Track tension

[doox]

Ok I jumped ship from Skidoo and bought a Pro. How loose can you run these tracks and not ratchet? The owners manual spec. seems tight.

 

[MORSNO]

Run it as per the book. I've been running mine for 5 seasons and my stock hyfax still look great.

 

[t stone]

Ok I jumped ship from Skidoo and bought a Pro. How loose can you run these tracks and not ratchet? The owners manual spec. seems tight.

That is tight but thats what Polaris specs are to keep it from ratcheting. I changed the track and drivers out and am running the track 1/2" Looser than Poos spec. The track will actually roll now.

Stone

 

[Oregonsledder]

Keep in mind a new track (I'm assuming you have a new PRO) will stretch. Check it after a couple of hundred miles and see where it is. I like to run my tracks as loose as I can without ratcheting. That's usually looser than spec.

 

[Bagger]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ditto. I run my as loose as possible, way looser than spec, never been an issue.

Bag

 

[doox]

Thanks for the input I will loosen it till it ratchets and tighten it till it stops.

 

[gmustangt]

Just for my knowledge sakes what is "ratcheting" and what causes ratcheting ( besides running the track to loose)..

 

[Butta]

Just for my knowledge sakes what is "ratcheting" and what causes ratcheting ( besides running the track to loose)..

Ratcheting is the act of the track "jumping" on the drivers...makes a ratcheting sound and is in fact a "slipping" of the track.

 

[Rudy198]

came off a Cat in 010 then Doo 011 now a Poo and when i saw how tight the track was i like "WTF"..i tried pushing mine off the deck of the truck with the front well off the deck and wouldn't even move so i fired it up and backed it off...and yes the brake was off...lol

 

[akgiauque]

I have tightened every one of my polaris sleds to spec and not had a problem. When it ratchets in deep snow climbing it sucks. See attached. Both of these sleds had track stretch at around 600 miles with a similar result.

 

[gmustangt]

Ratcheting is the act of the track "jumping" on the drivers...makes a ratcheting sound and is in fact a "slipping" of the track.

So basically the track slips on the drivers if it is to loose...causing it to ratchet

 

[Oregonsledder]

So basically the track slips on the drivers if it is to loose...causing it to ratchet

Yup... not only makes noise, but slips when you want to the least!

 

[Reg2view]

You don't have to run it much looser than spec for it to rachet in certain snow conditions, at least mine would. It's a function of the driver and track design, suspension travel, and snow conditions in the end. Find the sweet spot for your sled in the pow, and if you ride spring or wet, get ready to adjust on the snow. FWIW, too loose of a track will also porpoise in front of the rails abit and loose track speed. I'm not talking stab, of course, just bunch. Some interesting vids of this over the years.