'12 race sleds

[lwb140]

anyone wrenchin on race sleds yet,ive been eyeing a chassis with big plans , no work done yet but big ideas wade

[trailfire runner]

No wrenchin yet here still tring to find a 80 or 81 liquifire

Clay

[johnnycyclone]

No plans for any race sleds Wade, but I have 3 projects lined up for the year. I started the first one as the snow was melting away. Here is a sneak peak at what I am working on. I will post more pics when they are done. I need 3 more sleds for the family, so we can all ride together next year.

Terre

[lwb140]

so 1/3 of a year has passed since red lake last year so does this mean we need to be 1/3 done with our sleds ?? wade

[JD600]

Rob and i had a good start, but due to his recient issues, we have decided to put the race off for a year. Like i told Rob, the sleds will always be here, none of it matters if he's not here to enjoy it. So i am going to continue to work on it some this year and hopefully it will see snow late next winter, but no race for this team. Thanks guys,

DE
O'Deere Racing

[lwb140]

No plans for any race sleds Wade, but I have 3 projects lined up for the year. I started the first one as the snow was melting away. Here is a sneak peak at what I am working on. I will post more pics when they are done. I need 3 more sleds for the family, so we can all ride together next year.

Terre

those are awesome looking projects !! cant wait to see more pics wade

[lwb140]

the uscc web site has dates posted as jan 13-15 2012 !!!! wade

[johnnycyclone]

Thanks Wade. Anytime your working on a John Deere it's and awesome project I will post more pics later as I progress. I love to see what others are working on also, so please keep us in the loop on your race sled project. And I'm sure there are some other members working on their race sleds too, so hopefully they will post also. I love reading about this stuff.

Terre

[JoeRainville]

Hi Wade and Guys,

I am already working on my 2012 I-500 racer / back up and practic sled. I just recieved a really nice care package from Jerome Kretzman: two rebuild Liquifire cranks. One was already rebuilt, but he trued it up and check it all over for me. The other was a rusty junker that truned out to be in pretty good shape once he gave it the full race prep.

I've been buying the required Cat parts off Evil Bay and such, with the idea being to have two sleds ready for next year...

[lwb140]

sounds awesome joe , my plans are to start right away on a 78 440 lf ,yesterday i cleaned and began assembly on a "spare" motor .fresh hone job with new pistons and seals . trying to figure out which track to use . wade

[Norton]

Wade,
Glad to read about the interest in the 1st Gen LF and the Red Lake. If it was me, I would try to match up a single ply modern rubber track (might require changing skid rail center distance which would be time consuming) find a high arch long travel front spring (maybe from AC) and then pay attention to DETAIL on all other parts. I remember the sign over the parts counter at the Cat Dealer in West Yellowstone, "It costs money to go fast".
My 2 cents.

keith

[lwb140]

Wade,
Glad to read about the interest in the 1st Gen LF and the Red Lake. If it was me, I would try to match up a single ply modern rubber track (might require changing skid rail center distance which would be time consuming) find a high arch long travel front spring (maybe from AC) and then pay attention to DETAIL on all other parts. I remember the sign over the parts counter at the Cat Dealer in West Yellowstone, "It costs money to go fast".
My 2 cents.

keith

there are several tracks that dk lists that could be made to work what specs do you reccommend cleat height/style etc thx wade

[Norton]

Wade,
As a general rule, the lower the lug height the less power it takes to turn the track. If the snow was hard and fast, more studs and less lug height. Soft snow the other way around. Have resources for two tracks if conditions change? I would look for trying to squeezing all the efficiency you can from the drive train. Clutching in the mix too. Look into the track AC uses in the Sno Pro 500. HP to weight ratio on the Sno Pro 500 must be very close to a 440 LF. I think cat offers a sno cross track and a CC version. I like these kind of mods on a CC machine over lean jetting or other mods that can decrease sled relilability. Sorry just my general thoughts on the subject. I bet you would like more detail. Maybe someone else will chime in and tell me I am off base...

Now you have my 4 cents worth.

keith

[trailfire runner]

Hi Wade and Guys,

I am already working on my 2012 I-500 racer / back up and practic sled. I just recieved a really nice care package from Jerome Kretzman: two rebuild Liquifire cranks. One was already rebuilt, but he trued it up and check it all over for me. The other was a rusty junker that truned out to be in pretty good shape once he gave it the full race prep.

I've been buying the required Cat parts off Evil Bay and such, with the idea being to have two sleds ready for next year...

How much does it cost to have one of those cranks rebuilt for racing

Clay

[JoeRainville]

Hi Clay,

It depends on how much work gets done, and how many parts are replaced. For example the top crank had already been rebuilt and was equipt with all new bearing. Jerome trued and indexed and shipped it for less than $100. The other crank needed a complete rebuild with new bearings and such, and came in about $250 - $300. WORTH EVERY PENNY.

I hope this helps,
-Joe Rainville