Why did Polaris stop using the belt drive?

[Quicksand]

You too can watch the video for only $3.99 / Month. Perfect.

just google it

 

[vodoo103]

just google it

Was just sarcasm.

 

[maxwell]

wait....

so your telling me the brake system is still on the crosshaft and not on the driveshaft?

how are they even allowed to manufacture that! i guess the same reason they can build it without a tether LOL! holy phawk!

chains and belts break bottom line is get that caliper onto the driveshaft!

 

[tmo1620]

I have towed out more Cats with blown diamond drives than Pros with a blown quick drive belt. Towing a Cat with a blown diamond drive from the Notch in Fernie to the Tin Shacks at the time was anything but fun. It’s like sitting around the campfire telling stories. I have more too. Towed Doo’s with out tracks, Doo’s with broken jackshafts, Cats broken steering posts. Maybe a Dragon with a broken steering post or it was an IQ. Doesn’t matter what it is and where it is, they are all hard to tow out, brakes or not.

Now granted the diamond drives of yesterday are no longer a concern on new sleds they are still out there.

People want the highest HP or they want the lightest sled or whatever it is they want and two pulleys with a belt is the lightest you can make it and the limited failures are far and few between. I have ridden 10 days in the last 14 and of the three 850 Pros, the two 800 Pro’s, and the four G4’s the only two that gave us problems were the Doo’s. Electrical issues that can’t be solved on the hill. So by your logic I should never buy a Doo. I would certainly not buy a Cat. Works for me.

A belt requires a pm check just like a chain or anything other rotating part. I had 2500 on my first one in 14 and changed it just for peace of mind. While I am aware of the difficulty of changing one vs the ease of doing it on one of my TKI set ups I still prefer a belt to a chain.

Your missing the point and it’s not hard to get, they have no brakes while towing if it’s because of the blown belt, pretty god damn hard to tow down a bobsled run to disaster without brakes when you only have two other sleds running lots of *ucking around for no reason, all sleds break down, that’s not the complaint

 

[takethebounce]

Your missing the point and it’s not hard to get, they have no brakes while towing if it’s because of the blown belt, pretty god damn hard to tow down a bobsled run to disaster without brakes when you only have two other sleds running lots of *ucking around for no reason, all sleds break down, that’s not the complaint

No, you are missing the point which is plain as day, I don’t care what you have to say. But thanks tips.

 

[JungleJim]

Here is where I learned it and it works. The tools are BS and everyone carries zip ties.

https://burandtv.intelivideo.com/assets/free-tech-tip-replacing-the-pro-rmk-quick-drive-belt

Can't access the vid Tim. Can you give a quick summary? I do carry a spare belt and the little tapered spacers for Brett's Axys. So far been luck to not have to change it, but been there when one was blown. Ended up having to have a tow sled and a tail sled to get it down the hill. Fortunately we were close to a trail!

 

[Cat401]

Unless they stopped for 2020, Polaris didn't stop using the quickdrive, they never had them on the on the 3". That being said, A f*ck ton of people have changed to a 3" track using the belt drives with no issues. We have had lots of quickdrives in our group (2013's included) and I've yet to change one. I think its an awesome design, simple, light and it flat out works. The no brakes thing would probably suck if you didn't have a spare belt but that's I'd say that's a you problem.

As for changing them on, I'd get one of these. https://www.snowest.com/2016/12/new-product-armstrong-quick-change

All this being said, I do not carry a spare belt or the means to change one, call it confidence in the quickdrive or dumb I really don't care

wow, cool tool...makes for easy belt install. Kind of a no-brainer to have that...

 

[TDR]

Here is where I learned it and it works. The tools are BS and everyone carries zip ties.

https://burandtv.intelivideo.com/assets/free-tech-tip-replacing-the-pro-rmk-quick-drive-belt

Sorry all I didn’t realize the link went there. It used to be in the open on you tube. Method is really simple. You hold the top gear in one hand and put the belt on. You put the bottom gear on and stretch it until the gear and belt cogs mesh. Put a zip tie around the belt near the top gear about 1/3 of the distance from top to bottom gear. It should have more or less the same shape as if on the machine. Put the top gear part way on and turn the bolt just enough to catch a thread or 2 so it stays on. Try to slide the bottom gear on. If it doesn’t line up have some wiggle the track a little. It will push on no problem once the splines catch. Put in bottom bolt. Tighten up the bolts. Works like a charm.

You can also put the zip tie on after fitting the top gear to the belt. Easier for one person change.

Also I always run in my spares for 1 day. The belts are super stiff so this stretches them and makes a change easier.

That tool is cool too. Looks like it would work well.

 

[Quicksand]

Sorry all I didn’t realize the link went there. It used to be in the open on you tube. Method is really simple. You hold the top gear in one hand and put the belt on. You put the bottom gear on and stretch it until the gear and belt cogs mesh. Put a zip tie around the belt near the top gear about 1/3 of the distance from top to bottom gear. It should have more or less the same shape as if on the machine. Put the top gear part way on and turn the bolt just enough to catch a thread or 2 so it stays on. Try to slide the bottom gear on. If it doesn’t line up have some wiggle the track a little. It will push on no problem once the splines catch. Put in bottom bolt. Tighten up the bolts. Works like a charm.

You can also put the zip tie on after fitting the top gear to the belt. Easier for one person change.

Also I always run in my spares for 1 day. The belts are super stiff so this stretches them and makes a change easier.

That tool is cool too. Looks like it would work well.

Here's a link to a video of the zip tie thing, looks slick as sh*t

https://www.facebook.com/207598693180150/posts/344587919481226/

 

[gunner3006]

This is how I did it on the hill but I didn’t use the dowels. Also helps to have the machine on its side and someone slowly spin the track.

 

[cdnredneck_t3]

Can you explain the zip tie trick.

Basically you take both top and bottom sheaves off and put the belt around them and put a zip tie around the belt just below the top sheave where the belt would start to come a way from the sheave and tighten it. Have to monkey with the tension a bit and index of the splines but they pop on pretty easy.

I have worked with the gates polychain gt set up in industry for years and the proper way to set tension is with a strobe so you can see the lug engagement. But in a snowmobile that is pretty hard so just have to go by feel or what works for the manufacturer in their testing.

 

[TDR]

Here's a link to a video of the zip tie thing, looks slick as sh*t

https://www.facebook.com/207598693180150/posts/344587919481226/

Thanks for that. Erik Woogs version is a little nicer but this gets the point across.

 

[Kibbels]

That's a great little trick... I had the Happy Face belt change kit and worked good but zip tie is a lot cheaper.

 

[Rally]

I have Kurts gear down kit on my 13 with Fire and ice tensioner i haven't had any problems. Gearing down was a definitely an improvement.

 

[Teth-Air]

wait....

so your telling me the brake system is still on the crosshaft and not on the driveshaft?

how are they even allowed to manufacture that! i guess the same reason they can build it without a tether LOL! holy phawk!

chains and belts break bottom line is get that caliper onto the driveshaft!

Oh, my what happens when the track comes off? "how are they even allowed to manufacture that!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha_ZKFGG0jg

 

[Teth-Air]

I have Kurts gear down kit on my 13 with Fire and ice tensioner i haven't had any problems. Gearing down was a definitely an improvement.

Boy, they took you. The main reason for a tensioner is to enable the belt to wrap 4/5ths around the top gear so it has maximum contact and then the belt can be run quite loose and then there is no tension to increase rolling resistance. With a tensioner added to the stock belt, it only increases tension and does not add any more contact to the top gear. It actually contacts less than 1/2 the top gear. All failures I have seen are from teeth ripping off due to so few in contact.

 

[maxwell]

Oh, my what happens when the track comes off? "how are they even allowed to manufacture that!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha_ZKFGG0jg

well common now some freak things can happen like that. But to put a safety feature like brakes on a wear part........... other MFG realized this mistake 10+ years ago

 

[Teth-Air]

well common now some freak things can happen like that. But to put a safety feature like brakes on a wear part........... other MFG realized this mistake 10+ years ago

I agree that losing brakes sucks but I honestly have seen more ski-doo brake reservoirs get broken off than Quickdrive belts break. Both can result in a fun ride.

So if the manufacturers decide to go full on with safety we are going to get 100 lbs added to our machines, governors to slow us down, and forget about those shorty tunnels that Doo is coming out with as you are way more likely to come in contact with that track.

This is a risky sport and you need to calculate those risks and decide what you need to protect yourself. Yes I agree that tethers are good but that is only if they are used. As many know, we did a poll and only 20% of guys that had tethers actually used them. I am sure Polaris knows this.

 

[SicLoco]

well common now some freak things can happen like that. But to put a safety feature like brakes on a wear part........... other MFG realized this mistake 10+ years ago

Not even so much of a freak happening! 15 yr old track with a tree poked through it ! What would you expect?? The belt on my bike handles all I can throw at it! Big bore and Saturday nights yet a pebble in the sprocket splits a belt everytime!

 

[LBZ]

well common now some freak things can happen like that. But to put a safety feature like brakes on a wear part........... other MFG realized this mistake 10+ years ago

I wouldn’t even call that safety, how about just plain common sense?

Why would anyone think a 450lb+ gt snowracer with no brakes would be a good idea?

I feel the reason behind it is to prevent damage to the quick drive, if one had a mitt full of flipper and suddenly let off and hammered the brakes. But aftermarket hasn’t had any issues I’ve heard of with driveshaft brake machines so I dunno.