I hear everybody say to ditch the challenger lite track. Why is that? What is wrong with it that makes it so horrible?
Why is the Challenger Lite track so bad?
- Thread starter Ozzmanmike
- Start date
trenches, only good for setup snow.
the lugs are way to stiff. so they dont bend over any in pow, and just trench like a fool, there great if you wanna run spring snow, then they will scare ya. but other then that there kinda a POS
I personally think it's a myth, I run it on my xrs and do not find myself stuck more or less or can't hill climb any different then all my buddies with rev's that have the '06 tracks that they went to because a few people were paranoid!
obviously they don't put them on new sleds anymore as like everything in this world - when you standardize things it makes it cheaper.
but comments like : they are only good for set snow, and don't bend in pow.. what!? think about the logic here, wouldn't a soft track bend more in set snow and why in the world would you want the paddles to bend at all in pow?? the whole purpose of the nice big 2 1/4" paddles is to bite into as much snow as possible! how else could you ever move? I'm sure if they made a 3" paddle that was durable without breaking off or breaking down fast, everyone would be running them in pow machines..
but i'm sure we'll hear from the peanut gallery on this one, as guys that have never run it or spent big dollars switching (because they needed to blame something on their taboggan) tracks will argue it. but hey, it's just my experience.
obviously they don't put them on new sleds anymore as like everything in this world - when you standardize things it makes it cheaper.
but comments like : they are only good for set snow, and don't bend in pow.. what!? think about the logic here, wouldn't a soft track bend more in set snow and why in the world would you want the paddles to bend at all in pow?? the whole purpose of the nice big 2 1/4" paddles is to bite into as much snow as possible! how else could you ever move? I'm sure if they made a 3" paddle that was durable without breaking off or breaking down fast, everyone would be running them in pow machines..
but i'm sure we'll hear from the peanut gallery on this one, as guys that have never run it or spent big dollars switching (because they needed to blame something on their taboggan) tracks will argue it. but hey, it's just my experience.
i have no problems with my challenger lite, it really hooks up well with it notched on the top half of the lug, just a few little V's cut out, makes a huge differance.
Wow, someone is a little touchy about their track.
1st of all you've got it backwards, a good powder track has very soft paddles. Why do you think the A20 is the best powder track, those things have squeegee blades for paddles. The paddles fold over and PACK the snow instead of trying to move it. Now those same tracks suck when the snow sets up cause they just fold over and can't hook up.
TOO many people have said NIGHT AND DAY difference when they swicthed to the powdermax track....in the deep that is.
I had one on my xrs stock. Now I have a powdermax. I will never run that style camo-lite again.
I think it depends on snow conditions more than you think. In Alaska, we get bottomless sugar snow, and that track sucked. We need as flexible track as possible to pack the snow more instead of digging through it. Maybe on the cascade concrete, it would do pretty good, but I am here to tell you, switching it out made a night and day difference all around!
Just my .02
I think it depends on snow conditions more than you think. In Alaska, we get bottomless sugar snow, and that track sucked. We need as flexible track as possible to pack the snow more instead of digging through it. Maybe on the cascade concrete, it would do pretty good, but I am here to tell you, switching it out made a night and day difference all around!
Just my .02
S
Skidooer
Well-known member
it is all about the type of snow you run in . the selection of tracks is growing and with it we find a great degree of different loading i the transmission.
on the 07 rev chassi with the lite track the biggest issue was the movement by ski doo of the front skid axle location . due to the track lug height growing to 2.5 they choose a cheap way to get the clearance back above the lug tip at the front of the tunnel .
what thie did was now increase the angle of attack .
most guys sucked the limiter up due to the easy lifting of the front of the sled and then the angle really goes for crap.
trouble is when fellas sucked the limiter up , few changed the shock tension.
this needed to be backed off so the front of the skid would travel some . with out doing that it continues to trench in the deep snow.
the other item that got neglected was to loosen the track a bit as the skid pulled up at the front moves the skid back some and tightens the track.
rear of sled lifted up you should have two inches hanging off the rail .
yes it is an agressive track but the same track on the 08 shows none of the 07 charteristics.
one simple solution on the 07 is to relocate the front axle holes up a half inch.
this puts it were the 06 chassi has it located and that worked for the ones that choose that way.
other things we did was to trim the ribs on the back of the paddle tips to allow the top of the lug to bend over , about a 1/2 inch down was all.
what this does allow to happen is when the lug bends over in the fluff stuff you get lift as the force is changed direction some and drives the snow down instead of straight back.
it is best suited for tighter snow consistenceys and isnt the best choice in tons of fluff like we get early season .but that covers abroader spectrum of areas than the amount of snow like we get .
doo's other track is a best all around track here in revy .
the track will work but be patient and try a few of the things i have tested here and you can get a better performance out of it for your area that you ride in .
one other important item to be aware of is how you set up the rear springs to what you do in the front .
predominantly here we go full hard on the rear set springs . there a bit poochey shortly after a harsh trip up the trail to the riding area,
on the 07 rev chassi with the lite track the biggest issue was the movement by ski doo of the front skid axle location . due to the track lug height growing to 2.5 they choose a cheap way to get the clearance back above the lug tip at the front of the tunnel .
what thie did was now increase the angle of attack .
most guys sucked the limiter up due to the easy lifting of the front of the sled and then the angle really goes for crap.
trouble is when fellas sucked the limiter up , few changed the shock tension.
this needed to be backed off so the front of the skid would travel some . with out doing that it continues to trench in the deep snow.
the other item that got neglected was to loosen the track a bit as the skid pulled up at the front moves the skid back some and tightens the track.
rear of sled lifted up you should have two inches hanging off the rail .
yes it is an agressive track but the same track on the 08 shows none of the 07 charteristics.
one simple solution on the 07 is to relocate the front axle holes up a half inch.
this puts it were the 06 chassi has it located and that worked for the ones that choose that way.
other things we did was to trim the ribs on the back of the paddle tips to allow the top of the lug to bend over , about a 1/2 inch down was all.
what this does allow to happen is when the lug bends over in the fluff stuff you get lift as the force is changed direction some and drives the snow down instead of straight back.
it is best suited for tighter snow consistenceys and isnt the best choice in tons of fluff like we get early season .but that covers abroader spectrum of areas than the amount of snow like we get .
doo's other track is a best all around track here in revy .
the track will work but be patient and try a few of the things i have tested here and you can get a better performance out of it for your area that you ride in .
one other important item to be aware of is how you set up the rear springs to what you do in the front .
predominantly here we go full hard on the rear set springs . there a bit poochey shortly after a harsh trip up the trail to the riding area,
Depends on where you ride too. I know a lot of guys on the west coast like it because of the cement that falls all winter there. Here along the wasatch front where we get very lite/dry snow it is a horrible track. But, like Al mentioned there are some things you can do in suspension set up that will help a lot.
I'm probably am the only 08' 154 XP with a challenger lite track and I have had no problems with it. Two in my riding group have 163 inch power max tracks and I go where they do in deep powdery snow. Trenching with the challenger on 08 XP's is a myth.
Cinno
Cinno
<quote deleted here too, for the same reasons>
<unnecessary stuff removed (name calling and the like)>
there was no anger in my post, as you can see from what i have written I just said what I have experienced when riding the steep and deep in B.C. with my friends. <yet more wasted words deleted>
<unnecessary stuff removed (name calling and the like)>
there was no anger in my post, as you can see from what i have written I just said what I have experienced when riding the steep and deep in B.C. with my friends. <yet more wasted words deleted>
Last edited by a moderator:
the track i make most mention of is on the 07 model
the 08 that used them they worked on, thought i mentioned that hahaha
that is why i mentioned the front axle position , there is a difference between the 06 to 07 but the 08 is totally different in chassi and tunnel spacing , back to the angle of attack the 06 has . the angle of attack on the lite track is sensitive to soft snow conditions and being that it leans to the aggressive side is why .
clutching between the two tracks is different due to the stiffer lug carrying more load back to the transmission .
lite track isn't as forgiving on clutch clearences in both primary and secondery bushings .
any sled running the stiff lug track will want to consider a sec spring with more end load to assist in lessing the slipping that it presents as the sec up shifts and developes a lessening amount of belt to grab on to .
to handle the lite track in the 07 model the changing of the secondery large diameter bushing to the one used in 06 being a 1 inch wide one versus the narrow one used in the 07 sec moveable half .the narrow one wears way to fast and really hinders the available track speed the lite track can develope to maximize its design .
both the 08 and the 07 would do them selves a favor and have the new spring tower cap for the 09 installed in there primarys . these two years have a soft bushing in them and the 09 has the correct one back in it ..so i am assured by the doo gods .
you get the transmission set up right and you have a shallow angle of attack and you will get a much better preforming lite track.in all snow conditions .
the 08 that used them they worked on, thought i mentioned that hahaha
that is why i mentioned the front axle position , there is a difference between the 06 to 07 but the 08 is totally different in chassi and tunnel spacing , back to the angle of attack the 06 has . the angle of attack on the lite track is sensitive to soft snow conditions and being that it leans to the aggressive side is why .
clutching between the two tracks is different due to the stiffer lug carrying more load back to the transmission .
lite track isn't as forgiving on clutch clearences in both primary and secondery bushings .
any sled running the stiff lug track will want to consider a sec spring with more end load to assist in lessing the slipping that it presents as the sec up shifts and developes a lessening amount of belt to grab on to .
to handle the lite track in the 07 model the changing of the secondery large diameter bushing to the one used in 06 being a 1 inch wide one versus the narrow one used in the 07 sec moveable half .the narrow one wears way to fast and really hinders the available track speed the lite track can develope to maximize its design .
both the 08 and the 07 would do them selves a favor and have the new spring tower cap for the 09 installed in there primarys . these two years have a soft bushing in them and the 09 has the correct one back in it ..so i am assured by the doo gods .
you get the transmission set up right and you have a shallow angle of attack and you will get a much better preforming lite track.in all snow conditions .
<quote deleted, since I deleted the unnecessary attacks in that post too.>
<unnecessary personal comments deleted>
Ozzmanmike - Disregard smoknbarrels and swap out your track with a Powdermax, tune your suspenders accordingly and enjoy your sled; it's truly night and day. The C-Lite doesn't even work in the Cascade Concrete ... it's just crap in any condition compared to a softer lug track.
<unnecessary personal comments deleted>
Ozzmanmike - Disregard smoknbarrels and swap out your track with a Powdermax, tune your suspenders accordingly and enjoy your sled; it's truly night and day. The C-Lite doesn't even work in the Cascade Concrete ... it's just crap in any condition compared to a softer lug track.
Last edited by a moderator:
Agreed.
I had a customer swap the lite out for the Challenger on his 159 XRS while I had the same sled but kept the Lite. Other than slight clutching differences, I was consistently right there with him. We traded highmarks all year long. I also tried different suspension combo's. My customer didn't even touch his. It didn't take long to stumble on something that didn't trench so bad. I didn't mount the front arm higher until the snow became hard but the sled performed flawlessly all year(despite a motor at the end of the season
)
That's Interior-Cariboo region of BC.
I had a customer swap the lite out for the Challenger on his 159 XRS while I had the same sled but kept the Lite. Other than slight clutching differences, I was consistently right there with him. We traded highmarks all year long. I also tried different suspension combo's. My customer didn't even touch his. It didn't take long to stumble on something that didn't trench so bad. I didn't mount the front arm higher until the snow became hard but the sled performed flawlessly all year(despite a motor at the end of the season
)That's Interior-Cariboo region of BC.
track
dont listen to these guys I will run with the best of them , just put in the right helix and spring. and Im 66 years old also thanks bud
dont listen to these guys I will run with the best of them , just put in the right helix and spring. and Im 66 years old also thanks bud
L
ledoo
Member
my own thoughts and i must say only my opinion, i had an 07 with challenger lite i thought it dug deep it pushed all the snow out the back and didn't pack any. If you ride deep powder that really sucks. I cut down the ribs on the track tightened the limiter strap relaxed the spring tension on the front shock and stiffened the rear springs and it worked fine. In the end i traded it in for a XP 163 with powdermax. I think the bottom line is you don't have to swap just a few minor adjustments could save cash for pipes and clutching. I wouldn't even consider not spending the money just maybe where ya spend it JUST MY OPINION
K
khaddon2110
Well-known member
and yes you were correct....the peanut gallery has spoken! input from someone that has no experience on the track yet again....
I run it on my XRS as you do barrels, and I have the same experience as you....If you get the suspension set up right, the challenger rips! And no measurable difference..... i run both side by side on my 06 summit and my 07XRS....
I'll be able to compare both those to my 09X soon
