Alpha broken rail picture bank.

[Vertical-Extreme]

Um...because that was the whole purpose of this thread?

You've completely missed my point. Yes it's good to identify problems as kanedog says but to post random Facebook photos with no backstory, and no input from those actual sled owners is a bit useless. If guys on snow and mud are breaking rails or clutches I would like to hear from them first hand. Not just see the same 10 Facebook photos get posted 10 times and have everyone say look 100 rails broke.

 

[neilsleder]

Looks like this one had a TKI brace kit on?
I agree it’s important to share the carnage. No different when the 13 pro was snapping drive shafts, we got the clamp. Or the 17 G4 with the bulkheads and belts. I think we will see lots of failures on the skid. Not because it’s junk but it needs a little more attention than a traditional skid. Keep your shock pressures up and don’t drive down a whooped out trail at 100 km/h. Hopefully iceage comes out with a bomber monorail. I think a carbon fibre rail will be priced for the rich and famous.

That brace should go longer to those two factory rivets.

 

[Jorg Jorgenson]

For you monorail owners out there... how do you typically transport your sled? Any long / bumpy trips up on a short sled deck?

Last year, we parked beside a truck hauling two Alpha's and the sleds were hanging so far off the back of the deck. Point-loaded on the monorail where the front failure seems to be happening, with the rest of the skid hangin' off the back. Could this be helping contribute to a premature failure?

 

[TyDwyer51]

For you monorail owners out there... how do you typically transport your sled? Any long / bumpy trips up on a short sled deck?

Last year, we parked beside a truck hauling two Alpha's and the sleds were hanging so far off the back of the deck. Point-loaded on the monorail where the front failure seems to be happening, with the rest of the skid hangin' off the back. Could this be helping contribute to a premature failure?

This is how I’ve always strapped my alpha for all my trips. The superclamp does most of the work up front , and the strap around the rear scissor just to keep the rear down . I can imagine if you are running it on the front of the skid on the deck without and extension as most guys do , I would imagine that would create a high stress area , and premature failure .

 

[skegpro]

There does seam to be an issue with the hardcore front shock valving a springs, but why pull every photo you can find on faceplant and post them on here? It highly distorts the sample size.... And no one can speak to what might have actually happened to cause the breakage.
The guy with the rail in 6 pieces claimed he was just riding around in soft snow and it fell apart lol.

It's a picture bank.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Other threads on here where guys have ****ed up their own ****.

 

[Jorg Jorgenson]

View attachment 221535

This is how I’ve always strapped my alpha for all my trips. The superclamp does most of the work up front , and the strap around the rear scissor just to keep the rear down . I can imagine if you are running it on the front of the skid on the deck without and extension as most guys do , I would imagine that would create a high stress area , and premature failure .

Exactly. Take away 12" from your sled deck and the alpha's are point-loaded where the rail begins to curve up. It wouldn't help either if guys are sucking the sleds down super hard with their ratchets applying even more stress to the rail.

 

[Bnorth]

For you monorail owners out there... how do you typically transport your sled? Any long / bumpy trips up on a short sled deck?

Last year, we parked beside a truck hauling two Alpha's and the sleds were hanging so far off the back of the deck. Point-loaded on the monorail where the front failure seems to be happening, with the rest of the skid hangin' off the back. Could this be helping contribute to a premature failure?

short deck but with extension that I always use. Short trips usually less than 30km from home.

 

[Bnorth]

I'm a heavy fatass and no cracks yet. I tag stuff under the snow but can read snow pretty well so it's rarely full pin, I let off over stumps, logs etc to lessen the impact and and track damage. Running 70 psi in FTS and 125 in RTS. No bottoming that I've felt yet even on some pretty whooped out trails.

 

[Dawizman]

If you load it on a 7ft deck you're going to have a bad day. Here's a picture from when I picked mine up. I didn't have my extension with me that time. Pretty much any mountain sled is too long for a 7ft deck in my opinion though. I was only going a short distance here.

Typically though, I am loaded up like this with a flip extension.

 

[Vertical-Extreme]

If you load it on a 7ft deck you're going to have a bad day. Here's a picture from when I picked mine up. I didn't have my extension with me that time. Pretty much any mountain sled is too long for a 7ft deck in my opinion though. I was only going a short distance here.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200107/8db0c67318b69a05cb84454794364861.jpg

Typically though, I am loaded up like this with a flip extension.


//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200107/dd4408ce87b910a5cb9be52ce75a84b3.jpg
//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200107/818d2929c9ed77d7ce842ed3a8c35b40.jpg
//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200107/7391bb475f9c96245559a77767cb917d.jpg

I always load mine, then lock out the rear shock. Seams to help. 75lbs in the center helps in the deck as well

 

[Dawizman]

I always load mine, then lock out the rear shock. Seams to help. 75lbs in the center helps in the deck as well

I set mine to three on the front, and lockout the rear now when i get back to the truck.

 

[Jorg Jorgenson]

If you load it on a 7ft deck you're going to have a bad day. Here's a picture from when I picked mine up. I didn't have my extension with me that time. Pretty much any mountain sled is too long for a 7ft deck in my opinion though. I was only going a short distance here.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200107/8db0c67318b69a05cb84454794364861.jpg

Your picture hits the nail on the head with where I am going with this. Look at where the front of the rail is point-loaded? right where those rivots have been breaking and the two pieces separating or else cracking based on the earlier pictures.

Another thing, look at where your strap is roped around the mid-skid? Same bolt that is stressing and snapping on a few riders. That's holding the whole rear of the sled from jumping up/down and has to be taking a lot of stress.

I'm sure this is not the sole source of failures but I would have to think it cannot help matters.

In the wise words of StrayDog..... the above are my beliefs.

 

[niner]

After seeing some breaking points I think TKI needs to improve their design. Needs to be beveled to catch 2 more rivets in the front and maybe come back further to catch the rear scissor arm.

 

[Rjjtcross8]

good point about transporting on sled decks! Never would have thought of that.

 

[acesup800]

I set mine to three on the front, and lockout the rear now when i get back to the truck.

Educate me how stiffening out the suspension reduces the load on the rail?

 

[Dawizman]

Educate me how stiffening out the suspension reduces the load on the rail?

To me it's about limiting the extreme articulation that may or may not lead to the rail bottoming out on other components.

It may not be helping anything, but I can't see the harm.

 

[acesup800]

To me it's about limiting the extreme articulation that may or may not lead to the rail bottoming out on other components.

It may not be helping anything, but I can't see the harm.

Ok....but I highly doubt the suspension is articulating at all down the highway with no load on the seat.

 

[Dawizman]

Ok....but I highly doubt the suspension is articulating at all down the highway with no load on the seat.

No, I agree. I'm more concerned about while loading / unloading and causing damage

 

[skegpro]

...........

 

[Dawizman]

I must be doing something wrong. Been riding the sheet out of this thing, and my rail is still intact...