Snow Tracker nervous steering quandry

[kviper]

I put stryke skis with agressive trackers on my 18 LTX this year. I bought the shim kit from Yamaha and put the 2.25 shim in the front in place of the 0 shim they come with. It tracks very good and only get slight tracking on very hard conditions where the blade won't cut in enough for the defuser to get into the snow. I felt the ski with out extra shim left the front of the ski out of the snow to much. I can't see how eps would cause the skis to follow other tracks. I have the front (ski shocks)springs just so there snug when up on the stand, bill more spring in front skid with limiter in loosest setting. Working very well sofar.

 

[Weslemkoon]

My LTX GT eps does not dart . I would say it wanders a little bit. It does have single carbides on it and I had been running slim jims in my 2017 SW which tracked dead strait but pushed in certain conditions.
I am going to fool around with some ski shim combinations and see what happens.
Either way, I really like the EPS. Rode with some 850's last week that where experiencing some heavy steering in certain trail conditions. The EPS is the same steering effort, all the time, all day. It really shines in the woods.
I feel like this EPS system is "tighter" than the previous system on the Apex's and Vector that I have ridden. Those systems felt vague in steering and feel.

I REALLY like the EPS on my 22 LTX. It's incredible and makes it the perfect single sled for tight and twisty trails around our cottage in Ontario AND a week with the guys in Northern Quebec riding quick, sweeping trails.

The only thing I have to watch is...I think the EPS masks the amount of ski pressure that makes it rail and I've been caught of guard a couple of times on hard pack with some ruts. I do have Qualipieces dual offset runners and they're awesome. Just the slightest push but holds a great line. Except for those two times....literally, 2 times. Just need to figure them out.

 

[stone88]

Ernie, do you have a set of Doo skis? If you do try a set of Aggressive Snowtrackers on them. They track dead straight on a non-power steering sled and turn awesome!

If they don't track straight then its for sure the power steering.

Now that there's mention of darting, I know when I rode my buds LTX-GT that is too was darting. I just thought is was because of the stock carbides. Maybe there's something to this. I know you know your stuff on these. Its got me wondering if the power steering is all that and a bag of chips. I know it sure steers nice at slow speeds when you want the easy steering.

I originally start of the year with the pilot 6.9’s with Dooley runners. I ran to 57 last year on the non-EPS an it drove like I dream no darting at all. I have Dooleys on my strike skis, but it’s still darts.

 

[KnappAttack]

I originally start of the year with the pilot 6.9’s with Dooley runners. I ran to 57 last year on the non-EPS an it drove like I dream no darting at all. I have Dooleys on my strike skis, but it’s still darts.

Damn, dollyes or slim jims there should be no darting. Zero. They are a known zero darting carbide. The Dooleys like to push, but absolutely should not dart and hunt. I have a buddy putting on the Slim Jims on his 23 SRX, we'll have to see what he has to say about them.

 

[STAIN]

I put stryke skis with agressive trackers on my 18 LTX this year. I bought the shim kit from Yamaha and put the 2.25 shim in the front in place of the 0 shim they come with. It tracks very good and only get slight tracking on very hard conditions where the blade won't cut in enough for the defuser to get into the snow. I felt the ski with out extra shim left the front of the ski out of the sno to much. I can't see how eps would cause the skis to follow other tracks. I have the front (ski shocks) just so there snug when up on the stand, bill more spring in front skid with limiter in loosest setting. Working very well sofar.

are you saying you shimmed the front of the ski down?
I have only ever shimmed the back of the ski down.

 

[kviper]

are you saying you shimmed the front of the ski down?
I have only ever shimmed the back of the ski down.

Yes, front needs to be in the snow to work. Pressure on the front = easier steering (more turn in)and less tracking. Adding shims or Pressure in the rear = harder steering and more bite.

 

[KnappAttack]

are you saying you shimmed the front of the ski down?
I have only ever shimmed the back of the ski down.

Rich,
SnowTrackers are different than normal carbides in the fact that the correctors need to contact the snow to steer easy and not dart, so you defiantly do not want heel pressure on them.

Shim the back of normal carbides. Don't ever do it for SnowTrackers.

 

[WISYAMMI]

Have a '22 TCat EPS with stock skis, 8" Bergstrom triple points, his ski savers and shims (back of saddle). Also have 144 fast-trac studs.
Zero darting and just goes where it's turned. The last few weeks I rode all kinds of conditions. From rails bends to lakes to tight twisties. Never had any darting or nervous handling. This sled handles better than my XS Doo GSX with semi snowtrackers and ice attack track.

 

[jonlafon1]

are you saying you shimmed the front of the ski down?
I have only ever shimmed the back of the ski down.

So the shim kit that can be purchased from Yamaha for the Stryke skis is what he is referring to.. It allows you to shim(with different thickness) either the rear or front of Yamaha stryke skis..

ON CAT SKIS with semi aggressive > I filled the small dimples (front row) about 7/8 full of epoxy. Just leaving enough for the dimples on the rubbers to just sit in and create some shim. I would consider this a SLIGHT shim in the front on CAT skis. Trackers put slightly to much angle on Cat skis.. The front of the skis are angled up slightly to much IMO. I feel the carbide placement and more so the angle the correctors(aggressive) put on cat skis is why they can be very unstable. The semi aggressive don't seem to get unstable at all.. I have not shimmed Aggressive trackers on Cat skis. I only ran them for about 500 miles and filled my shorts a few times and gave up on the aggressive.. BUT i could see where running some shim in the FRONT on cats or stryke could make the aggressive more stable. No doubt trackers are great carbides which ever route you go..

 

[STAIN]

So the shim kit that can be purchased from Yamaha for the Stryke skis is what he is referring to.. It allows you to shim(with different thickness) either the rear or front of Yamaha stryke skis..

Yeah, I have those skis and all the shims.
I didn't realize the Trackers like the front shimmed as I have never shimmed the front down.
I learn something new here.....

 

[jonlafon1]

Yeah, I have those skis and all the shims.
I didn't realize the Trackers like the front shimmed as I have never shimmed the front down.
I learn something new here.....

I know exactly what your saying.. Cat guy here, that has always shimmed the REAR on cat skis.. Especially early model procross chassis. 2012 +. The slight shim in front does work.. Both my sleds I have done it on and both run semi aggressive on cat skis.

 

[kviper]

So the shim kit that can be purchased from Yamaha for the Stryke skis is what he is referring to.. It allows you to shim(with different thickness) either the rear or front of Yamaha stryke skis..

ON CAT SKIS with semi aggressive > I filled the small dimples (front row) about 7/8 full of epoxy. Just leaving enough for the dimples on the rubbers to just sit in and create some shim. I would consider this a SLIGHT shim in the front on CAT skis. Trackers put slightly to much angle on Cat skis.. The front of the skis are angled up slightly to much IMO. I feel the carbide placement and more so the angle the correctors(aggressive) put on cat skis is why they can be very unstable. The semi aggressive don't seem to get unstable at all.. I have not shimmed Aggressive trackers on Cat skis. I only ran them for about 500 miles and filled my shorts a few times and gave up on the aggressive.. BUT i could see where running some shim in the FRONT on cats or stryke could make the aggressive more stable. No doubt trackers are great carbides which ever route you go..

The stryke ski saddle is different than the cat ski. The stryke has a deep channel under the rubber that they put two hard plastic (zero) spacers one in the front and one in the rear of the spindle. Either front or rear can be exchanged with the yamaha shims to apply more front or rear pressure. The shim kit comes with two 2.25, two 5.0 and two 7.5 shims. I have a 2.25 in the front now and it tracks good and seems to steer a little easier. I want to try the 5.0 shims in the front eventually. Shim kit was around $48 shipped.

 

[jonlafon1]

The stryke ski saddle is different than the cat ski. The stryke has a deep channel under the rubber that they put two hard plastic (zero) spacers one in the front and one in the rear of the spindle. Either front or rear can be exchanged with the yamaha shims to apply more front or rear pressure. The shim kit comes with two 2.25, two 5.0 and two 7.5 shims. I have a 2.25 in the front now and it tracks good and seems to steer a little easier. I want to try the 5.0 shims in the front eventually. Shim kit was around $48 shipped.

Yes . I had the kit and stryke skis with my 2022.. I switched over to cat skis this year.
I think your on to something with shim in front.. Good post.. Let us know if you try the bigger shim yet in the front.. Thanks

 

[Derek Fosbury]

Anyone know what the "special EPS" shims are relative to the shims that come with the kit for the stryke skis? I've got a 22 ST-X EPS and am getting a bit of darting, so want to shim the back of the skis down a bit more.

 

[kviper]

You should have the stryke skis so it would be the shim kit that we have been talking about.