jwalker2020
Newbie
I bought our first snowmobile a few weeks back. It's
an '05 Rage. What a blast, at least until:
We got 2 feet of snow up here in NH last week. Saturday was amazing. A
winter wonderland. When I went down to the lake a took a path down
the bank in the morning. At the end of an amazing day,
I took the same path back up the bank. Little did I know that
it was a one way trip. Crunch on a buried rock.
The steering locked up on me. It was dark by then, so I left the sled
for the next day. When I went down to look at it, I was hoping to
find just a bent control arm or something simple. When I looked
under it, the bulkhead casting was cracked and it was leaking oil.
I brought it to the dealer and he gave me an estimate of $3800.
The sled has 200 miles on it. Kind of a tough introduction to the
sport. It looks like the parts won't be available in time for this season.
My question to you folks is, what do you end up breaking on these RS
sleds? It seems like it was awfully fragile. Did I just have really
bad luck or do these things break a lot?
Here's a picture. You can see where the rock hit the lower wishbone
and where the bulkhead casting is split open.
(I had trouble posting an image, so I used a URL)
http://users.adelphia.net/~jwalker2020/crunch/P1010029.jpg
an '05 Rage. What a blast, at least until:
We got 2 feet of snow up here in NH last week. Saturday was amazing. A
winter wonderland. When I went down to the lake a took a path down
the bank in the morning. At the end of an amazing day,
I took the same path back up the bank. Little did I know that
it was a one way trip. Crunch on a buried rock.
The steering locked up on me. It was dark by then, so I left the sled
for the next day. When I went down to look at it, I was hoping to
find just a bent control arm or something simple. When I looked
under it, the bulkhead casting was cracked and it was leaking oil.
I brought it to the dealer and he gave me an estimate of $3800.
The sled has 200 miles on it. Kind of a tough introduction to the
sport. It looks like the parts won't be available in time for this season.
My question to you folks is, what do you end up breaking on these RS
sleds? It seems like it was awfully fragile. Did I just have really
bad luck or do these things break a lot?
Here's a picture. You can see where the rock hit the lower wishbone
and where the bulkhead casting is split open.
(I had trouble posting an image, so I used a URL)
http://users.adelphia.net/~jwalker2020/crunch/P1010029.jpg
team_yamaha
Veteran
Uhhh, its a snowmobile not a ATV. :ORC
If you hit a rock that size it doesn't matter what name is on the side of it.
If you hit a rock that size it doesn't matter what name is on the side of it.
BigMac
Expert
jwalker2020 said:
LOL....fragile. Heh...that's a major accident. Sorry for your bad luck.
Snowmobiles will all break if you hit a stationary object as hard as you hit that one. Experience will ultimately give you a better sense of what's under the snow and help you avoid this kind of disaster in the future.
Oak Hill
VIP Member
You diffinetly hit that rock hard to do that kind of damage. Snowmobiles are pretty tough, but when hitting rocks and/or stumps you will break them. Good Luck! 
MR.HAPPY
TY 4 Stroke Master
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2003
- Messages
- 1,159
- Location
- GREAT NORTH OF... ILLINOIS?
- Country
- USA
- Snowmobile
- YAMAHA
INSURANCE AT WORK!!!
GOOD LUCK!
BR
GOOD LUCK!
BR
Bakemono
TY 4 Stroke Guru
Be glad it wasnt a REV, the entire sled would have been totalled because not only would have cracked the bulkhead, you would have bent the tunnel too (Ive seen it on far too may REVs that hit culverts).
Any sled would have suffered the same fate in that instance...
Hebi
Any sled would have suffered the same fate in that instance...
Hebi
Tabor Rider 973
Extreme
Looks like a skid plate may have helped. Maybe put one on the next sled!Sorry for the bad intro to the new sled!
impalapower
TY 4 Stroke God
Its no fun wrecking stuff, especially since its new. Look at it this way, nobody got hurt.
Got ya beat!!!! 05RX!ER, 496mi, $6400 damage, at 5 feet, no sign of damage till you look real close. both left a arms bowed (no dents or chips in paint, cracks, ect. sucked something up the track, ripped to shreds, trashed the front heat exchanger, and trashed the tunnel (rips).
Mild deal, saw a swail ahead and braked to slow down. The track locks up, this hs happened before so I think the pads are fused to the rotor again. I slide kinda sideways into the swail and I glance off into a diversion ditch (3' deep snow). Stuck, I give it all it's got to get out, track breaks free and after some struggle i'm on the trail. I continue on the ride home and the red temp light goes on, I look back and neon green snow... I call for help and load it up. I spend the next 2 days working on the Vmax500 my daughters friend trashed earlier that morning, Mine looks like a quick fix. When I start on it, I am shocked to find all the damage. Out till next year.
Mild deal, saw a swail ahead and braked to slow down. The track locks up, this hs happened before so I think the pads are fused to the rotor again. I slide kinda sideways into the swail and I glance off into a diversion ditch (3' deep snow). Stuck, I give it all it's got to get out, track breaks free and after some struggle i'm on the trail. I continue on the ride home and the red temp light goes on, I look back and neon green snow... I call for help and load it up. I spend the next 2 days working on the Vmax500 my daughters friend trashed earlier that morning, Mine looks like a quick fix. When I start on it, I am shocked to find all the damage. Out till next year.
LazyBastard
TY 4 Stroke God
That is a real bad-luck hit. I notice that you hit the rock exactly at the wrong point on the lower A-arm (where it is absolutely the strongest). 4 or 5 inches further out and the arm would have crumpled.
I don't know where $3800 comes from. Seems kinda steep. From what I can see, all it needs is a new bulkhead and swaybar. The A-arms look like they can be saved (put a little body filler, nobody will ever know).
I don't know where $3800 comes from. Seems kinda steep. From what I can see, all it needs is a new bulkhead and swaybar. The A-arms look like they can be saved (put a little body filler, nobody will ever know).
jwalker2020
Newbie
Skidplate recommendations
Thanks for the feedback! Your responses have helped ease the
pain a bit!
Someone mentioned that a skid plate may have helped avoid
the damage. Do you folks have any recommendations for skidplates?
BTW: I picked up a used Vector this weekend with 250 miles on
it. My wife and I are already fighting over who gets to ride it until
the Rage is fixed!
05 Rage (Well, 1/2 of one until it is fixed)
05 Vector ER
01 Skidoo 380F (Son's sled)
Thanks for the feedback! Your responses have helped ease the
pain a bit!
Someone mentioned that a skid plate may have helped avoid
the damage. Do you folks have any recommendations for skidplates?
BTW: I picked up a used Vector this weekend with 250 miles on
it. My wife and I are already fighting over who gets to ride it until
the Rage is fixed!
05 Rage (Well, 1/2 of one until it is fixed)
05 Vector ER
01 Skidoo 380F (Son's sled)
Tfin
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
What got cracked or broke so that its leaking the engine oil?
You can get full coverage skid plates through your dealer.
You can get full coverage skid plates through your dealer.
jwalker2020
Newbie
Skid plates and oil leak
I haven't asked about the leak, yet. When I find out more, I'll post.
As for the skidplates, is this what you mean?
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/accessories/acscitemdetail/2/14/428/5/1783/11677/All/1/1075/detail.aspx
It doesn't look like it would protect the arms, but I'm willing to invest
the $100 per sled to keep from trashing other stuff under there!
Can you tell that I am paranoid, now?
I haven't asked about the leak, yet. When I find out more, I'll post.
As for the skidplates, is this what you mean?
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/accessories/acscitemdetail/2/14/428/5/1783/11677/All/1/1075/detail.aspx
It doesn't look like it would protect the arms, but I'm willing to invest
the $100 per sled to keep from trashing other stuff under there!
Can you tell that I am paranoid, now?
Tfin
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Yes, that's the one I'm talking about....and you're right, it woun't protect the arms. I'm not even sure if there's anything out there that would protect the arms from the type of hit you took.
They are vunerable, but I guess you've just got to use caution in untracked snow. You must of just missed the rock on your way down, and simply been in the wrong track on your way up.
They are vunerable, but I guess you've just got to use caution in untracked snow. You must of just missed the rock on your way down, and simply been in the wrong track on your way up.
jwalker2020
Newbie
Oil Leak
I got the sled back today. Yay!
The oil leak was from the bulkhead pushing back some steering
bits into the oil pan. It actually poked a couple of holes in the oil pan.
The pile of parts that they had to replace was amazing. It wasn't
just the bulkhead. It was also the next big thing back from
that. I can find part numbers, if anyone is interested.
I got the sled back today. Yay!
The oil leak was from the bulkhead pushing back some steering
bits into the oil pan. It actually poked a couple of holes in the oil pan.
The pile of parts that they had to replace was amazing. It wasn't
just the bulkhead. It was also the next big thing back from
that. I can find part numbers, if anyone is interested.
