Iceman31
New member
OK well today I had to put my sleds away for the season. I have some work to do on them and they are being stored on concrete, covered of course. I was wondering I have the tracks sitting on 2 x 8's as well as the skis sitting on 2 x 8's. Would my track be OK as is or am I better to lift the back end of the sled off the ground and not have anything touching the track? This is my first shot at summer storage as both units are new to me this year. Tomorrow I am going to top of fuel, stabilize and run the engine - then fog both machines. In the near future when it warms up more I will change chaincase oil on both as well as the motor oil on my Phazer. Grease both machines where needed. I am also going to clean the Powervalves on the SRX. Finally a good cleaning and put them to bed until the snow comes again. Anything I may have missed?
Viper302
New member
I always have the sled rite off the floor -no weight on the suspension at all, I have a snowmobile lift.
Devilin AblueDress!
New member
I have read other posts that some say to pull belts off so they dont pick up a "memory" of the oval shape over summer. this will be my first summer owning sleds I consider nice enough to worry about
yep anytime the sled sits for an extended period of time pull the belt off and get the front and rear suspension off the ground so there is no weight on the shocks or springs. if for whatever reason that is not possible just make sure it isn't sitting on the ground in dirt. As for fogging them fogg the carbs and engine really well. You stated that you are going to top them off with fuel and add stabilizer but its actually recommended to drain all the fuel out of the tank and carbs. Amsoil makes a good metal protectant to spray on metal surfaces like spindles, shocks, ski mounts, exhaust pretty much anything that is metal and will rust over the summer. Otherwise WD-40 works really good just cover anything that you think might rust.
Years ago I made some storage stands out of painted 2 x 6's that came off a deck. These stands simply resemble a sled lifts except of course they don't lift, they are permanently in the upright position. You need a hoist or tractor with forks to put them up there, but it does keep the sled up off the ground for very little money (the time and screws to put it together). To safely support a sled you don't really need a very long stand. Needs to support just in front of the spindles, to just behind the footrest.
You should drain your gas from the tank and float bowls on the carbs (after you have fogged it of course. Also need to loosen the tension on the track.
SRX700guy said:
X2 - I've used the Amsoil metal protector for years but haven't bought it in a while. I've since been using spray silicone on everything including the track. It not only displaces moisture but protects the rubber. I think it works better than WD40 especially on steel and is also what Yamaha recommends to use on everything.
I loosen the track and hang the sled from the bumpers to keep weight off the susp. Notch the top of some 4X4s (for the bumper to sit in) and stand them upright cutting them to an approprate height, screw some 2x4 feet to keep them upright and place them under the bumpers. I use four spread apart as far as the bumpers allow or place one on each side of the bulkhead and one under the rear bumper. If you plan to overhaul the shocks, now is the time. With the sled suspended, pulling the front shocks is a breeze.
03viperguy
Moderator
I wouldnt really want to hang from the front bumper. it isnt the strongest place to support the sled from...
VIPER TIM
New member
Do not support it from the front bumper unless you want to replace it in the fall. I use a milk crate under the front and a 4X6 for the rear bumper.
motorhead327
VIP Member
I dont know where I seen this picture, maybe here but this is a perfert rear stand for storage. Does the job and seems compact.
antlerking
New member
How about taking the tension off the clutch springs too?
VIPER TIM said:
Hmmm....
Still using the stock bumper. Admittedly I've only hung it two seasons (the first two) from the front but that's only because when it came time to store year three I had used the front stand 4x4's for something else. Maybe I got lucky but the bumper is fine and so is hood alignment. I hung all my Indys from the front and rear bumpers for years without issue and actually used the same stands I had used with the Indys until I robbed the 4x4s from the front stand.
I didn't have long enough 4x4s for year three but had scrap pieces long enough to fit under the bulkhead and have been using them since. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't hang it the third year. I will say it's more stable with the 4x4s under the bulkhead - and I like the milk create idea.