Installation and Review: SKINZ Protective Gear Concept A-Arms
- Thread starter christopher
- Start date
The spindles should be as close as possible to vertical 90 degrees with the weight on the front suspension. I would say to have under 3 degrees of negative camber. Only thing to watch is if you are running fox floats you may have to do a minor adjustment once you figured out shock pressures. I use a angle finder you can get at most automotive supply stores for measuring pinion angles and such.
OK.
I am getting the hint here.
I will stop trying to get this alignment done and go finish working on the skis so I can get them mounted back on the sled.
Where is that Jigsaw so I can cut these skis down to size?
I am getting the hint here.
I will stop trying to get this alignment done and go finish working on the skis so I can get them mounted back on the sled.
Where is that Jigsaw so I can cut these skis down to size?
M
MotoPsycho
Well-known member
Did you get a set of Gen III's you're cutting down?
Yes, First ski is done.
When the second is done I will upload photos.
When the second is done I will upload photos.
Hey Christopher:
I did my install, and ran into the exact same problem, the Skinz front end is rather touchy to adjust and exactly where in ride height do you measure "vertical" or one degree of camber?
What I have figured out is regardless of where in the travel you set your spindles to vertical, the suspension goes to positive camber (spindles leaning away from the sled) for the first 3 or so inches of travel, meaining it probably doesn't really matter too much where you "set" your initial camber adjustment. And of all the guys who tested it last year, I never heard anything about its sensitivity on install, aka it probably wasn't an issue.
As a starting pont, I set mine at rest with weight on the suspension (no rider), but I bet if I did bounced on the sled a couple of times, it wouldn't be vertical again...its that touchy to vertical adjustment.
When setting up this suspension I would say this as a start:
1. Adjust your upper and lower suspension hiem joints to vertical with weight on (exclude rider).
2. If you want to readjust it, remember that your steering will go out of wack because the steering link relys on the upper and lower suspension hiem joints being in the same "relative" position. Adjust upper or lower hiem joints and your steering alignment is gone, you need a reajust.
3. I found that when installing this suspension ('11 MTX), you had to "shorten" your steering links relative to stock. So when doing the install, you have to move both locknuts on the steering links closer to the hiem joints (both ends). Originally, I tried to keep the locknut position (thus link length) on one side as close as possible to stock, but it didn't work. I ended up with one of my steering links 3/8" longer than the other to make everthing work. It lined up OK, but my worry was the effect of having different length steering links on bump steer.
With so many of us about to hit the snow, someone is going to answer this question definitively. So before you commit to the red loctite on everything, maybe better to do a few laps using blue (or without) and then do an adjust. I already found out that red loctite on the upper spindle hiem joint nut is a single use activity (nut destroyed because you can only use an open ended wrench to hold it).
All this said, this suspension is going to work. I would say it takes about half the effort to rail this thing on its side in my basement. I can only imagine what its going to be like in 2 feet of POW.
Well done Skinz.
OTM.
I did my install, and ran into the exact same problem, the Skinz front end is rather touchy to adjust and exactly where in ride height do you measure "vertical" or one degree of camber?
What I have figured out is regardless of where in the travel you set your spindles to vertical, the suspension goes to positive camber (spindles leaning away from the sled) for the first 3 or so inches of travel, meaining it probably doesn't really matter too much where you "set" your initial camber adjustment. And of all the guys who tested it last year, I never heard anything about its sensitivity on install, aka it probably wasn't an issue.
As a starting pont, I set mine at rest with weight on the suspension (no rider), but I bet if I did bounced on the sled a couple of times, it wouldn't be vertical again...its that touchy to vertical adjustment.
When setting up this suspension I would say this as a start:
1. Adjust your upper and lower suspension hiem joints to vertical with weight on (exclude rider).
2. If you want to readjust it, remember that your steering will go out of wack because the steering link relys on the upper and lower suspension hiem joints being in the same "relative" position. Adjust upper or lower hiem joints and your steering alignment is gone, you need a reajust.
3. I found that when installing this suspension ('11 MTX), you had to "shorten" your steering links relative to stock. So when doing the install, you have to move both locknuts on the steering links closer to the hiem joints (both ends). Originally, I tried to keep the locknut position (thus link length) on one side as close as possible to stock, but it didn't work. I ended up with one of my steering links 3/8" longer than the other to make everthing work. It lined up OK, but my worry was the effect of having different length steering links on bump steer.
With so many of us about to hit the snow, someone is going to answer this question definitively. So before you commit to the red loctite on everything, maybe better to do a few laps using blue (or without) and then do an adjust. I already found out that red loctite on the upper spindle hiem joint nut is a single use activity (nut destroyed because you can only use an open ended wrench to hold it).
All this said, this suspension is going to work. I would say it takes about half the effort to rail this thing on its side in my basement. I can only imagine what its going to be like in 2 feet of POW.
Well done Skinz.
OTM.
Hopefully a sled's suspension is not nearly so critical as a car's is, since the sled's road surface is constantly changing.
But I guess we really won't know till we get em on the snow.
But I guess we really won't know till we get em on the snow.
Heck No!
But I will soon.
But I will soon.
Got the shocks mounted last night.
M
MotoPsycho
Well-known member
I went for my 3rd ride of the season today... 
T
TRUEBLUEMAX
Well-known member
Good to hear that some of us have snow to ride on. I keep telling myself I should get my sled together and finish the upgrades later but there is no snow to ride on right now anyway
M
MTdream
Well-known member
welcome to mod sleds...
the impossible task for after market companies...everyone buys a part for a reason...it is impossible for companies to know you and your needs with varieties of conditions, and weights of riders, and skill levels etc. etc. etc. etc.
i.e. your asking about camber...and you might want more or less camber for your particular style...and a half turn can be a major impact on "feel" on trail....and in some cases you might want more/less for the type of riding you do...trail might want more/less while pow might want more/less...
The other thing to keep in mind, your addressing camber relative to chassis...where as on trail camber is different relative terrain as opposed to chassis...and on a sidehill it is again different and will produce significant differences...
which side of sled do you do most of your sidehilling? that side might want more/less camber...
all that being said...camber relative to the terrain is closer to optimum with a negative camber, and as the terrain angle increases the negative camber increases as well....by design and by necessity...
However if you want more roll or an easier rollover, you might want more or closer to positive camber...So, if you felt the sled rolled out/toward the outside of corners and wanted less roll or sharper handling in corners, you would go toward a negative camber...where as if you wanted more roll (think side hill) you would want an increase in the negative camber (or closer to negative)...
A sled suspension has MASSIVELY higher shifts in camber compared to a car, and is as such not nearly as picky, but each rider is going after different things...
infinite options, and infinite solutions for the rider...
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Thanks for the INSIGHTS!!
Mounting the skis back on this afternoon.
Mounting the skis back on this afternoon.
Got the shocks mounted in place.
M
MotoPsycho
Well-known member
beautiful pieces, aren't they?
Indeed they are,
Tomorrow I need to put some air in them for the first time.
Tomorrow I need to put some air in them for the first time.
M
Mister907
Member
so have you tried it out yet? just read a thread about the snapping hem joint. curious how that alignment turned out. we had the venture out last weekend with no problems, other than the fact its a bigger tank than the nytro. i dont see how they got away with calling that thing the venture "lite"??
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