08 Arctic Cat M8 162 Performance Tips

[lwestcomb]

I have a 2008 M8 162 with 1200 miles, it’s my first sled and I’m loving it. I’m looking to do some easier mods so I can perform a bit better boondockin with my buddies and their newer sleds. I’m in the UP of Michigan and we’re at about 600-800ft elevation. I’d like to shed some weight and I’ve been told I need different clutch weights. One thing I can’t find to save my life is a short seat for this thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Readymedic]

You should be able to find a Boss seat for your M8, check Ebay etc. You can get a newer 2012-2017 seat and make it fit with a little bit of work. Your front left and right guide wheels(side bogies) take off. One bolt, a lot better to side hill, alot better, just to manoever!! Get rid of the factory skis, they suck. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, depends on how much you want to spend.
For that sled, its easiest to use Dalton adjustable weights. Simple screw in plugs. Do your research and set your shocks for stiffness. Throw a can on will be your biggest weight loss.

 

[lwestcomb]

You should be able to find a Boss seat for your M8, check Ebay etc. You can get a newer 2012-2017 seat and make it fit with a little bit of work. Your front left and right guide wheels(side bogies) take off. One bolt, a lot better to side hill, alot better, just to manoever!! Get rid of the factory skis, they suck. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, depends on how much you want to spend.
For that sled, its easiest to use Dalton adjustable weights. Simple screw in plugs. Do your research and set your shocks for stiffness. Throw a can on will be your biggest weight loss.

I guess I’ll just have to keep looking for the seat. I did notice the skis weren’t the greatest. I’ll look into the weights, that sounds like the way I want to go in case I travel. I also forgot to mention I bought the sled with an MBRP can. I’m not familiar with the guide wheels you are talking about. I would just remove them?

Thank you for the tips this will help me get a better idea of what to look for, I really appreciate it

 

[boondocker97]

The 2009 rear tunnel/bumper upgrade would be on my list of things to do with that sled along with a set of tube running boards if you can find them. I just got a used set from someone parting a sled out.

A 2.6 powerclaw track would be next on the list. They fit with stock drivers, but you have to watch that the left side drive nubs clear the diamond drive housing as there were two models of the track made. If you get the later "big nub" model they might need to be trimmed down.

SLP Powder Pro skis work well on these sleds.

2-wheel kit on the rear axle helps maneuverability. If you ride a fair amount of trails then keep the other idler wheels in the skid. If not take them all out and run the scratchers.

The best way to do some weight loss on that year is to sell it and buy a 2009-2011. They lost a bunch of weight between 2008 and 2009. Otherwise the cheap weight loss items would be oil injection delete, pull the rear idler wheels, and maybe some new 36" a-arms from Alternative Impact.