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Site News => Discussion & Help => Topic started by: bryan_damone on January 09, 2019, 09:04:42 AM

Title: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on January 09, 2019, 09:04:42 AM: Question: In reassembling the skid, is there a particular way to clock part 27 with respect to part 22? Or do you just kind of wing it?

Thanks.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: kawhead on January 09, 2019, 10:11:01 AM: there is a double keyway on both
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on January 09, 2019, 02:53:54 PM: Excellent. Thanks
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on January 12, 2019, 10:48:55 AM: Guess I have to stop procrastinating on this.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: Interceptor398 on January 12, 2019, 06:33:46 PM: Everything but the rails??
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 10, 2019, 04:46:49 PM: After closer inspection of the cross shafts, one is split at both ends at the bolt hole.

Therefore I am in search of the shorter of the two long cross shafts. It's the 17.5 inch one. If anyone has a straight spare. I am interested.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: Interceptor398 on February 10, 2019, 07:06:47 PM: 39166-3503 is 17.57 long, if so I have a few I made up a few years back. $12.50+ shipping.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 10, 2019, 07:41:21 PM: Amazing. Pm'd. Thx.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on January 27, 2021, 09:00:10 AM: Life really gets in the way of this 40 year old snowmobile hobby, but the fixing of the cracked brackets and POR-15 thing is finally done.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: Interceptor398 on January 27, 2021, 06:48:24 PM: Looking real nice! These suspensions are a LOT of work if done right.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 08, 2021, 09:04:13 AM: Well here is the collection of all the parts and hardware collected to get this done.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 08, 2021, 09:14:33 AM: here are some shots of the completed rails.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 08, 2021, 09:15:57 AM: It isn't a fun project unless there is some sketchy spring compressing going on.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 08, 2021, 09:19:18 AM: And some shots of the skid completely assembled. Are there any top tips on getting this back in the tunnel with minimal struggle?
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: Interceptor398 on February 08, 2021, 08:27:42 PM: That is looking really great! I have not found an easy one yet.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: mswyka on February 08, 2021, 08:51:45 PM: I have found that the skids go in easiest for me if I do the following:

1. make sure rear wheels are as far forward as possible
2. raise rear of sled off ground to give full access to the track
3. slide skid into track front first
4. use ratchet straps on each side of sled to pull skid toward rear
5. bolt in front brackets
6. Insert bolts for rear bracket
7. tighten track by moving rear wheels to rear of skid
7. lower rear of sled
8. take for a ride

Taking this approach I had the skid out, serviced cross-shafts, and back into the Invader in less than an hour.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 14, 2021, 11:49:04 AM: Thanks for the tips. Regarding the ratchet strapping, where/how are you pulling the skid backwards? Are you pulling it backward from some other fixed point in the shop? or are you ratcheting from some other point on the sled itself? I got my NOS lift brackets installed, so its time to wrestle the skid. I used stainless structural rivets with a pneumatic riveter. Pneumatic riveter is great.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: mswyka on February 14, 2021, 12:56:11 PM: Looks very good. Send me the riveter when you are done. I could use it to save my hands.

I tie the ratchet straps to a bracket on the suspension and then to the back of the tunnel - someplace where it will not bend anything and the strap will not block where i need to put the wrench to attach the skid. It usually does not take much.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 14, 2021, 04:34:04 PM: Thanks for the clarification. I will see how it goes soon.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 15, 2021, 10:59:32 AM: It's in. Less of a struggle than most machines.

What is the ideal track drop when setting tension?
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: mswyka on February 15, 2021, 12:00:30 PM: Looks great!

The track droop is in the manual. I have run slightly looser and slightly tighter and can't say that I have had a problem either way.
Title: Re: 1978 Rear Suspension
Post by: bryan_damone on February 15, 2021, 12:16:31 PM: Ok thanks. Looks to be 3/4 to 1 1/8 gap with 10 lbs pull down. I seem to be in the ball park.