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Alpine II steering "miracle"
Topic Started: Jan 31 2010, 05:43 PM (1,940 Views)
couchsachraga
Advanced Operator
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My Alpine II steered "ok" (better than the Alpine I's, except my heavily modified one with the 2" skegs), but when I pulled the ski off to paint it (snow sticking and getting annoying) I noticed the runners were built up in back, and really worn down in front. A local fellow who helps me out a bunch with his sleds worked his magic - cut off the "extra" on the old runners, then welded on another runner on top of it (making it basically twice as thick...still only 1" or so), with carbide. WOW. In our current hardpack and ice conditions it turns better than any sled I think I've ever been on - easy to turn too (not too much pressure on the steering components).

While I was fiddling with the suspension I also put maximum pressure on the ski, and tightened up the preload on the rear suspension pivot.

Now all I need is more snow!!
:letsnow:

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Boldy
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Couch, Please take this as the humor I intend it to be. Sometimes it doesn't come across in text.

Re: Steering an Alpine. You're like all Alpine owners past, present and future. You think there's some "Holy Grail" of Alpine steering and if you can just find it you'll unlock the secrets to controlling an Alpine. While I think it's a very noble quest, I'm just not sure it's attainable.
Through the years I've seen "Use angle iron for runners". " Air shock to add pressure to the ski". Weights on the front end". "Stand on the outside front end opposite side to your turn". "Slaughter a chicken and say some chant". You get my drift - there are a lot of solutions out there. They all will work in certain conditions but what you have to realize is they will only work if the Alpine decides it wants them to work. I think when you own an Alpine you have to come to the realization that there will be days when the Alpine wins. For whatever reason it decides it's not a good day to be out on the trail. You may have put the gas in wrong or you pushed to hard on the primer, who knows. But on those days it's the boss and you just have to hang on and do the best you can to keep it out of the woods. I think it's one step from going feral at this point so if you get it back to home base then consider it a good day.

Good luck on the quest.
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couchsachraga
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:)

I agree... but in my "battle" with the Alpine I have found that certain changes mean I "win" more days than the Alpine does.

To me, Alpines, like all machines, have their own personality and character... and Alpines have more "character" than a lot of other machines...that is probably some of their draw for a lot of us.

The nice thing about having more than one is that if one is REALLY misbehaving, I can hop and another. And hope they haven't "talked";)

On a serious note, each modification has (hopefully) positive and negative consequences. The "super skeg" on the Alpine II has made a tremendous improvement in hardpack. I doubt it will be as good in powder, but hopefully it is an improvement none the less. I'm sure top end speed will suffer (more drag).

For the Alpine I the skegs on the side (or angle iron) makes it more like a tractor than a sled. MUCH slower, but turns in almost any condition (I've had good luck even in fresh powder with no base... not perfect, but less "turn and pray" steering ).

I hope others who have Alpines, and are looking to make improvements, or not, may be helped by what I've shared here.

And those that have "done battle" with Alpines can just laugh along with us:)

I will say, though, that for light weight (170 ish lbs) folks like myself an Alpine with skegs of one sort or another pulling a Ginzu on a gooseneck turns MUCH better than a stock skandic with the same gooseneck.
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