I've begun to see significant wear on both the center drive windows and the in clipped windows that run along the hyfax. I remember there being some track issues on the axys requiring re clipping the track. Is that the fix here? 
Track damage
- Thread starter Snowbird11
- Start date
I clipped mine with 1400 miles on it, it was showing wear, and you could feel the groove wearing in some. Mine was not near as bad as yours. Clipping would help on yours, but I'm no expert. Your track looks like it could tear through with how worn it is???
Can you clip the drive windows as well? It seems like the track is just slightly out of phase with the drive teeth which is causing the teeth to land on the rubber instead of in the window. That was present since new.
I' d say it stretched to. I seriously don't get the senter driver idea, removed them from both my pro and Axys with no ratcheting and both sleds run strong at sea level.
Hard to know, but I would clip it and make sure the tension was good then pin it.
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Hard to know, but I would clip it and make sure the tension was good then pin it.
Sent fra min S60 via Tapatalk
Those center drivers are more of a second chance to stop the ratcheting. At perfect conditions snow will stick to the drivers and lift the track off the driver and they can slip.
Thanks for the help.
I guess I need to order some clips and a tool. I probably shouldn't ride this weekend until it's clipped. Is there a preferred cost effective tool? Also, should I look for guided clips since I spend a fair amount of time on edge?
I guess I need to order some clips and a tool. I probably shouldn't ride this weekend until it's clipped. Is there a preferred cost effective tool? Also, should I look for guided clips since I spend a fair amount of time on edge?
We have sold many guided and non-guided clips. To be honest the results have appeared to be the same. But if you are really worried about keeping the track centered, do what I did. Use the guided clips and turn them to run the guide on the outside of the rail.
I only have the non-guided clips in stock unfortunately. $165 CDN for 60 pc.
The tool I would recommend is $120 CDN and is not fancy but works well without removing the track. Unless you plan on doing many tracks don't spend too much.
We also rent for $20/day but if you are far away it isn't worth it.
Takes about 1 hour to do the job. (I can do it in 45 minutes now.)
You know, I really dont want to sound like I'm better than PI at designing snowmobile drive systems..
But I found exactly that; certain conditions and that center driver builds ice until it lifts the track enough to ratchet.
And THAT, my friend, will leave its mark on those center windows. On two sleds this happened. Took away center driver= no more problems and no ratcheting.
Now I just got a reply on my track for sale, that price must be dropped due to it being damaged..
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I''m not doubting you but I do know that the Polaris added the middle driver after a few years of multiple complaints that their track were ratcheting. I assumed that it actually made things better not worse. Ice can build up on the outer drivers too.
I found the ice buildup on the center driver to be much worse on the Dragon era sleds than the newer ones... my riding buddy and I were both having the issue one day on our 800 Dragons, had to tip sled up and chip away at it, wife's Pro had no issue, same snow, same day. PI narrowed up that center driver on the Pro compared to the Dragon so the snow did not have as good a place to compact and become ice. I have never had that buildup issue on 3 different Pros and my Axys. But it sounds nasty, like ratcheting but it isn't ratcheting... never got to the point of doing any damage though. Have also seen center lug damage like that from the front track shock coming loose but usually more catastrophic than that.
I would not hesitate to run that track... the wear points do need clipped at some point for sure that run on the hyfax .
Did the Dragon have a front heat exchanger? Wondering if heat in that area OR clearance to the front of the tunnel could result in more or less ice buildup?? Also it is true that the narrower center driver would have more load from the track that could squish the snow out easier.
yes, it did. this is where other sled mfg's do a bit better than polaris. i've found actual riding weight to be a bit closer with cat when you account for the extra snow getting carried in the front of the tunnel. it seems like they've gotten the tracks pretty close to the back of the bulkhead now but it still holds snow where a heat exchanger would keep some of that from happening. i still see some of the snowcheck "semi pros" from 2014-15? on the used market. people got the standard rmk and built it up just like the pro. only difference was the heat exchanger and sometimes the beefier A-arms.
the down side of the dragon was the time bomb in the engine.
i did have the shock come loose at the end of it's first season but i recall having that damage after the first few rides on it. i can't say that i've ever heard it ratchet like one of my old sleds used to.
it has 1600 miles on it now and i hope to get another 300 out of it before upgrade the sled.
I have pulled enough Cat skis in the Spring time to have seen them often stuck on their own slush mound at the front of the track. The track pulls the snow over and dumps it where it turns to an icy mound quickly. This is the downside of the front heat exchanger and also less distributed weight.
The standard pros from 14-15 also had a chaincase, aluminum overstructure, and aluminum rear bumper, and could come in 163 with remote resi shocks, FWIW. (Essentially a Gen 1 2011 Pro RMK with better shocks, hardened pistons/cylinders, and better injectors) Many of us bought them as hardened pros after experiencing the failed 13 driveshafts, glued a-arms, broken overstructure, and CF bumper. Weight gain was about 25 lbs. Those glued a-arms in particular were another poo bad joke.
