Worst day of my life

indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
Don't even know where to start. Well me my dad and sister trailered about 15 miles over the county line to go for a little ride today. Got about 15 miles into the ride and whack. I hit a big root and busted the lower radius rod on my 99 xc 700 right in half. I was 1/2 mile north of a popular bar (bean city) and limped the sled back there. I hopped on my dads sled and left my dad and sister there. They were going to order food and i was going to go get the truck and trailer and drive back. Well i made it back to the truck and trailer, loaded my dads sled up, tied it down. But guess what i forgot. THE @#()*$#(*( RAMP!!! I drove the truck and trailer about 5 miles to the bar and as im turning down the road for the bar, i realize what i had just done. I got there and told my dad and we ate anyways. Hoping it fell off at the parking lot we lifted the other 2 sleds up onto the trailer and rushed back there. NO LUCK. shes gone. sad part is the person who took it is probably going to scrap it. So we headed for home. I get back and there's a note from blu2u2 in my door about packing down the swamp in town here in order to get the trails open for tomorrow. I call him up, an hour later in packing down the swamp with my 05 xc sp 500. I had no problems at all, i tinkered around on the trails a bit and headed home. About a week ago my mom rode this sled and hit a railroad track that stopped her dead in her tracks. THe skis weren't straight anymore so i adjusted the tie rod and got it aligned. Well I put 200 miles on since and it seemed to ride fine but if i hit bumps right i heard a clicking sound. Got it in the garage tonight and looked at it and the trailing arm mount is BUSTED RIGHT OFF. It's riveted under the footwell above the belly pan. It looked like a huge giant disaster to start to fix. I HATE RIVETS! On the bright side due to me getting the swamp packed down and the fresh snow (3-4" so far another 2-3" to come totally uncalled for) the trails open tomorrow at sunrise. It doesn't matter though because I have 2 busted sleds...
 
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Deleted member 10829

Guest
That does sound like a bad day Indy! Sorry for your bad luck and I hope you get up and running soon so you can use those trails. Trust me, in a few years you will look back at this day and laugh your tail off. :)
 
skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
If you had working sleds, it wouldn't have snowed at all.

To make you feel better, we should probably share some of our worst sledding days of our lives. We've all had some.

One of my worst was actually on the drive back from a few days of sledding in the UP. When we made the turn just out of Silver City my brother was behind me pulling a two-place enclosed and had a third sled in the bed. A lot of snow on the road but it was a sunny morning so it was good going. A friend and I get to Wakefield in my truck - no brother in sight. We wait a while and start backtracking. When we find him, the truck is on one side of the road, the trailer on the other and the sled that was in the back of the truck was in the middle of the highway. Turns out he met a snowplow and hit the brakes due to the whiteout and got tagged in the rear by a semi carrying 80,000 pounds of paper products.

His truck could be driven but the trailer was a different story so we got it on a flatbed tow truck and had it hauled into Bergland. When the tow driver went to unload the trailer in Bergland nothing moved - no hydraulics. So we climb up on the flatbed to look over the situation. My brother's trailer tongue looked like a pretzel but it was removable (huge break). The rest of the trailer looked like it could still roll so we went in search of tongue material. After a few false leads we finally found a place in Ironwood that could fab him up a tongue. They get it done and we think we're rollin' now. Get it back to the trailer and go to bolt it on - they drilled the holes too small. Now we're going through the tow driver's used bolt supply looking for smaller bolts (hardware stores are in short supply on a Sunday in Bergland). We find some and finally get it bolted on but we still can't get it off the truck.

The tow guy contacts a buddy of his with another flatbed and we meet him in Ironwood. Now we have to roll the trailer from one flatbed to another so we can get it on the ground. Finally got it hooked back up to my brother's truck about 9 PM and we hit the road. Made it home without further incident but I think it was about 4 AM - a good twelve hours later than planned. Can't decide if we had more good luck than bad but it didn't seem like a very good day.
 
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Modman440

New member
YHmmmmm worst day ever.......
My uncle and i bought our first sleds together he got a 98 zr440. And i got a 95 zr580. We decided to go up to the cabin for a week. Well we get up there around 3 in the afternoon. Unload everything and get ready to ride to newberry from trout lake for dinner. Night goes great trailswere smooth food was great. We get to play some cards and crash. Woke up to 6 inches fresh snow broke trail to newberry stop at pickelmans perf to fuel up. Uncles sled wont start.replace spark plugs all set... we meet up with some friends and rip up the trail. Somewhere north i hook a ski on a log under the snow ripped the whole thing off ski and all. So they run back to town and find a sled come back we wedge it under the front of my sled and drag me to town. I got a rental and continued my day till the rental broke down had to wait for them to come check it out 2 hours later its up and going again ride maybe another mile and track locks up causing me to slid side ways into a tree. Well retal place comes out deems it not my fault bring me a brand spanking new snopro 500 which is now my current sled. Anyways its getting late we head back to the house.on way there my buddy tyler runs into a mailbox.had to deal with owner paid him some money then we were back on our way. We were on the powerlines just north of trout lake my uncles 440 track locks up. Turned out a nut came loose fell off and it caused brakes to lock drag him back to house fix it and rest of week ends up great
 
S

snake

Member
that's snowmobiling for ya Indy! I remember the days of working on the darn things for 3 hours to get one hour of seat time!!it all pales in comparison to my worst day=we lost a very good friend on the trail. it's only a machine and a little pride, and those can be fixed! you'll get em going if we know you!good luck and be safe!
 
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Skylar

Super Moderator
Staff member
Sometimes you run into days like those Indy, don't worry though, you are young, you have a A LOT MORE of them coming! LOL.

I have been responsible for the loss of TWO ramps off of our 4 place. :-( I have a great worst day ever sled story to tell, but it will have to wait, I am headed out the door to go riding. :p
 
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joks79

Member
That's just a run of bad luck. Don't worry your young there will be plenty of good days and more bad days ahead. It's part of life.

It will give you something to do now. I liked wrenching when I was your age.
 
E

ezra

Well-known member
how about the day me my wife and my bud were on the way to the cabin one jan.
we stop at a cat dealer and my wife likes how quiet this new 660 was thought she would like to not listen to the trippel piped zrt 600 any more.
so I said ok why not we got room on the trailer so I gave him a check.
it was fri night at 10 when we get to the cabin fire up the furnace and gear up to ride to the bar to let the cabin warm up.
went out turned the key on the660 we all stood around and looked at it commenting how it sounded like a yugo and were tryin g to figure out what jap car they took the motor from.
we ride to the bar my other bud shows up who had to work late we close the place not a good Idea.
so my wife was leading so she could set the pace and not try to keep up.
well she came in to a corner hot and the top heavy 660 started to lean she gassed it to try to get the back to spin but the gutless 660 did not act like a zrt so she bailed just before it took out a tree.
she rolled a few time and sat up I could hear my buds braping through the woods hard and new they would be coming fast so I parked sideways in front of my wife and started to jump off and wave my arms. it was to late they came around the corner way to hot. they turned away from my sled and in to what looked like a clearing but was a small drop off in to some clear cut they jumped and went went in to a brush pile. the srx landed bulk head first on a stump toast! the brand new pro x just got scratched up . the 660 was junk.
guess who never called to get insurance on the new 660 cuz I figured ahh I will deal with it when we get back in town. U guessed it My dumb arss
bad day but could have been way way worse.
few hundred rivets and some A arms and a shock it was all good
 
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slimcake

Well-known member
Christmas eve 2 years ago. Was about 30 miles from home playing in 2 feet of pow. We all stopped in this field to take a break. I went to start my sled and the knot in the rope came undone and all rolled up in the recoil housing. No biggie I got a strap to start it. Well did that a couple times and decided I was sick of it and decided to head for home. I left the group and headed back west. Got maybe 5 miles away and my sled threw an error code (2010 rush) then all at once died. Rope destroyed the stator inside.... So no cell service I started walking and walking AND WALKING and now its dark... Finally got some service and had my brother go get my truck anyway he ends up getting stuck my sled falls out of the truck trying to get unstuck... Smoked the clutch in my truck.... Anyway I wasnt very pleasant at xmas supper as I was taking shots of Jack trying to forget the day.... Life goes on and now like was said I look back and laugh....
 
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polarisrider1

New member
indy_500 said:
Don't even know where to start. Well me my dad and sister trailered about 15 miles over the county line to go for a little ride today. Got about 15 miles into the ride and whack. I hit a big root and busted the lower radius rod on my 99 xc 700 right in half. I was 1/2 mile north of a popular bar (bean city) and limped the sled back there. I hopped on my dads sled and left my dad and sister there. They were going to order food and i was going to go get the truck and trailer and drive back. Well i made it back to the truck and trailer, loaded my dads sled up, tied it down. But guess what i forgot. THE @#()*$#(*( RAMP!!! I drove the truck and trailer about 5 miles to the bar and as im turning down the road for the bar, i realize what i had just done. I got there and told my dad and we ate anyways. Hoping it fell off at the parking lot we lifted the other 2 sleds up onto the trailer and rushed back there. NO LUCK. shes gone. sad part is the person who took it is probably going to scrap it. So we headed for home. I get back and there's a note from blu2u2 in my door about packing down the swamp in town here in order to get the trails open for tomorrow. I call him up, an hour later in packing down the swamp with my 05 xc sp 500. I had no problems at all, i tinkered around on the trails a bit and headed home. About a week ago my mom rode this sled and hit a railroad track that stopped her dead in her tracks. THe skis weren't straight anymore so i adjusted the tie rod and got it aligned. Well I put 200 miles on since and it seemed to ride fine but if i hit bumps right i heard a clicking sound. Got it in the garage tonight and looked at it and the trailing arm mount is BUSTED RIGHT OFF. It's riveted under the footwell above the belly pan. It looked like a huge giant disaster to start to fix. I HATE RIVETS! On the bright side due to me getting the swamp packed down and the fresh snow (3-4" so far another 2-3" to come totally uncalled for) the trails open tomorrow at sunrise. It doesn't matter though because I have 2 busted sleds...
Click to expand...

Indy, you make me laugh. Still at home, It gets worse, much worse. Looks like you need to put in some extra hours in at the Family Farm and Home.
 
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Bradzoo

Active member
Indy it happens, just remember as long as nobody gets hurt the rest can be fixed or replaced, I remember backing up the 4 place with the sleds on it in the driveway and wondering why the back of the trailer went up in the air, until I realized the ramp was down and up against a railroad tie that was froze to the ground lifting the back of the trailer up about 2'. I don't think this will be your last ramp experience. Not to be mean but I did take the sleds for a ride today.

Bradzoo
 
favoritos

favoritos

Well-known member
Bummer deal Indy. I finally went out and bought an air rivet gun. Try one of those, it might ease the pain.
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
Well got the 700 rolling. Old radius rod was rusted tight to the rod end. Paid $20 for a used rod and $35 for the friggin rod end!!! are you kidding me! Either way got 80 miles on today in 3 hours not bad for around here. I have a feeling its going to be a long year on that sled as the edge skid i installed puts more pressure on the front suspension. That front suspension already has 7k mile non rebuildable cheapo shocks as it was the non sp model. Going to a xmas party now hopefully i get to tear into my 500 soon. Oh yeah, did i mention my 2" paddle on that sled is torn to crap 700 miles later? Already got a new ripsaw in the garage and have a new oil tank to install on that sucker since the cap goes on crooked because the threads are warped. I'm about $500 in parts here BEFORE the trailing arm mount as even started.
 
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Skylar

Super Moderator
Staff member
January 1st, 2000. I head out for a quick evening ride. I am heading home running the ditch, and jump a driveway, land a little bit crossed up, and I head right for a power ploe, I turn just in time to hit the pole with the right side ski, planting myself on the windshield. Hmm, spindle looks bent, ski is a little crooked, and the hood is bulging out on the right side. 2000 ZR600. I get home, put it in the garage, worry about it in the morning I says. Well, the next morning I am taking a look at it and realise the bulkhead is bent! So, I order up a new one, and the next weekend my buddy and I change it out, 18 hours it took us.

150 miles today, need more snow!!
 
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600_RMK_144

Active member
Hey, man. If this was the worst day of your life, you really need to go read Reiley99's post from yesterday. When you have a life changing event such as his, you will realize all this stuff doesn't make a bit of difference. Good luck in getting your sleds back on the trails.
 
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