When does a sled "wear out"?

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pearssl

New member
I'm considering buying a used sled but I'd like to know what is your opinion as to how many miles are too much for a sled? Some tell me that 6000 is about the time big things start to go wrong.
The sled I am considering has about 6500 miles on it but it's a Arctic Cat 2008 machine.
Also, besides the obvious items that wear out what other things need to be considered?
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
clutches are very important at those miles. Probably all/most bearings need replacing. What motor is it?
 
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ezra

Well-known member
08 cat 6500 mi better be cheep like under 3g and you better be willing to wrench it will nickel and dime you to the cost of a new sled in no time just new dimond drive gears bearings and seals you are over 600 then break side bearings 120 new bearings in the whole skid well over 100 shocks rebuilt 170 top end 1000 rebuild primary 250 and up secondary 120 motor mounts may or may not need 60 bucks and this is if you can do most of this your self if you dont work on sleds run dont walk
 
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mjkaliszak

New member
I have an 07 cat 9000 + miles. New Ice ripper this year some wear n tear items always but I keep up on it. It has dragged every other machine I have owned out of the woods at some point. I think there is alot to be said about how the current owner maintains it. What sled is it exactly ? F6 -F8-F1000 ? Was it modded ? A lot of owners claim issues with the DD, but I have had no problems with mine, pulled it apart 2-3 times , cleaned, changed fluid every year .
 
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xcsp

Member
When does a sled wear out? Good question!

Many factor come into play, mainly, how well was a particular machine maintained and used.

I've seen sleds with 1,000 miles that looked like they had been through ****, and some with 10K that look like new, I'd rather have the higher mile sled in that case.

If you maintain them they should last quite a while.

In looking at a used sled, the overall appearance should give you a good idea, if the track is in poor shape, engine compartment & components are dirty, suspension is dirty or rusty, good sign to steer clear of it.

Compression test of the engine cylinders may help give some indication of the "life" left in it.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
mjkaliszak said:
I have an 07 cat 9000 + miles. New Ice ripper this year some wear n tear items always but I keep up on it. It has dragged every other machine I have owned out of the woods at some point. I think there is alot to be said about how the current owner maintains it. What sled is it exactly ? F6 -F8-F1000 ? Was it modded ? A lot of owners claim issues with the DD, but I have had no problems with mine, pulled it apart 2-3 times , cleaned, changed fluid every year .
Click to expand...

you should send the dd 5 pinon gear to cat for the hall af fame 5 pinnion wall.
 
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pearssl

New member
The sled is a 2007 Arctic Cat Crossfire 600. It was for sale on Ebay for 3500 but it got no bids I'm thinking because it has so many miles. So, I was thinking I can get a good price and I'm willing to do SOME wrenching. But to ezra's point... I may end up paying a lot more.
 
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rkw

New member
I have a 99 AC ZL500 I bought new and have over 11,000 miles on it. Original engine with the exception of new rings. I've towed it out of the woods twice because of failed stators. It's had 2 Clutches, I rebuilt the secondary, replaced all the bearings in the drive line. Put on a new track and she still runs strong. Its been well maintained since it was new and its still cheaper to fix than to replace it with a new one. Scheduled maintenance is the key to longevity.
 
G

G

Guest
Used to but a new sled every year just to make sure nothing would break. Sometimes that didn't work either. Am now on an '07 Apex with 5000 miles. I try to throw $500 or so at it every season just in maintenence and things that I know will wear out. Now at 5000 miles I am going to put a new track on it just because. On an older sled with mucho miles you can keep up to a point but with all the electronic stuff on them now sooner or later you will lose an ECU or time and vibration or mice will rub or eat through some obscure wire and you will be dead on the trail. Also things like starters and relays although relays seem to be a problem even on low mile sleds of virtually all brands. Everything mechanical will fail at some point. Looks count for a lot. If it has been taken care of at least you have a chance. I don't think I would ever buy a high mile sled sight unseen off of E-Bay. However this is an excellent time of year to buy. Good question.
 
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doo_dr

New member
xcsp said:
When does a sled wear out? Good question!

Many factor come into play, mainly, how well was a particular machine maintained and used.

I've seen sleds with 1,000 miles that looked like they had been through ****, and some with 10K that look like new, I'd rather have the higher mile sled in that case.

If you maintain them they should last quite a while.

In looking at a used sled, the overall appearance should give you a good idea, if the track is in poor shape, engine compartment & components are dirty, suspension is dirty or rusty, good sign to steer clear of it.

Compression test of the engine cylinders may help give some indication of the "life" left in it.
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VERY WELL SAID! Condition and care makes the difference. I had a 93 Mach I w/8,000 miles and was on it's third belt and original plugs when I sold it.
 
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arcticman

Member
99 ZL 500 EFI 12,000 and no issues. maintence is the key I do what I can and the dealers see's it every fall just to double check and for around 125 it is worth the peace of mind on the trail.
 
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dcsnomo

Moderator
I'm with grub on this one. My second sled is a 98 Polaris at 8500 miles, every year I throw about $500 into it. Great sled, wouldn't think of retiring it. But I bought it at 3500 miles and wrenched it as the miles kept growing. That's different from buying a 6500 mile sled and trying to fix all that could be wrong. I guess what I'm saying is if I put the miles on it will last longer because I know it is well maintained.
 
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snow_monkey

New member
ezra said:
08 cat 6500 mi better be cheep like under 3g and you better be willing to wrench it will nickel and dime you to the cost of a new sled in no time just new dimond drive gears bearings and seals you are over 600 then break side bearings 120 new bearings in the whole skid well over 100 shocks rebuilt 170 top end 1000 rebuild primary 250 and up secondary 120 motor mounts may or may not need 60 bucks and this is if you can do most of this your self if you dont work on sleds run dont walk
Click to expand...

X'2 better be cheep cheep!
 
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mjkaliszak

New member
Pretty hard to eval a sled on e-bay. I bought a car on e-bay 1 time, took me 3 months of looking and reading between the lines. I got the vehicle for the " reserve price ". At purchase time I had an open ended agreement with the seller that if I changed my mind after veiwing & checking it out he would refund my p-pal depo. I was covered either way since I could file a dispute if I had to. When I arrived in his location we found a shop and I paid them to put it up on the lift so I could check it .

E-bay is kind of risky, unless you are preparred to deal with the consequences. I have been had by ( flea bayers ) myself while buying jet ski parts. Also had some good experiences / purchases. I would be careful.
 
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polarisrider1

New member
No real answer on this other than, "When maintance exceeds the value, or when parts are no longer avail." All sleds wear out at different paces based on hundreds of factors.
 
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bedgar7

New member
Well like said above it really depends on how it was maintained. My 06 xfire has over 7000 with an untouched engine and all original bearings besides the DD. I also ride with an 02 zr 800 with that finally blew at 14k miles when the water pump impeller veins disintegrated. Also an 03 rev 600 that finally blew a crank seal at 10k miles. Now that I think of it not one of the 12 sleds in the barn has less than 5k miles now. We just make sure to take a through look over the sleds every fall and replace parts as required.
 
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