[AKnarrowback]

I know some of you guys and gals are using the factory tracks or moded tracks with the "punched" holes down the center. I'm curious to know what kind of performance differences you have noticed over the solid track you had on before. Is the rolling resistance reduced to a noticeable extent? Any gains that made it worth while?? Thanks for the input!

 

[ArcticCat1]

I seen a track today at a local dealership and they had the track cut with holes one side to the other.

 

[xtralettucetomatoe580]

With holes in your track your sled is more flexible meaning you can lossen your tensioners and have less rolling resistance. With a ported track snow removal from the skid is possible so you lose weight and in low snow can keep your coolers covered in snow. The gains are definitly worth it with weight alone.

But when you take out strands you lose track strength. Then again guys have holes drilled five wide on 800+ sleds and tearng a track isnt that common with them either. So two in the middle on your 600 wont be too much of a gamble.

 

[Student Driver]

Drilled out, or ported as people are calling them now, tracks do make a pretty nice difference for 2 reasons.

Most guys I've seen doing this go 3 holes per row with no problems.
Use a 1 1/4" hole drill and keep all your round chunks of track and weight them.
Rotating mass has a 7:1 ratio in effect from non rotating mass,
So take the weight of the track plugs and multiply by 7.
This will give you the weight difference in the effect of the way the machine responds to it.

The other reason, and I think the larger reason, is the way the track bends around the rear idler wheels and all so well.
Drilling the track makes it much more flexable and so it has much less rolling resistance. Add to this the part about less weight in the track for less rolling resistance, and the effect is really nice.

The one down side:
Water Skipping.
I'm told that it doesn't work so well for that.
Something about going just so far and then sinking.

 

[AKnarrowback]

Thanks guys, that was what I was wanting to hear. I was looking for more flexability to free up some HP. I'm not expecting much, but any more power on my xlt will be a good thing. I have never moded a motor, exhaust, or carb to gain more. I have always tinkered with the rest of the sled to gain performance and left my powerplants alone. Seeing as the xlt isn't a power monster to begin with I was looking to let it roll more free. I'm going to look at doing 3 to a pitch with a 1.25 hole. I have three tracks so I'm willing to experiment with one. I'm going to cotarize each one to seal the fibers as much as possible. Thanks again!

 

[xtralettucetomatoe580]

Make sure you do not staggar the holes or you will end up with no thread in the middle.

 

[v-maxsledder]

student driver almost got it. i've alwasy been told it was a 6:1 ratio? and they also allow more snow onto the slides so you have less slide melt. but they also make your track weaker.

 

[jas]

i havent heard of this before, can you maybe explain a bit more what you guys are talking about. i realize your drilling holes to make the track more flexable and save weight but how exact;y do you do this correctly so not to screw the track up? thanks

 

[xtralettucetomatoe580]

Step 1: Pick a hole size.
Step 2: Choose two, three, or five holes. Two in the middle, three in the middle or three in the middle with two on the outside.
Step 3: MAKE SURE you dont staggar the holes in a pattern like this
0-0-0
-0-0-
0-0-0
Other wise you will have no thread in the middle. Either do three lined up perfectly or two lined up prefectly.
Step 4: Make a template. This is neccessary to getting your holes lined up right and for proper weight distribution on your track. Be sure to incorporate your holes not to run over your inside idler.
step 5: Mark your holes with a chalk so you dont wreck your template and it is a good way to reference to see if your holes are evenly placed.
Step 6: Drop your skid so you can cut away from your idlers and you have more room to make a striaght cut.
Step 7: Cuting time! Use a hole saw with your desired hole diameter. You can either grind off the teeth to prevent it from cathcing and not cutting smoothly or you can keep the rpms up when you drill in (which I did). With the drill cutting take your time so it will build up heat and sear the threads for a clean look. You can also heat up the saw with a torch but I found that uneccessary.
Step 8: bolt up the skid and tighten your track tensioners from about 2 inches to 1 to 1.5 of track play.

There that should be it. Im sure some other will have some great advice.

 

[SnowAddiction]

Does anybody have any pictures? This has me curious now

 

[xtralettucetomatoe580]

I will have mine posted this weekend if I dont end up going to Cooke City next week. Check Snowest.com, this topic has been done many a times. Also Dan8435? posted some pics recently in General on his.

 

[Flange]

My seat-of-the-pants dyno could not detect a difference in performance due to less rotating mass. The combined weight of rubber we removed was insignificant in my opinion...even if you multiply it by 6 or 7 as has been suggest previously. Now on the other hand, if you consider how much cleaner the rear skid stays by allowing the snow to pass through the track, I can see where you might make gains due to less rotating mass (ie. less snow to pump through the tunnel). Again, this is only theory, as my dyno can't confirm this. The only thing that I can confirm, however, is that the rear of my sled stays lighter from less snow build up. The skid stays visibly cleaner, and this becomes immediately apparent each and every time I lift the rear of my sled in the morning to free the track. I don't have as much frozen snow and ice to deal with as I used to. Same with when I wash the skid out with the pressure washer. It used to take much more time to free up the snow and ice in the skid. Now there just isn't as much there.

The track is a Camoplast Challenger 162 x 15 x 2-1/2. I drilled 3 holes, each 1-1/4 inches diameter, behind each center lug. I didn't drill in front of each center lug because I thought it might reduce some of the compaction that I think is critical in this area of the track as it spins.

All in all I'm happy with it. The track is standing up just fine and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[attachment=52775]

 

[Dutchman]

I use a 1-1/4" hole saw, grind the teeth off and then taper the inside to a sharp edge. The saw will get very very hot while cutting, that's what will cauterize the hole while you cut.

[attachment=52604]
[attachment=52605]

 

[WY_rider]

this is why I dont track port mine. []

Buddy of mine ran this for 1/2 a season when this happened to his 800 rmk 159.

[attachment=52815]

 

[ShoelessJoe]

^^^^^

The three holes on every row seems like it would weaken it quite a bit. The outside holes seem pretty close to the windows.

I am no mountain rider (unfortunatly) so I don't know much about this subject, just stating my opinion

 

[bulldog_shotgun]

i wonder what one larger hole 1.5 or 1.75 would do in the middle. its gotta be stronger than 3 holes. and it would get the hole away from the lugs and windows where the torque is applied to the track.

 

[Student Driver]

Originally posted by bulldog_shotgun
[br]i wonder what one larger hole 1.5 or 1.75 would do in the middle. its gotta be stronger than 3 holes. and it would get the hole away from the lugs and windows where the torque is applied to the track.

It does work.
It's called a Polaris Series 5 track

 

[Flange]

Originally posted by WY_rider
[br]this is why I dont track port mine. []

Buddy of mine ran this for 1/2 a season when this happened to his 800 rmk 159.

Thats the first one I've ever heard of breaking. Thats a lot of holes. I would never have considered drilling that many. That pretty much confirms my thinking.

 

[WY_rider]

Originally posted by Flange
[br]

Originally posted by WY_rider
[br]this is why I dont track port mine. []

Buddy of mine ran this for 1/2 a season when this happened to his 800 rmk 159.

Thats the first one I've ever heard of breaking. Thats a lot of holes. I would never have considered drilling that many. That pretty much confirms my thinking.

if you look over at snowest there are many sleds that have done that.

I agree that is alot of holes but that is not why it tore across. it is just as stong as any other track that has 3 holes across it. if it was the number of holes that made it fail it would be tearing the length wise of the track, not width.

 

[mackinsaw]

^^So then why did it fail? To much hp on to little of rubber?