mountain clutching gremlins

[KbxSrx]

we rode Revelstoke on the weekend and the gremlins were there full force. I rode the first day in deeeeeep powder, totally stock, no rivets at all, sec set at 70 degrees. I was getting 9500 up the trail, all the speed I could handle until I got to the hill. The sled works good in powder, good in hills, just not good in powder and hills at the same time. Anyway, I was running 8400 and 70 kph climbing speed. Day 2, dropped in heavy hitters and a hitech er roller, 43/48 helix and red cat spring, again no weights other than 3/4" in heel, and clutch set at 3rd hole, wrapped hard. This time I got 85+ kph climbing speed, maybe a little better set up snow, but rpm was way down, 8500 max. Day 3, back to stock secondary, no weight in heavy hitters (51.7) and 11000 rpm up the trail, but track speed noticeably down. When I hit the powder and hills, had all the rpm I wanted, right to 11000, but no climbing speed, topped out at 65 kph (horrible). With heavy hitters and stock secondary, it worked well but I need the elusive track speed, 85 would be nice. You need track spped or extreme floatation in the mountains, track speed should be cheaper, lets start there first. I have been told to go buy rollers, helix, weights, rivets, silver spring, pinkpinkpink spring, turbo (lol ya right), on and on. I am hoping to get the 159 and skid on, but am thinking that if this thing doesnt have the power to pull a 151, then 159 will be useless. There really doesnt seem to be any end of power, but I do NOT know how to get it to the track. Do I loosen the secondary, add weight to the primary, I never hit the rev limiter, and it never let me down, but man what a difference from the beast. I raced Steve on the trail with his 144 viper, with the hitech er I would walk away from him, even though I have 100+ lbs on him, with stock clutching we were fairly even. I had no trouble side hilling, it is light in the front end while on the gas and in the powder, but there was NO transfer or ski lift on the trails. The guys said the skis were very light, watching me climb, but I didnt notice. I ran C&A pro wide skis, (MIKE, I OWE YOU SO MUCH) which as far as I am concerned, was the only thing that kept me moving in the powder. I admit I got better daily, but it is no 470 lb srx 156" mountain beast.
Can anyone give me some mountain advice? I know that riding a 589lb (dry) sled when you are 6'5 and 325 is self defeating, but its what I got.

 

[Turk]

KB...track speed comes from good backshifting. You gotta run a shallow helix or if you run something a little more aggressive you need more secondary pressure. That 48/43 roller is pretty aggressive...i used to use a 43/39 roller at revy & it was spot on. My 1st trip i used a 47/39 & it was horrible....the 43/39 improved things immensley. I think your best set-up would have been to load the HH,s with a 7/16 steel in the 1st hole to get rpm,s around 10,400 & play with the secondary tension to dial it in. I think your rev limiter might have been cutting in at 11k rpm & dropping track speed.

 

[vmaxjohn]

Did you check your clutch temps after a climb? If you can mark the clutches and check for shift out, I'd bet you weren't even close to shifting out decently in the primary. I was about to recommend what turk said, more load in the primary and use the stock secondary with more twist.

I love my 7" wide C&A's in the powder and trails, glad you found some! They don't make 'em anymore! Silly Dale.

 

[FastAction]

to bad your not connecting i went with the heavy hitters this year and with turks advice i went with 3/8 aluminum tip,3/8 steel mid/and 1/4 heel . using the stock primary and stock secondary at 80 degrees.i also dropped a tooth on my top gear and have a 47/41 helix. at 6000 ft it held between 10200/10500 climbing with a +- of 50 mph track speed in the fresh stuff.i weigh 250lbs..the only problem and minor to me was at low speeds it seems to be revvy a little high so now i have put in the 3/4 heel and also went to the silver secondary wrapped at 90.just waiting to test out to see if it grabs a little better on low end now...last year i tried everything 89l`s /8dn-10`s y/p/y gotit to work but this year being able to throw more weight and use the stong primary it now seems to have that grunt it was missing last year. good luck and hope u keep with it because once this baby got to the magical 10300 +- plus the 50 track speed when climbing well it goes good.

and at 250 lbs i have the suspesion set to the softest setting and my limiter straps all the way out.does not bottom out that much unlike my polaris with the heavy springs and set in the heaviest pos.

 

[KbxSrx]

gremilns

next thing I am going to try is exactly that, add weight to the hh, and a ypy short spring in the primary. I guess my biggest problem is complacency, once I get to the hill I dont really want to hold the other guys up while I am wrenching. Also, every guy I talk to says buy this, this, this, this, and do this and that to the clutching, by the time I am done, I have 5 sets of this, 6 different ways of doing that, and I am 1400.00 on the plastic. Damn I love clutching. NOT!
I really appreciate the help guys, I have never said I knew anything about clutching. The biggest problem is the only chance I get to try new things is in the mountains.

 

[givemeaboost]

Mountain clutching

I don't know much about clutching but I kept grinding my stock weights down till I was happy with the performance. Got em at 59 grams with red holtzman springs,secondary at 80, and everthing else stock and was beating 800 summit and mountain cat at Copper Creek last Mem. day weekend. Now I'm doing the turbo thing so I will have to learn all over.

 

[hauler]

glad you like those skis Ken, you do owe me big time for the price I sold them to you for. Enjoy the skis.