Another ported track Question... Water, pow flotation.

[Killerk]

I know there are tons of threads, just didn't want to read all of them.

Is flotation in pow affected on a ported track?
Experiences from those who have compared using the same track and length preffered.

I don't have tons of experience, but this is my observation.
08 M1000 153 stock camo: Good all around track and performance... Does not shine anywhere IMO, but is a good trade off for all conditions.
Skid set up to avoid trenching, and works as well as possible in pow considering this is not the best powder track.
Floats and goes extremely well in the water.

Mid season switched to a straightened and ported A-20... Running in hillclimb position, no changes to skid.
Sled trenches in pow... Paddles are at least straight, or slightly layed back... Not impressed in the pow but didn't expect to be.
Excelent performance in spring snow if snow can be penetrated... If ice, skates big time.
Water performance: HORRIBLE... Sled does not float, like hitting the brakes regardless of water entry speed.

Sled is torn down right now doing summer service... Will run ported A-20 in pow position for start of next year... Track will take some time to lay back over... Or will it?

Main question: If this track is so bad in water, won't the porting hurt performance in the powder?
Or is the difference that water is more dense, and also creates more drag?
I won't be running or porting tracks in the future... I just don't see any benefit... My opinion, I realize others will disagree.

So will the A-20 work good in the pow even though its ported?
Or would I be better off buying a new A-20 for 250 or a Power claw for 500ish?
For the price I will probably stick with the A-20... I know it performs good in the pow and that is all I am after... For price I will probably go with this over a PC... I have no problems sacrificing in set up snow or switching tracks in the spring.

Main thing is that if a non ported track will be better in the pow I would rather do the swap over the summer and be done with it.

I don't care about water skipping, but water skipping is what got me thinking of a ported track possibly not working as good in the pow.

Lots of people say ported tracks don't work in water, so wouldn't this also be true in powder?

Sorry for the long post.
KK

 

[winter brew]

They work great in the deep unless a guy goes way overboard with the holes. Less is more when it comes to putting holes in the track.....enough to evacuate snow and no more, 2- 1 1/4" holes in every other row is more than adequate to get the benefits and not too much to get stretch or puncture.

 

[Killerk]

This track has 3 rows of I beleive 1 1/4 holes.
Obviously the water penetrates the holes, increases resistance and weight.
Will this track have the same effect in the pow?
Or will the pow be less dense and lighter so its a non issue?
I can't help but think floatation will not be as good. Negligable?

 

[go high fast]

Ported vs. non-ported equals no performance difference of any kind in any riding conditions. Only difference is that you now have holes in your track and have possibly weakened the structural integrity of the track.

 

[NoSecondChances]

Ported vs. non-ported equals no performance difference of any kind in any riding conditions. Only difference is that you now have holes in your track and have possibly weakened the structural integrity of the track.

I respect your statement but have to disagree. My ported track does not hold snow while all others around me have a skid full of it.

The holes do not affect floatation in the pow as much as some guys think, they are basing their opinion on the assumption that your track is static on the snow, when in fact it is typically in motion which changes the entire dynamic about how the track and snow interact. Its not like walking in snowshoes, your track is typically spinning faster than ground speed, which means that it is not laying on the snow in a classic static fashion, it is pressing down and pulling through the snow. The only time I can understand when added floatation with an unported track would actually be potentially noticeable is when track speed = ground speed. But honestly, this very rarely ever happens when you are riding in 3 ft of pow. The track is spinning faster than ground speed probably 95% of the time trying to push the skis through the snow.

NSC

 

[Killerk]

I bought the track ported.
If there is a noticeable difference in flotation in water, would it not be safe to assume that flotation is affected in snow?
At least to some degree?

 

[LPIdaho]

I going to say your decreased water performance was mostly from the different track with very little of that from the porting.

you'd have a valid consern if they were the same track

 

[John]

I'm no eggspurt but I can tell you that with my Camo Extreme the porting made a big difference in the amount of snow in the skid and the sled does seem to stay cooler. As for the floatation, no difference in snow and my pockets aren't deep enough to want to go skipping with this sled. I have seen plenty of posts claiming that ported tracks don't skip all that well which makes sense, big difference betwen liquid and solid...

 

[ccpowder]

Your track is not straightened correctly. If reversed straightened correctly, has same angle as Camo and is awesome in the powder!!

 

[Killerk]

Thanks for the reply's
I beleive my track is straightened correctly... I have seen reversed A-20's with curled lugs and know how they perform. My lugs are straight, if not slightly layed back.
You need to remember my sled is a heavy stock 1000 153. I have ridden 162's with stock camo's and there is a big difference in flotation and low speed pow performance.

For now I will flip it to Pow position and hope it lays over.
If it doesn't live up to my expectations I will put on a new A-20 in PP or a PC, non ported or course.

 

[theultrarider]

I run an 03 escape 159 that I bought new. About 5000miles on it now. About half with and without porting. Same stock track. I can tell you that porting absolutely helped the sled in poweder snow. The difference was in slow speed tree riding. You could definetly feel that you were not packing around an extra 20 lbs or more of snow in your track. About like taking the 5gal can strapped on the tunnel extention off. At speed or climbing, not so much, but tight and technical, big time. On the flip side of the coin is water. I grew up in Grantsburg Wi in the 70's where skipping came from. Been doing it ever since. This sled used to run like a jet-ski. Now, it sinks like a rock. I kiss the ground everytime I make it across something. To skip 50 yrds across an open river, you will make it, just keep it pinned. To go out and play on something bigger do what I do, take the wifes sled that still has a non ported track and have a ball!!! Yes, 3 1 1/4 holes in the center makes that big of a difference on the water, yet no negitive performance on the snow that I have ever noticed. Only plus on the snow.

 

[Killerk]

^^Thanks! Kind of what I was thinking... I ride .5% water a year, but this year I did the 50 ft MAX water crossings, where last year I could go lengthwise as far as I wanted, plus we had a good little skip and climb.

I think I will opt not to spend anymore money (on tracks), and run the track I have in PP.
As easy as these tracks are to swap, if I change my mind mid season, no biggie.
Plus I still have the stock camo I can run in the spring.

 

[Spur]

All depends on snow conditions.

 

[Sunridge Sledhead]

I think the benefits you gain through decreased rolling resistance of your track, which = less hp being robbed, far out-weigh any slight decrease in flotation, if there are any. As for water skipping.....stay away with a ported track! (Just ask Dunatic! He's got pics from a couple years ago somewhere)

 

[Scott]

Post those Kim.

 

[Killerk]

I think the benefits you gain through decreased rolling resistance of your track, which = less hp being robbed, far out-weigh any slight decrease in flotation, if there are any. As for water skipping.....stay away with a ported track! (Just ask Dunatic! He's got pics from a couple years ago somewhere)

I understand this^
Strange thing is I could run my stock camo extremely loose... Rolling resistance was not an issue IMO.
As soon as I installed the straightened A-20, I had to run the track tighter or I would ratchet a few times when hitting a bump... Especially in heavy snow.
Not to mention the A-20 sometimes catches the rail tips with the suspension in the exact same location as when I was running the camo
I actually have a chunk broken on the rail tip, so an antistab will be installed before the sled sees snow again.
I would bet that my camo rolling resistance was less because of track tension.
I really want a PC, but for the money I would rather stick with the track(s) I have, and spend that money elsewhere.

 

[mtnrider406]

In the pow my ported attack did great man!!! water on th other hand sucked

 

[Sunridge Sledhead]

Basically....more holes in the track, i.e. porting, causes cavitation when you're in the water. Therefore, it pulls the back of the sled down into the water, rather than keeping it on top of it. Duner has a submarine pic of him standing on his seat somewhere....

 

[hatchers]

Ported vs. non-ported equals no performance difference of any kind in any riding conditions. Only difference is that you now have holes in your track and have possibly weakened the structural integrity of the track.

I too thought porting a track was silly….until I tested this theory on two identical sleds, both mine, both 04 rev renegades, the difference shocked me, it’s the real deal