Dupont slide owners, something to watch out for

[Sasquatch]

2,300 miles on the Duponts. Clips show no signs of wear!

I think I should add! I am running the stock (2011 XTX) wheels that when the sled is on the concrete floor you can turn the idler wheels. The sled is sitting on the sliders not the wheels. I do not have low sno wheels anywhere on the skid. I have hardly any wear at all at the bend.

When I installed the Duponts I could fit a 19mm wrench over the slide with a bit of play(not sure where the 20mm comes from). Now after 2,300 miles I can fit a 17mm wrench with a bit of play. This is only half way from the front outside idler to the last idler on the XTX skid. There is a bit more wear at the last idler where there is no Vespel but still more then 15mm left. Might be 16mm there I do not have a 16mm wrench!

By this I would think I have worn about 2mm or so of the Vespel away. As a I am a very Large person with a very large sled and have hit past 100mph numerous times. Plus I have ran on trails and roads where many where going off trail or hitting the snowbanks with the smell of melting hyfax strong in my nostrils I have to say I'm impressed.

If I can get 3,000 miles out of a set when everyone else with 2011 Apex XTX's can hardly get 500 then I,m a happy camper! One more trip this year and I should have 2,500 miles on them. I'll measure them again then. I have not got that kind of slider wear out anything since My Cat.

One thing for sure new Duponts ordered for next year!

 

[cannondale27]

I have a fully clipped 1.5" Freeride and clips just look polished.No wear.Havent measured Duponts but still just wear on outside corners.I cannot see any wear elsewhere.About 2000mi or more.

 

[slimjim2525]

4,200 miles on my dupont slides this year. Still in good condition. Mostly good conditions, but have run on some dirt. I'm very impressed. Stock wheels on an 11 Apex 128.

 

[Apex Dave]

I just put a set on my XTX and have about 400 miles on them. I can see a little where on them already! I have been riding in the UP of Michigan and the trails have been the best I have seen in almost 20 years of riding there. Which leads me to my observation. I think the trails are almost to good and for Yammie riders we need snow to get into the undercarriage or the heat gets to be to much. Scratchers would help as the slides need lubrication. When the trails have been gone over a few times they get roughed up a bit and it is better for the slides.
That is my theory anyways! Other sleds have heat exchangers above the slides and they get grat wear out of the slides. My old Polaris seemed like the lasted for a very long time.

 

[Blue Dave]

If you are saying that the trails were smooth but rock hard then yes, that is bad news for Yamaha slide wear! Scratchers are really needed on hardpack for both slide lubrication and engine cooling on the Apex.

Where the heat exchangers are located has alot to do with engine cooling and not so much to do with slide wear IMO.

 

[ess]

Keep a CLOSE eye on your Dupont slides. I was up on the first Muni ride earlier this month(sun through tues) and checked them out and they looked great, 2 days later and a 150 ish miles they were shot and wore into my rail. Hers the problem, the dupont part is nice and hard and wears great but it is only so deep. Once it wears thin enough it comes out and the plastic its set in is incredibly soft and wears very fast without the Dupont.

I have never in my 250000 miles on Yamaha 4 stokes worn a set of slides down to the rails in the area under the middle of the suspension. I did have wheels up front in the bend so thats why not much wear at the bend. The slides would be great if the Dupont went all the way through them or at very least if the main part was a tougher plastic.

Personally I have had the best luck with Renagade slides and thats what I went back to. I typically get 3500 to 4000 miles out of those. I did pickup 1/2 mpg with the Duponts though.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why one slider wears more than the other? My track is aligned to about 1/8" and the tension is on the looser side. I continue to wear out the right slider first. My buddies always seem to wear more on the left side. Both of us have larger wheels and the small idlers up on the curve. Trail conditions have been excellent. I have 2000m on them with the left looking new and the right side is almost to aluminum.

 

[sleddog66]

my yami wears faster on the right side.....weird. It also always pulls right on a drag race. Must be the torque in the driveline just goes that way on these sleds.?????

 

[Sasquatch]

2,600 miles on the Duponts now! They are still holding in there. Ran lots of gravel today. Spring sucks! I,m looking at adding the larger wheels on the back and a set of marginal snow wheels just ahead of them. Its the only place I have any wear. I'm leaning towards the thought that if the Vespal went to the back idler on the XTX there would be less wear because of more vespal to bear the weight. Just 3 or 4 more inches down the slider would get you to the idler!

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

So it sounds like you did good on the miles just didn't catch them in time?? I agree with no wear line, you better watch them close. I would not just toss them on and never look back.

ABSOULTLY...NOTHING LAST 4 EVER.


have been averaging around 285 miles per trip out with a 350 trip and they haven't moved yet. I look every time out as I HATE NO WEAR LINE MARK. But i sure do love these sliders so far....WAY WAY BETTER than anything else i've had on any Yamaha.

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

2,600 miles on the Duponts now! They are still holding in there. Ran lots of gravel today. Spring sucks! I,m looking at adding the larger wheels on the back and a set of marginal snow wheels just ahead of them. Its the only place I have any wear. I'm leaning towards the thought that if the Vespal went to the back idler on the XTX there would be less wear because of more vespal to bear the weight. Just 3 or 4 more inches down the slider would get you to the idler!

ABSOLUTELY..A Little More Vespal would be nice right out to the end, those run right out to the end on those XTX's without cutting them...right???

Your a BIG GUY, on a BIG SLED.....2,600 Miles on your Duponts is SWEET as you still have sliders left. I normally get a season out of a set of sliders....with these maybe two?

 

[Sasquatch]

2,600 miles on the Duponts now! They are still holding in there. Ran lots of gravel today. Spring sucks! I,m looking at adding the larger wheels on the back and a set of marginal snow wheels just ahead of them. Its the only place I have any wear. I'm leaning towards the thought that if the Vespal went to the back idler on the XTX there would be less wear because of more vespal to bear the weight. Just 3 or 4 more inches down the slider would get you to the idler!

ABSOLUTELY..A Little More Vespal would be nice right out to the end, those run right out to the end on those XTX's without cutting them...right???

Your a BIG GUY, on a BIG SLED.....2,600 Miles on your Duponts is SWEET as you still have sliders left. I normally get a season out of a set of sliders....with these maybe two?

The sliders fit the XTX without cutting. The vespal ends juist before the last idler. The rear idler is where the rails tip up so the rear idler is basicly the rear axle in a sense! The vespel ends a few inches before that idler and that is where there is the most wear even on the vespal inserts is in that area. The wear starts just past the idler before it and increases all the way to the rear idler. Under the rear idler has lots of wear.

 

[Sasquatch]

Ok as an update I now have 2,800 miles on the slides with the last 450 to 500 being in very poor rock hard in the morning, sugar in the afternoon trails with a few miles of gravel roads (more like mud in places but not a hint of snow to run on) thrown in for good measure. Bad for sliders.

I am now at 17mm thickness for the whole slider till till just past the second last where it tapers off till the 17mm is very loose at the end of the vespal just ahead of the last ldler. 15mm from there back to just past the last idler. 15mm is loose near or under the last idler. I'd say I lost a mm in that 500 miles where I lost less then 2mm in 2,000.

I'm probable done for riding this year at this point but I'm sure 3,000 plus miles is attainable. I'll run the slides next year till just before my next season of trips start (hopefully with the TY in Manitoba) then on with a new set of Duponts.

I'm going to put a larger set of rear idlers on and maybe marginal snow wheels at the back just where the vespal ends. I have little or no use for them (Small wheels) as everyone I have rode with that has them has broken and or lost them. Lets just say I'm not a fan so I'm hesitant to add holes in the skid rails and give another point to crack for something that won't last!

 

[Irv]

Ok as an update I now have 2,800 miles on the slides with the last 450 to 500 being in very poor rock hard in the morning, sugar in the afternoon trails with a few miles of gravel roads (more like mud in places but not a hint of snow to run on) thrown in for good measure. Bad for sliders.

I am now at 17mm thickness for the whole slider till till just past the second last where it tapers off till the 17mm is very loose at the end of the vespal just ahead of the last ldler. 15mm from there back to just past the last idler. 15mm is loose near or under the last idler. I'd say I lost a mm in that 500 miles where I lost less then 2mm in 2,000.

I'm probable done for riding this year at this point but I'm sure 3,000 plus miles is attainable. I'll run the slides next year till just before my next season of trips start (hopefully with the TY in Manitoba) then on with a new set of Duponts.

I'm going to put a larger set of rear idlers on and maybe marginal snow wheels at the back just where the vespal ends. I have little or no use for them (Small wheels) as everyone I have rode with that has them has broken and or lost them. Lets just say I'm not a fan so I'm hesitant to add holes in the skid rails and give another point to crack for something that won't last!

I have great luck with mine so far. I added them 3yrs ago, and granted I don't have a lot of miles on them, but they haven't given me a lick of trouble yet.
When I added them I ensured everything was real clean before adding the Loc-Tite and made sure the whole thread was covered.
I tightened them by hand real tight too (didn't go by any torque recommendation) and so far so good.

 

[Sasquatch]

The ones in front Irv are not the problem its when you put them at the rear of the skid they seem to get hit and the bolts either bend or break right off. Right bettween the rubber bump stops and the rear idler is where they are needed.

 

[darv]

Sasquatch if you buy the one that comes with the extra braces they work very well in that area like the one they recommend for the 136 you will have to cut a little off the main brk that the wheel mounts too. They will give you more support for that extra wheel if need I can post the part #.