New 153 Track Questions

[yooper]

Hi Everybody, I have a 2010 MTX SE that has 162" rails. I ride in the U.P. of Michigan about 40% trails and 60% off trail, and also an annual trip out west every year.

I bent my rails at the end of the season and got a good deal on 153" nytro mtx SE rails so i picked them up. I am going to put avid drivers on in anticipation of boost next year. My question is track selection....

I can get a powerclaw with a 2.25 lug brand new for about 500 bucks, but have heard that I would have to modify the track to actually run it. Does anyone have any more information on this?

I can get the challenger extreme with the 2.5 lug brand new for about 700 bucks....which is plug and play.

I am pretty easy on it while I'm on the trails, but I do ride the trails a decent amount to get to the better riding areas.

Thoughts / Guidance?

Thanks for your time.

 

[yooper]

Went powerless / avid drivers. Will I need to modify the track or is that only with stock drivers?

 

[yooper]

Powderclaw*

 

[MNBlizzard]

A 2.25" track needs to be modified but a 2.5" fits just fine? Something isn't adding up...you just need the same length and pitch to make it all work.

 

[maim]

mtx sleds use 3 pitch drivers. he might have had to change them for the pitch on the powder claw. most tracks run a 2.5 pitch.

 

[Off Trail Mike]

The stock Yamaha MTX 153/162 tracks and the Arctic Cat Powerclaw all have 3" pitch drivers, so it's a track change only. You can use your stock drivers (assuming they are still in good shape). I have the 2.25 Powerclaw on my 2011 MTX 153 and it's a huge improvement over the POS Maverick stock track.

On the 2.25 vs 2.5 argument, I would pick the 2.25 for us "eastern" guys for a few reasons: Tunnel clearance is same as stock, it works pretty well out west and on flatter aspects (i.e. our slightly smaller eastern hills) it is a great performing track. Excellent traction boondocking in the deeps and very good trail manners. I have the 2.6 on my Summit XM, and I honestly think the Powerclaw has the edge in the traction department (or at least a dead tie) for where we ride (1000-3000').

OTM

 

[nitris223]

I might be one of the only guys that actually liked the maverick track over the powderclaw. Made the swap last year and I am going back to the maverick this year. With the maverick I could take a 1100 cat turbo out of the hole every time. Put on the powderclaw and we were the same . I actually lost traction. It just spins until about 30 mph and then hooks up. If I was buying a new track it would be the 2.5" CE. Never really had a problem with the maverick track in the 1500 miles I ran it. Did fine in 4 ft of powder snow. I purposely drove as slow as I could just to see how bad every one claimed it was. Never got stuck even if I stopped with snow over the hood. Now climbing a Shute might be a different story, as for flat land riding or off trail I don't mind it at all.

 

[tapex_07]

You might have to trim the small nubs on the outsides of the windows off. That's the "mod"

 

[fiddlersgreen]

I put on the 2.5 ce.
It's an unreal difference from the Mav.
On hard pack it's nails on the track and in pow it really enables you to lift the skis up and out. Best mod ever.

 

[yooper]

Update: I had the dealer install Avid Drivers, the 153 2.5 powder claw. It has a 3 inch pitch and the nubs were the same as the maverick I pulled off. I also put the skinz seat and under tunnel exhaust on. No clearance issues that I can really identify so I'm pumped to get out and ride. I've got an MPI trail SC kit to install too. It will be night and day from the last time I road the sled.