Track Tension? How tight is too much?

Shift_Fast · Mar 24, 2010

Anyone have pics of your sled on a track stand or track off the ground so I can see what your deflection/tension looks like on your track? I have set mine to be at 2" of deflection with 10lbs of pressure pulling down on the track but it seems too tight? Any help appreciated.

Dam Dave · Mar 24, 2010

loose is fast
I always run mine with 3 inches hanging with no weights, I think this is my fourth M, ran them all loose

if its not ratcheting its not loose, too tight causes drag

just my 2c

brendank69 · Mar 24, 2010

I keep mine a bit more loose than spec. Don't get carried away like some guys, or you can get into track stab territory.

What you have is good, although a turn less on each side would also be acceptable. I just press down firmly on the track with my hand and as long as it's not more than ~3" then you're ok. Any less than 2" and I would be loosening it.

White Rad · Mar 24, 2010

three fingers between track and rail no weights.

elvis1280 · Mar 25, 2010

just use your hand and push down firmly in the middle of the track near the rubber bumpers and it needs to be more than 2". i run mine at 2.75 and i did have it at a little less than 2 before i knew how important tension was. it was night and day how much faster the sled was.

Shift_Fast · Mar 25, 2010

Hmmm, ok I have 1" deflection at free hang/no weight when on the track stand and 2" when I apply 10lbs of pressure downward on the track. From what you guys have been saying it sounds like my track is too tight.

Mjunkie · Mar 25, 2010

If you have the anti-stab kit like someone already mentioned, you can run the track very very loose without any problems. When I had the stock rear suspension, I would have at least 3" of sag with no weight pulling down on the track and it never ratcheted and with the anti-stab wheels, it never stabbed the track. The looser you can get away with the better for performance.

sledtahoe · Mar 25, 2010

sweet spot

finding sweet spot , probably alittle bit looser, but not to much will cause track to flop around alot and also sacrafice proper backshift.Lots of threads on hear and to loose is not good..JMO.....have run it all deferent ways.You sound close....

clarkwinsor · Mar 25, 2010

really?

if I run my track at 2" it rachets all the time???? what the hell????i keep mine at about 1 3/4 and it seems to be perfect, anymore and it rachets. anti stab kit my solution????

av8er · Mar 25, 2010

09 M1000-162 RUNNING 2" AT 10LBS

OWNERS MANUAL STATES RUN 1.5-3 INCHES AT 10 LBS, I'M RUNNING MINE MAYBE A LITTLE TIGHT BUT THE TRACK IS PORTED, DO NOT WANT TO STAB TRACK

Shift_Fast · Mar 25, 2010

Thats what I thought, aprx 2" at 10lbs. Maybe its a little tight but I don't have a anti-stab kit yet and I guess I will deal with the bit of resistance now till I get one. I really don't want to stab a track.

Mjunkie · Mar 26, 2010

clarkwinsor said:
if I run my track at 2" it rachets all the time???? what the hell????i keep mine at about 1 3/4 and it seems to be perfect, anymore and it rachets. anti stab kit my solution????

I'd guess you have something else going on, like the drivers are worn or warped, or something with the track itself. My sled is an '05 with just a short 141, but it seemed like with my stock skid it wouldn't ratchet no matter how loose I put the track. The anti stab kit just prevents the slide rails from stabbing the track and ruining it (which you have to have on a loose track or else), but I don't think it has anything to do with whether you ratchet or not. Maybe someone can add some more.

vdo1948 · Mar 26, 2010

Mjunkie said:
I'd guess you have something else going on, like the drivers are worn or warped, or something with the track itself. My sled is an '05 with just a short 141, but it seemed like with my stock skid it wouldn't ratchet no matter how loose I put the track. The anti stab kit just prevents the slide rails from stabbing the track and ruining it (which you have to have on a loose track or else), but I don't think it has anything to do with whether you ratchet or not. Maybe someone can add some more.

X2. I've run my 05 M7 as loose as 3" with no weight and have never had a racheting problem

clarkwinsor · Mar 27, 2010

Mjunkie said:
I'd guess you have something else going on, like the drivers are worn or warped, or something with the track itself. My sled is an '05 with just a short 141, but it seemed like with my stock skid it wouldn't ratchet no matter how loose I put the track. The anti stab kit just prevents the slide rails from stabbing the track and ruining it (which you have to have on a loose track or else), but I don't think it has anything to do with whether you ratchet or not. Maybe someone can add some more.

you think so? i gues i might of went a little over board about the all the time factor, usually just on really steep **** when im hard on the gas standing straight up and down in a wheely. then it will rachet, but i am in this position a lot during the course of a day so i cant stand it.....i only got 1400 km on my sled, so i kinda doubt he worn driver, but warped maybe....what other some of he other signs???cheeers mjunkie

mblanken881 · Mar 28, 2010

Not to hi-jack the thread but can anybody help?

I had the stock track on and ran the track really loose where it hung about 2" without any weght and it was perfect. Then I put on a ported powerclaw and it ripped, so I put the stocker back on. Now if I run the track loose it feels like it rubbing on something. I can only feel it when on the trail and it's the worst when coming off of a bump. Almost like the track is hitting the tunnel. I checked everything for clearance when the snow melted off and everything seems OK. When I tighten my track to about 1/2" hang without weight, most of the rubbing went away but its still there. What gives?

07 M8

Thanks,

Mike

Frostbite · Mar 28, 2010

Good topic Shift_Fast!

Mblanken881, I think your track is "ballooning" as it travels through the tunnel. I was going to mention that can happen if your track is too lose. If the track is too lose all that hanging track still has to rotate around the skid and with the centrifugal force trying to throw the track out and away from the skid, it's like a wave that travels along the moving track. That bump you came off helps to build the wave.

If ballooning is the case you'll notice it in the powder when you are jumping something and as your front end comes up and you keep the throttle pinned, you'll feel and hear the ratcheting. Mine was doing it so bad on my last sled that it was ratcheting with extroverts!

Before extroverts I would loosen the track until it ratcheted and then tighten it a 1/2 turn on each side. With extroverts you can run the tracks much more loosely than before but, ballooning and track stabbing become the limiting factors.

Lose is good, too lose will let you know by rubbing in the tunnel or ratcheting under power. An anti stab kit will give you peace of mind and will help you find the correct tension without having to worry so much about a catastophe.

Mjunkie · Mar 28, 2010

clarkwinsor said:
you think so? i gues i might of went a little over board about the all the time factor, usually just on really steep **** when im hard on the gas standing straight up and down in a wheely. then it will rachet, but i am in this position a lot during the course of a day so i cant stand it.....i only got 1400 km on my sled, so i kinda doubt he worn driver, but warped maybe....what other some of he other signs???cheeers mjunkie

I'd look at the drivers first, and see if there is any obvious damage. Get the rear end off the ground and turn the track and see if possibly the drive shaft is bent. If that looks good, then I'd take a good look at all your boogey wheels and skid to see if they turn freely and aren't bent or possibly damaged causing somekind of misalignment (but doubt that), then maybe you're missing some or all of the clips on the track. I don't know if missing clips will make it more likely to ratchet but hopefully someone else can chime in and add some more info on that. Other than that the only other thing I can think of would be the bearings on the brake rotor being damaged causing a misalignment, but that would probably ruin your diamond drive and you'd know if something was wrong there. I hope that helps some, I can't think of anything else it could be. Hopefully you'll find something off, because you shouldn't be ratcheting.

Dam Dave · Mar 28, 2010

Listen to Cole Trickle, Loose is fasssssssssssssst:face-icon-small-coo

I have 1500 miles on my 2010 M8 162 and have never adjusted the track, don't even look at it really, if you have 2 inch's or less sag without any weight and its ratcheting some thing is wrong with your sled, just saying

eep:

smoothdawg · Mar 29, 2010

Why wouldn't you follow the manufacturers suggestions? Too loose and you stab the track or ratchet. Simple as that. A properly tensioned track will perform flawlessly. JMO

Dam Dave · Mar 29, 2010

smoothdawg said:
Why wouldn't you follow the manufacturers suggestions? Too loose and you stab the track or ratchet. Simple as that. A properly tensioned track will perform flawlessly. JMO

Who said I wasn't, and I don't ratchet, if I did I would tighten it, I used to fuss over this crap now I just ride:face-icon-small-coo

I also took all the idler wheels off, hyfax lasts forever with the track tension set correctly, if you are having hyfax or overheating issues your track is likely to tight, I put 3500 miles on my 2008 M8 running this setup and the hyfax were good for another 3500 miles when I traded it in

Track Tension? How tight is too much?

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