Iceage ELEVATE kit - interesting!!!

[Wheel House Motorsports]

Interesting that its been 2 months since the kits were supposed to start shipping and not a single ride report.

I've seen numerous comments on fb/instagram from guys I know bought them. I just don't know if any of them are on FB.

I've rode with and thrown a leg over a few of them for a moment. The don't really seem to panel out like stock ones do. They also just never seem to hang the tunnel up when you think your stuck it just somehow keeps chugging and pops back out of the snow, that part kept blowing me away.

 

[kidwoo]

After doing the drop and roll, my guards rub when lodingnonto my sled deck. That’s just goofy

Friggin drives me nuts. And I'm on a lower angle flatbed. I ended up putting some uhmw angle stock on the lip to keep from tearing up the guards.

 

[jbusch]

I already have the kmod rear skid, with ice age rails. How would this kit affect the back skid? And would there be a change in the kit due to the kmod?

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[boondocker97]

I already have the kmod rear skid, with ice age rails. How would this kit affect the back skid? And would there be a change in the kit due to the kmod?

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I'm in the same boat. 2017 chassis with Gen II Kmod converted to Gen III. Compared to My dad's 2017 Mountain Cat my running boards are already at least an inch higher than his front to back sitting on the shop floor. The G2 7 skis sit a little taller up front (1/2" or so) compared to my powder pros I replaced and I run shocks that are about 1/4" longer so I've already got a little lift going on up front compared to what stock was. With the limiter strap let out one hole more than what Kmod recommends for a starting point the curve of the front of the rails are following the track about perfect right now. The rail tips are "just" off the track enough to let the anti-stabs free wheel when everything is sitting level. Raising the front end over what my setup is now would likely have the track running on the rails pretty hard and make the attack angle worse.

For reference: sitting side-by-side with a 2018 Freeride 165 (mine's a 162) on the sled deck looking across, the attack angle and the belly pan height match up to it very close. Jumping from my sled to the Freeride the handling effort is very similar IMO with mine having more predictability with what the front end is doing when on edge. I'm running 38" ski stance compared to the Freeride's 36", but my front end is lightened up so probably what makes it feel like a wash in the effort department. My front end is fairly playful now, but by adjusting the coupler I could make it stay down more if I wanted to.

Given what I've observed and learned with changes I've made to my sled, I could see how one of these kits would improve a stock sled quite a bit.

 

[Allseasons]

I just got home from a 3 day trip with mediocre conditions, tuning my turbo kit install. I picked up my kit this morning, but kid has hockey and i'm exhausted from muscling around my sled. Pics to follow. i'll probably install next week, ask for whatever comparison shots you'd like

The rail mounts are all the same, the tip profile is curved up a lot more. Spindle, definitely 2" taller, and steering mount is turned almost 45 degrees compared to stock

 

[CO 2.0]

I have one coming for my 19 MC as well. Interested to see what it does. If it handles as well with direction changes as the alpha, I can see myself liking it a lot

 

[ndfb35]

Their was a video by SnoWest on Instgram that showed Robs sled, he has a HC with an Alpha rail and Elevate spindles. They were interviewing Nethercotte talking about it.

 

[Allseasons]

First spindle on, and I Love the lift already. Upper A arm bolt is stronger than Cat. It’s beefy for sure

 

[Allseasons]

So, if you have a pre 17 Mtn cat, or like me, a 2016 with drop and roll,
The reinforcement plate on the inside of the tunnel is different. There isn’t a hole 3/4” lower to drill out and be reinforced.

Ice age is working on a solution for me.

But I will say, with these changeover items in my possession, they are 100% beefy and stronger. No question. Even though I’ll have my work cut out for me getting this all back together, I’m super happy with the quality. Can’t wait to get out riding.

 

[Allseasons]

Pic of inside plate

 

[Allseasons]

They call this kit an Ascender Elevate kit for a reason. For the 16 or previous sled years, with drop and roll installed, there are a few modifications and parts you will need to order to make it all work. For those of you running with your limiter strap all the way out, the only way you can gain 3/4” lift in the front of your skid is to make or change a whole new reinforcement plate in. Me being turbo, I had my limiter sucked all the way in (1 1/2”). So now I’ve used the original hole, and let my strap all the way out again. I had to order track tensioner hardware, because 2016 and older just doesn’t work. I’ll attach pics.

I’m happy. I have a full 8” of clearance under my chaincase. 2” more than I had. I’m waiting on parts, so I’m probably 1-2 weeks away from a ride review. And I’m certain, I’ll have lots of suspension tuning to do.

Also, I had to notch the idler wheel mount. Not sure if I included this previously.

For you ascender guys, it’s going to be a breeze to install.

 

[CO 2.0]

So got the elevate kit on my 19. Have to say they have great instructions for the spindles, which I would never need. And no real instructions for the rear other than bolt hole placement. Couple things I don't understand is the front arm mount has way too big of a hole for the stock bolt. Luckily I had some random spacers sitting around that were a perfect fit to fill the void and bolt. Next is the caps for the rails. I ground them down to fit flush to the hifax and get the bolt hole lined up. If you just cut back the hifax and mount the cap like stock there is too much of a step between the two. Instructions just say to cut the back of the hifax and don't say to cut the front. One of my rails didn't have the hifax hole for the bolt drilled out, so had to do that so the bolt would self tap in.

The only thing I see different about the rear from stock is the ice age rails tip up futher in the front and are a bit longer. As far as mounting, you drill out the lower hole in the inner tunnel plate for the front arm mount, and use the lower hole for the rear arm mount. I can see why guys are just mounting the spindles up to the alpha and just using these same holes in the skid for the arms.

 

[sno*jet]

^very clean sled! which rear axle/wheel kit do you have?

 

[CO 2.0]

TKI offset axle with 10" wheels

 

[boondocker97]

Looks like they expect you to knock the rail insert out of the stock rail and re-install in the new rails at that front arm mounting point. Did the lower mounting point for the FTS change at all? Ice Age was claiming they were getting some more shock travel out of it (not necessarily to be confused with suspension travel).

Overall nice looking sled!

 

[Boondockingak]

Curious to see how this performs on the snow. Even more curious what an elevated Alpha would achieve.....

 

[kanedog]

So got the elevate kit on my 19. Have to say they have great instructions for the spindles, which I would never need. And no real instructions for the rear other than bolt hole placement. Couple things I don't understand is the front arm mount has way too big of a hole for the stock bolt. Luckily I had some random spacers sitting around that were a perfect fit to fill the void and bolt. Next is the caps for the rails. I ground them down to fit flush to the hifax and get the bolt hole lined up. If you just cut back the hifax and mount the cap like stock there is too much of a step between the two. Instructions just say to cut the back of the hifax and don't say to cut the front. One of my rails didn't have the hifax hole for the bolt drilled out, so had to do that so the bolt would self tap in.

The only thing I see different about the rear from stock is the ice age rails tip up futher in the front and are a bit longer. As far as mounting, you drill out the lower hole in the inner tunnel plate for the front arm mount, and use the lower hole for the rear arm mount. I can see why guys are just mounting the spindles up to the alpha and just using these same holes in the skid for the arms.

I have the same experience with Iceage. I have got three sets in the last five years and I often spend a half a day messing around with bolt holes, sliders, idler wheels thst won't fit and other stuff that doesn't quite fit. I can't send them back because it'd take more time.
As a compliment to Iceage, they did reverse the charges no problem, no questions asked on one set that didn't fit.
Cheers

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[CO 2.0]

Looks like they expect you to knock the rail insert out of the stock rail and re-install in the new rails at that front arm mounting point. Did the lower mounting point for the FTS change at all? Ice Age was claiming they were getting some more shock travel out of it (not necessarily to be confused with suspension travel).

Overall nice looking sled!

Yeah I tried to get that insert out but that thing was so solid in there that I thought it was part of the rail. For $1800 they could send you a cheap insert like I used. Guess I'd need to measure the FTS mounting point on the rail to see if it's in the same spot. Didn't even think of that.

 

[CO 2.0]

I have the same experience with Iceage. I have got three sets in the last five years and I often spend a half a day messing around with bolt holes, sliders, idler wheels thst won't fit and other stuff that doesn't quite fit. I can't send them back because it'd take more time.
As a compliment to Iceage, they did reverse the charges no problem, no questions asked on one set that didn't fit.
Cheers

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

Ya when they made the customs rails for my axys to fit the powerclaw 3" they needed to make the rails tip up more in the front. Because they didn't I would rip off hifax through the track window out the rear and break the bolt. Even with a super nice long taper on the hifax. They eventually made a bigger diameter antistab wheel I could use, which helped but would still tear a hifax off. Had to still use a long aggressive taper on it and ended up putting another bolt through the hifax a few inches down from the original. Then it was ok.

 

[summ8rmk]

Ya, it sucks u have to press out the bushing from the factory rails....

[emoji848][emoji12]