Dupont or Cat Vespel Slides??

[Fleecer]

Arctic Cat now sells Vespel Slides for $120/pair. Part # 440-09105

Are these better than the Dupont slides we've been using for years at $175/pair? Part # SMA-8JPDP-SS-00

Is there a reason to NOT go with ones from cat that are cheaper?

It appears the inserts in the Cat slides are at a 60 degree angle vs the Yamaha DuPont's, which are at a 45 degree angle. It would appear there are less inserts if they are at 60 degrees? Has anyone counted or compared the difference?

Which will be less restrictive and faster? Anyone do any testing between the 2?

 

[GR8BBQ]

Check that price on 440-09105 at Country Cat again.... It looked to me that the price was EACH, sold in a pack of two, so $240 per pair, not $120.

 

[KnappAttack]

I read an article somewhere that Cat hired the engineer that invented the vespels at Yamaha and he improved them with Cats new offerings. I don't remember why they would be better however, but there was more than one thing that made the newest cat ones better. I'll do some digging and see if I can find the article. I believe it was on ArcticInsider.

Yep, here is where I read it. https://www.arcticinsider.com/inside-qa-arctic-cat-launches-high-tech-tiger-wear-strips/


For what it's worth, I've never found any sliders to be better than another until they get up in temps and start to drag, when switching to Vespels I found no decrease in ET or speed increase just because of the switch. So really the only improvement I've found is if you didn't have lubrication for normal slides, they will drag and wear quickly, if running on good snow, stock sliders are just as good and will last forever too, but any amount of running in low snow, low lubrication, or dirt running will wear a stock slider much more quickly. Thats where the overpriced vessel type sliders perform better is when run hot or in low snow/lubrication conditions.

 

[RAMSOMAIR]

And that is pretty much all the time now haha

 

[Turboflash]

Arctic Cat now sells Vespel Slides for $120/pair. Part # 440-09105

Are these better than the Dupont slides we've been using for years at $175/pair? Part # SMA-8JPDP-SS-00

Is there a reason to NOT go with ones from cat that are cheaper?

It appears the inserts in the Cat slides are at a 60 degree angle vs the Yamaha DuPont's, which are at a 45 degree angle. It would appear there are less inserts if they are at 60 degrees? Has anyone counted or compared the difference?

Which will be less restrictive and faster? Anyone do any testing between the 2?

Country Cat site shows p/n 440-09105 as superceded to 6639-448. And, Cat calls their own slides Tiger Slides. Cat does still sell Vespel brand. Tiger Slides show priced at $120 per slide! 8639-422

 

[biffdotorg]

I think a clarification in terminology is needed here.

Dupont does not make sliders
Vespel is a patented brand of the insert material owned and made by Dupont. Manufacturers of sliders purchase the material for their MFG process. So anyone selling a slider with Vespel inserts is purchasing the material from Dupont.

This "inventor" of vespel in the article must have worked for Dupont and is now creating a Vespel like material and working with/for AC to produce a new slider and avoid the expensive Dupont licensing of Vespel.

We have called these Vespel sliders, or Dupont sliders for years since release, but honestly, we were buying them from the Sled MFG. There was no competitive product (until now) so we all knew what we were referring to. It will be interesting if this inventor gets any pushback from Dupont on patent infringement or maybe he is working well outside of his non-compete agreement and has started from scratch.

 

[Fleecer]

Check that price on 440-09105 at Country Cat again.... It looked to me that the price was EACH, sold in a pack of two, so $240 per pair, not $120.
View attachment 176021

GR8BBQ......You are correct on the price. Local Cat dealer needs $160 each or $320/pair plus tax for the Tiger slides, which are white/black. Not sure I'm crazy about this color scheme?

Yamaha dealer is $84 each or $168/pair plus tax for the older all black ones. Looks like this is the better option.

 

[Paystar]

GR8BBQ......You are correct on the price. Local Cat dealer needs $160 each or $320/pair plus tax for the Tiger slides, which are white/black. Not sure I'm crazy about this color scheme?

Yamaha dealer is $84 each or $168/pair plus tax for the older all black ones. Looks like this is the better option.

Arctic Cat now sells Vespel Slides for $120/pair. Part # 440-09105

Are these better than the Dupont slides we've been using for years at $175/pair? Part # SMA-8JPDP-SS-00

Is there a reason to NOT go with ones from cat that are cheaper?

It appears the inserts in the Cat slides are at a 60 degree angle vs the Yamaha DuPont's, which are at a 45 degree angle. It would appear there are less inserts if they are at 60 degrees? Has anyone counted or compared the difference?

Which will be less restrictive and faster? Anyone do any testing between the 2?

Glen,

I ran the tiger slides this year. There is more vespel compared to the DuPont but I didn’t not notice any different at all. The slides themselves are a bit less material. (Not as box like) as the duponts. If I could go back in time I would have saved my money and got duponts again. But what do I know? I’m no king!

 

[Fleecer]

Glen,

I ran the tiger slides this year. There is more vespel compared to the DuPont but I didn’t not notice any different at all. The slides themselves are a bit less material. (Not as box like) as the duponts. If I could go back in time I would have saved my money and got duponts again. But what do I know? I’m no king!

Haha......thanks for the info!!

 

[acpantera]

I was going to get the new tiger slides, but I found the Yamaha vespel at the Big East sled show last fall for $125 for the pair. Smoking deal for these days.

 

[Upstater57]

The low snow conditions we have seen during the past few years is not friendly to the Vespel. I ate a pair 3 seasons ago within a few hundred miles of use of the old faithful slides.

Many years ago, I recall reading in the Yamaha race manual ( 1976 or 77 ) drilling small 1/8 holes about 1/8 inch deep in the hyfax to capture some snow in the holes for better lubrication. I remember doing this on my 76' SRX.

For many years, in the 80's, 90's, and 00's, I ran the hyfax through my table saw and cut a groove about 1/8 inch deep the length of the hyfax to do the same thing as drilling all the holes. I even tried two grooves verses one groove. IMO, I think they did last a little longer in low snow conditions with the grooves. One or two grooves made no difference.

 

[darv]

just to let you guys know the guy who designed the yamaha slides is the same guy who designed the new cat slides.

 

[Yamifan]

2500 miles on our oem slides and still had .110 left before the wear line at the most worn point. I slapped oem right back on both sleds. 1.25" lug tracks. No scratchers.

 

[Simplespeed]

I suspect running a real tight track a graphite slider such as tiger sliders or DuPonts may have some merit in low lube conditions or high speeds on ice.. I could never measure any gains over the years… but the main thing was they never hurt my results either.. Were they worth the money spent , not really but who cares about money in this sport… lol. All in a day of fun… In the case of getting that last little bit out of a finely tuned Sidewinder running 150 mph they won’t hinder your results…. I say step on up and lay down that cash , can’t take it with you ….

 

[Upstater57]

I suspect running a real tight track a graphite slider such as tiger sliders or DuPonts may have some merit in low lube conditions or high speeds on ice.. I could never measure any gains over the years… but the main thing was they never hurt my results either.. Were they worth the money spent , not really but who cares about money in this sport… lol. All in a day of fun… In the case of getting that last little bit out of a finely tuned Sidewinder running 150 mph they won’t hinder your results…. I say step on up and lay down that cash , can’t take it with you ….

Very true words. I have wasted far more cash on items with less value than vespel slides. Way cheaper than booze and strippers. LOL