after market tunnels
- Thread starter summit-x
- Start date
Looks and Weight pretty much bud.. You can modify your stockers yourself and get the same affect for half the cost. I'll have a post of what we did to my stock '03 tunnel to save weight and give it kick *** style when i'm done with it.. I've got a full before and after photo gallery for this build
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jaysonfreerider
Well-known member
lets see pics.
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SLEDIOT
Well-known member
Heres a pic of my 06 m7-900 D&D Big bore. The stock tunnel used run all the way straight back to the rear bumper. I guess some guys dont understand, if you look at thhe running boards on the Van Am the rear of the runner is tapered up at 45 degrees. This eliminates alot of drag when climbing and boondocking. If yer not dragging yer not slowing down as much. I found this setup helped alot when turning quickly on hillsides and rippin sh!thooks. The side of the running boards are also hetaed from the coolant lines that run along the edges. This allows for a NO SNOW effect on yer running boards.Tunnel cost me $1600 plus tax and powder coating. Install myself. Also its a way purdy sled now. Tunnels arent just for the bling effect. Theres some serious engineering in these things and for a decent price.
I would say the biggest selling point to me would be improved running boards and or if you were long tracking a sled you would be able to custom cover it rather than scab the add on.
I have NEVER really heard anybody brag about a weight savings. I was looking at one of Chads tunnels CR Racing in a review in Snowest last year and not once did they mention actual weights. I would take that as a zero weight savings or a minimal one at best otherwise they would be boasting it.
I have NEVER really heard anybody brag about a weight savings. I was looking at one of Chads tunnels CR Racing in a review in Snowest last year and not once did they mention actual weights. I would take that as a zero weight savings or a minimal one at best otherwise they would be boasting it.
i haven't been working on it for long, here and there as i get time, buy my '05 edge tunnel was pretty bulky to begin with.. I stripped the rear rack and tailight, scraped off the stickers, and now i'm mod'n the boards. I like how the after markets you can biuy have them slide's err whatever you call em aqt the back of the running boards how its angled up... and my boards don't have any holes in the so snow buildup is a b*tch, so i'm tackin 1" circles out of the boards in rows and i;ve actually saved on 1 whole lb of alumn buy cutting them holes.. but thats my stocker for ya, heavy lil prick
i have friends that have the ve tunnels like on the orange cat. BLING and the snow that get thrown up on you is unreal. But do'nt take my word for it just ride with some one that has one and observe.The reason for this appears to be the fact that there is no rolled out edge on the back of the tunnel. they do look sharp but is there some super performance gain?
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SLEDIOT
Well-known member
The "snow" that gets thrown up is from not having running boards in the back. The only thing that covers the return side of the track is the width of the tunnel only. If Im moving slowly, turning I usually get pelted with snow on the back. Sorry to not mention weight savings. I weighed both tunnels and the VE was 5 lbs lighter. My guess is from having half the running boards and the heat exchanger lines that run in the inside of the stock tunnel are now in the outer edges of the running boards. Its easy to see a weight diff, I figured it would be more but it was only 5 lbs.
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summit-x
Well-known member
Arctic cat is starting to get the idea. This is my 06 m7 and my 09 m1000. You can see theyve shortened up the running boards but the rear 12" are tapered up on the Van amburg. These sleds were lined up exactly on the deck. Lil man there is my Agent/Promoter.
how big of a pain is it to change the tunnels?
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Jkinzer
Well-known member
with the right tools you can do one in 8 or 9 hours... after you've done a few you can probably cut it down to 6-7. however, i've done two and a half this year (mine being the half well 2/3 i guess where i only replaced the sides and kept the stock top piece) and it still takes me about 8 hours to swap out a tunnel
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flying pig
Well-known member
Running boards and overall strength are outstanding on the VE tunnels. I've carried two five gal cans on the back of it on a wooped out 24 mile trail into kakwa lots and its never even hinted at bending or cracking. We've used a lot of different tunnels, Racer's edge, Tison, VE, and CR. The VE is the only one I'd ever do again. Also, the two inch taller tunnels that you do a bulkhead raise with is IMHO the biggest improvement you can do on a high dollar, high hp mod. To run an m-10 properly a D&R will F your day up, everytime! To get good snow evacuation the taller tunnel is the only way to go!
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SLEDIOT
Well-known member
It took me 16 hrs on my first try, I also had Broncitis, no help and it was the first time I had ever taken on anything like this. I stripped my sled down to pretty much nothing. Here's a few more pics, dont let it scare you. Take lots of pictures as you tear it down. Never mind the finger fellas.........
