There must be a better design to installing a track?

[YammyRX1]

If it was quicker to do everyone would have a couple of tracks to pick from in their garage depending on conditions and where they were riding. Or you could try a few loaners and decide before purchasing one.

 

[jamesc]

How often are you guys changing tracks?

I can think of a few others things ( at least a hundred) that the engineers at Yam can spend their time on. None of them which relate to this.

i know basically jack about sleds but this would be my response

 

[nate007]

IMO,
The reason the OEM's don't worry about speed in track changing is the life span of the tracks don't require frequent removal?
That being said, it is a PITA to remove one, and you have to dis-assemble quite a bit to get to it. My only concern is after putting it back together, how well will everything hold, and what wear did the parts incurr just from the process (set screws, seals, etc)..
My wheels are spinning...

 

[YammyRX1]

That's true, every time I remove the side panels I have to replace one or two fasteners because the heads strip. What is the deal with using Phillips and slot head screws when sockets and Robertson's are so much better? I'm sort of biased though, living about two blocks from P.L. Robertson's original factory.

 

[Agman 57]

I agree, that it sure would be a great help, if it was made easier. True, most people don't change the track but maybe once, if that, for the entire time they own a sled. But there are a few crazy ones out there ( me being one of them) that run one track here in the mid-west when trail riding and then go to a paddle track, when going out west on trips once or twice a year. So we change back and forth a couple times a year. What we wouldn't give to have a quick change axle option. But I guess for now we have to put up with it, if we want to play the game. Just my 2 cents worth

 

[rightarm]

In this day and age of technological engineering why do we have to have to disassemble the bottom half of the drive system just to change the track? Why couldn't the bottom drive gear be designed to receive the drive bar/axle via it slotting into it? If that could be achieved then it would be a 30 minute job to drop the axle and skid and remove and replace the track.

Just thinking out loud.

Great idea but would hate to think about the added cost to the snowmobile and not to mention the whining that would follow on the price increase.I like it the way it is lets me get up n personal with my machine.

 

[sleddingfarmer]

It would be nice to switch tracks according to conditions. Near the end of the year a 1" track with lots of studs would be great. After a big snow storm a 2" paddle would be fun in the ditches. And for normal season riding a 1.25 with normal amount of studs is just fine.

Screw it. I'm gonna go buy a powerball ticket so I can just have a different sled for every condition.

 

[rightarm]

That's true, every time I remove the side panels I have to replace one or two fasteners because the heads strip. What is the deal with using Phillips and slot head screws when sockets and Robertson's are so much better? I'm sort of biased though, living about two blocks from P.L. Robertson's original factory.

The philips and slot heads are lighter than the socket heads and it would help tremendously if you used the right sized screwdriver instead of opting for the O.C.C screwdriver

 

[DoktorC]

The philips and slot heads are lighter than the socket heads and it would help tremendously if you used the right sized screwdriver instead of opting for the O.C.C screwdriver

Yep...the right tools make the job WAY faster. I use a cordless impact with a philips bit (for the panels) and they pop right out. It's been a huge time saver even over air tools.

I did a Nytro track swap a few nights ago and that slot on the speedo side makes a HUGE difference. You don't have to mess with the little torx set screws on the bearing or anything. The cast in chaincase also saves time trying to get the axle aligned too...

 

[Handy]

I've been watching this thread for a while now and decided it is time to chime in. Last year in one of the magazines (can't remember which one) there were pictures of the new race sleds from Polaris, Skidoo & Arctic. One photo had a shot of a Polaris of the drive sprockets, between the sprockets was a large shaft coupling. It looked like you would only have to split the coupling, undo the bearing on the speedo drive side of the tunnel, pull half of the axle out leaving the chain case side intact and then slide out the track.