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checking track tension for apex xtx and sliders were thin

rx1 man 04

Expert
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
219
Location
ottawa
Country
Canada
Snowmobile
2007 Yamaha apex gt and 2012 Yamaha apex xtx
anyone have any tricks for checking the track tension for a 144 apex xtx. I replaced the sliders last night. only got 1000 kms on the stock ones. only 3 mm of plastic left on the thin spots. snow conditions have been good , no excessive road running or lake running. the slides on my 07 apex gt are still mint with the same miles. have been running the track pretty lose, cant wait for the new dupont sliders to become available, dealers says it might be next fall before they get them in. if anyone knows where I can get a set that would be great. send me a pm
 

my originals went 1700 miles and stayerd there until i had to put somebody on the back and that melted them to well below the line. i now have the duponts and they dont wear at all. If your running studs you will have to run the track at 25mm/10kilos to keep the studs away from the exhaust. if you dont have studs then 30-35mm/10kilos is recomended tension. i use an actual track tension tool however if you dont have one you can use a spring scale with a hook that is generally used to weigh fish, and a ruler. pull down on the center of the track( side of track at center point between start of straight rail and rear of rail) until the scale shows 10 kilos or 22 pounds of force and then use your ruler to measure distance between track and bottom of slider.
 
you can do what i did and get the oversize wheels from Royal. they help a lot. i'm also going to add 2 sets of the yamaha small marginal wheel kits this week. this should take care of the slider problem until the dupont sliders become more available next year. even using just the oversize wheels helped a lot this past weekend, hardly shows any wear and put on 500KM.

you can run the track with less tension if you drop your suspension to the lowest hole in the back to keep it away from the exhaust (upper rear idler) if you track is studded. ;)!
 
get a 20 lb wieght and put it in the middle of the track then measure. i use a 25 lb dumbell and measure and adjust to the loosest possible setting.
 
i have added new style apex wheels, front marginal wheels and i think they are spaced down a bit too. what i mean to say is, the wheels are sitting lower and pushing the track down a bit to relieve pressure on the hyfax.... anyhow, i ride two up most of the time last year and im well over 2000km, maybe close to 3k on the same set. still havent replaced them this year. i did notice that my track is on the loose side.
 
2012 apex and tricks to replacing sliders on xtx

1000 kms on the new stock replacement sliders, seem to be holding up better than the original ones, lots of snow where I am currently riding, lots of lubrication. only a problem when you hit roads. I tried the reverse trick on the suspension, could not get it to work. not sure why maybe its harder with longer hyfax. firs thing I did elevate the sled, loosen the back idler wheels, loosen the track tensionor nuts , remove phillips screws at front of track, can be accessed through track window, cut slider with sharp utililty knife all the way down the rail , lengthwise. cut the sliders in half in the middle of the rails, take a sharp chisel knock it throught the slider at the point where you just cut it, now take a screwdriver and peel back the slider slightly. a llittle tricky but it works. now take a pair of vise grips and clamp down on the piece of slider you just peeled back. sit on your butt and pull back with your feet against the suspension. sliders will rip right off, take a little force but it works. spray replacement sliders with silicone lubricant spray, insert through rear track window, use a rubber mallet to knock the slider on to the rail. use a flat file to finish knocking slider when you can no longer hit it with the rubber mallet. reinstall phillip screw that holds slider in place, tighten track and then tighten rear idler wheels bolt and nut. works like a charm, mininmal tools required, flat file, chisel, rubber mallet, stand of some sort. could be done in the back of a trailer if required. took me 1 hour to completly change the sliders, and the suspension did not have to come out.
 
The reverse trick does work. I changed three sets this past monday. 11 apex xtx, 11 vector LTX and 06 Attak.
1: loosen track
2: remove screws
3: pry side of hyfax as far back as possible until you can force a screwdriver under it.
4: pop the last couple of inches off the rail.
5: poke out window
6: a couple of light throttle burps in reverse peels them off!
ONE SIDE AT A TIME!
maybe your attempt did not work because you knifed them instead of prying them off.
 


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