Scratchers ,slides and x wheels

[Snowman11]

Been watching the thread on sliders and hyfax , seen many mentions of " x wheels" , Dupont slides , and some scratchers, didn't want to hijack his thread ... I put the white slides (no dye) in last spring when I tucked her in for summer , allegidly the white slides run longer something about the way the molecules align or hold together.. ANYWAY... I'm considering running cable scratchers off the skis (from BOP) for added skid lube and cooler running temps , ive already drained and flushed my coolant , refilled with 50/50, but wondering anyone just running scratchers to kill two birds with one stone ? And what experiences u have running them ? , Pros/cons

 

[Snowman871]

I run a 1.75" track on my Nytro and have the all 3 approach currently - DuPont slides, X wheels (larger diameter), and scratchers. No issues with overheating or excessive slide wear with plenty of trail miles and poor trail conditions here in Western WI. I don't throw my scratchers down all the time but I make sure to have them down in low snow conditions (wind blown farm fields...), icy/super hard pack conditions, and if I'm going to be doing a bunch of extended high speed time. When I get to swapping in the 141" float skid I have I plan to do Dupont slides and scratchers again but no X wheels.

I think scratchers are a must have for taller lug tracks on the conditions I have noted. If you run studs and/or a shorter lug track I don't know that you really need them unless you have cooling or slide wear issues. In all honesty those issues may also be tied to your riding style (if one drives slow for extended periods of time, doesn't ever dip into any fresh snow, etc.) and too tight of track tension. I have the spring loaded steel scratchers mounted to the bottom side of my foot board which have served me well, though I've forgotten to pick them up a time or two before going into reverse so they have a few custom bends now... The cable ones look intriguing as it's nice you can go into reverse without picking them up, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews on performance and durability (cables taking a memory set).

I've heard the same thing about white slides lasting longer than others too. I don't have any actual proof, but I had a buddy that said he had 2,000 miles on his white slides and they still looked great. At the time he was running an Edge chassis Polaris RMK with a 2" Challenger track with most of those being trail miles so I thought he was doing pretty good.

 

[thor452]

According to your signature you have a 2006 Apex GT that is a 121 short track mono-shock suspension. Now you will get mixed reports on that skid because some people got nervous and changed the slides way to early. that skid you should put stock slides on it or graphite if you wish. Don't spend money on high end ones at 140 a set for duponts it is a waste on that skid. That skid will wear really fast to about 11-12 mm and then just sit there for a long long time. you don't need to change slides on that skid until they get wore down to the point that a 10mm open end wrench will slid over the profile at any point along the full length. Most of the time it will be right at the bend up front where it will wear out first. My buddy bought his new and 3 years later we stopped on the side of the trail and he asked me what was sticking out the side of his sled. I said its your slides when was the last time you changed them? His response was great like a deer in the headlights he says "slides????"
his sled had 5700 miles on it and he did nothing but gas and go rode it like he stole it two whole years and on the first ride of the third year was when this happened. Ice scratchers are great to help keep the sled cool but if you did the 50/50 on it already you will most likely be good to go. on my 07 I would get the temp light to come on as did everyone in our group when we rode hard long top end UP pulls on hard pack trail. then I hit a tip up left on a lake and it punctured my heat exchanger on my floor board and lost almost all my antifreeze fixed it and refilled with 50/50 and almost never seen the light come on again buddies would like they always did but mine didn't. allot of the info you are getting is for the new skids keep that in mind and be sure people know what you have before you take their advise as gospel. spend the Dupont money on copper donuts money way better spent!

 

[Snowman11]

According to your signature you have a 2006 Apex GT that is a 121 short track mono-shock suspension. Now you will get mixed reports on that skid because some people got nervous and changed the slides way to early. that skid you should put stock slides on it or graphite if you wish. Don't spend money on high end ones at 140 a set for duponts it is a waste on that skid. That skid will wear really fast to about 11-12 mm and then just sit there for a long long time. you don't need to change slides on that skid until they get wore down to the point that a 10mm open end wrench will slid over the profile at any point along the full length. Most of the time it will be right at the bend up front where it will wear out first. My buddy bought his new and 3 years later we stopped on the side of the trail and he asked me what was sticking out the side of his sled. I said its your slides when was the last time you changed them? His response was great like a deer in the headlights he says "slides????"
his sled had 5700 miles on it and he did nothing but gas and go rode it like he stole it two whole years and on the first ride of the third year was when this happened. Ice scratchers are great to help keep the sled cool but if you did the 50/50 on it already you will most likely be good to go. on my 07 I would get the temp light to come on as did everyone in our group when we rode hard long top end UP pulls on hard pack trail. then I hit a tip up left on a lake and it punctured my heat exchanger on my floor board and lost almost all my antifreeze fixed it and refilled with 50/50 and almost never seen the light come on again buddies would like they always did but mine didn't. allot of the info you are getting is for the new skids keep that in mind and be sure people know what you have before you take their advise as gospel. spend the Dupont money on copper donuts money way better spent!

, I bought the sled new to me last season with 4444 mi on the clock and they were down to there I could slip a 10mm just over the "up bend" on the skid otherwise they were ok .. but proactively changed them anyway when j took the skid out for new bearings and a 4th wheel kit ... The mono had been rebuilt by (the name escapes me at the moment) place rite here in NY , that I heard is the best ! Last spring I did the donuts and along the way learned so much about the Apex , but getting itchy for my trigger thumb as fall approches and came back to the site and reopened my thoughts on scratchers ,

 

[yamadoo]

My 06 Apex wore slides fast then no change go >1-2 1000 miles as Thor452 says

 

[thor452]

scratchers are a great investment for any sled. I have the cable type and love them I just leave them down always.

 

[Snowman11]

I would leave them down 24/7 , can't imagine the tips wear THAT quick , always good for a lil Xtra spray hitting the skid and exchangers .. just trying to justify the $100+

 

[Snowman11]

I run a 1.75" track on my Nytro and have the all 3 approach currently - DuPont slides, X wheels (larger diameter), and scratchers. No issues with overheating or excessive slide wear with plenty of trail miles and poor trail conditions here in Western WI. I don't throw my scratchers down all the time but I make sure to have them down in low snow conditions (wind blown farm fields...), icy/super hard pack conditions, and if I'm going to be doing a bunch of extended high speed time. When I get to swapping in the 141" float skid I have I plan to do Dupont slides and scratchers again but no X wheels.

I think scratchers are a must have for taller lug tracks on the conditions I have noted. If you run studs and/or a shorter lug track I don't know that you really need them unless you have cooling or slide wear issues. In all honesty those issues may also be tied to your riding style (if one drives slow for extended periods of time, doesn't ever dip into any fresh snow, etc.) and too tight of track tension. I have the spring loaded steel scratchers mounted to the bottom side of my foot board which have served me well, though I've forgotten to pick them up a time or two before going into reverse so they have a few custom bends now... The cable ones look intriguing as it's nice you can go into reverse without picking them up, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews on performance and durability (cables taking a memory set).

I've heard the same thing about white slides lasting longer than others too. I don't have any actual proof, but I had a buddy that said he had 2,000 miles on his white slides and they still looked great. At the time he was running an Edge chassis Polaris RMK with a 2" Challenger track with most of those being trail miles so I thought he was doing pretty good.

That's why I was scared away from the spring scratchers even tho they prolly "dig" more but I won't remember when I reverse Everytime and I'll bend them , but even with cable version, there's a few metal grate bridges I cross , they'd deff get ripped off ... Seen two last year with studs cross it and rip the track wide open

 

[Firedawg1998]

I started with cables scratchers last year. Even the white sliders on my 144 xtx2012 wear quickly in certain spots but then stop just like many have commented. The cables are okay when the trail is good to iffy.... more Cory conditions or near glare ice on lakes is where the springs shine. They will still scratch and fling stuff into the track where I find the cables aren’t doing much. I backed up right away and twisted them all pretzel like. Since then they were easily straightened and now I put a small piece of flagging tape on my reverse lever so it always reminds to mind my scratchers. The cable ones hook me up when backin off my trailer. They drop onto the gap at the gate so I have to lift those up also when trailering. These things work but aren’t an install and forget about it kind of mod.

 

[Snowman11]

Good info ! I am still debating whether or not to actually run scratchers I am going to see how my engine temps run , what I can get away with and what I'm comfortable with