The Arcitc Cat Float suspension thread

[beeze455]

I got some sta-cool ones out of the western power sports catalog for an arctic cat through my dealer.

 

[Off Trail Mike]

I owe Rick big.

Following his warning on the space for undertunnel exhaust, I decided to drain the air out of the rear fox float and compress the back suspension, while keeping the limiter strap maxed out up front.. the hammering a snowbank position.

Well, ducked a bullet. As you can see from the photo below, the track was fully into the top of the tunnel with a 1/2" to go before the rear suspension arm hit the rubber bump stopper.

Fortunately, I had a second hole an inch lower on my drop bracket which got the track off the tunnel...barely, maybe 3/8" in the back

and the rear arm bottomed out on the rubber bump stopper.

So with the tunnel "brake" situation averted, I had a look at undertunnel space, and the bad news:

Not sure how to fit a muffler in there with 3" up front and 1-7/8" at the back of the tunnel opening.

So, with the suspension in the lower hole of my drop bracket I repeated raising the track off the ground and slowly lowering it back to the ground. In the new lower hole, the track touches down dead flat, measured with a tape, maybe less than an 1/8" difference front to back, but it doesn't unload the skis as much as the upper hole: Translation: More ski pressure. I'll measure ski pressure later when I get a chance.

Also strange is that it didn't seem to affect my approach angle too much. With the track resting flat on the ground the track clips are less than 0.040" away from the hyfax immediatley behind the antistab wheels. So in the lower holes the approach angle is just about perfect.

I also put a level on the Roest skid plate, and it is dead level. No idea if this is the way our skid plate is stock, but it looks OK. Its 8.75" off the floor.

So having seen all this, I went back to Autocad and adjusted my mount locations and thus am revising my location for the AC float skid relative to the stock MTX holes quite a bit, especially for the drop brackets

All measurements x and y are measured with the stock front skis on the ground (same 8.75" between skid plate and ground mentioned above) and with the rear of the tunnel (highest point) at 29" from the ground. The x measure is level to the ground, and the Y is perpendicular to level. Positions are relative to 2011 MTX suspension bolt holes. On the rear drop bracket, it is relative to the upper hole.
Front Suspension Arm
X axis = 1.33 forward
Y axis = 1.40 up
Rear Suspension Arm
x axis = 1.56 forward
y axis = 0.91 up

I am going to fabricate a new set of drop brackets for this season, but I am not really keen on redoing my forward mounts until this summer. Its a PITA so I'll run it this way for the winter and change later.

Now what to do about the undertunnel???????

Also, remember these dimenstions are for the MTX 153 only. Don't use for the XTX.

OTM

 

[rlcofmn]

I owe Rick big.

Following his warning on the space for undertunnel exhaust, I decided to drain the air out of the rear fox float and compress the back suspension, while keeping the limiter strap maxed out up front.. the hammering a snowbank position.

Not sure how to fit a muffler in there with 3" up front and 1-7/8" at the back of the tunnel opening.

Now what to do about the undertunnel???????

OTM

Definitely don't owe me a thing, Just trying to help people avoid the struggles I have dealt with. Keep in mind the build it with suspension design first, then make your exhaust work for it. I did it the opposite and it cause a lot of struggles and headaches of clearance issues and poor performing suspension.

As much as I hate the stock exhaust location it would have made my last years sled work good and it would probably still be on the snow not under 4 feet of snow. Have you thought about a raised tunnel block off like skinz use and like a 12" muffler? I don't like the raised block off but it is better than some alternatives.

Sled looks sweet BTW

 

[mtdream]

I have a Float suspension out of my 2012 Proclimb if someone wants it...just make a reasonable offer...

 

[Off Trail Mike]

I owe Rick big.

Following his warning on the space for undertunnel exhaust, I decided to drain the air out of the rear fox float and compress the back suspension, while keeping the limiter strap maxed out up front.. the hammering a snowbank position.

Not sure how to fit a muffler in there with 3" up front and 1-7/8" at the back of the tunnel opening.

Now what to do about the undertunnel???????

OTM

Definitely don't owe me a thing, Just trying to help people avoid the struggles I have dealt with. Keep in mind the build it with suspension design first, then make your exhaust work for it. I did it the opposite and it cause a lot of struggles and headaches of clearance issues and poor performing suspension.

As much as I hate the stock exhaust location it would have made my last years sled work good and it would probably still be on the snow not under 4 feet of snow. Have you thought about a raised tunnel block off like skinz use and like a 12" muffler? I don't like the raised block off but it is better than some alternatives.

Sled looks sweet BTW

Thanks on the sled.....awfully slow process...and if I could sort out the exhaust, I could finally reassemble.

I hear ya on the stock location. I am going to fab a mount for the Yoshi and try the undertunnel....just in case it gets killed.

On the undertunnel. I think I have enough room for the muffler if I keep it under 2-1/4" thick and 16" long, since it can be pretty wide. Using the vector header, I can install the clamp right behind where the 3-1 merge pipe is and it gets me pretty far forward in the tunnel opening for the silencer. And if I taper the outlet end up to an oval opening, maybe 1 x 3, at least if the track gets it, it will be a glancing blow....the theory anyway.

I think my summer project is to install a carbon fiber tunnel extension starting at the tunnel opening, right back to the tail, and leave some room up there for a Yoshi RS-5. Sorta kills your storage space in the back, but you would at least have the under seat and maybe a foot behind that. That exaust is a royal PITA!

OTM

 

[beeze455]

What size track you running?

 

[Off Trail Mike]

153, but the mounts are the same for the 162 as well.

BTW. I did the AC brake install last night.....brilliant Beeze. During the install I remembered the AC hi beam switch setup and thought it would be a great idea to use this as well.

I think I can make it work, but looking at the electrical schematic I have to cross connect two fuse circuits with the switch as it is....and don't really like the idea, so before I do it, I'm going to look at the switch a bit closer. Has 4 wires but only uses 3. I am betting they jumpered to a common power inside which maybe I can undo, and have two separate circuits.

You're right on the park brake. A bit tight, but I tried the same brake on a ZR900 and its pretty much the same. I don't think you can creep away with this park brake on....

Must have save at least a pound...maybe more.

Thanks

OTM

 

[beeze455]

Brake works really slick.

I was actually wondering the lug height.

 

[Off Trail Mike]

Brake works really slick.

I was actually wondering the lug height.

2-1/4" Arctic Cat Powerclaw

 

[beeze455]

2" Here. This was before I moved the suspension a tad, so it prbly has a 1/4" more room now. i have not ripped it off or heard anything wierd, so it should be good. LOL

 

[ruffryder]

Do they make coupling kits for these suspensions? That would allow you guys to avoid the whole, tilted up only in the back and not the front, issue...

Just some thoughts..

The angles you guys are looking at are extreme situations. Though, I have a Kmod Gen I skid, and it does the same thing. I think coupling the skid would solve the problem, though you might loose some performance..

 

[rlcofmn]

I suppose in theory you could add coupling blocks. Although it's not the best design for it. Scissor arm suspensions will actually allow the front shock to work against the rear the last roughly 4" of travel. Making a hard tail landing worse yet. It will increase the resistance of the rear of the skid to travel down alone from the front but past that point it is working against it. This is the reason why I took a hit and sold a Gen 2 K mod last year before I even ran it. Coupling designs are best left to skids like the T sled or the M-10 (edit, Also gen 1 K mod) IMO.

That being said I am running a Hodge podged holz with coupling blocks right now

It is a extreme situation that you will bottom the rear only but It also did cost me a no longer available 144x2.5 track last year.

 

[..SNAKEBIT..]

a little off topic
but is eveyone hanging the under tunnel muffler
in front of the upper shaft? mine is behind the shaft and has rubbed the track several times

 

[Off Trail Mike]

Snakebite:

The more forward the better, that's why I went to a vector header on my Nytro, and why I might fab a customer header that puts the collector even farther forward. There is simply more space available up front even with the suspension squated

Have a look at rlcofmn's pictures in this post or mine and you get an idea . Basically if you compress the suspension enough, the track lifts off the return idlers by at least a couple of inches. The least amount of space is at the rear end of the tunnel. I am using the Cat suspension, but the issues is the same with the stock one too.

Hope this helps.

OTM

Keeping it forward reduces the possiblity

 

[..SNAKEBIT..]

thats what I thought, guess I will relocate it this week-end. I am running the vector Excel header with a Micron silencer and stock suspension
162x16x2.5