2010 CFR8 Front Skid Shock "Axle" Bent

[schulz87]

Hi, I'm looking for some suspension advice for my 2010 CFR8. I've had my sled for quite a few years but last year was first year actually playing around with the suspension. After tweaking everything, I was rewarded with the front skid shock shaft unthreading itself and sawing my track in half last season and after replacing the shock, I now just discovered the shock axle mount is now bent. I rode only 4 days in the UP, all trails, after replacing the shock. I'm replacing the axle with steel instead of aluminum but I want thoughts/advice on potential underlying issues that I should address. I don't just want to fix the symptom.

Based on what I've gleaned from reading forums, I want less ski pressure as the CFR's are front heavy, so I'm running little to no preload in the front ski shocks, an inch or so (measured between nuts) on the front skid shock (actual setting shown below), and setting the rear at 2 with no blocks. I'm about 180 w/o gear.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[MountainCat1]

Check with HyGear Suspensions for a different geometry rear suspension package.

 

[schulz87]

I can do that. Are you thinking new dual rate springs, revalving, or both? Or something else completely different?

 

[MountainCat1]

I can do that. Are you thinking new dual rate springs, revalving, or both? Or something else completely different?

They have different rear suspension set-ups to change the geometry of the sled. My '11 Crossfire 141 has the Pro Linkage kit & a lighter weight RTS spring.

 

[schulz87]

Ok, I'll look into it, thanks for the advice. I don't mind spending a little to get if fixed and make it better, but I don't want to dump a ton of money into this sled. I'd like to know why this happened so I can prevent it from happening again. I'm currently cleaning and regreasing all pivot points in the skid, I haven't found anything too bad as of yet. Sled only has about 2500 miles but it's 10 years old.

It's just weird that I replace a shock and within 300 miles the shock mount is bent. Maybe it was loose?

 

[mbcat]

There's 2 alum sleeves over a steel shaft, ****ty valving &spring let it bottom out too easily & bend the shaft.

 

[jim]

Make sure you arent' relying on the shock for a bottom out stop...should be the skid bumpers. Too much preload will compress the spring until it is bottomed out and bend the shaft. Steel shaft will help a lot. If you want less ski pressure, you need to ditch the progressive spring and just use a stronger spring with more preload. Basically, you need more preload on the front/rear shock to reduce ski pressure.

 

[schulz87]

That makes a lot of sense. I wasn't intentionally relying on the spring for bottoming out but it looks like that may have been the consequence. With the preload I had, the tighter windings at the top end of the spring were already bottomed out, so that area of the spring was doing nothing. I can see how that spring could be bottoming out before hitting the skid bumpers. Sounds like a twisted spring from hygear is in order. I appreciate the insight, thanks!