Yamaha Track on 1980 Trailfire

[eddingsj]

Looking for a little help here guys. I have been working on restoring a 1980 Trailfire. I have the whole thing apart and have been working on beadblasting parts and having them powder coated. When I took the sled apart I just set the track aside and havent looked at it until the other day. After further inspection, I noticed the track was a Yamaha 8V0-47110-00 (15" x 121" 2.52 Pitch) track. Then I started to think about the pieces of the skid when I took it apart. At the time I though some one had broke the back axle, because it was held together with two small peices of angle iron and bolts. But after looking at it more closely, it was cut and put back together. There were also some thick washers in the center where the swing arm connects to the rails. After putting two and two together, I am guessing the previous owner had modified this skid to accept the yamaha track.

So which leads me to my question...does someone have a good explanation or list of instructions of what has to be done to the sled to properly modify it to accept such a track? I did a search on this forum but really didn't come up with anything concrete.

Also, after picking up this project a few months ago, I started immediately tearing it down and working on the engine. So I am unsure if the track was rotating fine with no interference within the tunnel. From the naked eye though, everything seems to be fine.

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

[Matt]

They would have had to change the drive axle, possibly narrow the skid, and drill new holes in the tunnel to reposition it for the longer track.

[eddingsj]

Hmmm...Looks to me that they widened the skid, does that make sense?

Jeff

[Matt]

Depends on the window-window distance of that track vs. the JD track.

[eddingsj]

Matt,

Do you know what the original JD track's window to window distance was on that sled by chance...just for comparison.

Thanks

[JDT]

I believe 8".