I have a 99 venture 500 with major darting issues. I have swapped yamaha plastic skiis with steel skiis(good carbides) with no help. Do all the yamaha chassis' have poor handling? I have driven vmax's of this vintage with the same concerns. I have adjusted the front spring tension to no avail. You can ride my buddies formula with one hand at 70 mph. I wouldnt even consider that with this machine.Any recommendations?
darting 99 venture
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idk my buddy used to have a venture and if i remember right it kinda handled poor compared to the rest of his sleds
Hi guys.the machine came with Yamaha plastic skiis( same ones that are in the service manual) I found a pair of Yamaha steel skiis,with skins(I like them better because they dont flex when lifting) and tried them. Same thing. What needs to be shimmed? What adjustment on the track would put more weight on the front end? Could that maybe help?
the shim would go under the rubber block at the rear portion where it meets the ski. basically a piece of old hyfax, old belt, or anything hard can be used. it needs to be permanently attached by glue or screw.
remove a ski and the rubber block. see if there is a letter on the block like an "S". with the "S" rubbers, you will need a thinner shim like 1/8-3/16. the non "S" ones will need a bit thicker.
before you start, get the sled on flat, level ground. look at how and where the carbide is sitting in relation to the floor. the front portion of the carbide should be about 1/4" off the floor. this is what your shooting for by shimming the spindle. there is no cut and dried "this works for that sled" thickness, its trial and error.
cut yourself a few shims about 2" long and 1" wide in thicknesses of 1/16" increments: 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4. now using the trial and error method, install a shim and measure the distance from the floor to the carbide. your shooting for about 1/4" off the floor. too much shim= too high, not enough= too low.
find what seems right and glue it on. rtv silicone works good or any other type rubber adhesive. then you need to test and see if if it works. you may have to play a bit to find your happy spot.
also, Bergstrom used to sell these shims so you might opt for that route.
as for suspension tuning, increasing preload on the ski socks, reducing preload on the center shock, increasing preload on the rear shock and limiter strap adjustments will all affect ski pressure. make one change at a time and test. and, as always, note your starting points prior to adjustment for a return to original positioning if the adjustments dont suit your needs.
remove a ski and the rubber block. see if there is a letter on the block like an "S". with the "S" rubbers, you will need a thinner shim like 1/8-3/16. the non "S" ones will need a bit thicker.
before you start, get the sled on flat, level ground. look at how and where the carbide is sitting in relation to the floor. the front portion of the carbide should be about 1/4" off the floor. this is what your shooting for by shimming the spindle. there is no cut and dried "this works for that sled" thickness, its trial and error.
cut yourself a few shims about 2" long and 1" wide in thicknesses of 1/16" increments: 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4. now using the trial and error method, install a shim and measure the distance from the floor to the carbide. your shooting for about 1/4" off the floor. too much shim= too high, not enough= too low.
find what seems right and glue it on. rtv silicone works good or any other type rubber adhesive. then you need to test and see if if it works. you may have to play a bit to find your happy spot.
also, Bergstrom used to sell these shims so you might opt for that route.
as for suspension tuning, increasing preload on the ski socks, reducing preload on the center shock, increasing preload on the rear shock and limiter strap adjustments will all affect ski pressure. make one change at a time and test. and, as always, note your starting points prior to adjustment for a return to original positioning if the adjustments dont suit your needs.
I had a 2000 Venture with a similiar issue. I am a smaller guy, 5'6" and 150 lbs, Dealer told me that it was common for people under 180 lbs to have darting issues. He recommended Woodeys Duce Bars, After aonther season of playing with adjustments, I broke down and put the duce bars on, and had absolutly NO darting, since then i have put them on all my sleds. They are a little more expensive than a standard wear bar / carbide, but in my opinion its more than worth it.
Good luck
Good luck
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