I have an 05 Viper Mtn that got soar feet! After doing some engine checks I was climbing a pretty shallow hill and "Bang!" All stop. My track was locked up. What appears to have happened was my right side idler wheel (I think that's right) evidently fell off and the block that holds down a suspension spring (It's the black spring with legs on each side, this is where you adjust soft medium or hard ride) let go. This sent the leg down around and then back up hitting the the tunnel extension.
Luckily a kid in the parking lot gave me his orange Christmas tree retrieval sled and I was able to put the tack on that and tow it back to the trailer with my other machine. Luckily I only had about 1.5 mile walk to organize my thoughts! What a bummer since I did a lot of work on the engine and that ran like a top. Now when I hear "Red solo cup!" I'll be thinking "Orange solo sled!" More then a sled! I would say a friend! lol
Well, I'm not sure how to go about this one. There doesn't seem to be a lot of info on this particular skid and I've never worked on a skid before. Some of the questions going through my head are:
Will I need to pull the skid out or can I fix it in place?
How do those particular springs get tensioned?
On this particular skid, how do you remove it?
Any info on this skid would be helpful.
Thanks
Luckily a kid in the parking lot gave me his orange Christmas tree retrieval sled and I was able to put the tack on that and tow it back to the trailer with my other machine. Luckily I only had about 1.5 mile walk to organize my thoughts! What a bummer since I did a lot of work on the engine and that ran like a top. Now when I hear "Red solo cup!" I'll be thinking "Orange solo sled!" More then a sled! I would say a friend! lol
Well, I'm not sure how to go about this one. There doesn't seem to be a lot of info on this particular skid and I've never worked on a skid before. Some of the questions going through my head are:
Will I need to pull the skid out or can I fix it in place?
How do those particular springs get tensioned?
On this particular skid, how do you remove it?
Any info on this skid would be helpful.
Thanks
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FJViper
New member
Is that a Cat skid. Pretty sure the Cats have the triangular adjusting block for the springs. Thaw the skid out and take some more pics of it. Did the bolt snap holding the idler on? Cant really tell from the pics.
FJViper said:
X2 - hard to say but it looks like a cat skid to me.
98srx700rider
New member
Looks like it could be a nytro or apex skid.. The transfer rods in back look like yamaha ones like on my apex..looks like the bolt broke off where the wheel and spring mount..hard to say with all the snow in there.
9801srx
Member
looks like a apex mountain skid maybe 07 or 08 . defenently a yamaha spring with the 8fk part number on it.
FJViper
New member
Well......atleast you guys were paying attention. Didn't even see the Yamaha part #. I think I was emotionally attached to the snow in the pics.
Well, whatever skid it is, I took it to the shop. There's so much tension on that spring I couldn't even budge it. I called my local shop and they said that there's a certain tool they have for that kind of spring. It's in their hands now.
It's an 05 Mountain Viper skid. With what 98SRX700rider said, I looked up the Apex. It looks like the Mountain Apex came out in 06 and the skids look identical. Great skid recognition!
http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.../Yamaha_OEM/YamahaSnow.asp?Type=13&A=320&B=25
Are there any goods or bads about the Apex suspension?
It's an 05 Mountain Viper skid. With what 98SRX700rider said, I looked up the Apex. It looks like the Mountain Apex came out in 06 and the skids look identical. Great skid recognition!
http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.../Yamaha_OEM/YamahaSnow.asp?Type=13&A=320&B=25
Are there any goods or bads about the Apex suspension?
FJViper said:
Guess it's about time I get out of the pro-action cave...
Didn't know Yamaha had a newer skid with torsion springs. Those spring adjusters sure look like a Cat.
In 05 Yamaha released the Pro-Mountain suspension and that is exaclty what you are seeing in his pictures. That is NOT a cat skid or any other aftermarket skid. It is in fact a 100% stock Yamaha skid. When the 05 Viper Mountain was released it no longer was a Pro-Action suspension but the Pro-Mountain. It is in fact the same skid found in the Apex/Nytro all way until 2009 I think, just with 144" rails.
My track is a 144. It seems to ride pretty nicely.
Suspension is next on my list of things to figure out. Especially how to tune them etc....
As far as that 05 viper, it looks like I'm going to have to replace the tunnel extension. Any recommendations on where to pick one up for reasonable?
Can you change it out without draining the coolant? It seems like it should be possible but I've never done this before.
Suspension is next on my list of things to figure out. Especially how to tune them etc....
As far as that 05 viper, it looks like I'm going to have to replace the tunnel extension. Any recommendations on where to pick one up for reasonable?
Can you change it out without draining the coolant? It seems like it should be possible but I've never done this before.
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Newbee said:
What happened to your tunnel extension that it needs replacing? I've got a tunnel extension sitting in my garage from an 05 Viper. We took it off to put on a longer tunnel extension for the 153".
You will have to drain some of the coolant out since you will have to pull the hoses off of the rear cooler to get that out of the tunnel extension. Lots of rivets to drill out and replace. Not too hard it just takes time.
The torsion spring that let go from it's anchor is sticking up through the tunnel extension. That thing has so much tension on it that I decided to have the shop handle it. They said they have a special tool for that.
After this is all done I'm going to have to replace the tunnel extension. I guess now would be a good time to contemplate putting a longer track on.
SXlover, did you extend your original skid to a 153 or did you put in a whole new skid? How's it working out? The reason why I'm asking is that I've heard that 151 is the sweet spot for a viper mod for powder. My machines are not piped so I may not have the power to put on a 153.
After this is all done I'm going to have to replace the tunnel extension. I guess now would be a good time to contemplate putting a longer track on.
SXlover, did you extend your original skid to a 153 or did you put in a whole new skid? How's it working out? The reason why I'm asking is that I've heard that 151 is the sweet spot for a viper mod for powder. My machines are not piped so I may not have the power to put on a 153.
Lifesagarden
New member
well this whole thread seems to got off from your original question... as a 05 Viper mountian owner the simplist thing I can tell you is find a skid from a 06 - 09 yamaha and bang! theres your parts. As previously stated in 05 the viper came with the the Promountian suspension and used it in the 06-09 nytro and Apex (MTX versions only).... dont jump down my thoat if those dates are off.
http://www.totallyamaha.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=39959
I'd like to thank SXlover for the picture (borrowed from his thread) and the info he had given me in the past.
My recomendation for those of you ridn the 05-06 viper... try any of the newer yamaha skids and FYI if you can find a used Timbersled Nytro skid they do fit.
http://www.totallyamaha.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=39959
I'd like to thank SXlover for the picture (borrowed from his thread) and the info he had given me in the past.
My recomendation for those of you ridn the 05-06 viper... try any of the newer yamaha skids and FYI if you can find a used Timbersled Nytro skid they do fit.
Newbee said:
We put an 08 Nytro MTX skid in. So basically just different rails. My dad rides it and says its a big improvement from the 144. He DOES NOT have pipes, just the stock motor. We went with 7 tooth 3.0 pitch drivers, by doing this you loose some clearance so you can only run a 2 inch track. This DOES work, but has a little issue on full bottom of skid, due to tipped rails I'm thinking, it contacts the rear cooler just a bit.
Lifesagarden said:
That picture is in fact mine, the top being the stock 144 and the bottom being an 08 Nytro MTX with Arctic Cat rear axle allowing a 153 or 156.
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I think right now I'm just trying to get everything stock and dialed in. Then maybe over the summer I'm going to look at upgrading one viper with a longer track. Either a 151 or maybe a 153.
SXlover I take it that the stock viper can paddle the 153 with no problems?
Did you ever work on those torsion springs? The dealer said that there's a special tool for that. It seems like there's just so much tension on that spring that I didn't want to mess with it. Maybe you found a way to deal with it?
SXlover I take it that the stock viper can paddle the 153 with no problems?
Did you ever work on those torsion springs? The dealer said that there's a special tool for that. It seems like there's just so much tension on that spring that I didn't want to mess with it. Maybe you found a way to deal with it?
Newbee said:
Yup, the stock viper paddles the 153 no different than the 144. Just hit the throttle and go.
And yup I've worked with those torsion springs many times. I've had the skid completely seperated on my 07 Apex Mtn. And I'm talking everything, so far torn down even the rails were seperated. The easiest to me is, I usually have it up on a sled lift, you can just grab the front of the torsion spring by where it goes in to the holder behind the bogie wheel, then lift it up and over the wheel and it will drop down and then it won't have any more tension on it. When putting these back make sure that triangle block is set the same on both sides, sometimes they will turn with no tension against them.
If you ever have questions about Yamaha sleds just drop me a PM, I've torn many apart and worked on a lot of them. I've basically done everything there is to do to an Apex besides pull the motor, same with the Viper, the SX chassis I know inside and out, also worked on the 3 cylinder 4 stroke Vector Mtn. Many many other guys on here as well that know WAY more than I do.
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Interesting! Because when I actually thought I could take care of my torsion spring mishap, I jacked the back end up which got the rear end about 2 feet off the deck then I tried with both hands but I couldn't even move the end of that spring a mm.
When it got jammed up there it must have put more tension on it then the norm. I hope the shop gets it fixed up in the next week.
Well with what you said maybe I'll think about a 153. I've just heard that if you get much above a 151 you start loosing track speed with a stock viper.
Since I'm asking you all kinds of mountain questions, do you run simmons skis? I was thinking about some gen 3 simmons but I don't want to fork out the $$ if there not going to be sweet! I'll climb a hill once in a while but I like boondocking mostly. Of course trails to find the powder.
When it got jammed up there it must have put more tension on it then the norm. I hope the shop gets it fixed up in the next week.
Well with what you said maybe I'll think about a 153. I've just heard that if you get much above a 151 you start loosing track speed with a stock viper.
Since I'm asking you all kinds of mountain questions, do you run simmons skis? I was thinking about some gen 3 simmons but I don't want to fork out the $$ if there not going to be sweet! I'll climb a hill once in a while but I like boondocking mostly. Of course trails to find the powder.
Newbee said:
I'm not sure if you loose track speed or not on a 153 Viper, that I can't tell you. That sled is the one my dad rides, I just usually do the work, but he really likes the 153 over the 144. He's not really a climber so track speed wasn't a thing for him.
And yes I run Simmons Gen II's on my 08 Apex Mtn. Had a set on my 07 Apex Mtn too and really liked them. They help float the 4 stroke a lot. The set on my 08 has the Carl's cut done to them. I think this helps greatly in the sidehilling factor. When your climbing who needs skis to begin with, you shouldn't have much weight on them going up lol. But yes Simmons, remember I have the 10" wide Gen II, do help float although the stock ski on them is quite nice as well.