Suspension squats down when I sit on it, middle pre load setting, last year rebuilt rear shock, then replaced center and rear shock, ride was better but now after 1000 miles on new shocks, suspension compresses and won't come back up, rides like I'm on a horse cart with a solid axle. I bought this sled because I wanted a cushy ride. Somethings wrong, my 2011 F5 with non adjustable shocks has a way better ride. When I get off F5, rear of sled pops right up on lightest pre load setting.. otherwise love the sled. Thanks in advance for any help!!
bad ride on 2011 cat Z1 LXR
- Thread starter dickmsp
- Start date
This probably is not the same issue as what you have, but when I got my 09 xf, the ride was awful at first, tried all kinds of suspension settings, etc. finally found that if I disconnected the sway bar, normal suspension ride in, sag, return, came back. The issue with mine was that the plastic sway bar bushings were to large or "seized" into place. I had a buddy with a lathe machine a bit off of them, put them back in, and all is good again. I bought it just out of warranty.
Might you have something like weld slag binding up the rear suspension? A seized bushing? I was surprised to find a failing idler wheel bearing when I was giving it the preseason check this year. 2200 miles.
Might you have something like weld slag binding up the rear suspension? A seized bushing? I was surprised to find a failing idler wheel bearing when I was giving it the preseason check this year. 2200 miles.
Thanks for the reply. I had one dealer look it over, reset all shock settings then rebuild rear shock, then another dealer replaced center and rear shocks at 1700 miles so I assumed they had a chance to look over suspension .. I joke to my riding buds they must not have taken a tie- wrap off or set something up wrong when they put it together. I dont want to trade this sled in, but it should have one of the best rides and right now its not the machine I paid for...
harvest1121
Well-known member
I do not know how much you weigh I have always had to put the big boy springs in. I weigh 230 pounds so being set up for 170 never worked for me.
T
Team Elkhorn
Guest
My wife has had back problems for years. This year though sitting at work was unbearable and she finally went to see a back specialist. She had a cyst on her lower back that was crushing a nerve.
She finally had it removed this fall. Her doctor, who is also a snowmobiler, could not believe that she had been riding her snowmobile every year with no back pain. He asked her what kind of sled she rode, she told him a Twin Spar Cat. He said that he had read on John Dee that they rode very smooth. Small world eh.
She finally had it removed this fall. Her doctor, who is also a snowmobiler, could not believe that she had been riding her snowmobile every year with no back pain. He asked her what kind of sled she rode, she told him a Twin Spar Cat. He said that he had read on John Dee that they rode very smooth. Small world eh.Thanks everyone, dropped sled off at M & M in Houghton yesterday, they figured its shocks, should be done this morning. I weigh 240, 6'4", with tunnel bag full of snacks and water, probably 250-260 lbs. My 2011 f5 with the base non adjustable shocks handles me fine even at lightest pre- load. I'm interested in trying the big boy springs. On the big boys, I guess I'd be at the lightest pre load setting, but I'd still want a cushy ride.. I'm concerned if I put those on the ride will be stiff. A couple guys on here said it should work good.. ill let u know how the rebuilt shocks work!! Busy up here!! About a million sleds! And M&M. Is doing a great job with all the emergencies like mine!!
Got it back from m&m and its still the same. They rebuilt the center shock, and cleaned the rear shock but suspension still stiff and locked up. I rode alongside a bud driving it up mogul infested trail 3 yesterday from twin lakes to Houghton and the back axel wheel moved up and down exactly the same as the rear of the tunnel. On my f5 a d other sleds the back axle wheel was moving up and down in relation to the Back of the tunnel. So, that tells us the suspension is binding or locked up and not moving. That's why it feels like an ox cart with a solid axle and no suspension. Anyone know how this suspension is put together? Are there bushings that could have failed or are binding? Its been like this since day one and its to the point where I'm wasting my time riding this getting the day lights beat outa me when there's other nice riding sleds I could be enjoying. I never wanted to be a suspension engineer, just want to get a good machine and ride.
T
Team Elkhorn
Guest
Do the 2011s still have the coupler blocks? The first thing I did with my '07 was take them off. Left them in my wifes f-5 though.
Did Chad take your sled out for a ride? If not 1st place I would start & see it thru. You need to stick it out with a dealer that has snow & bumps to figure out what is binding until he cures the problem. Nobody here can help you ........just guessing.You need to work it out with M&M on the snow.
Factory guys are told not to get involved in after sale problems that is the dealers job. As I said before stick it out with M&M resources so they know what they did & what to do from here. No one here can help you it is an on the snow suspension problem work it out with M&M on snow & bumps. Ask them to ride your sled , figure it out & be done with it.
groomerdriver
New member
Did M&M drop the skid and check it out? If they didn't they should have. Blaming the shocks and rebuilding them is the easiest and cheapest repair. The dealer before M&M did the same thing and it didn't work did it?
The skid needs to come out.....IMO
The skid needs to come out.....IMO
I tried running my F8 ZR800 with the blocks out. Hitting the gas moderately hard at anything under 40 and the skis come up. Kinda sucks when playin' in the twisties. I put back in. Besides, it rides better with em in. Less sea-saw action from the skid makes it way better on the stutter bumps.
T
Team Elkhorn
Guest
My ZR was much lighter in the front than my Twin Spar, left the couplers on that. I guess I just suggested it as something to try since no one else had suggested anything and the dealers so far haven't fixed the problem. As whitedust said, I think the dealers need to figure it out. Just sad that its been taking this long. I guess I need to send a thank you card to my Cat dealer. Hes never let me down in 15 years.
One of the sales guys from my dealer met us northeast of Bergland when he got up sunday. He's a snowmobile sales guy that actually rides.. He also rebuilds shocks.. He was the first guy from a dealer that rode the sled. He took the coupler blocks off, and it seemed to help a little, but it was still rough. He said the zero pro shocks on the 2011 Z1 LXR are intentionally stiffer than the base non-adjustable shocks that are on my 2011 F-5 LXR. I'm going to have him re-valve the shocks on the Z1 for a more compliant ride like the F-5. He also explained how even tho the F-5 has basically the same suspension as the Z1, the springs and shocks affect the ride and bump dampening in different ways to give the different rides. The F-5 actually has stronger springs, and weaker shocks which explains why the rear of the f-5 comes up right away after you push it down. The shocks on the Z1 do more of the load carrying and are designed to take large bumps without bottoming for longer periods of time. I want more of a "couch on skis" as one guy posted somewhere on here. Oh.. Had another dealer from a different manufacturer drive the sled.. He must have missunderstood what the shop manager told him.. He came back and told us it needs dual carbides!! We almost p'd our pants we laughed so hard!! When we told him we brought it there for the suspension he laughed too and loosened the spring on the center shock...
I'll let you guys know how the re-valving works.. I'm psyched that I'll finally get the ride I thought this machine would give me and the ride I paid for...
I'll let you guys know how the re-valving works.. I'm psyched that I'll finally get the ride I thought this machine would give me and the ride I paid for...
Last edited:
I was gonna get the Ski-Doo gsx SE, basically a renegade with the air suspension, but I was scared of the little air compressor that was 3/4" away from drive belt with teeny tiny delicate air hoses to the shock. The Z1 I thought would have the good ride but without a potential troublesome system on it.. Anyone out there have experience with the gsx SE or GTX SE with the air suspension? Is it a good system or is it a pain in the hinder???
Update: sales guy re valved my center and rear shock. Piston on center shock ( the freshly rebuilt one ) movement was restricted, wasn't able to move entire range it was supposed to. Took it for a test drive on white bear lake. Enough remnants of drifts to simulate moguls and I think its going to finally have a nice ride! Can't wait to get back to the u p. Just waiting for cooler temps and snow!! I'll report back after I ride it up there