hyfax wear theory?

[grizztracks]

I was just out in the garage checking my sled over (no snow so I'm bored). I've been reading posts stating how the hyfax wears quickly at first but then seems to stabilize. I've noticed the same which got me thinking, why? There have been several post that suggest doing a break in heat cycle which I believe has some merit and certainly can't hurt. I believe that the wear slows due to the aluminum rails. Aluminum dissipates heat very well so it acts as a heat sink for the hyfax. As the slides wear the heat is pulled away more efficiently by the rail.

Just a thought, I need snow to clear my mind.

 

[rrxx-1]

More rail pressure when the slides are new and thicker, more pressure put on wheels as slides get thinner...........

 

[Daranello]

mine wore in -40 weather....it was cold

 

[towerrigger]

The reason they wear so quick in the first few miles is that the wheels have not begun to touch the track when a new set of sliders is put on. Try this out next time you have your skid out changing the sliders. Before you pull the old sliders off roll the skid on a flat surface, like your garage floor, notice how freely it rolls with out a noise of the sliders touching concrete. Now throw the new sliders on and try rolling it across again, the sliders touch the concrete before the wheels do. They wear fast until the the wheels can start relieving pressure.

 

[Turk]

The wheels in the skid start making good contact with the hyfax near the end of it,s life. Riding in good snow just prolongs the enivitable as 5-6 miles of bad/low snow can take em down to the wear line.

 

[grizztracks]

I agree the wheels take more of the pressure as the sliders wear but mine wore more from the middle to rear which has no wheels. I can't comment on the -40 degree conditions because it never gets that cold here and if it did I think I'd stay home. What's the wind chill at 65 m/hr in -40 weather (that's cold!). I've got close to 2000 miles on this set and looking for replacements. OEM or aftermarket? any suggestions?

I don't ride on flat concrete trails so the pressure constantly is changing.

 

[grizztracks]

do the mountain sleds which spend most of the time in powder see the same initial wear?

 

[Sled Dog]

do the mountain sleds which spend most of the time in powder see the same initial wear?

Mine sure does and then just stops like magic. I too believe it is because the rails act like a heat sink taking the heat from the now thinner plastic hyfax. Plastic retains heat rather well so when its thick the heat stays in the hyfax. The plastic then heats up and you get wear fast wear until the hyfax wear nearer to the rail. The thinner hyfax now transfers the heat to aluminum rail which is a great heat conductor as long as the heat is transferred to the rail the hyfax stays cool and the wear stops.

 

[Turk]

Mountain guys use ice scratchers going up & down the mountain. Those conditions can be brutal.

 

[woolyviper]

I think the slides vary as well. I've had sets last 1500 miles and the next set barely makes 600 miles. I'm going to try som UHMW slides next time around. New sled is going to get the 5.25 polaris wheels as well.

 

[Smelter]

I hve 1600 km on my nytro and the slides show no signs on excessive wear.
Then again I was very aware from mile one about the slides. I would always hit some powder when on th trail.
I only smelled the slides burn twice.
I think once you have some miles and proper breakin the slides work alright.

 

[Grimm]

The larger wheels are the cure.

 

[grizztracks]

My nytro rtx sliders show wear behind the front wheels mostly the last 1/4 of the rail. I just replaced my 05 vector sliders after almost 4000 miles. They wore out in the front ( about 6-10" behind the bend). The wheel and rail setup are about the same so why the difference? Is it the suspension setup; more or less preload on the center shock or track tension? Both rears are set on medium. What is the normal wear pattern being seen on the nytro's (front, middle, rear, all). I didn't pay much attention for the first 500 miles but I'll try the break in procedure on the next set (looking at the UHMW slides).

 

[arteeex]

The larger wheels are the cure.

I have additional set of the stock idlers outside the rails and just ahead of the rear axle. With these idlers in place the wear on my slides is very consistent along the horizontal section of the rails. So, I would say there's a benefit with the addition of standard wheels as well. With the strap pulled up 2-holes I see almost no wear of the hyfax on the curved section. I've been using the wide "high performance" slides with graphite or some other internal lubricant and have just over 2000 miles on them this season.

And, just to be clear, in the vernacular of science we are discussing a hypothesis here, not a theory. To be rigorous in this exercise we would develop a protocol, test our hypothesis, analyze our data and then propose a theory to describe these data.

I just like to be concise.

 

[benny]

Same setup as arteex and have had the same results. Problem is pretty much gone away. This must be the part where we "test our hypothesis." I will leave it to him to "propose a theory to describe these data". So.... take it away Mr. Wizard........................ Sorry, I couldn't resist. LOL