Are white slides a myth?

[YammyRX1]

I was out with another 03 RX-1 similar to mine on Saturday in warm weather (near the freezing mark), on hard packed trails and some roads. I have the Pioneer wheel lowering kit on a mono skid, he has a stock ProAction and we both have black sliders. I could smell burning plastic while riding behind him and he overheated after a short time with all lights on or blinking (mine didn't). And his sliders were past the wear line near the curve at the front after 500 miles and mine have very little wear after 800+ miles. I know my track is fairly loose too, not sure about his. I used to go through sliders in less than 300 miles, the wheel kit made a huge difference. Maybe the reduced friction also kept my motor from overheating too?

 

[Gone Blue]

Snow condition is still a big part of how slides wear. Although, I feel that a blue set of slides I tried one season didnt wear like black ones. I had Excell wheels and low snow wheels and only got 800 miles on a set of blue slides. I switched back to black slide and have close to 2,200 miles on them and they are still hanging in there.

G.B.

 

[09phazergtWI]

+1 on snow conditions having the greatest effect. I have the low-snow wheels on the front curve, had around 2200 mi. on standard Yamaha black slides and only about half-worn, rode 1 day with plenty of riding on hard-packed roads at 40-50+ MPH, probably smoked 3+mm off of them right there in just that one day. Replaced with new, have ridden only loose-pack since then and they haven't shown any evidence of wear whatsoever. Still nice and thick.

 

[Weapon X]

Lo-snow wheels actually work really well, and I also temper the sliders with a torch so they are shiny liquid almost ,then I stick them in the snow right away, and they seem to last past 1500 miles.

 

[Grimm]

After doing a bit of history on my sled (2011 Apex), I realize that I have now changed my sliders 3 times since new and they are due once again, ie. worn down to minimum wear limit. Here are the details:

Stock sliders replaced @ 850 km
Replaced with Stock sliders after 1150 km of running
Replaced with White Yamaha sliders after 5000 km of use
Replaced with Yamaha graphite sliders, which are now due after 800 km

Needless to say that I am a firm believer in and have ordered a set of white sliders, along with larger idler wheels. This will be the last time I change these wheels.

 

[YammyRX1]

Why not go with the Dupont sliders- what is the price difference?

 

[porkchop]

Why not go with the Dupont sliders- what is the price difference?

OEM sliders about $25ish/ set, just bought Dupont's for my Nytro, $120.
Excell 6 wheel kit too, the skid will roll across the garage floor smoothly, no slider drag.

As for wear on the Phazer,
I started out with the low snow wheel kit, didn't work for me + wheels bearings froze up so they were doing nothing (figure they are small and turning way more, no grease). Waste of $$$ IMO.
Switched to 4 Excell X wheels across the front and added 2 extra from a Polaris w/ mount brackets near the back, had even wear in the last 1500 miles of it's life.

My theory: bigger wheels- track off the sliders- less resistance/ wear = more miles.
To each their own though.

 

[nswsparky]

track tension has a lot to do with it too I put a new track on my old Polaris RMK got it a bit too tight too off for a ride smelled hot plastic turned around and went back went like 12 miles burned up 3/4 of the life off them. I run the track as loose as I can before it starts slipping. I also went with anti ratchet drives where I can run the track even looser it seems to free it up so much. Coasts so much nicer.

 

[Grimm]

I'm not buying more Yamaha derived products than I need to. I feel that they've designed their skids (all sleds) for the purpose of selling more wear items and their improved accessories, ie. Dupont sliders. If the skids were designed properly, the slides should average at least 5000km. Don't get me started on the idler wheels with the non replaceable bearings....bushings too. The larger idler wheels and the white sliders I've ordered are non-Yamaha products.

 

[equillibrium88]

Did you break them in first. I run white slides because I found that coloured slides crack over time. Apparently white is better since it is pure form Ultra High Molecular Weight plastic. All other colours are added as dyes.
With new sliders you must heat them up first and then quench them in the powder. In a way you are heat treating them. Plus you drove down a road with a passenger. There is no lubrication and a lot of weight on the track so IMO that alone would cause enough friction to melt the slides.
Some inboard wheel that sit on either side of the rear shock may help with wear, the wheels on the bellcrank could use oversizing too as they will wear faster if the track is studded down the middle and also provides more clearance in case the center shock mount rubs on the stud backs.

 

[Ding]

In my experience the Kimpex branded hyfax are inferior to the ones that Yamaha brands (obviously Yamaha doesn't make them either). The difference is quite significant IMO, but this is only based upon about 10 - 15 sets.

 

[Grimm]

I always break them in by running them hard and stopping for a few minutes and kicking snow onto the slides.

I haven't stuck my slides to the track in years, not since I had my Vector. I always know to never stop on a road with no snow. I'm always on the lookout for snow to dip in, afterall I'm on my third Yammy.

 

[yamahas]

I was out for a few minutes a couple days ago, me and my son. He was on his 120, and I had a passenger I was dropping off at house only 4 blocks away. We went to the field, then down a town street with our sleds, dropped the guy off, then...STUCK!!

My slides were sticking to the track. They are brand new, they are white. I thought white was supposed to be better? I have NEVER experienced this with stock black Yamaha slides before. And as mentioned, just ran about 2 blocks on a snow covered town road. Otherwise I was in a field. I have ran way less snow conditions than this with the blacks slides on, and have never had sticking.

No big deal, just curious if anyone else has had this happen?

If they are brand new the wheels are likely not taking enough of the weight yet.

 

[porkchop]

Some inboard wheel that sit on either side of the rear shock may help with wear, the wheels on the bellcrank could use oversizing too as they will wear faster if the track is studded down the middle and also provides more clearance in case the center shock mount rubs on the stud backs.

Added rear wheels on mine

 

[Ruggybuggy]

Some inboard wheel that sit on either side of the rear shock may help with wear, the wheels on the bellcrank could use oversizing too as they will wear faster if the track is studded down the middle and also provides more clearance in case the center shock mount rubs on the stud backs.

Added rear wheels on mine

Now on mine, took of the Polaris idlers and install the excell wheels, work very well. I'll take a picture and post.