Front Track Shock..laying it down? And Limiter Straps Q?

[guidoxpress]

OK..

so i was installing my billet idlers, and just happen to look up and notice my front track shock upper bolt was barely hangin out..(could have been BAD)..

i am assuming maybe i have the 225lbs front track spring tension cranked up and the pressure busted the bolt.

SO...i have read in the past that guys lay the front track shock down, i dont have time right now to search though all the mess to find the info right now..

so i am asking if anyone has their FTS layed down, and if so...

--whats the benifts of doing that?
--whats the down fall of doing this?
--where should my Limiter straps be...in which of the 3 holes..they are in the middle right now..i understand the difference in the limiter strap locations, but how will laying the shock affect the straps location..

heres a pic of the busted bolt..

 

[speedemon]

Sean,

Not sure on the position of the shock, somebody else will chime in here. As for the limiter straps, I have mine on the lowest setting, and there is actually some constant slack in it. The cool thing is that it WHEELIES! lots of fun!

 

[guidoxpress]

Sean,

Not sure on the position of the shock, somebody else will chime in here. As for the limiter straps, I have mine on the lowest setting, and there is actually some constant slack in it. The cool thing is that it WHEELIES! lots of fun!

LOL...yeh, i need to wheelie, like i need to blast more trees..but what the hell..i will lower them just to see what its like..i have never moved them...lol

the shock mount rotates, so i am sure the straps wont affect that at all..they just disperse the pressure...

might just give it a shot and lay the shock down, and loosen the straps...

why do i sense a wreck in the near future

 

[Danbot]

Laying a shock down should make it more progressive, feeling softer on small bumps and stiffer when it's compressed further on big hits. Someone correct me if this is different on a skid, but that's how it works on a-arm suspension.
I dropped my limiter straps down to the bottom one time and I couldn't get any steering out of it, I guess adding preload to the front would help compensate... this kinda goes with that conversation you and I had recently Sean.
Dan

 

[94fordguy]

Ya, I've heard something kinda similar to what Dan is talking about.... that it will collapse easier when mounted in the bottom hole... never tried it personally however. As far as the limiters go, I have mine in the bottom hole with the shock in the upper hole and it is FUN to ride no heavy feeling to my front end... it's hard to keep the skis on the ground sometimes

Really fun to be going down the trail at 40MPH, hammer it and have the skis come back off the ground and not have them come down till you hit 60 (While standing in the middle of the machine too!)

 

[guidoxpress]

ok..got the shock out...lost the nut and the bolt was still fine..

i put my limiter straps in the bottom hole...sincei have never moved them, i wanna give it a shot..

i found a thread on the front track shock...pretty much says when laying it down, it will pop up on the snow easier and keep the sled more level when climbing...but will feel heavy on thr front and ride rough on the trails...
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2053454


so i wlll be keeping the shock "upright" since i have been doing more trails this year...

now, if i can only get my shock back from Carls Cycle and pray its not that $$ to repair..i can finally ride again...

 

[05900]

That seems to be the consensus on track shocks so far.
Lay it down pull limiters up (top hole) approach angle is less severe and it will "climb" better with more steering effort.
Moved mine to middle hole (limiters) and left shock upright so far it seems to pull out of wet snow better. Have not tried upper hole yet but have some friends "field testing" now.

 

[diamonddave]

Sean, I've read that some like laying the shock down. I tried it on 2 sleds the 900 166" and a 700 155". Both seemed to do better in the bumpy trail stuff, but both sucked trying to climb. Front end just wanted to plow and this was with limiters on the loosest setting.

The 900 running the 225lb spring on a Aluminum Ryde FX and the 700 running a fox float on a Holz skid. This was in 2 feet of fresh and no fun. both shocks were moved back to the upright location (where they've been since) and then my 9 regained being KING that day. It was awful. I'm 220 with gear, the 700 rider is lucky to be 150 with gear. I noticed the same thing when i tried to ride the 700.

I continue to run my limiters loosest with shock in upright and front spring adjuster as looose as I can run it without the adjuster screw backing off.

 

[Danbot]

I don't think my Switchback has the optional should mounting hole you guys are talking about, but it came with Zero Pro's so I wont complain. They must have put a different linkage on the Switch`s.
Dan