2006 Apex hard steering question

[Extreme-One]

I have a 2006 Apex that is really tough to steer. The sled has fox floats, bark buster front end, Mt tammer rear suspension, boss seat, McXpress 290 kit, OFT steering bushings and stock skis. The goofy thing is my wife has the exact same sled but a 2007 with exactly all the same after market parts, even the turbo but her's steers super easy, almost like power steering. My sled has approx 6000 miles and hers very close to the same.

It's manageable in powder but on hard pack or setup snow it's a real challenge. Any ideas would be appreciated. I've compared the two on every level I could think of put they are same.

 

[Swelly]

Try cleaning the old grease out of the spindles, and then replace with a good synthetic.

 

[summitboy]

My money is on a bent spindle. Disconnect both tie rod ends and try your steering. If its easy connect one tie rod back up at a time and see what happens.

 

[scmurs]

I'd just go ahead and put the power steering from a 2011 on it. Just sayin'

 

[twsandrew]

When you say hard steering are we talking about hard to turn the bars like on a trail/in the trailer or actually leaning the sled over. If the former check spindles etc but the latter I would say adjust the skid and see if it is related to ski pressure

 

[kinger9]

I just went through this on my sled and it took a number of changes to get it back to easy steering...now power steering needed. Here is what I did:

1. 3/8" shim under the back of the rubber (you need to be swearing to get the ski back on)
2. Aligned the skis to the track on each side, then to each other. This sucked and took over a hour to get it within a 1/16" of inch. You want 1/8" toe out.
3. Got a set of double down carbides from snow studs, they are beefy and my shaper bars kept bending, these are strong
4. Installed oilite bushings in the spindles and a arms and take the slop out of them.


Your results will be different with the barkbuster but methodically do a process similar to this and you will get it. My money is on alignment and shims or you have a bushing out in that barkbuster.

 

[Extreme-One]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Spindles are the new barkbuster design and it was tough before. Skis are adjusted as suggested but I will try the shim idea under the rubber. I added another 1/2" shim on the rear arm of the Mt Tamer hoping to bring the back of the sled down just a bit. I am running the oft bushings. Sled has always been a pain to steer just hoping there was something I was missing.

 

[snobeel]

steering effort

I am set up similar. What kind of lube are you using on the heim joints on the barkbuster front end? I have in the past had some trouble there and it was turning the aluminum spacers and creating some effort. I found that motorcycle chain lube worked pretty well for those joints. That may not be it, but it is worth a look.

Jack

 

[roughrider99]

check limiters maybe? and if running fox floats try air pressures? i run barkbuster with old style spindles and i have no complaints on my steering. i forget what i adjusted to make it steer easy.

 

[scmurs]

Just curious, does your better half have the same front suspension?

Get your minds out of the gutter everyone, it's a legitimate question.

 

[mtnxr]

The bushing behind the brake was seized on mine. I put a grease zerk in it and cleaned it good. That helped but it still does not steer as easy as I would like it to.

 

[twincam88]

i bet when you put in the steering bushings you tightened a bolt too much. just a thought!

 

[Extreme-One]

I thought the same after I put in the bushings and I backed the bolts off just a bit, helped some but still tight.

 

[Bigrock33]

Having the same issues on my '06 Apex. Had a great, experienced mechanic do all the suspension work last season and he is baffled. Put OFT(out of business now) bushings in and now they seemed to have tightened up too much after sitting for an off season(cleanes, lubed, etc - just slightly better), Barkbuster front suspension - not worth a chit in an Apex IMO, not a good, tight fit, have to shim and replace plastic bushings (get the metal ones off of a older RX1), sphericals are terrible, lots of slop/play. This is my second '06 Apex and the other ones steers easily (all stock front suspension except FOX and Gen II's). Lot's of money for inferior products. We have spent the last three days (about 20 hours total) and are making some progress, but doubt that it will ever be good with the current suspension and steering bushings.

 

[←snow∞motion→]

OFT(out of business now)

They aren't even close to being out of business. Had to catch up on "too much" business for a period of time, but they are open again.

"Check the door, before you open up on blast."

 

[Extreme-One]

Pretty frustrating for sure. I would totally understand my sled having issues due to after market suspensions and such but my wife's sled is exactly the same, literally no difference what so ever and hers feels like it has power steering.

And like others have said... OFT is going strong and back in business. Good for them, they produce top of the line products.