Front end washing out in deep snow

[needpowder]

2016 timber sled long track with tss. Triple point skag, .62 forks springs
My front end seems to be washing out a lot more in deep snow this year. Switched bikes this year, and maybe the geometry is the difference? Also using the Mototrax front end (with timbersled ski) maybe that makes a difference but I wouldn't think so. I never adjusted anything last year on my CR. Everything seemed to be just about right.
Tried searching, but got tired of reading irelevant information. I did see rebound dampening mentioned in one post. Any suggestions on where to start? Fork height, front skid shock?
Maybe it's just the snow this year. Seems like every time I ride there's 2 to 3 feet of powder! My only complaint is I'm getting tired of picking my bike up in deep snow!

 

[Broncoblue]

I had the exact same problem this year. I raised the forks in the triple clamps and really pumped up the air shock on the TSS and it solved the problem.

 

[needpowder]

I had the exact same problem this year. I raised the forks in the triple clamps and really pumped up the air shock on the TSS and it solved the problem.

Just to clarify, when you say raised the forks in the clamps do you mean you have more fork showing above the clamp?

 

[Norma Stitz]

I'm having this problem too. Sucks to lock up the bars and it's not enough, just fall over.

 

[Hunters Recreational Products]

2016 timber sled long track with tss. Triple point skag, .62 forks springs
My front end seems to be washing out a lot more in deep snow this year. Switched bikes this year, and maybe the geometry is the difference? Also using the Mototrax front end (with timbersled ski) maybe that makes a difference but I wouldn't think so. I never adjusted anything last year on my CR. Everything seemed to be just about right.
Tried searching, but got tired of reading irelevant information. I did see rebound dampening mentioned in one post. Any suggestions on where to start? Fork height, front skid shock?
Maybe it's just the snow this year. Seems like every time I ride there's 2 to 3 feet of powder! My only complaint is I'm getting tired of picking my bike up in deep snow!

The different front end might have more of an effect than you think. I have found that on the LT, if the ski is too far back, it will wash on sharper or slower turns, because its rides more on the front of the ski where there is no metal. I've found that with the ski raked out a little more, the trailing end of the ski, runners/skags are in contact with the snow more of the time. On my LT kits, I drill the clamps so they are flush with the back of the spindle instead of the recommended 3/8" or whatever it says in the instructions. I have also found that rider position makes a difference in turns on the LT. I sit back farther in big sweeping turns, more forward and upright in tight stuff.

I wrecked my TS front end and the spindle is on backorder so I was going to get a Mototrax setup, but I was afraid it would be too far back and they are not adjustable, so I decided not to. It makes a difference.

 

[needpowder]

Hmmm

The different front end might have more of an effect than you think. I have found that on the LT, if the ski is too far back, it will wash on sharper or slower turns, because its rides more on the front of the ski where there is no metal. I've found that with the ski raked out a little more, the trailing end of the ski, runners/skags are in contact with the snow more of the time. On my LT kits, I drill the clamps so they are flush with the back of the spindle instead of the recommended 3/8" or whatever it says in the instructions. I have also found that rider position makes a difference in turns on the LT. I sit back farther in big sweeping turns, more forward and upright in tight stuff.

I wrecked my TS front end and the spindle is on backorder so I was going to get a Mototrax setup, but I was afraid it would be too far back and they are not adjustable, so I decided not to. It makes a difference.

That makes sense. I'll have to look a little closer when I get home tonight at the angle the ski sits at. The thing is though, it's doing it when I'm plowing through so much snow, usually going downhill or downhill side hill that I can't imagine a slight difference in angle is having any effect. If that's the case I wouldn't necessarily need to change the rake of the spindle to change the ski angle. I could put some spacers somewhere to tweak it a little. I really don't want to go back to the timber sled spindle. Number one, I don't have the fit kit parts for it and sure don't want to wait two months for polaris to send them to my shop, and number two, the way mototrax connects to the forks seems far superior both for fork safety and full travel.

 

[wwillf01]

Stupid question did you put the spacer in suggested with the triple carbide?

That makes sense. I'll have to look a little closer when I get home tonight at the angle the ski sits at. The thing is though, it's doing it when I'm plowing through so much snow, usually going downhill or downhill side hill that I can't imagine a slight difference in angle is having any effect. If that's the case I wouldn't necessarily need to change the rake of the spindle to change the ski angle. I could put some spacers somewhere to tweak it a little. I really don't want to go back to the timber sled spindle. Number one, I don't have the fit kit parts for it and sure don't want to wait two months for polaris to send them to my shop, and number two, the way mototrax connects to the forks seems far superior both for fork safety and full travel.

 

[wwillf01]

On mine I found a direct correlation with the rear shock tss compressing too much and loosing ski pressure.... going downhill to a sharp uturn back up. I also reached a point where the forks were too stiff and started pushing.... So I let a little air out of the airpro and it helped.

 

[Apiaguy]

my friends mototrax always seemed to push more in the powder than my timbersled ski... I always thought it was the ski design... so much so that he couldn't make tight changes in the trees as well.

 

[wwillf01]

If it is the ... Well I will name it.... The mototrax effect you have to reduce a ton of ski pressure to get better control it was the opposite of my experience with the tsled ski and spindle... Now the question is if it is the spindle or ski ...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Norma Stitz]

If the sacrificial bar on the mototrax spindle would be tapped transversely for two screws you could have that angle finely adjustable. I might do that on mine.
The points about carbide contact make sense, however my problem and OP question was in deep powder. Do carbides make any difference in pow? Doesn't seem like they would. Ski rake still may make a difference and skeg heights?

 

[J&L Snowhawk]

Set back

What is your set back amount? The TS ski is always more washy in my experience. Yeti is far better for good powder. I run my bikes w 1" setback as general rule. Check this upon setup. Maybe ski rubber is to loose in front letting ski tip up unde load too that will cause that too.

 

[needpowder]

Stupid question did you put the spacer in suggested with the triple carbide?

Sorry. Just got back to this thread. Took a little break to take my three-year-old girl night skiing Brighton. Good times!

I don't remember any spacer, but I've had that carbide on since about my fourth ride last year when my timber sled u channel thing caught and broke.

 

[Hunters Recreational Products]

That makes sense. I'll have to look a little closer when I get home tonight at the angle the ski sits at. The thing is though, it's doing it when I'm plowing through so much snow, usually going downhill or downhill side hill that I can't imagine a slight difference in angle is having any effect. If that's the case I wouldn't necessarily need to change the rake of the spindle to change the ski angle. I could put some spacers somewhere to tweak it a little. I really don't want to go back to the timber sled spindle. Number one, I don't have the fit kit parts for it and sure don't want to wait two months for polaris to send them to my shop, and number two, the way mototrax connects to the forks seems far superior both for fork safety and full travel.

I agree it's stupid that we can't get parts, that alone made me want to use the Mototrax setup. It really is a smarter design. The ski saddle has different positions, maybe you could try moving the ski forward in the saddle so it tips up more. See what difference that makes.

 

[Hunters Recreational Products]

If the sacrificial bar on the mototrax spindle would be tapped transversely for two screws you could have that angle finely adjustable. I might do that on mine.
The points about carbide contact make sense, however my problem and OP question was in deep powder. Do carbides make any difference in pow? Doesn't seem like they would. Ski rake still may make a difference and skeg heights?

The TS "carbides" or whatever you want to call them are what make the ski stick when it's banked. Regardless of how deep the snow is, they are what hang on. If the ski was all plastic it would slide sideways like a snowboard. The keel helps obviously but smooth plastic without those runners would push sideways no matter what the snow is like.

 

[wwillf01]

Sorry. Just got back to this thread. Took a little break to take my three-year-old girl night skiing Brighton. Good times!

I don't remember any spacer, but I've had that carbide on since about my fourth ride last year when my timber sled u channel thing caught and broke.

So when you installed it you should put a shim under the rubber bumper.. I can't remember the measurement but it does adjust the angle of the ski.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[needpowder]

I dropped my bike off last night in my buddy's garage to thaw out. He has an 06 yz with the timbersled spindle so i will compare them side by side tonight oncd the snow has melted off.

 

[needpowder]

The TS "carbides" or whatever you want to call them are what make the ski stick when it's banked. Regardless of how deep the snow is, they are what hang on. If the ski was all plastic it would slide sideways like a snowboard. The keel helps obviously but smooth plastic without those runners would push sideways no matter what the snow is like.

I hear what you were saying, but I used this carbide all last year without issue. My buddy who was riding with me on Wednesday has the triple point carbide as well and wasn't experiencing this issue so I don't think it is the culprit.
I'll take some pictures tonight comparing the angles with the different spindles.

 

[Norma Stitz]

Okay well this is interesting discussion. So, my mototrax is putting the ski mount bolt about 1" in front of the axle bolt, not behind! Is that going to contribute to bad handling?

 

[HalfBrit]

Okay well this is interesting discussion. So, my mototrax is putting the ski mount bolt about 1" in front of the axle bolt, not behind! Is that going to contribute to bad handling?

Absolutely on the trail. I redrilled mine to put it about an inch behind. It handles way better on the trail. I have the 8" ski so it still washes out in the deep.