porting a track

[knuts82]

We have ported 5 to 10 challengers and A20 all had 3 1-9/16 holes evenly spaced in the centers and never had a problem even with a combined 8,000 or so miles and a ported track does not have less floatation that i have seen. Port that thing..... this is just from my own experience

 

[NoSecondChances]

I'd recommend a 1 1/2" hole saw. If it is dull it will melt through the rubber and cords and you will end up with less chance of tearing or fraying. Just don't get too close to track windows or ribs. Aire on the side of caution with this and you won't sacrifice track durability. Besides, most of the weight that you lose with track porting is the snow that you end up carrying in the skid. I'd recommend it, and good luck!

I use a 1" hole saw (as big as you can safely go IMO), ground the teeth down about 30%, sharpened them to a knife edge, and run it in reverse. After the first two holes it will be smoking hot and melts the rubber and cords, no fraying. Stinks a lot so do it out in the open but works great. Didn't notice many huge improvements, skid does not hold as much snow and spins a lot easier, but I have extros and run the track loose as well. I would do it again, not many big improvements to be had from it but it does give some small benefits IMO.

I have a 156" x 2.5" Extreme on my M1000, and it has been ported with two holes 3/4" in the center only - spaced 2" apart. If you are running big power (turbos, nitrous) - I wouldn't do it. I imagine there is a reason that Camoplast doesn't build thier own tracks with porting for a reason - durability. The longer the track, the more it will tend to "balloon" under load - adding too many or too big of "ports" may leave you in the alpine one day...

Camoplast does make factory ported tracks if I remember correctly, have been since last year on the 2008 XP's.

 

[Reeb]

Since before that NSC. Wasn't it '06.
I've done a bunch of tracks before. Never had a problem. Yes they do stretch a bit at first. But haven't experienced any more. Run two billet wheels over them. Looks great.

 

[Priest]

dont do it you will loose flotaion, did my summit 2 years ago and summit lost flotaion big time.

 

[mountain_tamer]

So if you loose floatation then why are all the new summits coming with punched tracks I think they have done a little more research and the new XP's seem to have pretty good floatation

 

[POLZIN]

I must be crazy lucky because I put 1 1.25 hole in the middle and run my track looser than most with anti-ratchet drivers do and I have had no ratcheting or any of the problems mentioned . do what you want and to hell with our opinions after all this is an internet forum! i cant help but think alot of these problems are unrelated and self inflicted !

 

[mattymac]

So if you loose floatation then why are all the new summits coming with punched tracks I think they have done a little more research and the new XP's seem to have pretty good floatation

they are soley concerned about weight!


Plus a lighter sled obviously floats better.

 

[SnoDmon]

Just do it!

I think im gonna do 1 1/2 holes on a 3 inch pitch 174 the guys at Polaris West in West Yellowstone said a 166 with 3 holes down the center and the windows cut out weighed their's and lost almost 7 pounds.... and use the 1 lb of rotating mass = 7 lbs and 7lbs = 1 HP than I'd do it! I don't know how many holes I'll drill but I was thinking 2 in the center and possibly like 1 inch holes on the outside band, skipping every other one. Not sure yet but something will be punched. I'm hoping to hit the same weight as my unported 166

 

[HOOCH256]

Dont be "that guy"

C'mon people everybody knows snow has the same properties as water when it comes to things like flotation, avy's, etc....

Personal i would not want to be that guy stuck up in the back country with no track.....Im sure there are alot of people out there not having problems, but do you wanna be "that guy" i know with my luck i would say no

 

[NoSecondChances]

C'mon people everybody knows snow has the same properties as water when it comes to things like flotation, avy's,

Snow and water are comprised of the same basic elemental compounds, that's about where the similarities end.

The fact is that a few holes in the track do not increase the ground pressure in PSI that much to make a sled "sink" more, compared to the increase in ground pressure that an extra 10 lbs of snow caught up in the skid will have.

Floatation between snow and water are competely different. Unless you are telling us that you can walk on water.

 

[SnoDmon]

you have to take into consideration the bottom of a snow shoe.... if anyone even remebers what that is. They were at one time solid and then evolved to an open design much like tracks and porting them and it did not sacrifice floatation.... as for water, I don't think they could snow shoe on water.... unless they were made with very porous wood

 

[800HMRK]

you have to take into consideration the bottom of a snow shoe.... if anyone even remebers what that is. They were at one time solid and then evolved to an open design much like tracks and porting them and it did not sacrifice floatation.... as for water, I don't think they could snow shoe on water.... unless they were made with very porous wood

Good point. Whats a snow shoe again? JK

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

porting

If you're a habitual track breaker........and some guys are, port it cause you're going to break the track anyway and meanwhile the porting is a bonus.

If you've never had a problem breaking tracks............. port it because the performance improvement is there in many conditons and you're not going to break the track because of the porting.

If you're building a major woop azz no holds barred go gett'um credit card smasher then it'll be a while til you get major issues in your life resolved and you need to be turning wrenches instead of reading this thread.