergstrom's made any one of my spur of the moment "plans" shine like it was a good idea!

More to come as I have time to post more pics and seat of the pants review, tracks below.

 

[Hooray!]

Broke starter down and was brushes. Will post pics, seems like $40 brush kit will fix it... Good to know as could have been summer project vs $300 (or $400) December repair.

 

[stephent59]

Wow. Just read the entire 11 pages of this and I want to go back and read it again for things I may have missed. Thank you for taking the time to do this! I definitely appreciate it. I'm putting my sled back together this weekend after my right stock spindle failed and I lost the ski at 45mph (somebody had welded the bottom of it back together). I went with JRE Sport Trail King spindles. Mark responded quickly to my questions and shipped the same day I paid. I received them from Washington state in four days and they look nice. He also includes an XTX skid kit free of charge. I'm about to wander out to the garage and throw them on. Hoping to salvage the season for a couple more rides, but looking out the window here in Augusta tells me we'll be riding in the county because the snow around here is almost non-existent.

Just out of curiosity how did your spindles fail? Do you have a pic? What do you think of the JRE ones? I'm thinking of looking into aftermarket ones next year as my whole front end needs a rebuild.

 

[Hooray!]

As near as I can figure out it was during one of two events when it happened. First was when going over a bridge that had only snow built up in the middle the width of the track and about 1.5' thick, skis were hanging in mid-air without steering ability when crossing the 40' span. I ended up catching the right ski on the far side once the trail restarted (ski hanging down and caught 1.5' flat rise at trail) and it tweaked the spindle. I did not even notice it then so alternatively is coming down off an ice covered rock face after another sled (who removed all the snow on the rock) I gently slid sideways, literally a 1 mph, and felt a "bump" on the side of my ski where I slid against another rock at the bottom of the ice covered rock face. Thinking that is when it happened and it was at just the right impact area to push the spindle in its weak direction. No mark on ski, no mark on spindle, just bent up about 1/2" as you can see in pics. I did not have time to review spindle options so bought a Yamaha version. Interested in the JREs but to be honest, with the Bergstrom Tuner ski combination, I am very happy with handling so wonder if the JREs will be worse or better...

 

[m.schuey7]

Hooray,
Were your spindles powder coated? I've read that you shouldn't powder coat stressed aluminum parts.

 

[Hooray!]

Hooray,
Were your spindles powder coated? I've read that you shouldn't powder coat stressed aluminum parts.

Yes as a matter of fact, I powder coated all the silver front end parts this year, A-arms and spindles. I have never heard that but I wonder if that had an impact. I purchased a 2013 spindle which came black from the factory.

 

[stephent59]

Interesting how that bent. I had assumed they would just crack. I'm interested in possibly trying different spindles, for the reason that they change the handling but also I feel mine may be compromised.

I slid off an icy trail into the trees in a corner and hit a tree hard enough with the left ski that it bent the subframe, lower left a arm, and just folded the ski right flat vertical against the spindle. If you look in the pic you can see how the carbide bolt is bent 45 degrees. I actually bent it back by pulling on the a arm and whailed another 500 miles on it without any serious issues, but it's bending back so it's done for the year.

 

[Hooray!]

That is a drag... Lucky it was not worse. The spindles seem tender but I guess hitting anything hard with that extended a arm setup is going tweak it. I am not sure if the spindle kits I read about were to address 2008 issues which our 2009+ Nytros don't have like a relaxed angle. I went for the 2013 black version on my right spindle and after inspecting my left I think it is slightly bent too... Maybe the powder coating did weaken them. I was pretty careful I thought. Not careful enough.

 

[stephent59]

Yeah I hadn't heard anything before about powder coating, but I will note that.

I can't really complain about the front ends being weak. The only real way to describe how I've ridden it for the last 5000km would just be abusive. If there's an opportunity for the skis to come up or the whole sled chances are it's airborne. Or just smashing through whoops sections at 60-90km really it probably should have bent earlier judging by what people say about these. Oh well lol