Backwoods M Max
New member
Hi all viper owners. I have a question regarding the geometry of the viper steering system and front end. When you put the bars hard over, do you hit the stops first on the steering arms, steering post or both at the same time?
The reason I'm asking is that I put a viper front end on my mountain max, and when I put the steering hard over in a counter steer to pull the sled up on one ski I can see a lot of flex in the steering arm and feel the flex in the steering system through the bars. I am thinking that I should cut the stops off the steering arms so that the bars will turn just that little bit more, and when I really put a lot of body English into the sled to roll it up to side hill all that strain is placed in the steering column and not the drag links and bell cranks. It would only be a little bit more throw on the steering at the skis. The only reason I can see for the stops is so that if you were to hook a tree or something with the inside of a ski, it would stop the ski before it got spun right around. Seeing as the arms are aluminum, if you hit something that hard they would break anyways.
Thinking about cutting them off, just wondering what the experience of all the viper, viper mountain owners are?
The reason I'm asking is that I put a viper front end on my mountain max, and when I put the steering hard over in a counter steer to pull the sled up on one ski I can see a lot of flex in the steering arm and feel the flex in the steering system through the bars. I am thinking that I should cut the stops off the steering arms so that the bars will turn just that little bit more, and when I really put a lot of body English into the sled to roll it up to side hill all that strain is placed in the steering column and not the drag links and bell cranks. It would only be a little bit more throw on the steering at the skis. The only reason I can see for the stops is so that if you were to hook a tree or something with the inside of a ski, it would stop the ski before it got spun right around. Seeing as the arms are aluminum, if you hit something that hard they would break anyways.
Thinking about cutting them off, just wondering what the experience of all the viper, viper mountain owners are?
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super1c
Super Moderator
I do notice depending on what viper and what trouble the sled has been into in the past all three can happen. My viper is still pretty true and the trailing arm stops and steering stem stops hit about same time. My daughter who has got into a bit of a fender bender over the years, hers hit the stem stop turning one way and the trailing arm stop the other. Then there is flex in the stem when turning hard that way when it hits the trailing arm stop first. I tried to true it up the best i could but never got it back to perfect. Must be a slight tweek in sled. Also someone has cut those tabs off before and posted the results. Been a while so i dont know if they cut the trailing arm stops or the stem or both. But they had good success and no issues at time of post.
Backwoods M Max
New member
Thanks for chiming in. That flex in the stem stop is what worries me, that I may break the steering arm or drag link or idler bell crank putting all the body English into a wrong foot forward roll the sled up on edge. The slight increase in steering throw could be a bonus, but not enough to be the main justification. The only reason I see the stop on the spindle is if we're to put something like a tree down the wrong side of the ski at speed. In that case there will be bigger problems.
I think I will put the steering hard over, then pull the bolt and see how much more it goes over to the post stop, I e there is a half hole overlap something like that. I can always pick up new viper steering arms if I don't like it, cutting the stops off the trailing arms has no going back.
I think I will put the steering hard over, then pull the bolt and see how much more it goes over to the post stop, I e there is a half hole overlap something like that. I can always pick up new viper steering arms if I don't like it, cutting the stops off the trailing arms has no going back.