1404 Imp

Does anyone have any ideas on reducing pitching on the short wheelbase cat? Has anyone tried mounting dampers?
Thanks
Bernd

slow down

snow dog said:

slow down

Click to expand...

Really, and if that don't work, go slower

Just because you can hit 25 MPH on the flat of a road, doing 8 to 10 is really beating yourself up on a normal hard packed snow trail system run by snow machines. You just have to go slower or get a much longer machine.

Back in the late 60's to early 70's, there was a machine the size of a snowmachine called a Caribou, it had twin tracks and looked really cool, on the flats, it could hit fourty miles and hour, but on a trail or snow, it would start to rock to where you thought it was going to roll over. The later models came out with a ski sticking out the front and with weight on the ski, would slow the rocking down, but it didn't catch on...

Thanks for your replies.
I certainly understand the "slow down" concept. The issue comes about, as you understand, that the access to my cabin is heavily traveled by snowmobiles. My speed is not much more than walking speed in order to not get airborn.

I was just wondering whether anyone had played with tunig the suspension away from the snowmobile bump frequency.

thanks again
Bernd

The two don't mix very well

last winter i took a load of fuel up north 8 drums on a sled snow conditions in aeras were ough andhard at times i was slowed down to a crawl but at the end of the day look what i had done 3000 pounds of freight delivered 50 miles in 5 hours not a bad day if it's just your self and no gear you will get there faster on a sled

Your other option is to drag your trail to make it smoother. This is a video of us dragging a section of chain link fence double over a pipe with chains hooked to it. It makes the trail flat, but the snowmachines would haul ass on it because it was flat and they could go fast.... regardless, we could drive faster on it as well, like up to 12 miles an hour verse 7 to 9... By the way, it is a forty mile trip one way to get to the cabin, but when we were hauling a lot of freight to build them, this grooming made a big differance over a coupld of weeks of trips.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sur3u70578A"]YouTube - Larry towing the trail drag[/ame]

This video my Imp is towing lumber on our first trip out, but the Snotrac in the rear is pulling the drag, the next day on the way back out, the trail was flat as a board after the snow set up and we could make a round trip a day (80 miles).

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bfo_mbUGX0"]YouTube - Hauling cabin building supplies[/ame]

Also looks like the sleds do a great job pulling lumber as well...
Ya know... Discovery has done so many facets of Alaska (now onto Alaska Gold Rush and of course the one coming about Air Freight/Transport), you think they have GOT to hit 'Alaska by Track' or something like that... and do a whole snow vehicle thing.

Mainer said:

Also looks like the sleds do a great job pulling lumber as well...
Ya know... Discovery has done so many facets of Alaska (now onto Alaska Gold Rush and of course the one coming about Air Freight/Transport), you think they have GOT to hit 'Alaska by Track' or something like that... and do a whole snow vehicle thing.

Click to expand...

but our Star Foggy,, needs a cat

Mainer said:

Also looks like the sleds do a great job pulling lumber as well...
Ya know... Discovery has done so many facets of Alaska (now onto Alaska Gold Rush and of course the one coming about Air Freight/Transport), you think they have GOT to hit 'Alaska by Track' or something like that... and do a whole snow vehicle thing.

Click to expand...

I agree I think that would be awesome!!!

Nutsster did a suspension modification to his 1402 to improve the ride...it is an absolutely beautiful get up....here is the thread...

http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=26604&highlight=1402

fogtender said:

Your other option is to drag your trail to make it smoother. This is a video of us dragging a section of chain link fence double over a pipe with chains hooked to it. It makes the trail flat, but the snowmachines would haul ass on it because it was flat and they could go fast.... regardless, we could drive faster on it as well, like up to 12 miles an hour verse 7 to 9... By the way, it is a forty mile trip one way to get to the cabin, but when we were hauling a lot of freight to build them, this grooming made a big differance over a coupld of weeks of trips.

YouTube - Larry towing the trail drag

This video my Imp is towing lumber on our first trip out, but the Snotrac in the rear is pulling the drag, the next day on the way back out, the trail was flat as a board after the snow set up and we could make a round trip a day (80 miles).

YouTube - Hauling cabin building supplies

Click to expand...

Ya we have that same problem up on the Salcha River with the weekend warriors on their rocket sleds. We get our trail all groomed up and then here they come. All they have to do is ride the River and rip all they want out there. But no there is always some of them that think they have to rip up the trail too.