R/T 1000 Clutching

[Original Tetonice]

I'll bite

I have your kit, and I've been pretty happy, but I think there may be some room for improvement - for my body weight. I also have an electronic gram scale and have matched my pin/arm weights.

RT 162, Al's can, clean raves, clean throttle bodies, clean clutches, 21-51 gears 9 tooth drivers
steel arms 81gm
std roller 10gm
10.8gm hollow pins, have available balanced .8gm threaded inserts and others
fresh Dalton grey primary spring 205-328
your S8R dalton helix
fresh Bombi purple 225-300 (also have tried fresh Goodwin blue-white 220-335 which has nice backshift but not dramatically different from bombi prpl)

me 275# in my skivees - My clutching needs are never gonna be the same as guys who weigh 175-200

In the winter I ride 3-5000 ft in WA state, central Cascade mountains - weather tolerant area (clouds). Your kit works pretty good with 11.6 gm pin wt. click 4. I'm happy here.

In the spring, when the weather is better, I ride Mt Baker and Bear Paw mtn. One area of Mt Baker is BigHouse. The base of BigHouse is ~6200. Above big house is 7200-7500. The crevases above 7500 are too numerous for my liking. However I want the sled to be all that it can be in case I do have to power over a crevase.

Couple weeks ago we go to MtBaker and sled runs good down low 4-5000. 11.6gm pin wt and click 4. We go higher and I start getting the bouncing betty rpms. I click up to 5 then 6 and still have the bouncing betties at 6200 ft.

Last week go back to Baker with 10.8 gm pins (took out the inserts). Start at click 3 for low elevation. We play on the eastern side, working our way up through several skate park valleys. The day was very warm. Snow depth exceeded the 12' probe. We get to 5800-6000 ft, by GPS, and I start getting bouncing betty rpms during a climb. I click to 4 and there is improvement. I click to 5 and I start getting the straight shift - engine goes straight to 8000rpm and clutches open/close to get me up the hill in a strong manner. Limiter strap is out for spring riding, so I do a bit of a wheelie up the hill. At 7200-7500' I'm running reasonably strong, but not as strong as at 6000'. I could go to click 6, but my seat of pants feel is I would like a little less pin wt. - but wait, my pin is as light as it will go.

What are your suggestions?

That lack of consistant performance from the Bouncing Betty can be cured by adding adjustable arms. The arm(s) base weight 28.1g's can be adjusted +20g's. which does not include the pin weight.....The trouble with any stock arm is there is no adjustability other than at the pin weight. The key to keeping the Bouncing Betty from falling on it face is acheived by being able to "better balance" the entire arm(s) which the adjustable arms as shown allow a tuner to do by adding or subtracting weight to the 2 holes in the center of the arm(s).

 

[papa bear]

That lack of consistant performance from the Bouncing Betty can be cured by adding adjustable arms. The arm(s) base weight 28.1g's can be adjusted +20g's. which does not include the pin weight.....The trouble with any stock arm is there is no adjustability other than at the pin weight. The key to keeping the Bouncing Betty from falling on it face is acheived by being able to "better balance" the entire arm(s) which the adjustable arms as shown allow a tuner to do by adding or subtracting weight to the 2 holes in the center of the arm(s).

OT That looks like the Thunder Shift arm for a TRA III. The RT has a TRA V. Thunder Shift Products do have two products for the TRA V, I think they are 53 gm and 72 gr.

I'll consider the above as well and the Doo high altitude kit (aluminum arms - I don't know the wt.) and Dalton's 60 gm arms and possibly others.

I'll also consider information from Joe Imhoff. I think he has a good kit. He may not have a bunch of customers my size though. Perhaps I am doing something "wrong." I've been posting here and DooTalk for several days trying to get information. I've downloaded and read Joe's information on his website. Prior to reading Joe's information I don't think I had a good idea of what a straight shift was. He has good information. I was thinking about pulling out Aaens book out of the attic to re-read. I don't claim to be much good with clutching, I'm trying to learn.

There is a bit of a logistical problem as well. Mt Baker is 2 1/2 hours aways, and then its another hour or so to unload and ride up to 6000. Taking a lot of tools uphill is difficult. Plus my temptation is to just play instead of pure tuning is high. There are plenty of folks who spend most of their time under the hood - I'm not one of them. I'll try one or two things, make notes and then play the rest of the day. Joe's kit has me close - real close..... great at 5-6000 ft. Trying for 7000-7500.

 

[Original Tetonice]

I run Teams version of the Thundershifter. The arms your speaking about are below @ 34.6 g fix weight alumi arms. By the way the only part worth anything in the BRP high altitude kit for the RT is the 34.6 g fixed weight arm save your money

Another area that needs looked at is the quality of the spring. Those cheap wire $19.95 springs don't last very long and if you think your running a particular shift rate once the cheap spring is fatigued (which doesn't take very long) your springs performance has been effected and so has the bouncing betty. Consider using Ti spring for consistant performance on each and every shift

 

[diamonddave]

OT That looks like the Thunder Shift arm for a TRA III. The RT has a TRA V. Thunder Shift Products do have two products for the TRA V, I think they are 53 gm and 72 gr.

I'll consider the above as well and the Doo high altitude kit (aluminum arms - I don't know the wt.) and Dalton's 60 gm arms and possibly others.

I'll also consider information from Joe Imhoff. I think he has a good kit. He may not have a bunch of customers my size though. Perhaps I am doing something "wrong." I've been posting here and DooTalk for several days trying to get information. I've downloaded and read Joe's information on his website. Prior to reading Joe's information I don't think I had a good idea of what a straight shift was. He has good information. I was thinking about pulling out Aaens book out of the attic to re-read. I don't claim to be much good with clutching, I'm trying to learn.

There is a bit of a logistical problem as well. Mt Baker is 2 1/2 hours aways, and then its another hour or so to unload and ride up to 6000. Taking a lot of tools uphill is difficult. Plus my temptation is to just play instead of pure tuning is high. There are plenty of folks who spend most of their time under the hood - I'm not one of them. I'll try one or two things, make notes and then play the rest of the day. Joe's kit has me close - real close..... great at 5-6000 ft. Trying for 7000-7500.

Papa, I've had the doo high-alt kit in mine and have found that for our altitude (I ride same general areas) that the aluminum arms aren't enough even with the (I believe) 414 ramps. I had my dealer install mine and found I couldn't stay off the rev limiter even with 21 grams. I'm having the same convo with lund on doo talk right now and I think his recomendation of the dalton arms is probably the best route to go for this area. I weigh 230.

 

[H20SKE]

Bigskins---Give me a yell and lets go up for 1 more ride together this year and you can see if you like the set up I am running--You are welcome to dup it if it works for ya.

H20SKE...

 

[BIG JOHN]

PaPa-

TRA3 arms = gay in RT!!! LOL

The Dalton 60 gram arms work well IMHO.. (heavy ENOUGH arm/more pin weight than stock)

415 ramps click 3
heavy adj pins (start at 18 grams..adj as needed for ele. and HP)
200/320 spring..adjust spring rates for personal feel if needed...
stock 2006-2007 sec. set up or if you ride lower ele. run a 44/40 cam
shoot for 7800-8000 rpm (tach error??)

this is a solid start point with new arms-BJ

*dont forget the 2007 mid ele program!!!