Tree riding skid setup ideas

dbest

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
17
Reaction score
28
Location
Red Deer
Looking for opinions on how you guys like to setup a skid for tree riding. My sled is a 154" x 3" with tom's e motion shock kit. If I leave the limiter at 3 it trenches pretty bad.
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
Looking for opinions on how you guys like to setup a skid for tree riding. My sled is a 154" x 3" with tom's e motion shock kit. If I leave the limiter at 3 it trenches pretty bad.
Leave limiter in stock position.
Center shock as soft as possible and rear shock as firm as possible.

Slowly add more pre tension to the center shock to balance ski pressure and trenching/wheeling.
 
Last edited:

Lund

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
4,243
Reaction score
11,242
Location
Vernon/Kelowna
OK, here the deal for tree riding and skid set up.
One, your traveling at a very low rate of speed, 5-15 mph, so your sled need's to minimize drag.
Two, the snow is generally very soft and even bottomless in places, so your sled need's to come out of the snow with ease.
Three, the sled has to be agile and maneuverable, sleds are most maneuverable when they are sitting on a 15/16" platform and not on a ski stance width.

How too;
-Give the sled maximum legs(limiter straps all the way out) minimizing drag.
-Maximize ski lift by setting the center shock tight. This will create a fulcrum point for weight transfer for ski lift.
-Soften the rear scissor spring to help enhance weight transfer at low speeds. Will make sled come out of snow with ease.
-With the ski's lightly touching the snow and weight being carried by the skid maneuvering around trees becomes easy. If the weight is carried to much by the ski's and the weight doesn't transfer enough the sled will fight you as the ski's will continually push through the snow.
Even a light sled will feel heavy and awkward.
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
OK, here the deal for tree riding and skid set up.
One, your traveling at a very low rate of speed, 5-15 mph, so your sled need's to minimize drag.
Two, the snow is generally very soft and even bottomless in places, so your sled need's to come out of the snow with ease.
Three, the sled has to be agile and maneuverable, sleds are most maneuverable when they are sitting on a 15/16" platform and not on a ski stance width.

How too;
-Give the sled maximum legs(limiter straps all the way out) minimizing drag.
-Maximize ski lift by setting the center shock tight. This will create a fulcrum point for weight transfer for ski lift.
-Soften the rear scissor spring to help enhance weight transfer at low speeds. Will make sled come out of snow with ease.
-With the ski's lightly touching the snow and weight being carried by the skid maneuvering around trees becomes easy. If the weight is carried to much by the ski's and the weight doesn't transfer enough the sled will fight you as the ski's will continually push through the snow.
Even a light sled will feel heavy and awkward.
Yikes, that isn't gonna help with trenching.
But fun.
 

tex78

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
17,504
Reaction score
16,865
Location
DA Moose B.C
Ya, sound's good Mike, but makes tree riding a trenching stuck fest on a xp or xm


Limit strap up one tighter, slacked front skid shock, rear springs on fat kid
This is for a 163 2.5

My 174 is the way it came, cause it just keeps going and I haven't pissed with it
 

Lund

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
4,243
Reaction score
11,242
Location
Vernon/Kelowna
Yikes, that isn't gonna help with trenching.
But fun.

It won't trench. Trenching is usually caused by not enough weight transfer. So now the track has to push the weighted ski's through the snow. If you transfer the weight to the track it make's for a lighten front ski, thus little resistant...no trenching.

I think your thought is about attack angle and people really get messed up with that, attack angles are constant and is what it is on a given sled.
Your thought is suck up the limiter and soften the center shock, by doing so you've soften the attack angle. The thought seem's logical right.
Well here is the problem, by sucking up the limiter you have essentially shorten your track as you have increased rail pressure at the back and lessen rail pressure at the front of your rails.
You have also increased ski pressure on the front spindles, essentially added weight to the ski's as the sled weight is now being distributed by the rear half of the skid and ski spindles.
This will trench, added ski pressure with a shorted skid rail pressure is what you created. It will be a great trail speedster though.
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
It won't trench. Trenching is usually caused by not enough weight transfer. So now the track has to push the weighted ski's through the snow. If you transfer the weight to the track it make's for a lighten front ski, thus little resistant...no trenching.

I think your thought is about attack angle and people really get messed up with that, attack angles are constant and is what it is on a given sled.
Your thought is suck up the limiter and soften the center shock, by doing so you've soften the attack angle. The thought seem's logical right.
Well here is the problem, by sucking up the limiter you have essentially shorten your track as you have increased rail pressure at the back and lessen rail pressure at the front of your rails.
You have also increased ski pressure on the front spindles, essentially added weight to the ski's as the sled weight is now being distributed by the rear half of the skid and ski spindles.
This will trench, added ski pressure with a shorted skid rail pressure is what you created. It will be a great trail speedster though.
Jeez I donno Lund, I just got off doo last year. That's what I did to make it go places instead of just trench.

Your suspension setup is full rodeo mode.
Which is ubber fun.

Mine is more buissness.

Pick your posion some where inbetween.

And I am not saying to suck up the limiter.
Leave in hole 3.
And the rear suspension on the doos are so soft it is gonna transfer no matter what you doo.
 
Last edited:

Lund

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
4,243
Reaction score
11,242
Location
Vernon/Kelowna
Jeez I donno Lund, I just got off doo last year. That's what I did to make it go places instead of just trench.

Your suspension setup is full rodeo mode.
Which is ubber fun.

Mine is more buissness.

Picked your posion some where inbetween.

Its a generic setup for tree riding, it is the concept of the setup that matter's. After that rider weight has to come into account and style so some tweaking is involved.

Just like some guys are aggressive in the tree's and some guy's are not. Try it, i think you will be surprised on how much easier it get's as you get it tweaked to your style and weight.

Basically it is your base setup for tree riding, after that you tune the suspension for your weight and style. If things get mixed up you go back to the base setup and try again.
 
Last edited:

dbest

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
17
Reaction score
28
Location
Red Deer
I will give your ideas a try. I have toms e motion so adjustments are fairly easy. Thanks for the opinions with the theory to back it up.
 

Bnorth

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2010
Messages
10,510
Reaction score
19,964
Location
Salmon Arm
OK, here the deal for tree riding and skid set up.
One, your traveling at a very low rate of speed, 5-15 mph, so your sled need's to minimize drag.
Two, the snow is generally very soft and even bottomless in places, so your sled need's to come out of the snow with ease.
Three, the sled has to be agile and maneuverable, sleds are most maneuverable when they are sitting on a 15/16" platform and not on a ski stance width.

How too;
-Give the sled maximum legs(limiter straps all the way out) minimizing drag.
-Maximize ski lift by setting the center shock tight. This will create a fulcrum point for weight transfer for ski lift.
-Soften the rear scissor spring to help enhance weight transfer at low speeds. Will make sled come out of snow with ease.
-With the ski's lightly touching the snow and weight being carried by the skid maneuvering around trees becomes easy. If the weight is carried to much by the ski's and the weight doesn't transfer enough the sled will fight you as the ski's will continually push through the snow.
Even a light sled will feel heavy and awkward.
Take this and apply the principles with your own findings but I will tell you right now if you set up a doo exactly like this it will be uncontrollable to climb in the trees. Full Western skis way in the air and trying to come over backwards the first bump you hit. Especially on a 154 3". You'll have to let off to drop the front end and lose momentum. This time of year you'll get away with it a bit but not in good snow.
 

Lund

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
4,243
Reaction score
11,242
Location
Vernon/Kelowna
Brandon, this is just a base line set up. Same as a default on an electronic device.
I would expect anyone setting up like this for tree riding would take it further and adjust to there style and weight. This might mean loosening in some areas and tightening in another. People that just try to setup without a baseline will never get it right.
you need that base line to start with and what others say is irrelevant as every one is different in weight and skill.

I hope the poster returns with results and did not just stop at this base setting.
 
Last edited:

Bnorth

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2010
Messages
10,510
Reaction score
19,964
Location
Salmon Arm
Brandon, this is just a base line set up. Same as a default on an electronic device.
I would expect anyone setting up like this for tree riding would take it further and adjust to there style and weight. This might mean loosening in some areas and tightening in another. People that just try to setup without a baseline will never get it right.
you need that base line to start with and what others say is irrelevant as every one is different in weight and skill.

I hope the poster returns with results and did not just stop at this base setting.
Totally, I hope I came across as trying to steer him in the right direction of starting there but not taking it as gospel. Tune from there to your own style.
 

dbest

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
17
Reaction score
28
Location
Red Deer
I tried it out and so far its very ride able in the trees. Very playful but throttle control is essential. In deep soft snow some adjustment will be needed but this setup is a great baseline for my riding style. This setup is tons of fun and jumped up on the snow nicely. 1' of fresh on a solid base. Thanks again for all the input!
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
I tried it out and so far its very ride able in the trees. Very playful but throttle control is essential. In deep soft snow some adjustment will be needed but this setup is a great baseline for my riding style. This setup is tons of fun and jumped up on the snow nicely. 1' of fresh on a solid base. Thanks again for all the input!
So what did you end up with for setup?

And what did you find as you made adjustments?
 

Lund

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
4,243
Reaction score
11,242
Location
Vernon/Kelowna
I tried it out and so far its very ride able in the trees. Very playful but throttle control is essential. In deep soft snow some adjustment will be needed but this setup is a great baseline for my riding style. This setup is tons of fun and jumped up on the snow nicely. 1' of fresh on a solid base. Thanks again for all the input!

Right on
I just finished setting up a friends G4 in my described set up. His first words after a short while riding was ...WOW...
As the day went on i did one more small adjustment and he was ripping around tree's and side hill's like a pro. in full control, unlike before.LOL
 

toyz

Active member
Joined
Dec 6, 2008
Messages
134
Reaction score
107
Location
calgary
I tried this on my 174 t3. It was way better in the creek valley and trees. I need to play with it some more still. I am a light guy to.
 
Top Bottom