Slydog ski question

[KubotaOne]

First off, I have an Attak. I'm not studded, suspension set-up is stock. I've used the Slydogs with stock 4' carbides in loose wet snow, powder, hard pack trails and icey roads now.

I like them. Better than stock in the powder, obviously (wider and longer). When deceleratng, hook-up is great, but I'm still getting too much ski lift coming out of a corner under acceleration, so they don't have a chance to work (I'm going to adjust my transfer rod to 1/4 - or halfway between mid and medium).

They are very smooth, and seem to have lightened the front end up. The loop handle is comfortable when lifting the skis onto my dollies. Installation was a no-brainer, they came with new rubber bumpers and all the hardware.

My issue is this: I'm still darting. Not horribly, but it's a concern when passing oncoming traffic on a narrow trail. I have my toe-out set at 3/8" now, but I just read a post here about Slydogs liking 1/8" toe-in? Yeh, toe-in, should I be going against the manual and coming in with alignment? If so, do I still do the "bungie" trick on the front of the skis to take out the ski slack, and then set it from there?

Any or all suggestions welcome. And of course I'll answer any questions regarding the Slydogs - if I can.

thanks folks

 

[VX1R]

I've got about 500 miles on a set of Slydogs. I've been running them on my custom Viper with the 4" of carbide and can't say enough about the easy steering with just the right amount of handling. I've never run a ski that has given me that kind of handling with such light steering effort and still be able to use a smaller amount of carbide.

Regarding your question about the toe-in and darting, here's what I've experienced:

I've set my toe-in to zero using a bungee to hold the ski tips together to remove any free play while making the adjustment. I've had absolutely no darting issues. It's been my experience with Yamahas using an aggressive ski to have zero toe for the best results.

It sounds like your ski lift should easily be corrected with an adjustment to the control rod. Those monoshock skids really respond to a control rod adjustment.

 

[KubotaOne]

thanks VX7R,

i'm on holidays starting next week. I'll try the "straight" ahead approach with them this weekend. Why I'm doubtfull, I don't know, but i feel like I'm going to dart even with the "O" alignment. This Attak was born to dart.

I agree though, the Slydogs are really easy to stear, they feel real light, but i'm tired of a $13K CD˜ snowmobile that's this darty.

No idler wheels gone, hand warmers are acceptable to me, love the throttle, wicked fast, pulls forever. Great in the bumps, not one real issue with this sled that i can think of, even have a great dealer who did my 800km service for a very reasonable price. Orillia Motorsports rules, Wade is the man - honest and a straight shooter.

But damn this darting thing! Please, someone help me ease this "hunting" problem. I see guys in front of me with old sleds, riding with their little ones between their laps, straight as an arrow. Not fast mind you, but one handed, holding the right side of a groomed trail like it was a track. Makes me feel like a dummy, accelerating after they motion me by, seeing me hanging on for dear life as i fight the left and right motion of my new, 13k sled. Why isn't he darting like me? There's got to be an answer better than ski alignment?

If someone tells me straight up, that if I take my 3/8" toe-out to 1/8" toe-in, that my darting dissapears, and it works, I'll buy ya a box of beer, your choice.

 

[Srxspec]

1/8" toe-in has been found to work the best.

 

[journeyman]

The Slydogs really sound interesting. srxspec, are you guys selling those skis?? I may be buying a set in the future. Nice pictures Boomer!!

 

[Srxspec]

Journeyman, I do carry the skis. Also I am trying a set of ski savers from Bergstrom this weekend on my RTX equipped with Slydog's.

 

[actionjack]

KubotaOne,

I know you are riding and Attak, but My Apex darted like crazy too. I may get a set of Slydogs next year but I was hoping I could fix it without adding another few Benjamins to the price. I put Woodys Doolys on the stock skis and I am real happy with the result. You might try that. The steering effort is only slightly more and I have a small amount of push at high speed, now BUT it tracks perfectly otherwise giving this sled the confidence to ride real hard.

Allen,
Will Doolys work on the Slydogs? If so I assume that it would be at the sacrifice of some of the ease of steering.

 

[fxr]

skis

i,ve had the slydog skis on my gt for about a 1000 miles now. these skis work exactly as advertised. on hardpack or loose snow,frozen slush covered lakes it doesn,t matter. the thing that is really impressive is the more aggressive you ride the harder they bite in the corners. kubota one set your toe in to 1/8. i started off at zero and 1/8 makes a difference. i,m lookihg at your photo of your skis and looking at your angle of your a-arms i would loosen off the preload on your springs. lift your sled off the ground and back off the springs till there looseand then just snug the adjuster. then you can play with your transfer rod. i,ve got a bit of darting on my sled nothing serious so i ordered a set of bergstrom four inch triple points with shims and ski savers. i hope to put them on this week. i,ll post my results if i can eliminate the darting this will the best bolt on product i,ve ever purchased srx spec can you pm with a phone number and time to get a hold of you. thanks

 

[KubotaOne]

1/8" toe-in is what I'll try this weekend, thanks Srxspec. I'll let you guys know how it works.

I tried the Dooly's before I went to the Slydogs actionjack. I found the dooly's to be good, and certainly eliminated 95% of the darting, but they pushed under heavy cornering. Plus, I wanted a wider ski for better flotation in the powder.

 

[Srxspec]

actionjack, to my knowledge there isn't a dooly application that will fit on the Slydog skis.

 

[KubotaOne]

Re: skis

kubota one set your toe in to 1/8. i started off at zero and 1/8 makes a difference. i,m lookihg at your photo of your skis and looking at your angle of your a-arms i would loosen off the preload on your springs. lift your sled off the ground and back off the springs till there looseand then just snug the adjuster. then you can play with your transfer rod. i,ve got a bit of darting on my sled nothing serious so i ordered a set of bergstrom four inch triple points with shims and ski savers. i hope to put them on this week. i,ll post my results if i can eliminate the darting this will the best bolt on product i,ve ever purchased srx spec can you pm with a phone number and time to get a hold of you. thanks

thanks for your input fxr. I did try the springs looser, just snug with the front in the air. Honestly, I couldn't tell much difference, so I put them back to stock. I'm going to try less transfer and 1/8" toe-in this weekend. Let me know how the bergstroms and the ski savers work for you. I don't believe you need the shims with the Slydogs? The rubber stopper that comes with them must be thicker in the back, like they're "pre-shimmed" for lack of a better word. The front of my carbides are about 1/8" up off the ground when sitting flat.

 

[RunninRX1]

I put slydogs on my Attak and it darts much less. Funny thing about darting though.. it FEELS way worse than what is actually happening. I was riding behind a GT going down a recently groomed railroad bed. Was between 2 stop signs so we were only going about 40-50 or so MPH. I was watching him closely.. just in case he stopped fast cuz I was right on him. We stop at the next stop sign and take a break to check the map. He asks me how I like the slydogs. I said I like them alot. "Was your sled darting like a mofo right back there?" "Uh.. no.. not really" "Man, mine was all over the place. Good thing nobody was coming at us. Maybe I need new skis like you got" The interesting part was sicne I was watching him real close, I could see how much his sled was actually moving side to side. MAYBE 4" max.
It's funny how bad that really feels (been there, done that) but the sled really isn't moving all that much.
He swore the thing was moving 1-2 feet each way but it wasn't. Just feels that way for some reason.

 

[KubotaOne]

Well, I adjusted my Attak's ski-alignment this weekend to 1/8" toe-in as you guys suggested. I'm still darting, no improvement that I can notice. Conditions are perfect, groomed hard pack trails. I'm fighting to hold my side of the trail. Maybe I'm just a wimp, but I feel really unsettled at any speed. Riding the side of the roads I can wonder a couple of feet real easy. Following Doo tracks with their dual runners seems to be the worst.

Any suggestions guys at what I can try next? (that box of beer is still up for grabs - can you Fed-Ex alcohol? lol)

(I did loosen my front shocks up, this seemed to help marginally - limiter strap is still stock position, 1 hole from loosest)

 

[Srxspec]

KubotaOne, how are you doing the alignment adjustment?

With the sled sitting under it's own weight on the ground and then measuring or with the front end elevated?

On a flat surface does your ski sit flat from front to back (front of carbide isn't digging in before back or vice versa)?

Carbide length and type?

Amount of studs in the track?

 

[KubotaOne]

Srxspec,

I did exactly as you said. Pulled on the front end by hand to extend the suspension and then let it come to rest under its own weight. Then lightly bungied the front of the skis and measured off the front and rear carbide studs.

On my (new) flat garage floor, the front of the carbides are slightly higher than the rear. The Slydog rubber blocks don't appear to require "shimming" (unless you suggest I try that?) I have the standard 4" carbides and no studs.

Thanks for helping me out with this - I'm all ears if you have any further suggestions.