Also a question for MH or any other sled guru. If this thing is 417 lbs dry. How much more weight can be shaved off relatively cheap?
Pipe/Can, Powerclaw track, headlight delete, Float 2's??????
I'm thinking sub 400 should be possible but I'm not sure of the weight savings of the above items.
And your definition of "Cheap" is?
Polaris has already hit most of the bottom dollar savings but due the warranty issues most likely has left a few easy items in the table.
Another 2-3#'s shaved by going to Hydro-Phobic hard anodized swaged aluminum tie rods, $100 or less
Another 2-3# shaved by going to Aluminum rod ends on the tie rods ~$200
~2 more # Lite-weight aluminum-ceramic brake disk (once manufactured by Northern Lites) ~$200 maybe $300 in todays dollars (Rotating weight worth more)
I would bet the Holz A-arms are still lighter by a ~2# $500 (if he would start heat treating them he could make them out of thinner tube and still be as strong and save an additional 2+#, although bumping the cost up a bit)
I would bet a heat treated chromoly steering post would save 2# (heat treated so it can be thinner and still retain the strength needed) $200
Titanium springs as I'm not a fan of the cheesy marketing gimmick called air shocks from any manufacture, 6# minumum for ~$800
So for ~$2000 a sub 400# sled if you do the rear suspension another ~5-10# for $2500-$4000 depending on which one and the amount of customization for further weight reduction
There is more there yet but the cost gets higher as the mods get into more exotic metals and materials, but the biggest weight savings I can foresee is the damn primary and secondary clutches. If we can redesign that portion we get to the about 350# pretty easy.
I am ready to follow Chris Burandts example & move back to POLARIS!!! I will be snow checking one on my birthday March 4
. And it's a trick sled and all but stock is stock. Not many sw regulars leave well enough alone.
