Apex: Track/Hyfax clearance. Hows this look?

[RacerDave]

Weight of the track only. 1 1/4 to 1 5/16 clearance. No studs. No ratcheting last year. 10mm wrench is about 1/8 inch from fitting onto slides at most worn point. 700 miles. I will start the year with fresh slides, and a studded track. Is this much clearance usually good?

 

[studdog]

Can't tell for sure, but those slides look too good to replace yet. Unless their worn some place esle. They usuallly wear at the front wheel first and then wear levels out. As far a track tensions goes losser is better as long as you don't rachet. My 2 cents.

 

[RacerDave]

I agree on the looser is better, just wondering what most guys get away with on clearance?

 

[studdog]

Your pictures looks plenty loose to me. I assume that's a short track. I run my Attak about .75 to 1.0 inch of free shag like your pic. Most dealers set them up to tight in anticipation of track stretch. Then riders burn up their hyfax in first few hundred miles.

 

[KnappAttack]

That will ratchet when you stud it cause it will be hooking up and not spinning. Its too loose for studded track. Tighter is faster. The track baloons into the tunnel protectors at speed and will slow you down. Be prepared to loose speed when you stud it due to the extra weight you'll be slinging around.

 

[fatchance]

As loose as you can go before ratcheting. Two years of $#!++% conditions on the Attak ... thousands of miles, many times wide open accross the lake and no problems. Less resistance better economy.
One mans opinion.

 

[RacerDave]

That will ratchet when you stud it cause it will be hooking up and not spinning. Its too loose for studded track. Tighter is faster. The track baloons into the tunnel protectors at speed and will slow you down. Be prepared to loose speed when you stud it due to the extra weight you'll be slinging around.

Attack, Really? I've run my studded Poo's for years with that much clearance and never ratcheted. I'm talking about trail studding, not ice pics. Are Yam's that sensitve to track clearance? The balloning / rubbing the protectors and loosing speed makes sense.

 

[1CrazySledder]

I usually run my track where the inside drive lugs are just about .5" below the slides. That worked well for me the past few years. The only time I ever needed to replace my slides was when I drove many miles in minimal snow.

I almost want to say you are to loose.

-1CS

 

[KnappAttack]

Polaris and Cat are very different as they tighten the track when suspension squats. The Yamaha and Ski-Doo loosens. Also Polaris and Cat have allot of clearance in the tunnel, Yamaha does not. Tighter is faster only to a certain point. Beyond tight, is just too tight for slower speeds. Most of the Yamaha's I see run too loose for max top speed. They do it to try to eliminate hi fax issues at slower speeds. It is really a compromise in a Yamaha. Tight track for high speed is very tight at slower speeds and tends to eat the hi-fax with low snow conditions. Cat and Polaris have the superior suspensions in my eyes, the torque sensing link on rear scissors is lacking on the Yamaha and Ski-Doo, it is the key for making the track tighten when it squats. If looser is faster, I wonder why I ran all my race sleds fiddle string tight! Tight is fast until you start sticking slides, does that make sense guys? Sticking slides will slow any sled down. Just don't run that tight on a trail sled.

 

[RacerDave]

Mike, thanks for you insight. I know one Apex owner that went through hyfax like crazy. His was a 06 RTX which has the same skid as my 07 ER. He did have a lot of wheel delam problems. He also came over from Poo. So from what you say, if I was to spend a day on the lake racing, should I tighten my track to maybe factory specs with the hanging weight, and for trail riding and hyfax life loosen it back up to somewhere near what I show above? I hate to keep referring to Poo's but its what I know. Poo oem hyfax was the best I ran. What is the best on a Apex? Again, thanks for all you advice. RR

 

[KnappAttack]

Testing for the days conditions with radar or timing lights is the only way to confirm that. With my experience drag racing and speed running I have always gone faster and quicker with a tight track. When you rev it on the stand it should not grow away from the rails by more than 1.5 inches with a tied to the ground suspension setup. I always got a kick out of the guys that believed loose was fast. You'd see their tracks balloon away from the rails about 6 inches. They were never ever in the hunt.