Whats a good way to deal with a busted a-arm in the field?

[Pinchecharlie]

I am a ****e rider snd I keep hitting stuff. Today I really smashed a hidden log bad and broke up my a-arm . It was folded over and busted inside the boot . I've never done it before so I didn't really know what to do to try and ride out. I got lots and lots and lots of practice trying to ride on the good ski and made it to a half mile to truck before it just folded the entire side and I had to do the wrong foot hop thing and it wasn't so fun since I suck at it and it was basicallylike I had one ski. So how do you deal with it? I was super bummed because my shock was fine till I splayed out the whole thing then I ruined it and I think I may have prevented that if I'd have known how. Fyi iam a real new rider so I really can't ride very well and have never broken anything before lol. Lucky I didn't break my body, I flew pretty far and hit harder than I thought I would . Stupid snow is so bad!!

 

[brantd]

carry hockey tape, and zip ties.you can do a lot with that and whats available in the forest,such as tree limbs to brace the broken A arm or simply use a tree limb to act as an A arm!

 

[turboless terry]

Duct tape, zip ties, hose clamps. Use sticks or a wrench.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

But...the thing is just flopping around in the wind! What do I zip tie it too?? I tried straps on the ski tips and to the spindles but it was pretty awful and I just kept damaging it more!? I carried straps bailing wire some zip ties and some tape but I guess I just can't conceptualize how to make it "stand up" straight with the ski flat on snow? I'd drag it under r tge sled too when I'd loose my one ski edge. So it was tip to tip and spindle to spindle and spindle to bumper and un rideable lol! Bwahaha I suck!!!

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Oh maybe you mean use sticks or wrench as the a-arm? Like a splint?

 

[summ8rmk]

Oh maybe you mean use sticks or wrench as the a-arm? Like a splint?

If u have a few inches of tube on both side of the break. Hose clamp a stick the arm then duck tape.

If u can't make a splint, get a 6-9ft tree a limb it. Attach one end to the ski, behind the spindle and the rest of the tree under ur running board.

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[Pinchecharlie]

Ok!!! Just splint it however you can! Dunno why I didn't think of the running board that makes good since. Jeez gotta stop hitting stuff it hurts too my hand and wrists are swollen up pretty good. Well now I know. I have a ton of hockey tape and hose clamps. Thanks!!

 

[wyobob44]

it all comes down to your ingenuity, i was a professional backcountry guide for 17 years, and you would be amazed at the things you can do with zip ties, duct tape, and some good worm gear hose clamps, add in a saw and some tree branches ..as long as there is 1 side still in good shape, you can triage the other side to allow you to baby your self back to the truck.. the furthest i ever had to ride 1 ski out was 27 miles

 

[Pinchecharlie]

My wife said we went 2 miles lol!! I'll remember all these tips and next time have a plan. Now to get her off the trailer?

 

[Sage Crusher]

We used 2 shovel handles and worm gear hose clamp this past weekend to get the sled manageable with a lower A arm tree tag.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Oh genius! In fact why not carry something to the affect! Here's your big money idea!!

 

[line8]

My wife said we went 2 miles lol!! I'll remember all these tips and next time have a plan. Now to get her off the trailer?

Can you fix it on the trailer? Then you’re not risking more possible heart ache.


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[Teth-Air]

One thing I learned is if you bend an A-arm and you think it is ridable just make sure the shock won't hit or you will be replacing it too. In your case it may have been good to remove the shock and tie it all up.

We see alot on the Polaris sleds and that is why we build the Arm Candy, A-Arm braces. Really reduced the number of bends/breaks.

 

[Sage Crusher]

One thing I learned is if you bend an A-arm and you think it is ridable just make sure the shock won't hit or you will be replacing it too. In your case it may have been good to remove the shock and tie it all up.

We see alot on the Polaris sleds and that is why we build the Arm Candy, A-Arm braces. Really reduced the number of bends/breaks.

I agree- BUT at the cost of just getting back to the trailer I will sacrifice a shock pretty easily....

 

[Pinchecharlie]

I dunno! A- arms 144 bucks! I haven't heard just yet how much the shock will be but iam guessing it will be much more than that and also in addition to lol.

 

[Fosgate]

Get genuine military 100 mile an hour tape in my bag all the time. Once I was someplace where I should not have been riding with friends when our friendly neighborhood trout trooper gave chase and 10 of us decided to evade. I smoked a rock going flat out that took out a shock and ripped up my a-arm when I hit the next field approach. Took about 30 seconds to tape the right ski to the tunnel and parts to each other out of the way. Hopped on and rode another 5 miles at a stupid fast clip on one ski and still didn't get caught. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish if your scared enough.

 

[hilpulr]

We have used shovel handles as well. We also used a shovel blade as a ski one time! Made it 12 miles out with that?

 

[Bmwn52882]

carry hockey tape, and zip ties.you can do a lot with that and whats available in the forest,such as tree limbs to brace the broken A arm or simply use a tree limb to act as an A arm!


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