Can't believe how off The factory ski tow was off!!

yzf1999

yzf1999

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Bloomington, Illinois
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Snowmobile
2015 Yamaha SR Viper LTX SE
I put a set of C&A Pro Razors on my sled earlier this spring and today I decided to check the alignment...Holly cow they were way off... Seems the factory (or the shop I bought it from) had the tow in instead of out. I disconnected the steering arms, aligned the left ski parallel with the track and towed out the right ski 3/8th of an inch as per C&A's instructions...Funny thing is that it didn't handle too bad with the factory skis and tow settings..lol
 
I checked mine 2015 when I changed carbides and was good. You may have just gotten a bad day. Glad you caught it and fixed it.
 
When I picked it up Last October they were fork lifting it to my truck and I noticed they had both carbides on one ski on both blank wear bars on the other ski...I made them do it right
 
yzf1999 said:
When I picked it up Last October they were fork lifting it to my truck and I noticed they had both carbides on one ski on both blank wear bars on the other ski...I made them do it right
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WOW that is a confidence builder for you.

I hope the owner or at least manager was made aware and were at least kind and apologetic, may be a free hat?
 
No I didn't say anything...I just told the kid the carbide goes to the inside and the ware bar on the outside on each ski. Hopefully he does it right for the next guy.
 
Wow your a great customer. Good job take the high road.

Did you change them or did they?
 
The guy took the sled back into the shop and put them on right then brought it back out to the truck..
 
yzf1999 said:
I disconnected the steering arms,
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That's not how you are supposed to do it. There is a jam nut and another adjuster under the boot in the center of the sled. If you pull the boot back and loosen the jam nut in there then do that on the outside of the arms you just spin the arms one way or the other to adjust the toe. No need to disconnect them from the spindle. They are reverse threaded on one side.
 
It might not be the "right" way but it is the easiest way and does the exact same thing
 
yzf1999 said:
The guy took the sled back into the shop and put them on right then brought it back out to the truck..
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Glad to hear it was done right
 
yzf1999 said:
It might not be the "right" way but it is the easiest way and does the exact same thing
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Not exactly.

Now in this case it might not matter but it does for correct steering geometry. We used to deliberately shorten one arm and lengthen the other on stock cars to change the Ackerman steering. Now once again sled steering is so sloppy the amount of Ackerman you may introduce by having different length tie rods may not be noticeable, but be aware it does exist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_steering_geometry
 
stingray719 said:
Not exactly.

Now in this case it might not matter but it does for correct steering geometry. We used to deliberately shorten one arm and lengthen the other on stock cars to change the Ackerman steering. Now once again sled steering is so sloppy the amount of Ackerman you may introduce by having different length tie rods may not be noticeable, but be aware it does exist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_steering_geometry
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Interesting read.

I love how we have many people on this site interested in the engineering / science of the sled and desired operation, be it steering , clutching, traction ,suspension combustion etc. It makes it so interesting and informative!

Helps us to sort out good from trendy but ineffective ideas.

Thanks
Yamadoo
 
yamadoo said:
Interesting read.

I love how we have many people on this site interested in the engineering / science of the sled and desired operation, be it steering , clutching, traction ,suspension combustion etc. It makes it so interesting and informative!

Helps us to sort out good from trendy but ineffective ideas.

Thanks
Yamadoo
Click to expand...

When the guys I raced with first saw me taking tie rods and screwing one side all the way in and one side all the way out they just looked at me funny. Later when I would pass them 3 wide in the corners (short track sharp corners) they started asking questions....lol.

Yep, most engineering principles apply to sleds just sometimes in a different way.
 
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