Ski Doo Ace 900 Track Swap

mnuser

Member
How hard is it to flip out the track on one of these? I found a 900 Ace I'm interested in but it has studs and I'm not too keen on running them over the driveway. I'm guessing a track would set me back a few hundred and then the swap. Any ideas on this?

Thanks!
 

mnuser

Member
I was going to ask that. Are they pretty easy to remove and does it hurt the track at all? I wondered about that. Would be MUCH easier.
 

indy_500

Well-known member
I was going to ask that. Are they pretty easy to remove and does it hurt the track at all? I wondered about that. Would be MUCH easier.
It depends, if there is too much corrosion for an impact gun, it will probably be quicker to change the track. I once took a cutoff wheel to 144 studs because they were too rusty to remove, definitely could have installed 2 tracks in that time. Never again…. But I was young and poor at the time LOL.
 

xsledder

Active member
A lot less time replacing the track than trying to remove each stub. Plus, when the drive shaft is out, replace the bearings. In particular the one on the clutch side.
 

Tim in Indiana

Active member
If you don't slip your track the studs will not mark up your drive. I have all studded sleds and both a concrete and asphalt drive. We have way more marks from the carbides than from the studs.

Plus doesn't the 900 have the Sport/Eco switch? If it does run it in Eco and it's real easy to not slip the track when starting.
 

wiscrev

Well-known member
As far as marks on driveway, I just don't plow/blow down to the pavement. I leave some and pack down with vehicles. Eventually, I have a 2-3" packed driveway that I can run my sled over with no damage.
 

lofsfire

Active member
So I have a sled I been thinking about doing the samething to. I bought it last year for my son and it has studs. Between tearing up the trailer and drive, garage floor, I hate the studs! Knowing he has extra grip for stopping on the trail I'm very undecide on removing the studs...So far I have left them.

Changing tracks is about a 3-4 hour job, I did it on my old 2000 MXZ 700. Skid comes out chain case comes apart then you can get to the drive shaft and that clutch side bearing mentioned above.

As far as removing studs, yes it takes a while, but goes much faster if you have a power ratchet.

What will it do to the track, this is like asking which it the best oil. I had 100 different answers. The sled I did remove studs from was a 1999 ZL 500, The original owner had 192 in it. This was for my wife at the time. I removed all the outer studs left 2 down the center. On that sled when I asked everyone said the holes were not a problem. After reading about guys porting tracks on Snowest I figure I could chance it. It was fine and I never had any issues or did the guy I sold it too. I was annal about making sure the studs I left in were tight and the square backers were all lined up parallel to the track bars. I had that sled for 6 years then guy that bought it kept it for 2 years before going 4-stroke.

With all that said, the people that told me not to do it on this new 2016 ZR5000 said the track is a single ply unlike the 1999 ZL which was more... I not sure how much more. When I looked up the track for the 2016 it says it is a 2-ply... What I do know is last year when I looked at the track new it was $600 the same track is now listed at $800. If I decide to do away with the studs, I will just pull them, or better yet have my son do it!
 
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