Pros and cons of a 3 inch track

[m7 carver]

What are some of the negatives of having a 3 inch track? I know they ill work better in deep snow but what about hard pack when snow is lacking up top how do they work? How bad do the paddles fold over and do you have trouble with them peeling off because they are so longÉ

 

[drew562]

From what I've seen on a few friends sleds they can Seperate from going fast on the trail. Also I would guess low snow and heat. On a turbo they seem to work great but on a stock sled in revy deep powder they don't work very well. I rode with a Couple buddy's on xp 163 with the 3 inch and in chest deep powder they were constantly stuck. IMO a challenger 2.5 is a great all around track and doesn't require a avid chain case to work properly.

 

[maxwell]

lost 6-7 lugs on 3 seperate 3" tracks. not impressed with the durability but they sure do hook up nice and pop on the snow well.

not worth the hassle of replacing the track every season though. they arent that good. and i find in harder conditions they act like the polaris track and just broom the surface.

 

[neilsleder]

I rode with a guy in the spring he had a XP 163 3" and a 860 big bore it went good, but my XP 154" 2.5" with just a 13.5:1 head would beat it in a race up the hill. And beat it buy a buy a couple of sled lengths! Mind you gearing would have a lot to do with that. And it was hero snow, 3' of powder would be a total different story. I never seen one in deep powder.

 

[1100]

Like others have said they like to delaminate paddles. I have on with 6 or 7 paddles missing and am choosing to continue running it. In my opinion even with it missing paddles it out performs the 2.5 in deep snow. I notice more vibration with the sled that has the 3" on.

 

[oler1234]

i run one myself with a 2 wheel kit.

pros:
in pow you cant beat it
recovery in uphill situations is awsome
took boondocking to another level
cats like a mofo.. i dig it anyway
monster rooster tail
can putts around in bumper deep pow while everyone else is all in
you will be the guy crackin the trails/bowels
gets on top quicker

cons:
my sled runs hotter
button hooks are a tougher
pushes in the corners
flippers do fold over in ROCK hard conditions
have to run mud flap

my opinion, with 1ft or less pow....a 2.5 will get you where you want to go. anything more than bumper deep there is a diffrence when breaking trail/pow. these are purpose built tracks.... powder. anything less and you stocker will be fine. You riding style will diffenately change.

 

[Deano670]

Meh a well tuned xp with a 2.5 and over 60 mile an hour track speed will run right with a 3 inch jmo

 

[maxwell]

Meh a well tuned xp with a 2.5 and over 60 mile an hour track speed will run right with a 3 inch jmo

ya. the stock sleds take quite a hit in track speed when moving to the 3". you wont see a 3" highmark a 2.5" on stock motors for this reason. better traction yes but slower trackspeeds mean the 3" is only better in slow maneuvers or trying to get back up on the snow.

 

[m7 carver]

So sounds ike a 2 and a half would be the best bet. Right now I have a 162 powerclaw would I notice much of an improvement going with a 2.5 over a 2.25? I know there would be some but would it be impressiv?

 

[takethebounce]

Biggest con was mentioned, they hook up too well! So a hard off camber button hook can be a little tougher.

Biggest pro, again, in deep pow, awesome.

 

[Got boost want snow]

To answer you question on going from a 162 2.25 to a 162 2.5 yes you would definately notice the difference. I went from the 2.25 camo maverick to a 2.5 ce and what a difference. I ride in nipple deep powder and very seldom do I get stuck unless I get extremely stupid.

 

[06 Dragon]

What about on a turbo Pro. 162 X 2.5, 162 X 3, 174 X 2.5, or 174 X 3?????

 

[thegeneral]

The only con I have seen with the 3" is giving away a brand new 2-1/4" & 2.5" track for a couple hundred bucks! Ive had the same 3" track on an 08 and my 2012. its got two paddles missing. its been the single best upgrade bang for the buck wise that ive ever seen. I spend a lot of time riding in the trees where even in skinny snow conditions you can usually find some decent powder. Also my front end is pretty loose, being setup for powder so I take it easy on the trail. scratchers are a must, and it doesnt hurt to throw a set up front on the skis as well.
IMHO like I have said before, its like adding inches to your manhood, how could that possibly be a bad thing?

p.s. 3" will be going on the 2013 as soon as I get it in my shop. the 2012 will be for sale with the 2013 skid and track.

 

[b_doornenbal]

Pro- climb higher
con -your ridding buddies will be pissed off....

 

[Got boost want snow]

I run about 270 to 290hp on my apex with a 162x 2.5 x16 it works extremely well in chest deep powder and climbs places I just may not want to go. lol The ce is by far the best track built and the 162x2.5x16 probably the best all around track. JMO

 

[Pink-Inc]

I have a 3" on my M1000. Only regret is that I didn't do it earlier. It hooks up soo good I had to put a wheelie control on to keep the front end down on a pull. Never had that issue with the powerclaw. Most places I ride have a long trail ride, up to 30 miles in one place I go. The trails are sometimes hard pack snow or ice and I haven't lost any lugs yet. But I don't race out the trail like some do. Just run scratchers and don't ride like a maniac on the trails and you shouldn't have an issue.

 

[Bnorth]

The summary is unless you have a ton of power it won't climb better in the chutes but boondocking it is like going from a 2wd pickup to a 4wd pickup. It is a lot more forgiving and I probably get stuck about half as often as I did with the 2.25.

 

[Barry Barton]

Talked to kenny at mountain magic this past winter I was thinking of putting a 3" 174 on my apex and wouldn't recommend it if your not running a turbo or a s/c because a stock sled wouldn't have the power. He also said I would have to do a drop and role on my sled or I would change the 3" into a 2.5 real fast because I wouldn't have the clearance in the tunnel.

 

[maxwell]

Talked to kenny at mountain magic this past winter I was thinking of putting a 3" 174 on my apex and wouldn't recommend it if your not running a turbo or a s/c because a stock sled wouldn't have the power. He also said I would have to do a drop and role on my sled or I would change the 3" into a 2.5 real fast because I wouldn't have the clearance in the tunnel.

i guess that depends what kind of sled you have. they fit and work great on the skidoos. even on stock motors. just durability issues

 

[Got boost want snow]

And you do loose top speed as you gear for the extra track. In the powder on a long pull it may end up detrimental as the track speed does help in the steep and deep. JMO and whatever works for you