XTX busted front skid swing arm

[DTJ]

Any 2014 xtx's with broken front swing arm. Mine broke in two spots where it's welded yesterday and it snapped off the shock shaft right at the threads. Thought I blew the chaincase but turns out track gets so loose with front suspension collapsed drivers were barely touching track. So I just did the shock relocate at the beginning of the season and have about 1500 miles on it. Not sure if that caused it, but when I had the skid out to drill the new holes I noticed paint missing pretty extensively on all the welds, which means there had already been flexing I think for the first 3500 miles. Does anyone know if I can put the updated 16 swing arm and longer shock in as a replacement.

 

[cannondale27]

Pretty sure hole at skid is moved for new arm.

 

[DTJ]

*Update* Pretty sure this turned out to be self inflicted due to the shock relocate. Moving the lower shock mount forward in the rails raises the front of the swingarm travel so the arm can no longer reach the bump stops on the rails before the shock bottoms. So I was bottoming on the shock putting added stress on the swingarm, I think. The good news I figured out a solution I ordered the 2016 front track shock to see how much longer it is, about 3/4" It fits perfectly in stock mounting location but raises the front of the swingarm almost exactly the same as the shock relocate does, except now the swingarm bottoms on the bump stop before the longer travel shock bottoms.

 

[cannondale27]

*Update* Pretty sure this turned out to be self inflicted due to the shock relocate. Moving the lower shock mount forward in the rails raises the front of the swingarm travel so the arm can no longer reach the bump stops on the rails before the shock bottoms. So I was bottoming on the shock putting added stress on the swingarm, I think. The good news I figured out a solution I ordered the 2016 front track shock to see how much longer it is, about 3/4" It fits perfectly in stock mounting location but raises the front of the swingarm almost exactly the same as the shock relocate does, except now the swingarm bottoms on the bump stop before the longer travel shock bottoms.

So are you thinking the 16's have the holes in same position on rail and arm and it was just a shock change?

 

[DTJ]

No, I went to the dealership and measured. The mount location on the rails where the front arm attaches is about an 1 1/2" taller so the rails are different. I didn't order the 2016 front swingarm but it is a different part number. I was just trying to lighten up the front end and improve transfer. I run the aggressive snowtrackers and have yet to find an adjustment where it pushes at all turning even with the 160# spring on the front track shock. The nice thing about the 2016 shock is you gain some travel and you can let your limiter straps out all the way without the shock being the limiter.

 

[cannondale27]

No, I went to the dealership and measured. The mount location on the rails where the front arm attaches is about an 1 1/2" taller so the rails are different. I didn't order the 2016 front swingarm but it is a different part number. I was just trying to lighten up the front end and improve transfer. I run the aggressive snowtrackers and have yet to find an adjustment where it pushes at all turning even with the 160# spring on the front track shock. The nice thing about the 2016 shock is you gain some travel and you can let your limiter straps out all the way without the shock being the limiter.

Thats interesting. Seems they maybe put wrong shock on in 14 then on XTX. All other models you can run straps all the way out at least till they start to stretch. I believe I noticed on my 129 around 5000mi the shock bolt was going in way too easy and had to move to second hole to be sure shock wasnt being abused. Can you measure the shock or is number still visible on eyelet?Nice research and thanks for the heads up!