Best bang for the buck AXYS upgrades

[Timbre]

I went that route on the Raptor TRS springs, in late December, and after 2-3 rides went and ordered the heaver rear spring-. Made a huge difference in ride height and overall made the rear not as weak/
Not dressed I weigh 210 so I thought the softer spring would be the way to go.. but sure like the heaver spring better now.... it doesn't bottom as easy and allows better rider input for me
Only the rear/rear spring changes if you order a heaver spring kit- all others stay the same... I have a post on here and pic's from eariler this year when I did the change.

It is a good mod and well worth the small investment.

Could you share the link to that post you are referring to?

Very interested in doing something different with springs this year. I am 180 before gear and nearly 210 with gear on . . ready to ride. I tried using the 230# rear track spring this last season and found it to be a little harsh. The stock RTS spring (180#) tended to get the nose into the air a little too much on those deep powder days. I am looking for "cushy" trail manners in choppy bumps and whoops and some "support" to keep the wheelies under control on deep pow days. What are your suggestions on standard VS heavier RAPTOR RTS spring for my weight and what i am trying to accomplish?

 

[FatDogX]

Tell me more about these Raptor Triple Rate Springs . .
Did you do these on both ski and track shocks?
What is the part #?
Where do you get them?
Can you post a link to a supplier?

Second on those Raptor springs! They work great only thing better is the whole Raptor shock package, which I ended up upgrading to.

 

[Latitude 62]

Timbre,
I think the "firm TRS" set up would suit your needs. I have all four springs, (come as a set). If you get the firm set up as Sage Crusher is using it will be plush, but, the extra firmness when compressed on the rear track spring should help keep the nose lift down to a certain degree while the soft initial rate should still transfer and be more supple in the bumps. I wrote a little review earlier in the year on this. The "twitchy" and "harsh" are non existent with these springs on my stock clickers. With the clickers and these springs you can dial to suit your needs for just about everything imo.
As a side note, a couple of my Pals rode my sled and ordered up the springs post haste!!

 

[FatDogX]

With regard to Raptor springs, Jake at Raptor told me the following,

If your going to keep the stock shocks and your over that 220 pound mark then go with the firms. If your under that, then go with the standards.

If your going to upgrade to Raptor shocks and you are over that 260 pound mark then go with firm springs.

I'm over just over 6 feet tall and 240. I went with a full set of Raptor shocks and standard springs and they work great!!!!!!!

Prior to upgrading shocks, I ran factory shocks with standard triple rate springs and they worked well too.

 

[Sage Crusher]

FAtDog- I agree/ but I went with the firmer spring got a better ride with the nose down more-and the rear sag was not as extensive as with the standard-
the only diff is the rear rear spring.


Timbre, link to my post.
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408900&highlight=raptor+springs
Remember to consider your overall weight -ready to ride.
My tool/tunnel bag and avy bag alone are over 30 lbs total!


S/C

 

[Timbre]

Thanks - all of you - for your input! I am interested in getting a link to your post (sage crusher) and your review (Latitude 62), if you can post one to each of them.

What i intend to do is get the piggyback clickers (that come on my new LE 163 3") revalved at Carls and maybe try something new (like these Raptor triple rate springs) on the revalved shocks. Maybe someone has already done this and can chime in to let me know if this would work well or not . . . ?

So, If i understand correctly, it would be advisable to get the firmer springs, even though i am about 210# all geared up to ride? I guess that's pretty close to the 220# mark

 

[FatDogX]

FAtDog- I agree/ but I went with the firmer spring got a better ride with the nose down more-and the rear sag was not as extensive as with the standard-
the only diff is the rear rear spring.


Timbre, link to my post.
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408900&highlight=raptor+springs
Remember to consider your overall weight -ready to ride.
My tool/tunnel bag and avy bag alone are over 30 lbs total!


S/C

Yeah, I should have added that, good point!! But also keep in mind, for deep powder riding, you want to run that rear shock as loose as you can, without bottoming out all the time. It's okay to bottom out once and a while during the course of a days ride, just not on a regular basis.

I think a lot of guys think they need to run shocks stiffer then they really need. If you're bottoming out on occasion, that means that most of the time your using 95% of the shocks ability. Whereas if you have them too stiff, your using a smaller portion of the shocks working ability.

So getting back, I'm right at the max with standard springs and the Raptor shocks. Either way, upgrading springs or the shock package, is definitely an upgrade!!!

 

[Sage Crusher]

Yeah, I should have added that, good point!! But also keep in mind, for deep powder riding, you want to run that rear shock as loose as you can, without bottoming out all the time. It's okay to bottom out once and a while during the course of a days ride, just not on a regular basis.

I think a lot of guys think they need to run shocks stiffer then they really need. If you're bottoming out on occasion, that means that most of the time your using 95% of the shocks ability. Whereas if you have them too stiff, your using a smaller portion of the shocks working ability.

So getting back, I'm right at the max with standard springs and the Raptor shocks. Either way, upgrading springs or the shock package, is definitely an upgrade!!!

Indeed that is the perfect set-up I have mine set @ 11" it will hit the stops on the whoops!! /
Yeah don't try to set it up for ride height- you will be around 9-3/4" and have a pogo stick-and a ride that not worth a dang !

So yeah back on topic-(Sorry) As you all can tell every small upgrade helps but most are not just a bolt on and go- we all need a tweak to make it right-and for less than $300.00 this is one of them to consider!

S/C

 

[MX86]

If you had the option of Fox or Raptor which one would you guys choose? Both look like a good upgrade


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[damx]

Bang for the buck, a can for weight loss, a pipe for hp. And a-arms for durability. Imo.

 

[Latitude 62]

Timbre,
I am around 215# dressed to ride, but, carry 3 gallons of fuel, ultimate shovel bag etc. In total, probably close to 250#. The standard shock bottoms on me a few times in a days ride. The front end lift is very close to the same as stock. I will be trying the firm spring if the snow stays good for a little while longer, we were ok this weekend, two weekends away for me at this point. With your revalve etc on the new sled, let them know which spring you want to run and they can valve to that I would think. Another option is to get the standard set and order the firm rear spring as well ($60). I will PM you with info if I can ride with the firmer spring in a couple of weeks. Here is the link to the review post. http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412006

 

[RMK935VA]

hey there guys, seeing as summer is almost with us and my mind is starting to think about possible upgrades to the sled, what are your top upgrades and the reasons behind them?

Carl's Clutching (helix only this year), Carl's revalving on the shocks, SLP pipe and can (or Diamond S Titanium Can if you want to lose even more weight), KMOD 37" A-Arms, SLP Mohawk skis, some venting. Nothing radical here but it makes the sled lighter and it makes more power. I don't need a turbo but I might like one if I was 20 or 30 years younger. Actually, I never had days that I wanted more power even when we were in the deep snow that we received in December. Again, factor in my age as you consider that statement.

 

[tdblakes]

Carl's Clutching (helix only this year), Carl's revalving on the shocks, SLP pipe and can (or Diamond S Titanium Can if you want to lose even more weight), KMOD 37" A-Arms, SLP Mohawk skis, some venting. Nothing radical here but it makes the sled lighter and it makes more power. I don't need a turbo but I might like one if I was 20 or 30 years younger. Actually, I never had days that I wanted more power even when we were in the deep snow that we received in December. Again, factor in my age as you consider that statement.

How do you like the Mohawks vs the Grippers?

 

[FatDogX]

If you had the option of Fox or Raptor which one would you guys choose? Both look like a good upgrade


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Depends who you talk to......Both shocks are great but me personally, I like shocks with springs. If an air shock goes down, it's down, whereas with a spring and shock combo, you still have the spring to limp you home. Also, with air shocks, you need the pump and gauge and it's one more tool to take with, which kinda sucks.

 

[deschutes]

Agree with almost everything shared already. My best bang for the buck recommendations:

Must: Tether
Small: TKI short pull brake lever, best $57 you can spend.
Medium: SLP Can - No brainer for $299
Large: Fox Coilover Shocks. Suspension makes the difference.

C&A skis are a great upgrade as well.

Those are the 5 common things we do to our Axys machines, as well as some other upgrades on the individual sleds. We try to keep them close to stock for awhile, for warranty and service reasons.

 

[FatDogX]

Agree with almost everything shared already. My best bang for the buck recommendations:

Must: Tether
Small: TKI short pull brake lever, best $57 you can spend.
Medium: SLP Can - No brainer for $299
Large: Fox Coilover Shocks. Suspension makes the difference.

C&A skis are a great upgrade as well.

Those are the 5 common things we do to our Axys machines, as well as some other upgrades on the individual sleds. We try to keep them close to stock for awhile, for warranty and service reasons.

Expound on the TKI brake lever!! Pics, info and comparison would be great! I currently run an AMP and it works great but been looking at the TKI and the new Skinz lever.

 

[deschutes]

The TKI brake lever is simple and functional. It is what the Polaris lever should be. Better ergonomics and a more natural fit. You swap over the existing parking brake mechanism and pin. Comes with the necessary hardware and takes minutes to install.

http://shop.tkicnc.com/Polaris-Short-Pull-Brake-Lever-TKI-PB.htm