redrx1rkt
Expert
Just got a call this week from the dealer...$1300 in work needed. Broken front and rear W-arm, bent A-arm up front, 2nd time those damn titanium exhaust pipes and donuts blew out. All of those broken suspension parts are what fry my cake because I am not an aggressive rider. Yet, the front W-arm is cracked in 6 spots and the rear is cracked in 3 spots!
Sigh...
They told me the obvious. To cut weight down, Yamaha took as much out of the rear skid as they could. As a result, they don't have the strength to hold up to more than a few years of even fairly easy riding.
I am getting all of the parts replaced with the upgraded, stronger suspension components as well as the cheaper, more durable stainless exhaust. I was thinking of trading up in 2012, but I dont know if that is financially feasible anymore after this, and my experience with the exhaust and idler wheel issues already.
After two WaveRunners, a dirt bike, an ATV and three sleds, I have called into question Yamaha's durability for the first time. Hopefully nothing else major goes wrong with this sled over the next few years so my memory fades, and I can walk into my dealer's showroom and feel comfortable buying a new Yammie in the future.
Sigh...
They told me the obvious. To cut weight down, Yamaha took as much out of the rear skid as they could. As a result, they don't have the strength to hold up to more than a few years of even fairly easy riding.
I am getting all of the parts replaced with the upgraded, stronger suspension components as well as the cheaper, more durable stainless exhaust. I was thinking of trading up in 2012, but I dont know if that is financially feasible anymore after this, and my experience with the exhaust and idler wheel issues already.
After two WaveRunners, a dirt bike, an ATV and three sleds, I have called into question Yamaha's durability for the first time. Hopefully nothing else major goes wrong with this sled over the next few years so my memory fades, and I can walk into my dealer's showroom and feel comfortable buying a new Yammie in the future.
Grimm
TY 4 Stroke God
In your situation, I wouldn't give them a dime. I'd install a ZX2 suspension and aftermarket pipes and donuts, NOT Yamaha branded parts.
Beats the 2 smoke competition where you woulda replaced 3-5 belts at $150 each & probably at least 1 top end rebuild plus all the extra cash on 2 stroke oil & premuim fuel...plus you got back to the trailer after every single ride!
redrx1rkt
Expert
Turk -
True, true. I blew my first belt at 6000 miles last year. They last only about 3000-4000 on the competition. I probably would've needed rings on a Ski Doo 600 by now, which is about $600.
Still, that doesn't add up to the $2000 I've put into this Apex. And this doesnt include the rear pivot that is worn out and I am ignoring!
Quick Q - what if I just kept riding it with a slightly bent A-arm up front and cracked W-arms out back...what would happen?
True, true. I blew my first belt at 6000 miles last year. They last only about 3000-4000 on the competition. I probably would've needed rings on a Ski Doo 600 by now, which is about $600.
Still, that doesn't add up to the $2000 I've put into this Apex. And this doesnt include the rear pivot that is worn out and I am ignoring!
Quick Q - what if I just kept riding it with a slightly bent A-arm up front and cracked W-arms out back...what would happen?
grader
TY 4 Stroke Master
your a arm will stay bent and probably not change, but if your skid breaks it can destroy the track and leave you walking home. fix it or replace it.
ROCKERDAN
OCD Sledhead
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beef up kit....best bang for buck
pro tc
Veteran
thanks for the support rocker. i dont think we have ever seen a cracked rear arm only the front, dealer might be padding his pockets. we will magnaflux arm and put the front w arm in a jig weld/beef it up and powdercoat all three arms for 195.00 in one coat colors plus shipping just email welterracer
Barry halfbakedcoatings.com
http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=74254
Barry halfbakedcoatings.com
http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=74254
Daranello
Suspended
Grimm said:
Rode a ZX2 apex and wow, its like a different Animal
shanksyamaha
TY 4 Stroke Guru
Hey redrx-1, dont spend that much money at the dealer. If you can do it, take your suspension out yourself or pay someone else to do it but the dealer is definately making some serious cash on this deal. If the sled handles ok I would not touch the front A arm. If its not handling ok, get it changed but dont have the dealer do it. I have never seen a rear arm cracked so Im wondering about that....
take your suspension out and send the arms to halfbaked coatings for the beef up kit. It will come back to you all repaired, strengthened up, and powder coated. Higher quality than yamaha parts and much much cheaper. Im planning on having the beef up kit put on mine as soon as I recover from christmas shopping...
You can save alot of money doing it this way, rather than having the dealer do the work useing yamaha parts...
Read te post titled **TY ADVERTISER** MONO SHOCK BEEF UP KIT!!
This is what you need, it will be stronger and you will save so much money, and help out a ty advertiser..
take your suspension out and send the arms to halfbaked coatings for the beef up kit. It will come back to you all repaired, strengthened up, and powder coated. Higher quality than yamaha parts and much much cheaper. Im planning on having the beef up kit put on mine as soon as I recover from christmas shopping...
You can save alot of money doing it this way, rather than having the dealer do the work useing yamaha parts...
Read te post titled **TY ADVERTISER** MONO SHOCK BEEF UP KIT!!
This is what you need, it will be stronger and you will save so much money, and help out a ty advertiser..
redrx1rkt
Expert
Thanks for the advice, guys. I saw all of the parts that came out of my skid, so I am not worried about getting screwed. Plus I have a good relationship with my dealer. Their labor rate is only $50/hour, so it's a good deal. I am getting the beefed up Yamaha parts that are found in the 2010 models, so hopefully they hold up better. I compared my 2006 W arm with the 2010 W-arm and there is a world of difference. The '10 has gussets, thicker metal and other reinforcements that my original doesn't have. WIth my style of riding, I hope that it holds up for the next few years before I get a new sled. If it's not too late, I may call the dealer and tell them to forget replacing those expensive A-arms up front. They are bent and the bolt going through the spindle is zig-zagged! But it still handles fine. This will save me $250+.
I am not a mechanic, never done anything on my sled other than change the belt, skis and skags. I dont really have the tools or the know-how to rip my sled apart, so I depend upon my dealer to do the work. WIth my previous sleds, they never needed anything so it was no big deal.
I am not a mechanic, never done anything on my sled other than change the belt, skis and skags. I dont really have the tools or the know-how to rip my sled apart, so I depend upon my dealer to do the work. WIth my previous sleds, they never needed anything so it was no big deal.
welterracer
TY 4 Stroke God
You can change the zig zaged bolt yourself.. i think they are about $7 each.. THey always bend.. replaced mine several times..
No sled will last forever without repairs.. Everytime i ride 2000 miles, i spend $200 in repairs, oil, sliders etc.. Bearings go bad, stuff gets bent, parts break etc etc..
No sled will last forever without repairs.. Everytime i ride 2000 miles, i spend $200 in repairs, oil, sliders etc.. Bearings go bad, stuff gets bent, parts break etc etc..
redrx1rkt
Expert
Yeah, but the right bottom A-arm is bent. I would never get another bolt thru it. I am wondering if I can just have them leave it as is and I can just keep riding it. Will this cause any damage?
I know that Yammies have great engines and super reliability. That is consistent throughout the lineup, no matter if it's an outboard, sled, generator, whatever. However, it is all of this $$ I have had to pour into this sled with the broken suspension parts, idler wheel issues, exhaust, etc, etc. This is so out of the ordinary based upon my experience with Yamaha products. Do Ski Doos, Polaris and Arctic Cat suspensions break regularly? I know that their engines are only good for about 5000 miles, but what about the other parts of their sleds?
I know that Yammies have great engines and super reliability. That is consistent throughout the lineup, no matter if it's an outboard, sled, generator, whatever. However, it is all of this $$ I have had to pour into this sled with the broken suspension parts, idler wheel issues, exhaust, etc, etc. This is so out of the ordinary based upon my experience with Yamaha products. Do Ski Doos, Polaris and Arctic Cat suspensions break regularly? I know that their engines are only good for about 5000 miles, but what about the other parts of their sleds?
welterracer
TY 4 Stroke God
The only way those parts bent is if you hit something.. Stump, rock, railroad tracks etc.. Sometimes you dont even realize it..
I have powder coated more snowmobile parts than anyone probobly in the world, and i see alot of parts that come threw here that are bent and the customers dont even realize it, untill i call them..
I have powder coated more snowmobile parts than anyone probobly in the world, and i see alot of parts that come threw here that are bent and the customers dont even realize it, untill i call them..
shanksyamaha
TY 4 Stroke Guru
redrx1rkt said:
I dont have much experience with skidoo, I was just about to buy an 07 mach z this season when I read up on it and educated myself I found out that they had a slew of problems from 05-07 and they are about the same weight as the apex.
I had many polaris sleds and my last 03 xc 700 blew the first time with only 2700 miles, ($1100 at the dealer) rode for a few weeks and blew the other side ( $1000 this time). Rode another month and my crank let go and broke the mounting bolts on both cylinders right off, cracked the case basically totally destroying the motor. Crank broke, cases cracked, both cylinders broken, and most likely both pisotons shot.... I sold the sled on ebay as is for $1200 and walked away from polaris.
Of the 7 polaris xc 700s that I owned only one made it to 4500 miles without a rebuild and one was totalled with only 700 miles on it so that one didnt have a chance but all the rest of them had at least one rebuild.
The 04 xc 700 I still have my wife rides, it has 2500 miles on it now and Im expecting a melt down this year, hope not but Im ready for it...
Stick with yamaha, I know you have had bad luck with this machine but after you install the 2010 parts, I think you will have some trouble free miles. Don"t forget to grease your jack shaft and drive shaft bearings.
redrx1rkt
Expert
Shanksyamaha - I am a little disturbed by the problems with this sled and my faith in Yammie has been shaken a bit. If I were a first time Yamaha buyer, I would probably go elsewhere for the next sled, but I have owned a lot of reliable and trouble-free Yamaha products so I think this one is a fluke. Funny, right before I bought it I warned myself that this was the first model year of a totally new sled and I usually have a rule to avoid the first year of any model, any manufacturer. Well, I will think twice before I do that again! (of course, if I bought a 2007 or 08, the problems would've been the same!)
Greasing the jack shaft, etc - been doing that since new!
Greasing the jack shaft, etc - been doing that since new!
