Thoughts on gearing down....needed?

i went with the tki kit and a 2:33 ratio on my 13 and love it,one thing with the tki kit its cheaper and has a idler pully to keep tension on your belt,i did reclutch from factory since im in elevation.Id talk to tom at tki he is the ****.

Kurts is the way to go, get his clutch set up too, they have done TONS of testing trying different ratios I have them both in a box...just waiting for my sled to show up. Turns the sled into a completely different animal

I'm running a 19:42 (2:21 ratio) on 14' Assault. At Sea level I'm over revving to 8300. Primary is shifting out 90% as verified by sharpie mark on clutch. I'm going to drop in 10-70 primary weights and recheck RPM and shift out. Setup is better than 2:10 ratio. Why Polaris geared to 85 mph (2:10) IDK. I'm only seeing 60 mph track speeds under full load.

At high elevation I could surely see increasing ratio to the 2.42 if needed. Draw a straight line on primary clutch with sharpie and see how much gets wiped off after a day of riding. If your peak RPM is correct and you are not getting full shift out increase the gear ratio

polhiker said:

i went with the tki kit and a 2.33 ratio on my 13 and love it,one thing with the tki kit its cheaper and has a idler pully to keep tension on your belt,i did reclutch from factory since im in elevation.Id talk to tom at tki he is the ****.

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Hey Polhiker, how do you like the 2.33 ratio? I am running the 2.25 ratio on the TKI kit and really like it on my 13 PRO. I ride Cooke and the Horns, basically 8 to 10,000 feet. I had about a 1/4" of primary not being used, sled runs 8150 to 8200 RPM with pol 62's. Have a 15 now set up the same as my 13...Should I try the 2.33 ratio? Have you used the 2.25 ratio?

Vfrtrader, I would think 2.42 would be pretty darn low. I am very happy with the 2.25 I used last year. Does Kurt's kit have a higher ratio than 2.42?

Thanks resent:

Randman said:

Hey Polhiker, how do you like the 2.33 ratio? I am running the 2.25 ratio on the TKI kit and really like it on my 13 PRO. I ride Cooke and the Horns, basically 8 to 10,000 feet. I had about a 1/4" of primary not being used, sled runs 8150 to 8200 RPM with pol 62's. Have a 15 now set up the same as my 13...Should I try the 2.33 ratio? Have you used the 2.25 ratio?

Vfrtrader, I would think 2.42 would be pretty darn low. I am very happy with the 2.25 I used last year. Does Kurt's kit have a higher ratio than 2.42?

Thanks resent:

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kurts has a 2.36 or 2.31.... something around there, you need to cut your belly pan and run a VEI quick drive guard to run it tho apparently.

http://www.snowandmud.com/polaris-pro-ride-450/kurt-s-polaris-gear-down-kits-93161.html

Also talked to Kurt and he does have a nice gear down kit
With regards to clutching for the new ratio he makes it up with a different helix and doesn't change the primary weights
The new torque load is addressed in the helix

I liked the looks of his kit but honestly thought it was a bit high plus you cannot run your polaris QD belt (and I have a new spare)
The teeth on the new gear down kits have tighter spacing (more surface area biting) so gates has a belt he uses - I think all aftermarkets have to go this route as from what I understand Polaris has the patent on the design they use

Gearing down

On my 12 pro I run a 19/42 setup. I run it and feel it helps with belt life and also trackspeed.

Sage Crusher said:

Also talked to Kurt and he does have a nice gear down kit
With regards to clutching for the new ratio he makes it up with a different helix and doesn't change the primary weights
The new torque load is addressed in the helix

I liked the looks of his kit but honestly thought it was a bit high plus you cannot run your polaris QD belt (and I have a new spare)
The teeth on the new gear down kits have tighter spacing (more surface area biting) so gates has a belt he uses - I think all aftermarkets have to go this route as from what I understand Polaris has the patent on the design they use

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He no longer uses gates belts, i was wondering if it was worth the coin for the clutch and gear down kit from kurt! talked to him at the snow show seemed like a vey good guy.

We all know there are lots of aftermarket options now days for clutching and gearing. With so many to choose from, one has to ask them selves who to truly believe and which one could possibly be the best bang for your buck. Clutching sleds is a fine art with many ways to achieve similar or same end results. In doing so it's very hard to make a fit for every persons desire or abilities.

Now some of the responses I've read are on the rite track IMO with regards to where your belt is currently being utilized within both clutches. If you have a rider that actually takes time to properly clean their belt and clutches. Mark them with a marker. Then goes out and rides the machine in the same manner they would any other day. Most of us would be truly amazed with the unused potential that's left on the table.

If the rider then chooses to make changes by altering the stock gearing. Yes, you would think to yourself "I've made an improvement" but ask the question again. Where is the belt being utilized within the clutches? If the sled was running at the optimum RPM before alterations were made you now most likely have a Over Rev or RPM spike issue. So did the change help or hurt the sled performance? What I'm getting at here is most kits sold today address gearing down to fix an issue with belt drive heat and self destructive issues. When doing so if you don't also modify your clutching to stay in tune with those changes you've only fixed one problem but yet created another somewhere else. It may sound better/louder but in reality didn't gain performance.

The "Kurts Polaris" OEM gear replacement kit address all those areas. By gear down the machine you have reduced stresses and friction on the quick drive system which in return shows lower QD belt temps (noticed up to -50 degrees cooler) and prolonged belt life. Now add a clutch kit to properly calibrate those clutches while utilizing a lower gear ratio. In doing so you'll find the belt rides higher and further up out on the primary sheeves creating a larger diameter/ratio. That larger diameter/ratio being applied will pull the belt further down into the secondary allowing the machine to hold a 1:1 and overdrive ratio. This creating efficiency along with more track speeds.

I have rode this setup for hundreds of mountain terrain miles in all snow conditions (fall to spring). Sure in the beginning it had flaws like anything else but since then has been put to the test and perfected to show true "seat of the pants" results. Many people have got a chance to try one and overcome the fear of their machine being to slow, or burning lots more fuel. Once again track speed is gained with the ability to hold those RPM'S and utilizing the engines torque on every type of terrain. The package actually makes the sled respond as if a pipe and can had been installed. When run side by side against stock machines whether it being on the flats or up hill, you'll see faster speeds.

Give those guys a call to ask them your concerns/questions and in return you'll get True "Seat Of The Pants" answers. Remember guys... efficiency means more power and fun factor!!! I'm a firm believer you will not be disappointed.

I hope this info helps answer more questions then ruffling someone's feathers.

cjfox said:

He no longer uses gates belts, i was wondering if it was worth the coin for the clutch and gear down kit from kurt! talked to him at the snow show seemed like a vey good guy.

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Hmmmmm
He displayed gates on his sled he had there and explained the polaris patent..and why he uses the gates ( more teeth contact pulley)

Wellllllll,,,, anyyywayyyy.....

The new buggy at the WinNut camp will be gettin outfitted with the Kurts kit,,,,,,,, trust me,,, it works!!!




And, if anyone else is thinking of the Kurts kit, December 13th will be one of the best days to get one.....%%off

cjfox said:

He no longer uses gates belts, i was wondering if it was worth the coin for the clutch and gear down kit from kurt! talked to him at the snow show seemed like a vey good guy.

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I just got mine a month ago and put it on tonight....gates poly chain.....

what are the spring rates for the Kurts clutch kit? what are the cuts in the helix?

what about combining 2 manufactures kits?? say a kit that allows the ratio to be changed, with kurts clutching??

what cut on the helix do you guys recommend when gearing down low?

helix

I know Curt himself has put a chit ton of r & d into his kits, the helix is a custom deal, not exactly sure what the cut is....

trust me

I'm on my 4th PRO, and the demo I rode with his gear down kit worked better than anything I had done to any of them...... Just turns em into the funnest tree bangin sled I've ever been on......

i want to get a kit, but am torn about which way to go.

i like kurts kit because of the clutching kit combo. i don’t like the kit because of the non-adjstability of the ratio and no belt tensioner.

i like the tki kit because of the different ratios available and the belt tensioner.
But don’t like it because the clutching is not addressed.

I don’t know if i will ever put smaller drivers and a different pitch track on this sled, but if i do, i would need to be able to adjust the gear ratio.

help me decide, suggestions? thanks

Has anyone with turbo tried his clutch and gear down kit?