Somethings wrong in the front end of my 98 vmax xtc deluxe

M

Michigan Brad

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This is my mothers sled and she managed to get a carbide stuck on a train crossing. I just installed new C&A razer skis with dual runner carbides. She was doing about 10mph and it stopped the sled dead in its tracks. We had to adjust the tie rods to get the skis straightened up enough to get back to the hotel. I've been looking at everything under the front end of this sled and can't find anything bent. But in order to get the skis back to proper toe my right tie rod is maxed out on adjustment. Both rod ends are threaded all the way into the tube. Are there any pieces in the front end that are prone to bending or moving more than others? The rivets in the trailing arm are intact and look unharmed. Not sure if there's somewhere in the frame work that would be out of wack.
 

I suspect you pulled some threads on the inside link near the bulk head. When you adjusted the steering links, did you have to looses the lock nuts? I would check, if the theads are bad, order a new steering link. Al
 
Check your spindles as well. I hooked a culvert on my FIRST ride on my 97 XTC. Twisted the spindle like a barber pole!
 
I will pull the spindles and check for signs of twist. The steering was knocked out of alignment and had to be adjusted to in order to ride it back to the hotel. I'm not sure if the locknuts were loose when they had to adjust it on site since I wasn't there but I will ask my father if he remembers.
 
Did the tie rods on both sides of the sled need to be adjusted in order to get alignment back, and is the ski alignment ok now even though you are maxed out on adjustment on the RH side. Any threads pulled on the LH side? Is the steering link under the engine bent or pulled threads? Steering column or lower tab twisted?

With the skiis pointed straight ahead, is the steering pivot (bolted to the bulkhead in the center of the sled under the exhaust manifold area) perfectly straight/centered where the tie rods attach? And of course are the handlebars square when riding the sled in a straight line?
 
super1c said:
x2 on this. These are not hard to twist!
Click to expand...

X3 - They are also sometimes not easy to determine if they're twisted. If you went back to roughly the same tie rod adjustment (before the crash) and removed the splined stearing arm from the side that got caught and moved it a tooth do the skies come close to lining up?
Are the splined stearing arms (left and right) in the same location relative to the trailing arm (equally pointed straight back)?

If nothing else is damaged I'd take another look at the spindle.
 
It took a third set of eyes but the right spindle is twisted at the top. Ordered a replacement should be here Monday. Thanks for all the input fellas. I'd have never thought to look at some of the suggested areas.
 
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