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There's been a lot of talk this year about the new Arvin Meritor made RydeFX Air 2.0 shocks. We decided early on to swap these new shocks with the standard RydeFX, HPG, IFP front shocks that were on our 2008 Switchback 700.
We also did some other small quick upgrades, namely a mountain grab strap and handlebar hooks, to our standard Switch 700 to give it a little more functionality. If you are planning on riding powder and/or mountain terrain with your extended track sled, these are must-have additions and we believe should be standard issue on every crossover sled.
Here's a short overview of what you'll need and some quick hints to make this job a short, rewarding and fun project. Doing these upgrades should take you less than an hour total.
Tools neededSled lift, Allen wrench set, socket set, standard wrench set, torque wrench, utility knife, rubber mallet.
Easy shock install1. Lift the sled to relieve pressure on the skis.
2. With socket set and 9/16th wrench, take out bottom shock assembly bolt. Open the hood to get to the top shock mounting bolts and remove them. There is some silicon here around the belly pan, which may be hard to work around. Socket extensions may be necessary.
3. Work out old shock from its mounting and replace with new shock. To fit correctly, the new shock should be moved into place from underneath and behind the bottom of the A-arm.
4. Turn the shock so the small Allen wrench adjustable shock adjustment is facing outward. Also, the top mounting bolts are longer than the bottom bolts, and both must face backward on each side.
5. Torque the bolts to 40 foot-pounds with a torque wrench. The bolts are nylock sealed, so lock-tight should not be needed.
6. Go get in the snow!
Handlebar strap and hook quick hints1. Sit or stand on the sled first and determine what is comfortable for you before you mount the strap.
2. If you don't want to scratch your handlebars with the U-clamps provided to attach the strap to the bars, you can wrap one thin layer of electrical tape around the clamps. We have used thin neoprene too.
3. Do not clamp the electrical lines, throttle cable, brake cable, etc. into the strap clamps.
4. An easy way to spot the cut lines for your hooks is to take a rubber mallet and pound the end of the bar so you get a nice circular cutting line.
5. Cut the rubber out of the middle of the end of the bar along your cutting line and remove the plastic stopper inside and install your hooks.
6. Again, sit or stand on the sled to determine what is comfortable for you first and make sure the hooks are in the right spot.
7. Screw the hooks in with ¼-inch Allen wrench and torque to 90 inch-pounds.