Sled suspension repair/fab

[phaxtris]

Today's little adventure...
Buddy of mine has been on me all summer to help him fix the suspension on his spare machine, so I took a quick look a while back "oh just a bolt needs to be extracted, no biggy"

He finally gets it over to me today...bolts are broken sure...but it's missing pieces....on the side of a mountain in BC somewhere no doubt

This is an aftermarket setup and to our dismay the company that built these suspensions is out of business, I can't find a manual that shows any detail of the missing pieces....I only have 2 photos I can find on the web to go off, so as to my best guess this is what I have come up with

This is what I have to start with



First thing, extract the broken studs....normally I just weld a nut on and pop she's out...but they are to far down the hole...easy out time...those never go well




I manage to get them out, next up...I should address the wollered out holes....what what I suspect the reason the bolts broke... lack of support

 

[phaxtris]

Whoops, musta hit post

So the drilling setup was no where near rigid enough for milling...time to figure something new


Yep that worked, the holes are as large as I dare make them...not perfect, but serviceable

Next up, have to figure out the missing bushing....fusion and the 3d printer to the rescue, I drew up and printed out a sample of what I had in mind before committing it to metal


Seemed to be ok...time to start making the thing, I had some 1.5" square al that I made the test piece to work from, so lobbed off a piece of that and off to the lathe


Made it double sided, parted off, faced to size and off to the mill for the flats



Time for the plugs




A pretty decent fit

I figure the bolt will probably move so it needs some kind of Shim...the pictures I can find it looks like brass...I don't have brass that big...but I do have delrin....

All of the pieces



And test...I'm not bolting everything up for good yet, I still need some extra thick fender washers (ordered), 2 grade 8 bolts, and a piece of uhmw to make the missing side shim (the white piece in the first pic)

 

[Darren]

nice work

 

[DPittman]

Good job.
I think your friend owes you one big time.

 

[phaxtris]

thanks guy's

he does want to pay me, we will work something out, maybe a few free rides out to the mountains if i decide to sled this year

 

[phaxtris]

And that's it all buttoned up and ready for another season of shovelling, sore backs and minor injuries
...
Or at least until it finds a tree, or that pin falls out of the grenade under the hood
...
Whichever happens first is anyone's guess

 

[Chicken lights]

thanks guy's

he does want to pay me, we will work something out, maybe a few free rides out to the mountains if i decide to sled this year

What’s mountain sledding like? I’ve seen a few videos but I doubt that really gives great context

 

[phaxtris]

What’s mountain sledding like? I’ve seen a few videos but I doubt that really gives great context

When the stars align, you get a blue bird day and no one has and major break downs its a blast, amazing vistas, adrenaline rushes and a good time meeting and hanging out with new and old friends

its also a lot different from trail riding, it can be very frustrating for a new mountain rider, there are a lot of skills to learn....even doing a basic turn in mountain snow takes practice and a lot of *stucks* to get the hang of...as you dont actually turn using your skis. learning how to steer the sled going up a 45deg or more slope...and not getting stuck half way up. learning how to not hit trees....learning how to just ride straight and not get stuck.................and the ultimate thing everyone has to learn........how to get unstuck, because you will get stuck, no matter how good you are, everyone gets stuck.....and know how to do it by yourself, no one is coming up to help you when you burry your track 3ft down heading up a 60deg slope (safety reasons), gonna have learn that one the hard way, hopefully with pointers on the radio

now that being said, because there is so much to learn, and it comes with so much sweat and frustration, there is a lot of satisfaction and personal reward to be had when you finally get it. The guys your riding with get it, but dont try to tell your wife...she wont get it (unless she rides)

there is also a lot of encouragement, and a bit of a team environment, everyone wants everyone to make it to the top (or wherever) even if your a brand new mountain rider getting stuck every 5 minutes, if that means the better riders have to make countless runs up and down a hill beating in a trail for you, or helping you get unstuck for the 13th time that day, thats what happens

there is also a lot of "making the best of it", these are the mountains, it can be beautiful and clear at the staging area, and by the time you make the trek up those few extra thousand feet its so socked in you can hardly see 10 feet in front of you, forget about the big bowls, epic climbs and beautiful vistas, your playing down low in and around the trees, its still a time, but you are making the best of it. This is especially true for myself and the guys i ride with, we are all coming from calgary area to bc, its a solid 300-400k trip one way, your riding no matter what the weather

It can also be real expensive......we came across this sled at radium, someone obviously ghost rode it off a cliff, the helicopter in the picture is hauling it out (about 1000-2000$)....however we all agreed that because it was an entirely downhill run from there a couple guys could have gotten it out on a couple dollar store toboggans

the photos with stuck sleds.....those are all experienced riders....everyone gets stuck.....a nice socked in day at radium again

and your right, videos dont really do it justice, if it looks not steep in the video, its probably 45 degrees or so, if it looks steep its probably a solid 60 degree or more slope