Top End loss with Yamaha Skids?

[QCRider]

But does the rubber really contact the hyfax? Or do we just think it does because it's there? If it is contacting the hyfax then the track should show wear in the closed windows on the inside.

YES.

I opened the windows on my Vector and Apex with a 1" hole saw. On the back of each rubber disc that was cut out, clearly you could see the melted hyfax plastic stuck to the rubber.

Seems really dumb doesn't it? I don't buy the excuse from Camoplast about costs though. The tracks are molded, it wouldn't cost more to leave a hole there. In fact it would probably cost less.

 

[Sled Dog]

I agree QCRider it is a lame excuse.

 

[BETHEVIPER]

wheels make a huge difference. a closed window is just as fast as an open window, one is a little better than the other on different conditions.
use the bigger idlers and the sled will be faster as well as stop the wear.

most of the problem is that people think that slides should not wear, be smooth, wear even. none of this is true. they will wear down fast wear there is preasure, as the preasure is lessoned by the loss of slide, the wear slows and will not go further in most cases. any sled i have had i have gotten thousands of miles on slides, then i usually install used ones from wrecks. the worst milage i have goten is with hyperfax, they lasted 600mls and fell apart.

 

[number1kyster]

You are on to something, but yet a little off base.

Cuz if you put on Doo idlers and SLP wear pads hyfax wear goes away, you can feel the sled coast farther on decel and yes top speed goes up. So in my mind the following deductions are fact in my book.

Do yamaha skid designs rob top end? NO!

Do they use bogey wheels that are slightly too small? Yes!

Do closed window tracks cause extra friction that can rob top end? A big Yes!

I think it is that simple, the heat exchanger comment may have some meret as well.

Are the Doo Idlers a direct bolt on replacement?

 

[ViperTurboPete]

I noticed a difference in top speed when I replaced my 151 Pro-A skid with an 07 Arctic Cat M8 141 skid. I used the same 151 fully clipped track and gained 10km/hr on top end. I can't tell you anything about hyfax wear since I don't have much seat miles on the new skid. I can tell you that the Yamaha skid ate sliders.

 

[RTX]

Not buying into the heat exchanger location all that much because a spinning track has a lot of centrifugal force and you have a lot of air movement. To think that snow and moisture drip on down to lube the hyfax based on heat exchanger location may not be entirely logical or true

Everyone has an opinion, I respect that. I took a look at all the factors involved after i changed my first set of yamaha hyfax a few years ago and i still believe the heat exchanger placement contributes to hyfax wear. i am not an engineer nor do i pretend to be one.

I am not saying that a flood of water comes through the track and onto the hyfax. I am saying that water melts above the track. the track gets wet and the water transfers to the hyfax. I dont care how fast your top speed is. at some point everyone slows down, stops, takes turns, etc etc. at these moments when your track is not spinning at 100 mph water is dripping through to the hyfax.

take 2, 12 inch square pieces of rubber. lay them on the table on top of each other. try to slide them apart. it wont happen they will stick. add a few drops of water and now try it. they will slide. it don't take much. every little bit helps. Thats the point here.

Think about ice scratchers for a moment. they throw up a little ice from a hard packed trail. not a ton like you would want to ride in but just enough to make a difference. i see the heat exchanger doing the same thing.

 

[77srxdude]

I think the fact that the hot exhaust running above the track kinda kills that theory.

I have had the Mono, M-10 and now Expert - all three longer travel skids seem to rob a tiny bit from the top end - I even ran the tracks from as loose as possible to as tight as factory specs.

 

[crazyyamaha]

I noticed a slight decrease when i installed my edge I think because of the smaller rear wheels 6 3/8" vs the yammi 7"

This was coming from a pro action skid though I haven't have the pleasure to use the mono yet. Our proactive vector is wearing very nicely.

I also had the edge coming from the proaction it lost top end .as far as heat exchangers go the old indy were also on the outside or fan cooled sleds they didn't wear slides so that point is mute with me. Slide wear is caused by a combination of things ,lugs to tall ,idler wheels to small or incorectly placed or not enough ,over studding ( it holds the track up on hard snow), to short of mud flap (all the snow shoots out the rear in the old days the flap would drag on the ground), track angle.and weight. all that or any combination will cause slide wear.

 

[ReX]

One thing I keep wanting to carefully measure/compare between Yamaha's and Skidoo's is the distance from the center of the idler wheels to the bottom of a new pair of hyfax or how much the idlers protrude below a new pair of hyfax.

My theory is there is less load on the hyfax from the track on the competition's sleds compared to our 4-stroke Yamaha's. This could be partially due to the weight differences, but I suspect the idler position relative to the bottom of the hyfax is also different between them.

Has anyone taken this measurement?

Although I haven't really had much trouble with hyfax wear (until early this season - no problems at all after some mods though), I do find these sleds wear the hyfax down quicker than my buddies REVs. I'd like it if mine wore as well as theirs so I'm starting to consider installing Skidoo wheels next season.

 

[Mighty]

IMHO more idlers are needed.........I pulled my skid this weekend to remove the track (going down from a 1.5 paddle) and looking down the skid you can see the hifax is thicker at the points where the idlers are then it dips horibly. Looking down them like that really opened my eyes, they are soooo wavy...........
This has me thinking; I'm installing a 1.25 ripsaw and now unsure of using slp anti wear pads or simply cutting out the closed windows.............

 

[doc 4 stroke]

i have have run tracks fully clipped and every 3rd window closed with both the pro action skid and an sc 10 3 in a o3 rx1. the closed window track rolls easier less clips less friction. slider wear is signifantly less !! ran a fully clipped ice ripper track last year 5000km the scooby sliders were okay but took a beating and top speed was noticeably reduced, running a predrilled predator every 3rd closed 4500 km this year no noticable slider wear. imo unless you need to run extrovert drivers the closed window is the better way to go !!!!

 

[JohnWI]

Responding to the comment about flaps helping to keep snow moving around....Anybody with two identical sleds apart from the old style vs the new style flaps and differences in hyfax wear?

I've thought about this, too as my Vector's angled out and my Rage is straight down. I've felt that there's got to be some difference.

 

[RED800]

the flaps are angled out now becuz there was some issues where u backed up and the track would grab and pull the snowflap down..now they are angled away from the track

 

[tcona-AGT]

I have added SLP bolts & 5.35 O.D.wheels(from Royal Dist.listed as Artic cat/Bombardier/Polaris-#04-116-67).1300miles & very little wear.Also have cut flap off at the cut line.I didn't machine any brkts,but I used some thinner lock nuts that I had.