narrower and lighter front suspension

[Joa]

I'm a professional aircraft engineer and have done considerable design and fab work with 4130 weldments. I'm thinking about designing a lightweight front suspension for the RX-1 that narrows the front equivalent to stock mountain width (38") but with the fat Simmons skis. This way the sled sidehills much better and still have the float of the fat skis (which I've found it needs with the heavy front end).

Plus the front will fit between trees better (anti-wedgie feature)!

This would be a summer project and available next fall.

Of course it would be strong and light (I think I can go even lighter than Barkbusters) but with all the advantages of the narrower gear.

What do you all think- something worth pursuing for our old sleds?

 

[MOUNTAIN VMAX4]

That Sounds Great

This sounds great JOA as there are not too many out there making front suspensions for the RX1. Right now I am running a Holtz 41 on my mtn and wish I was narrower I just bought a Timbersleds Ft end they say its a 39.5 so if I move my skis to the narrowest adjustment I should be about 38.5. I am looking forward to trying it. I like your idea cause the RX1 is hard enough to throw around and I have been doing what I can to shed weight off and it is night and day since I bought it but to have the wide simmons with the same ski stance would = AWESOME

 

[Kachess]

It's awesome you know 4130 welding. We are not sold on the fat skiis for sidehilling and carving, but we are definitely interested in cutting more weight off the front end. My sled has light weight MPI steering shafts that saved a couple of pounds. The stock shafts look like they belong on earth moving equipment. The MPI shafts are discontinued and we have 10 other sleds that could use light ones. They look pretty simple to fab. The Holz a-arms saved 5.5lbs at 42in. They held up infinitely better than my MPI arms. The steering spindles also weigh a ton, and the whole front end geometry could be more efficient, load-wise. The newer a-arm designs utilize ball joints and triangular a-arms that are more integrally rigid. The RX-1 design has a long cantelivered spindle that puts big loads on the outer pivot bolts. It would be neat to fab arms that adapt our inner pivots to a doo or nytro outer spindle. I Think you could cut a lot of weight.

 

[Kachess]

I guess you can tell how well I keep up on aftermartet stuff....barkbuster already makes'em for $830

http://www.firstplaceparts.com/pc/TSP-1 ... index.html

They don't answer the "narrower than stock" issue to accomodate Gen II's and $830 ain't cheap.

 

[Joa]

how narrow?

Hmm, I wonder how narrow you could go on the front end before it really causes problems?

A sled isn't quite like a bike that gets gyroscopic stability from the wheels.

 

[RX-Eskimo]

I would be interested in the results of your summer project as I need to update my old A-arms... I am not so concerned about weight but durability... this would meet both of my needs.
The snow up here is more like frozen concrete, although it is finally slowly melting...May 15th.
I hope to be out and about after this long weekend hunting for them European banned seals!!!

 

[birkebeiner]

How is this project coming along??