This week I find myself rebuilding a 1981 Invader Vari-Ride. And, since I don't have a 81 manual I find myself referencing my 1980 manual for the 4/6 quite a bit. I have a new track and wheel kit for this sled and it is interesting that the smaller wheels turn out to be smaller than the wheels currently on the skid. Consulting the manual this is consistent with the differences between the stock Invader and the 4/6 - with the 4/6 having larger wheels. In my office I have a poster (attached) of the 1980 sled line up. I stopped to look at it this morning and was surprised by the placement of the wheels. On my skid, and as depicted in the manual, the front most set of small wheels is on the outside of the aluminum rails. On this poster, the small wheels are shown to be between the aluminum rails. So this makes me wonder if this was an artist's interpretation or a pre-production configuration.
I do have a question out of all this. Is the 1981 Invader suspension skid configured the same as the 1980 4/6 suspension skid? And, if not, what are the differences?