R
Reddragon800
Well-known member
Got out this weekend and the snow was great. Was able to do some testing on the 858. Runs ok, but bogs often.
First Ride on the 858
- Thread starter Reddragon800
- Start date
Someone looks like they are READY for the season!
That 858 is a real trencher! It keeps forward momentum, but doesn't pop up on the snow like the Matryx seems to. Of course that could all be suspension setup.
I always thought my 19 165 alpha was that way. Unbelievable traction compared to anything else at the time. Polaris's have always been good at crawling on top . 3 inch track things. The 3.25 is kind of like that also. Great track. The tracks that really crawl up on top quick spin a lot more and have less traction.
Just like the Ascender suspension setup is going to be big on these sleds. Spent some time adjusting mine on my break in ride and made some pretty significant changes. I also never understood how people will ride a sled forever and leave the suspension setup from factory specs.
The one thing I'd tell everyone that I loved about my Matryx was how when you hit a powder wall that slowed you down, as long as you kept in it, it would eventually claw through and POP you up and out. It is a great feeling and it does that well.
Front ski shocks came in 80-90# from factory. Way too much ski pressure for my liking on the Fox QS3. Dropped them down to 65 but also found myself diving down in powder when riding across a deep rutted out track.
What are your current settings?
Not all the way yet, running the new Cat coil overs so can't give you an exact number yet but my fronts and FTS are soft probably in the 55 to 60 psi range. Still need to get out again to get the rear where it needs to be.
wasn’t there also talk of running higher FTS spring pressure and stiffer shock setting to keep from breaking the front of the rail from bottoming out?
Yes you do need to keep off the front of the rail but it is not a really high amount. I also am pretty ground bound , not a big jumper.
Yes, but I’ve never seen any verifiable evidence that that was an actual fix and not actually contributing to the problem. Cat said right in the manual for my ‘20 alpha to run 60psi max in the fts. I ran 45-50 psi for the last 5 years with no issues, and I’m not a small guy at probably 300+lbs all geared up.
i thought i would be dissapointed in the shocks on my 600 catalyst and rode it and never touched them. my 18 ascender would get up on snow as good or better than any sled i ever rode with. the approach angle cat has is a huge benefit. i always ran low pressures in my ski shocks to make it easy to lay over. the 600 catalyst was so easy to ride im not sure the front shocks will make as much as a difference.
Most of the ones I seen where the rail was actually snapped at the front, and not just a broken off anti stab wheels, were broken between the front idlers and fts. Overly stiff shock could very well cause that to break downward right there. I’m not saying it’s one way or the other, just that I haven’t seen enough legit evidence to say running the pressure to cats spec is causing breakage. Just that someone said high pressures was the solution on social media and everyone jumped on board as usual. I mean cat must have put that in the manual for a reason.
Yes, that is what I’m talking about. Cracked top down between the wheels and shock. In theory If something smacked the rail up in the right spot with a stiff shock that won’t collapse and absorb the impact, the shock would be pushing down on the front of the rail potentially causing the same break.
