Updating 2015 and prior rear skid to 2016

[Eldereldo]

If anyone read the articles in snowest where they updated a 2015 '8000 to the new 2016 rear skid, they mentioned that you need a new rear idler arm. This is not true, I am doing this update using the Yamaha parts as they are a bit cheaper and I ordered the pull rod and idler arm. When I received them the idler arm was exactly the same length as the old one, the only difference was that it has two mounting holes for the shock, guessing that is because the 141 track option uses the old geometry? In any case, save money and just get the pull rod.

Also as a note, the 2015 Viper MTX had this updated skid rails and other parts, so I guess AC got the idea from Yamaha.

 

[knh208]

Got the idea from Yamacat?

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[Eldereldo]

Got the idea from Yamacat?

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thats what mine is turning into. Has the Yamaha rear skid now, thinking I will add some Viper side panels and start telling people that it is the new Yamaha two stroke.

 

[X-Treme]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the gain of a 2016 skid over the 2015? The front end is obvious, but this is the first I have ever heard of the skid.

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[Eldereldo]

The rail profile was changed to curve up later, they also changed the front shock to be longer in order to provide more travel and make the track tension more consistent. Supposedly the changes make the sled come up onto the snow a lot easier.

here is the Snowest article on the upgrade.

2012-2015 M8000 SnoPro Skid Upgrade - SnoWest Snowmobile Forum

 

[mountianguy]

If anyone read the articles in snowest where they updated a 2015 '8000 to the new 2016 rear skid, they mentioned that you need a new rear idler arm. This is not true, I am doing this update using the Yamaha parts as they are a bit cheaper and I ordered the pull rod and idler arm. When I received them the idler arm was exactly the same length as the old one, the only difference was that it has two mounting holes for the shock, guessing that is because the 141 track option uses the old geometry? In any case, save money and just get the pull rod.

Also as a note, the 2015 Viper MTX had this updated skid rails and other parts, so I guess AC got the idea from Yamaha.

h
The difference will be where the shock mounts as the 16 takes a longer shock hence the shorter rod. They are different parts. To convert too a 16 you need rails, front shock and the rear arm with rod

 

[Eldereldo]

h
The difference will be where the shock mounts as the 16 takes a longer shock hence the shorter rod. They are different parts. To convert too a 16 you need rails, front shock and the rear arm with rod

That is what I ordered, rear arm and rod, and the arm was exactly the same as the one on my 2014 skid. So no, you don't need it. The shorter rod changes the angle of the arm elevating the mounting point slightly to bring it back into alignment with the higher point on the front arm. I guess that is part of the increased travel.

 

[Allseasons]

Eldorado, are you certain Yamaha got the skid updates that the cat got in 2016?

 

[Eldereldo]

From what I can see they actually had them in 2015. I bought a set of 2015 rails from a Viper MTX as I wanted to change my skid to a 162. When I got them, they didn't have the same shape as my 2014 ones, so I looked up the story on snowests conversion as they posted pictures comparing the old and new rail shape, and the Viper rails looked exactly like the 2016 cat ones in the article. So I did some more research and discovered that it seemed Yamaha went to the new skid earlier as they were offering the 7 tooth driver and 3" track in 2015. So I ordered the Yamaha 2016 parts and bought a set of upgraded rear shocks for a 2016. It. All went together nicely.

i did go and look at the rear link again, and while the length is the same as my 2014, the mounts where the shock and rod attaches is slightly longer than on the 2014 cat part. It
also has two possible holes to use for the shock and the rod. So maybe YAmaha went about it a little different than Cat did?

 

[Allseasons]

Interesting and good to know. There was another article about a year ago in a sled magazine that showed the big 4 manufacturers, it claimed from parts/maintenance- expensive to cheapest- Polaris-Skidoo-Arctic cat-Yamaha

 

[Eldereldo]

I was in a AC dealer yesterday, so I took a good look at the 2016 skid, and the rear arm looks exactly like the Yamaha one, same extra holes. I also checked on mine to see if you could mount the shock in the different holes and it isn't possible, the shock contacts the arm then, so looks like they are just for weight reduction. You can however move the rod to the alternate hole,which lowers the mounting point slightly, and I guess changes the angle of attack on the front a bit. Doesn't seem to be significant, but I guess you would have to try it on the snow to see if it is.