Suspension help

V

vMaxed Out

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Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
119
Age
37
Location
Appleton, WI
Hi guys,

I have a 96 vmax 600 xt and it is my first sled. I put the back end up on a stand and my track is touching the ground. I noticed that the piece that runs diagonally right by the shock on the right side of the sled is broken. How hard is that to fix? I don't know the name of the piece but it is metal and is not connected anymore.


Is there anyone that lives in the Fox Valley area that would help a newbie to snowmobiles out? I really don't want to take it in if I don't have to.
 
i'm looking right now to try and figure it out. I rode the sled almost 100 miles home with it broken and all that seemed different was it was bottoming out a lot more than usual. Would I have noticed a power difference if it was the driveshaft?
 
Where are you in Appleton? I work near the airport. I may be able to stop by and take a look. If it was the drive shaft I'm pretty sure you would know it.
 
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I could swing over that way. Thats not very far at all, I work just off Prospect by the airport. Shoot me a pm with your address if ya want.

W-arm Common problem. I have two of those skids on my garage floor.
 
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Your supention is gonna have to come out and then you can weld it in most cases and reinforce it or get a new (used) one from a guy here....My 99 was broken and I weld it a lot of guys do it here, is pretty comon....

Nick
 
if it is Item 11 that is the W-arm. Did that actual item break, or is it the triangular piece it pivots on on the slide rail, Mine (triangular piece) was cracked and we welded it up when i rebuilt the whole skid. As was said you will want to pull the whole skid out to fix it, when it is out purchase a Bushing kit and replace all bushings in the skid and check for worn shafts and replace/repair as necessary this will save you more damage in the future.

As far as removing the skid the easiest way is to compress the front shock with a ratchet strap (once all bolts are removed) then pull back and drop the front mount out of the support bracket and under the drive cogs. Then push forward and pivot it right out.
 
There is next to no tension on the front shock so on the taking it out part don't worry about it. There are very detailed directions on the tech pages on how to R&R the skid.

Simply put and from memory of the last time I did it (Nov '06).

Lift rear of sled a good foot off the ground or lay sled on it's side. Loosen the rear axle, loosen the track tension, back off almost all the way the transfer rod nuts. Then start with the rear most of the 3 skid bolts and remove them and work your way forward. If it has not been out in a while you might be on this step for a while since all of the shafts are threaded from the inside. The bolts might not come out too easy on one side and you will have to re-tighten the other side to keep the shaft from turning. Now that all 3 pair of bolts are out the skid is free of the sled. Since the 3 points are no longer kept in place the skid will fold flat (for the most part). Time to wrestle it out of the track. I've had good luck sliding card board between the track and the skid wheels so they don't catch on the cogs on the way out (I usually work alone so what ever I can do to make it easier).

Getting it back in is a lot harder than getting it out. Aligning the front shaft up with the "Cupped" support plate can be a real chore. The rest is pretty easy if you have a floor jack under the track to adjust the height. Work from the front to the back and be careful of cross threading the bolts.
 
It's probably not the W-arm, those skids are totally different than the 1997 & up style.
As posted above it's more than likely that the triangle mounting bracket is broken, a common problem on those skids.
 
The 96 XT has the pro-action skid in it. Looks exactly like the '97 pro-action with the larger bolts holding the boogie wheels on. Still pogo on the front though.

Maybe pictures would clear up the confusion.
 
There is almost nothing in a 96 XT ProAction suspension undercarriage thats the same as the 97 and newer Proaction (except the 97 Vmax 4 which is the same as the 96 XT), not even the amount of travel. From all the bolts in the side of the tunnel holding it on, to the length of the W arms, like I said almost every part is differen't on the first year of ProActionPlus but its an awsome suspension in my opinion. Good Luck
 
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