Track porting ??? did I go to big

[smokindave]

I just finished porting my new challenger extream 2.5 with 1 and an eighth holes two per paddle.I was told not to go bigger than 9/16.I drilled all holes with holesaw in reverse so holes are nice and clean.Any thoughts? Do you think I'll need a new track soon or will this one take the bigger holes?

Cheers
Dave

 

[shoppingcart111]

Looks like mine, except I went with 1.250" holes and had zero problems with it last year.

 

[smokindave]

Looks like mine, except I went with 1.250" holes and had zero problems with it last year.

Thanks for info.I have heard stories of tracks breaking from my track supplier.I started doing 9/16 holes but they did'nt look big enough to empty out snow.I did get my motor ported & piped with a bunch of other mods and think I am running around 225 hp thanks to Brent Linderman @ Arctic Edge.If this track does'nt hold up I will go to the powerclaw.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[shawnmcgr]

I hope not, I just did the same to a maverick!

 

[HagmanMod1]

looks good i did my xtreme a year ago and no signs of failier

 

[Modman]

I just finished porting my new challenger extream 2.5 with 1 and an eighth holes two per paddle.I was told not to go bigger than 9/16.I drilled all holes with holesaw in reverse so holes are nice and clean.Any thoughts? Do you think I'll need a new track soon or will this one take the bigger holes?

Cheers
Dave

Should be fine. I have seen tracks with 5 1-1/4" holes per pitch and they were ok. I did mine with three holes per pitch, 1-1/8" like you did. I was told it is preferrable to offset the holes on each pitch so that you don't cut the same track inner cords on each pitch to avoid having less structure in one line of the track (or so I've been told ) but the new sleds that come with the ported tracks have all the holes in the same line on each pitch so I think that is a bunch of bull.

 

[ZRrrr]

Think I'm into my 4th season with a ported track. I did 1 1/4" holes. No issues whatsoever.

 

[Pappillion]

What type of bit did you use to make your holes or was it a bit. It looks really clean and i want to do mine now.

thanks

 

[smokindave]

What type of bit did you use to make your holes or was it a bit. It looks really clean and i want to do mine now.

thanks

Hey Bud I used a 1 1/8 hole saw.The trick to a nice clean hole without pulling out the cords is to run the drill in reverse.The first couple of holes are not as nice but once the holesaw gets hot it does a good job.So basiclly once you start do not stop untill you are finished.Then the holes melt nice.

Good Luck & Cheers,
Dave

 

[Modman]

Hey Bud I used a 1 1/8 hole saw.The trick to a nice clean hole without pulling out the cords is to run the drill in reverse.The first couple of holes are not as nice but once the holesaw gets hot it does a good job.So basiclly once you start do not stop untill you are finished.Then the holes melt nice.

Good Luck & Cheers,
Dave

If you put the holesaw into a drill press and sharpen the teeth to a knife edge it helps as well. Some guys grind them right off and just go with a sharp edge but I left about 1/2 the length of the teeth on there and just sharpened the tips. But as damagedgoods said, running in reverse and getting it hot are the biggest keys. You can start and stop, you just have to preheat the bit a little with a torch/blow torch to get it up to temp. Once it is up to temp, it will blow through the track like butter, cauterizing the rubber as it goes and sealing the track threads that get cut. I found that I had to start and stop as my drill did not like it when it got too hot to hold in my hands, started making weird noises...LOL... and the garage got filled with cancer causing rubber burning smoke, so I would stop for a while and then just pre-heated the bit before I started again. Works slick but do it in an open air environment or don't expose yourself to the smoke for long periods, its not good for you. Or wear a respirator.

 

[Pappillion]

If you put the holesaw into a drill press and sharpen the teeth to a knife edge it helps as well. Some guys grind them right off and just go with a sharp edge but I left about 1/2 the length of the teeth on there and just sharpened the tips. But as damagedgoods said, running in reverse and getting it hot are the biggest keys. You can start and stop, you just have to preheat the bit a little with a torch/blow torch to get it up to temp. Once it is up to temp, it will blow through the track like butter, cauterizing the rubber as it goes and sealing the track threads that get cut. I found that I had to start and stop as my drill did not like it when it got too hot to hold in my hands, started making weird noises...LOL... and the garage got filled with cancer causing rubber burning smoke, so I would stop for a while and then just pre-heated the bit before I started again. Works slick but do it in an open air environment or don't expose yourself to the smoke for long periods, its not good for you. Or wear a respirator.

I suppose that this works with stock tracks as well.

 

[Hylode]

Hell No , I did the same to my old one !!, and I went to a 1.25 "

 

[smokindave]

I suppose that this works with stock tracks as well.

For sure .The new Polaris and Ski Doo both have ported stock tracks on their machines now a days.They hold half the snow a non ported track holds.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Shredder]

Did you use something as a guide (template/jig of some sort) to maintain your pattern?

 

[smokindave]

Did you use something as a guide (template/jig of some sort) to maintain your pattern?

Yes I cut a piece of old paneling to fit in between the two windows and the paddles.I than measured the centre of the track between the cogs and wheels and figured the biggest size I figured could safely fit and than drilled my pilot holes in the template. I than first drilled the whole track with pilot holes with the template and than with the holesaw.It took around an hour or so non - stop.
Cheers,
Dave

 

[Thunderguy BOOSTED]

Looks good, I went wit 1 1/2 on my track 151'' 2 1/4

Hope it works out!


CHEERS

 

[shawnmcgr]

I drilled these holes with the hole saw run foward (I don't have the best record with open flames i nthe garage). Turned out fine I think but took my about 3 hrs (between getting beer and pissing) to drill the 108 holes. Now that I look at the picture there doesn't seem enough hole - we'll see this season. I weighed drilled rubber afterwards - 1.25lbs. So I'm down to about 633.75 lbs dry!

 

[Thunderguy BOOSTED]

Gosh Darnit apex hey, lol

My dad rides one and well i think the ONLY WAY to ride it is turboed .

And were we ride the first time when the snow first hits there are about 7 to 10 foot sink holes in the middle of the river and well if u fall in those with the Apex hope to hell that u have a lot of budes there!~! to get u out!~!LOL

CHEERS

 

[shawnmcgr]

No shortage of buds when trouble comes knocking! Doesn't seem to matter what we're riding we always find it! That's when the beers come out and we do our best thinking!

 

[Modman]

Gosh Darnit apex hey, lol

My dad rides one and well i think the ONLY WAY to ride it is turboed .

And were we ride the first time when the snow first hits there are about 7 to 10 foot sink holes in the middle of the river and well if u fall in those with the Apex hope to hell that u have a lot of budes there!~! to get u out!~!LOL

CHEERS

I think shawnmcgr uses his sled to ride on the mountains, not on the river.