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Are the shorter nuts steel? I retorque the studs on mine each season. The aluminum tall nuts do seem to need more turns on the first round of checking. I'm not sure why. They seem pretty good after that first check. I also replace any backers and studs that look really whacked. Once and awhile I'll find studs bent enough that they need the ol grinder cutoff which is surprisingly efficient. One thing I'll say about the practice of checking and retorquing. I don't think I've lost any since I started doing that process. Buddies still lose studs every so often and they run the same brand and style.

Glad to see part diagrams are starting to show. I don't have a clue if the screw is aluminum. The description does look that way. I don't recall ever seeing a shoulder bolt made of aluminum. Honestly, it wouldn't be a good design if that is the case. Shoulder bolts are nice in the fact that they seat and bottom out nicely. That feature would be a problem with stretchy composition material. It would not be a reusable bolt for that application.

Is that arm bent? I admittedly have no idea how the short arms are shaped. It's always hard to tell what is exactly happening with some of these posts. Seems odd if all the blue gunk on the nut and arm is extra locktite. On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of threading a steel bolt into the thin aluminum upper spindle section if that's how they are built. I see the potential for too many back yard hacks going full bore on the bolt and splitting the spindle. That point is weaker than the steel A arm section with the bolt.

@Crnr2Crnr, It's funny that you mention the wheels. I'm not sure what direction I'm headed with the Catalyst sleds. I have not had time to look at the parts diagrams. The standard skids looked like they may ship with the previous version of octagoners. The RXC proto sleds looked like better wheels along the rails. If they are using the octagoners, I'll put in better wheels. If they ship with the old stock PPD wheels, I might just run em. Those are good enough and they are cheap. I usually swap in better bearings. The Soucy wheels are super durable and have half a dozen sitting. I don't know if I need something that durable. They add rolling weight and the stock bearings are so so. With good bearings, the wheels are pretty dang good, but it takes some coin. I have a spare Larson kit for the rear. I'll put that on one sled just because. The tensioner setup is easier and more durable than stock. I like the more durable wheels. The bearings are maybe a little better, (I swap in better bearings on the first replacement). Overall, I don't have a concrete plan with what I'm doing. I like to run the sleds and see what breaks.

I remember years ago when Bush came flapping into town for an event. One stretch of highway I drove every day was to be used for their drive to and from the airport for the event. They sure did clean up that stretch. The tents were removed from under the overpasses, graffiti was removed, and the whole roadside was tuned up. They planted trees, grass and flowers. The mowing crew switched to better equipment and did a really nice looking roadside. It seemed like quite the effort along that road for a simple drive. The work I saw took quite a few weeks. I'd be surprised if Bush caught more than a quick glance. Ironically, the initial trash cleaning looked like those prison van crews. I'm not sure if they caught the irony.

It's three settings. I'm surprised how little that adjustment gets changed. I don't ride the ATAC sled a whole lot, but it's rare to move the setting. The shocks are kinda meh and certainly work better with big guys. They seem to get the shocks moving enough to get travel and notice the difference. It seems like a cool feature, but it's a poor choice for myself with the current setup. I'd love to see Cat do a little fine tuning. They could knock it out of the park with the simple bar adjustment process on the IACT sleds. Add some manual adjustment to the presets and let users toggle between setting that work for them. It still blows me away that I have had the best luck with a sled they call the RR. The name throws people off. Those shocks are actually adjustable. I can set them up for my weight and ride harder with way less effort.

Not sure if there are going to be many options. One of the kids sent me this post off FB. Looks like we might be trying the idea @jonlafon1 has suggested.

Last year's reroute was a huge improvement. It was fun to ride the stretch of old grade we used to use for trail. Sadly, I also saw two ding dongs off trail and stuck right in a section marked "stay on trail". One guy looked like he was in someone's yard. I was pissed. It was tempting to hang around and chew them out. I sure as hell wasn't going to crawl through the drifts or help them out, so I let it go. Hopefully they got some form of Karma for that bonehead move. @Ziemann Yeah, Bingo's was perfect for sledding. He had the whole setup. We even used the shop once and awhile. It was nice to be out of town, but close enough if you needed. We also used to ride the back trail up to S Boundry. Trail 11N ran right along 519 for a distance. That was a fun trail. I've towed sleds on the road, but never really rode it for much distance. The bugger was a carbide burner most of the time when we tried. i don't think I've ever rode the Camp 4 Grade. Looking at the map, trail 102 must end up close to the same spot. It was amazing on some days how much the snow changed riding up that direction. We had a few times when new snow was barely enough to cover grass at Bingos and measured in feet up on the hill. Last season would have been a good time to see that happen. We ran into big LES storms on a few trips.

Thanks @jonlafon1 for clearing up the 11S route. I'm somewhat familiar with the area, but that trail seemed to be so inconsistent that we quit trying. It was easier to give a quick try when Bingos was still around. (That was our home base about five weeks per season.) I can't even guess how many times I've rode through that intersection. We gave 11S another shot early last season right after the doozy Christmas snow, but it hadn't been touched yet. We also had a brand new rider and one new sled. Those aren't the best terms for breaking trail. We just aimed for Marenisco before the mini mart gas closed. I have to admit that the renaming of trails was also a little confusing with the "new 2 grade section and the old 2 being 11" in the area south of Wakefield. I'm not even sure when that was changed, but one of the boys pulled up trail app and noted that name was different. @Doug I've followed the discussions about the ski hill owners. I often wonder where there money comes from with the way they do business. I can imagine that the double talk flows through their operations. BTW, the current GRTA is a world apart from the old group. They have done quite the improvement. I'm sure it will take years before people get past the old perceptions of junk trails. I'm sure it hasn't been easy to change the culture, but they really upped their game. We joke about their trails being the dirty little secret on that end now. It's refreshing to ride through there. In the big picture, trail 2 corridor section is just plain tough. That's a tight stretch without many reroute options.

Last season's temporary route was pretty easy with all the snow. The stretch on the road shoulder was better than I expected. Granted, the good snow was a big factor, but it was better than the route around the ski hills. @jonlafon1, I have not been across the 11S trail for quite a few years. That thing seemed like it was partially closed quite often. Even tried early last season, and ran out of trail. Are you using roads vs. the trail? The trail 2 thing sure is a pain. We used to base right out of Wakefield and it just became more and more hassle. Thank God we didn't buy a place there. I often wonder if the local population has a clue how much that trail matters? The area is becoming the end of the world in terms of riding. It's hard to get through there compared to the old days and people just base further away.

How is that bag? I have been using a tool wrap for years that worked quite well. It was small enough to carry on the bars and kept the tools tight with a cinch strap/buckle system. The variety of pockets worked well with some sewn tight along with adjustable velcro versions. I see that the bag has been discontinued and I've been on a quest to find a suitable replacement. It seems like quite a few bags are too big and cumbersome. Sounds like many of us have a similar method for tools. We carry just the tools we need. We also need them easy to access and use in cold.

We have been doing corn and soybeans. Maybe 2,500 acres done. We had our stuff planted before that round of spring storms. It sure is early for harvest. Odd to dry corn that goes in with temps around 90! 105-107 day corn is running under 20% already. We were joking that a couple good hair driers would probably dry this stuff. Beans are hit and miss right now. It's completely dependent on the variety. They are drying so fast that we couldn't wait until they were all ready. Two of the boys are doing beans by themselves. They are doing pretty good too. They did a couple days around 150 acres. To the belt drive discussion. I'm well aware that belts can work and work well. I'm not even going to argue the point. My concern is whether or not they designed a system that will be adequate for high stress riding conditions. I sure hope they didn't try to pinch a couple pennies and go cheap with a setup that is too weak.

@ZR6000RR, I hope you are correct about the belt drive system holding together. I'd have to argue that I can't compare it to a timing belt. In fact, I have quite a bit of faith in belts that run a more consistent load. These things run a lot of load through belts. We run the heck out of them for long hours and don't worry too much about belts. They do run chains in two spots, unloading auger and running parts of the head. The unload chain really takes a hit even with soft start. The feeder house chain gets a chatter load. I'm not sure why those areas use chains, but we usually replace them every year. They stretch and will break. Some of the belts run thousands of hours under load without replacement. They also run constant tension. I can have faith in belts holding together. I also know setting them up right is a big deal. One advantage of the Catalyst belt drive is it doesn't rely on side pressure to drive. That alone reduces heat stress and constant sidewall pressure load strain. On the other hand, the system would be prone to failure if the belt wasn't always tight. There is nothing left to slip and shock strains would be huge. I'll be watching that belt tension close.

I'm going to comment on the bold. I like banging around in the rough junk once and awhile. It's fun and the workout let's you know you've been riding. I'm a pretty light guy and the shock valving works well for that stuff. The last RR sleds were almost perfect with a few tweaks for light riders. I could use full range of travel in those skids and still have a great ride. I rarely broke stuff in rough conditions. If I did, it's usually something I hit hard. I banged my chest hard into the bars a few times and thought for sure something had to be broke. On the other hand, I lose motors and clutch components like throwing candy at a parade when I'm riding mashed potato stutters all day. Those conditions are hard on sleds for some reason. Some of the stock valving setups just don't work and the skids lock up like deadheading in an old Mack truck. That issue doesn't help. Drive components don't hold up when running hard. The constant loading and unloading stress tears the bejeezus out of anything past the throttle lever. Funny thing with those conditions. Those three hundred pound guys seem to break less driveline stuff in those conditions. They do go through motors though.

I hear you on the belt drive concerns. I wish they would give me test mules to run in those conditions. It sure seems to be hard on sleds. I've been trying components for years just to get them to hold together. I hope the belt drive isn't one of those areas I need to make better. I never did the test rides. Buddies that did say the sleds turn. Sounds like Razors might be too much. I have a spare set of Curve skis I'm planning on trying. Funny deal with the spare set. My dealer was clearing out a storage area and found the set. He knew I ran the skis and asked if I wanted them. I only needed to buy the mounting kit. The other one is a 137 ATAC. Thought it would be a good idea to get contrast in shock packages to test the setup and ride. You should bop up there some time when we're riding. Then we'd have the full set of skid options to compare. I came close to getting a 129, but wasn't sure how much time I'd have to set up the thing. I figured the 137 was close enough to the Procross skid that I'd speed up the process.

Not real sure if it needed refreshing. Had to pop the motor open, (another pto seal) so just did the pistons. This one only had 3,500 miles. The 800 Ctec pistons have actually held up quite well.

I'm hoping to see if there is chassis efficiency this coming winter. I'm running two 22 ZR 800 sleds with fresh clutching and one with a freshened up motor. I also have a couple different secondaries to compare. (Nobody talks much about the 22 800 secondary. They should) Anyhow, I have two Catalyst sleds with coupled skids ordered and I'm hoping to see how the old 800 runs against the new chassis with a 600. Riding style is typically fairly hard core long distance in crappy pulling snow. It's hard on clutching and takes a lot of power. If there is efficiency in the chassis, I hope to find out. If these 600 sleds can hang with the old 800 setup, the new motor should be a rock star in the chassis. I'm honestly more concerned about any weak points in the new chassis/setup they may not have yet discovered. All the efficiency in the world doesn't mean squat if it's sitting in a shop. That's about all I've got for the actual sled discussion. Now we can get back to the blathering.

The newer exhaust springs also work well. I can't remember which year they started, I believe it was the 21 models. It seems hard to believe that the small insert works so well, but I have not lost any of the newer style springs. I used to go through the old springs like crazy. Carried a couple in my tool kit all the time.

Part of our work ethic is tied to "The American Dream". The underlying belief that you will get ahead and live better with hard work is one heck of a motivating tool. It used to be a fairly basic route. If you showed up and kept your nose to the grindstone, you could make enough to buy a house and raise a family. Those are tough sell values if people want it all and they want it now. I can remember the first employee that asked if the work was always this hard? . . . They asked during their first break. That job wasn't too hard either. It was good money pulling small item orders in a nice climate controlled warehouse. It's hard to resist clanging their noggin and telling them they have it easy compared to the old days.

How many take two weeks at a time? Health studies show that people need at least ten days in a row to properly relax and refresh. The irony is that our normal vacation would all be used for a single recharge. Quite a few of you guys have fantastic vacation packages. I didn't have that kind of vacation time. I was also on call for years. That is barely what I'd call time off.

@ViperGTS/Z1, You do make a good point. That used to be the general method of determining liability. There are plenty of statistics to show that bad driving is what causes accidents. The courts have changed over time. Now, the driver with alcohol is automatically liable whether or not the driving was the cause. The courts vary by state, but it is the general practice to place the liability on the drunk driver. One other area where the courts are changing is related to using a device I.E. cell phone. Some of those distracted driver liability rulings are similar to drunk driving. I would not be surprised if Texas tries to tie in distracted driving in the near future. The true reality is that we need to get rid of bad driving.

@smokin george, I'm glad it was caught in time and treatable. I've watched my FIL and grandfather go through untreatable prostrate cancer. It is long and painful from everything I've seen. Very hard to watch what happened to them. This disease runs on my dad's side. Three uncles and my dad have all been caught early and treated. I think it's been over ten years already for each one. That is at least encouraging. My brothers and I don't mess around with this disease. We make sure that we are current on testing. We even question each other to make sure nobody skips.

I start every ride by loading up sleds and hauling them somewhere that I can actually ride. I screwed up when we were looking at homes and ended up in a dead zone. Back then, it didn't seem like a big deal, but I ride a lot more now. I'd probably ride a little more in MN if I wasn't already hauling somewhere. I've rode some nice MN stuff, but I don't like the speed limit. I guess my main area is the Western U.P. and it is my primary base. I could probably do a guide business on the west side. I ride the dickens out of that area and do occasional day trips into sconny land. I used to ride a lot more Northern Wisconsin and usually bought passes for both states on the first trip each season. Getting there by trail is a bigger hassle now. In fact, I don't think I have a Wisconsin permit on any current sleds. I miss the old main corridor trail. It was fun riding Wisconsin more often. The trails are quite different. Bla Bla Bla, I guess that was a bit of rambling. The Western UP. That's my final answer.

I have been using the older sticker for years without adding the extra lettering. The issue wasn't even mentioned at stops. Probably not much different than mounting on the lower half of the cowling. @Mag6240 , I'm giving you crap about your registration location. I'm glad the lettering requirement is gone. It was overkill. In fact, were the requirements the same used on watercraft? The new style sure looks a lot like trail passes in other states. I wonder if they will get together and coordinate colors?

When I first heard the story my reaction was basically meh. Then I heard where he was driving. My reaction changed. It truly was a rookie move and dumb. I enjoy a little fast driving sometimes. Although I've gotten rid of the good toys. - Some of those cars were tapped out on an almost daily basis. Nice flat country roads were easy, safe, and manageable. The main killers were wildlife and mechanical failures. Freeways out in the country aren't too bad on a dead day, but its rare to know everything on the road. Those surprises happen fast. This doofus did that run on what may be one of the worst stretches possible. Granted he was on the tail end of a two click straight shot, but both ends are bad news. Dude was coming out of a windy bugger section with left and right side ramps. It's not easy to manage without crazy speed. He was stopped right before the spaghetti intersection which would have been bad news at any real speed. Maybe he just popped it up to that speed and dropped. That would have been doable, but dang risky even with light traffic in the middle of the night. With that scenario it seems even more like a rookie move. If you're gonna go fast, find a spot to run it's legs. Don't do it on a heavily patrolled, bad stretch of highway, with who knows what other ding dong drivers. It's a bad risk against bad odds.