HYFAX replacement on Viper

woolyviper

woolyviper

New member
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
525
Age
60
Location
NE MN
I read all the posts about Hyfax replacement, so I started the other night and was having a hard time removing. I went to the mechanic at the dealership and asked him if he had any tricks to get them out, and he says "YOU HAVE TO PULL THE SKID AND REMOVE THE TRACK" (What a moron). I continued last night - made the windows in the track just big enough to get the slide out (razor knife) and then I pounded from the front of the slide with a 3/8 wood dowel and a 3 lb hammer. this seemed the easiest way to move the slide.

I did break the second machine srew off in the skid - I had to drill a new hole and put in a self threading machine screw to hold the slide in. When I pull the skid for Maintenance, I will have to drill out the broken screw and retap.

I put moly dry lube on the inside of the new slide, so hopefully they come easier next time.
 

Ok, there is an easier way. the only thing is trying to explain it on a forum is hard. i use a hammer and a big screwdriver or something to tap on them from the front to get them so that they stick out far enough to get a pair of plyers clamped and that will allow you to pull them out. sometimes WD40 can be used, but make sure you spray off the 40 when you are done. Its not an easy process and if it was slides would be falling off while we are riding our sleds. its hard for good reason haha. its a pain. i had to do all my sleds last year. Also its easier with two people. ;)!
 
tried to pull off with pliers, i could have hooked a chain to my gmc and drug it around the block before they would have come off- like you say - they are tight for a reason - just frustrated about the process.
 
yeah its not fun at all. everyone always goes home all bent out of shape after that process hahaha. you might want to check. it they were that tight i believe your track may have been alil too tight. no? yes?
 
I think the track was totally too tight - It's been gowling at low speeds since I had it in for 500 mile checkup (tighten chain, track etc.) I tightened and aligned it according to the manual last night - we will see if the track vibe goes away at low speed.
 
Use a #3 screw driver to losen the screw. I bought the kind that attaches to a socket and that worked real easy. As explained above, use a long screw driver at the tip of the old hifax and beat it with a hammer. Be sure not to gouge into the aluminum rail, take your time. Then alighn the track so the hifax comes out the window. You do not need to cut anything. After acouple inches comes through, use a pair of vise grips and wrap them with a rag and beat the at edge and the hifax will pull out. It should take a hour to take out and put in new.
 
There is an easier way - take two screwdrivers and start with the first one and get under the edge of the slide - pry it over and put the second one in beside it - the process is simular to taking a tire off from a rim - just work your way up the rail and eventually you will pop it right off - alot easier than trying to slide it all the way off - when you put the new one on, spray the he*l out it with some lubricant, and it usually will go on pretty easy - hope that helps
 
I spray with WD40, let it sit, remove the screw, line up the window, then hit it with an air chisel with blunt tip, which pretty quickly moves the hyfax beyond the curve allowing it to pull out pretty easily. Reinstallation with rubber mallet taps, air chisel on the end if it gets to hard to move easily.
 
Slide replacement

The method of peeling the slide off the rail like a tire works great. Sometimes we just tap the slide back enough to drill a hole in it and bolt in an EYE HOOK. The I attach a come along and pull them off that way. When you put them back on I take a scotchbrite pad and make sure the rails are spotless including any sharp edges. The WD 40 works well. If you did a good clean up job the slides will almost slide on by hand. I always have extra screws on hand from Yamaha. ALso I find that when you line up the hole for the screw,
ALWAYS TAKE A TAP AND RUN IT THROUGH . This way you will cut away that little plastic that keeps the screw from starting straight. Yes I cross threaded my share of screws, that's why I use the tap
 
i use a lift ,a airchisel with a angled tip,it only takes me about a half hour give or take ten minutes to do both sides
 
My OTC slidehammer set came with a adapter that replaces the thumb screw in a large set if vise grips. Get the slide out enough to clamp on to it and slide hammer them out. You can also use the self tapping screw adapter and just screw it into the slide and slide hammer them out. I just use grease on them when reinstalling.
 
I cut them off with a razor knife. This works the best of all the methods I've tried. No pounding or vise grips needed. Just cut along the side of the skid and then peel them off. Clean the aluminum surface well and lubricate so the new one slides on easily.
 
First one took me about 2.5 hours to get it off and new one on - second one was done in 30 minutes - I was dealing with a learing curve.
 
Good info. Which type (name brand) cleaner do you guys use to clean the rails? And which grease/lube do you use (brand name) to slide the new ones on? I take it it's not good to use wd-40 as a lubricant to slide 'em back on? Probably because it repels water/snow and that's a bad thing...
 
use hammer and screwdrivers to take off old slides n use soemthing like a lube or soap to slide the new one sin..worked good for mine..or use liek 2 screwdrivers to like force them out..easier with another person
 
If you are in a hurry you can simply pry the front of the old one off the rail with a screwdriver and use the track to "peel" it off the rest of the way. I've replaced both hyfax in less than 10 minutes this way. It was time to go riding . . .

Take the screw out, drive the hyfax back far enough to get a big screwdriver under it through a track window, and get a gorilla (or a big friend) to yank the track backwards. Once the hyfax is out the window, just keep turning the track and it will come off amazingly easy. Just be careful to not gouge the rail, or you add time cleaning that up. I use soap to put the new ones on.

I pull the skids every year to service anyway, so I usually have everything cleaned up once a year which helps also.
 
woolyviper said:
First one took me about 2.5 hours to get it off and new one on - second one was done in 30 minutes - I was dealing with a learing curve.
Click to expand...

Been there before! Once you get a couple under your belt, the process goes much faster.
 
I always coat the inside of the slide with anti seize (or how ever you spell it) it makes them easy going on and easy sliding off,just have to tap them back and then grab with a pair of vice grips and pull them right off.
 
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