RE: 8" rear wheels vs stock vs 9" wheels

[MountainMax]

RE: 8" rear wheels vs stock vs 9" wheels

Hey guys, i have a 144" x 2" track on my mountain max with 8 tooth drivers, im planning on cutting my track down to 1.5" and put 9 tooth drivers in there. my question is should i go up to 8" rear wheels or maybe even 9", i trail ride, race and do everything iwht my sled, will the larger rear wheels help me with the drag racing part?? easier to turn the track right? are 9" wheels better then 8"?? i heard that big wheels are not good on 121" tracks but the larger ones really help out......Thanks in advance......Rob

 

[srxxx86]

I heard the big wheels chip in low snow conditions, for the mountains GO FOR IT!

 

[MountainMax]

Im hoping to get a little better performance with the larger track drivers and largeer rear wheels, the turning resistance of the track should be less giving me a few more HP to the snow, and of course it looks sweet........

 

[Ding]

I am by no means an expert on large wheels.

However I do believe that the gains on Yamaha skids are not as great as on others. You also want to make sure that the larger wheels don't cause the track or studs to hit the tunnel when the skid is compressed. I have heard reports of problems with this when going larger than 8" on the yamaha skids without tipping the tunnel.

 

[MountainMax]

i can't see how a yamaha could benefit any less from this then any other make sled, and i don't run studs, don't need to, it's all snow we race/drive on here, like 6-8' of it ontop of the ice....... as for the 9T drivers i do have to cut 1/4" off the track to get it to clear the cooler...

 

[skidooboy]

they did track dyno comparisons with sizes std and metric 6"-10" in diameter. the results were smaller wheel updating to larger ones did gain track hp and reduced rolling resistance. but after 180mm (about 7.25") the gains were little to nothing and after a certain point in increasing diameters it actually made less track hp (more surface area causing friction). they said 8" was about the best you could do. as for it not making a large difference in yamaha skids, ding is correct. you wont gain much as yamaha skids use 178mm wheels. doo's dont gain much either as the rev chassis' run 180mm. the older chassis' running say 6 3/8" wheel going to and 8" you would gain alot. they are suseptable to damage as sand, dirt, and low snow take their toll nicking and chipping the surface of the wheels, this inturn makes the contact patch rough causing more friction, and wear to the track. if you are running studs i highly recomend getting the rubber or urethane coated wheels. you may think you run on clean snow all the time but look where you cross roads or say travel to get gas from the trails sooner or later you encounter some sort of abrasive material that will wear straight aluminum wheels. i am not pulling this info out of my behind either, i ran three sleds last year totalling close to 6000 miles with billets (no rubber) the only one that still looks good was totally babied and it still shows a bit of wear. they are basicly just to say look at me i spent up to 100.00 per wheel to look cool. they do look cool when they are new, but they do take some punishment and start looking worn more sooner than later. buyer be aware. ski

 

[MountainMax]

Thanks for the info, im sure i travel in clean snow though, i gas up in my garage, never the gas station, and i don't have to cross any roads, main trail is behind my apartment, only chance is on the trailer, will have to try to clean it out before using it then.......Thanks for the info, I did hear that 7.5's would work just as well but they do look cool, what the hey, got to spend the money on something..............$$$$$$$$$

 

[monker]

I didn't have any larger wheels on my stock skid, but did put them on my M10. One complaint with the M10 was losing a couple mph on top end. Adding the larger wheels (8") negated this compared to stock. One thing you will most likely also need is an off-set axle. As stated earlier, the billet wheels are just for looks and wear out quick. I have solid plastic wheels, kimpex I think, and they held up great last year.

 

[yamaholic22]

you can get the billet wheels with rubber on the running surface and they hold up much better than the regular billet, more like stock. The increased diameter definately helps rolling resistance, but the plain billet wheels wear very quickly if you don't have rubber on the outside.

 

[skidooboy]

not many a/m mfg's are having luck with the rubber staying on the billets for one reason or another. they are delaminating. rough conditions and using studs increase the speed of the delamination. the oem mfgs used to run alum (cast) wheels and rubber edges, not sure why the aftermarket hasnt caught up with the adhesion. lots of money for a "possible" failure. some are offering warrantees but, you know how that goes.... ski

 

[pro116]

My buddy makes the wheels for wahl bros and they seem to be holding up.

 

[redsnake3]

Rob
Youre going to need something to keep up with me this year. i run the red viper. going to get the clutching straightened away for this year and solve my traction problem. think im going to a bigger lug track. watch out.