Oversized idler wheels? Any problems with using them?

[xcsp]

Picked up my sled from the dealer the other night from having some warranty work done-one was having the 6 track idler wheels replaced.

They replaced them with Polaris idler wheels(with replaceable bearings).

As I have the sled sitting on the garage floor, the hyfax(slides) don't even touch the track with these wheels-approx. 1/8" or more space between track & hyfax.

Will this be okay or will this put any stress on the rails or increase wear in areas on the hyfax?

What is the outside diameter of the original equip. wheels?

 

[Swiss Sledder]

Not really a complete test, but I rode about 500 miles on Polaris idler wheels and did not have any problems. I later swapped them out of 05 Yamaha wheels so your results may vary.

During one of those rides, I ran into Kevin from Port Yamaha and we talked about the Poo idler wheels and how they were slightly bigger. His concern was that because they were bigger, you could damage the rails if you were to hit a bump right at the spot where the idler wheels connect. He does a much better job explaining this in one of the prior threads. I will try to find it.

 

[fourload]

Ive read on pioneer motorsports website that the oversized wheels can crack the slides with prolonged use.Pioneer sells an offset spacer that lowers the wheel but he also includes a rail reinforcement plate in the kit too.

 

[hondo]

I have had POO wheels on my 05 RS Venture for the last 10,250 miles and work great.

Along with a marginal snow wheel kit this has extended my slide wear to 10,250 miles on a set of slides, and also significantly reduced the track howl problem RS Venture owners seem to experience.

Much has been written on this topic on various RS threads.

Bottom line they work real well for me.

I believe you'll like them too!

 

[grader]

i have almost 13000 miles on my rx using polaris idler wheels with no problems. i think they are 5.35. if your slides are new, then they dont hang down much at all. your slides will last much longer as well.

 

[ViperTurboPete]

I have Poo 5.35's on my SRX for thousands of hard km's...no probs.

 

[xcsp]

Oversized idler wheels

The Polaris wheels roughly measure 135mm, and I believe the stock Yamaha wheels are 130mm.

My concern IS the possibility of causing stress to the rails and uneven hyfax wear.

I can't see Yamaha standing behind this type of set-up personally.

 

[hondo]

xcsp,

My dealer was the one who came up with the idea.

I had unacceptable hyfax wear along with the track howl problem.

The oversized POO wheels helped take care of both problems.

The wheels are made by Kimpex for Polaris and are much more durable wheel.

The wheels relieve just enough stress between the hyfax and the track.

1/2 of 5mm is = 2.5 mm. 2.5 mm is about 1/8 of an inch that the wheel is pushing down and relieving stress from the track.

Go to the RS Forum and read my RS Venture 12,000 mile report at the top of the page. It's all there. The wheels made a significant difference for me.

Hope this helps.

 

[x2thez]

Can someone take a picture of the wheels that the replaced so I can see how they look. This is something that I plan on doing before next snowfall so I would like to get an idea.

 

[maddogjeff]

You'll be thankful for having had it done. It solves a few different issues with no side affects. Sleep easy.

 

[snowbeast]

Ive read on pioneer motorsports website that the oversized wheels can crack the slides with prolonged use.Pioneer sells an offset spacer that lowers the wheel but he also includes a rail reinforcement plate in the kit too.

Well if he sells a rail reinforcement kit,i sure did not get it in my kit,they relocate the wheels .100 lower or almost 1/8 inch below stock,sled will feel like its on marbles some times when on very hard snow or ice,and yes they do increase top speed as drag takes power.

 

[fourload]

Here is the explanation off the pioneer website about the offset wheelkit snowbeast.Part P-S124.

 

[Tork]

Just me, but I ran the Polaris wheels for 400 miles.
they calipered out at 5.4 something and I thought they were a little too big.

And I thought, like Port said, with them hanging down that far that if you hit a rock the right way, it could crack the rail.

I switched to the skidoo wheels which are sized right between the Yamaha and Polaris wheels.

Thrilled because with the larger wheels and the SLP wear pad, I got 1200 miles on the latest set of hyfax and the hyfax are worn only about 30%.

And the sled coasts further too and it has lessened the off throttle braking that the 4 strokes are known for and...... my sled is a lot faster now

 

[superb]

Wheels

I have used the polaris wheels on my 03 RX-1 and my 05 RX-1 for a total of 6000 miles with no problems at all.

 

[Grimm]

Just me, but I ran the Polaris wheels for 400 miles.
they calipered out at 5.4 something and I thought they were a little too big.

And I thought, like Port said, with them hanging down that far that if you hit a rock the right way, it could crack the rail.

I switched to the skidoo wheels which are sized right between the Yamaha and Polaris wheels.

Thrilled because with the larger wheels and the SLP wear pad, I got 1200 miles on the latest set of hyfax and the hyfax are worn only about 30%.

And the sled coasts further too and it has lessened the off throttle braking that the 4 strokes are known for and...... my sled is a lot faster now

I've just changed out the Yammy wheels with larger ones and I'm hoping for less slider wear, a little more speed, as well as the coasting factor as you stated.

I'll try to take a pic of my suspension tomorrow.