Thanks for the info. & Pics. I PM'd you a few days ago thanking you too but wanted to post a public big THANK YOU for your help!
Happy New Year to you & yours!
Also, I just pulled my old one out and put the new one in. Mine looks identical to your pics, down to the green thread protecting tape on it, so I assume it's a CR-Racing post too? Just wanted to ad o side note...
I pulled mine out through the bottom but it was a major PITA. Mostly due to the fact that I had it up on saw horses, not a "real" snowmobile jack, so I had MANY clearance issues getting it out. Since it comes out the bottom, you will need A LOT of "wiggle room" to spin it and twist it and move it side to side, back & forth etc. I had way too many cross braces etc. between my skis setting on the saw horses so I had to drop it nearly straight down & out. Would have been MUCH easier if I could have wobbled it around a lot more. So, if anyone else reads this, keep that in mind when setting your sled up in the air.
EDIT: or just tip the sled on it's side to pull it out the bottom instead of jacking it up in the air.
Now, that said, when I put the new post back in, just for chit's & giggles, I tried to put it in from the top... slipped right in NO problem, MUCH easier! Might be because when re-installing it's in FRONT of the hoop instead of behind it, so you wouldn't be able to remove the OEM out the top? Don't know I didn't try but I would recommend if doing it again, try to pull the OEM one out the top and see if it works? If not, then Jack up, remove the belly pan and go through the bottom. Just leave a wide birth around the bottom where you will drop it out, so you can finagle it around a LOT!
Haven't finished yet, just got the bottom mounting done, now have to finish up the other mods I'm doing so I can lower the sled to finish it up. I can't turn the bars right now the way I have it jacked up... it's sitting on the skis, on 2x4's, across saw horse...
Anyway, thanks again. will post a final, final when I'm done.
biGjOhn