Steering System

Content Source: 2021 550 Indy 144 Owner’s Manual (9931273 R01) > Maintenance Chapter

IMPORTANT

The Owner's Manual for this vehicle contains warnings, instructions and other information you must read and fully understand before safely riding or performing maintenance on this vehicle.Always follow the warnings and instructions in Owner's Manual.

Click the CONTENTS link above for the Table Of Contents, or download a full PDF of the Owner Manual in the Owner Support area of Polaris.com

Steering System

Steering Inspection

Each week, or before a long ride, check all steering system fasteners and tighten if necessary.

Ski Alignment

WARNING

Improper ski alignment or adjustment may cause loss of steering control, resulting in serious injury or death. Do not attempt to change the ski alignment or camber adjustment. Your POLARIS dealer can perform this service.

If the steering feels heavy, or if the snowmobile seems to pull or dart to the side, ski alignment may need adjustment. Refer to the service manual, or your dealer, to perform this service.

Ski Toe Settings

WARNING

Improper ski toe adjustment may cause loss of steering control, resulting in serious injury or death. Do not attempt to change toe adjustment. Your POLARIS dealer can perform this service.

The skis on your snowmobile are set with a small amount of toe-out at the factory. You can inspect the toe setting by following the procedure below.

Ski Toe Measurement Table
Model	Skis Off Ground (Yes/No)	Difference Between and Measurements
550 INDY 144 550 INDY LXT 550 INDY Voyageur 550 INDY ADVENTURE	Yes	0-1/8 in. (0-3 mm)
550 INDY Voyageur 155 550 INDY ADVENTURE 155	No	1/8-1/4 in. (3-6 cm)
INDY 121	Yes	0-1/8 in. (0-3 mm)
INDY EVO EVO RMK	Yes	5/16-3/8 in. (8-9.5 mm)

On some models, measuring ski toe must be done with the skis off the ground. Refer to the ski toe measurement table above.
If your model requires lifting the skis off the ground, safely elevate the front end of the snowmobile using a floor jack.
If your model does not require lifting the skis, make sure only vehicle weight is compressing the suspension when measuring.
Place the handlebars in a straight-ahead position.
Measure 10 inches (25.4 cm) forward from the center of the ski mounting bolt. At this point, measure between the skis. This is measurement .
Perform the same measurement rearward from the center of the ski mounting bolt. This is measurement .
The measurement should be greater than the measurement by the amount shown in the ski toe measurement table. If the skis are misaligned, or if ski toe requires adjustment, your dealer can assist.

Ski Skags

See your dealer’s studding chart for recommended skags. If you install longer or more aggressive carbide skags than the original equipment, it may also be necessary to add track studs to maintain proper vehicle control while turning on hard-packed snow or ice.

WARNING

Worn skis and/or skags will adversely affect handling. Loss of vehicle control may result, causing serious injury or death.

Check skags before each use of the snowmobile to ensure positive steering characteristics. Skags must be replaced when worn to half their original diameter. Carbide skags must be replaced if any abnormal wear or chipping is found.

Skag Replacement

To replace the skag, do the following:

Raise and support the front of the snowmobile so the skis are approximately 6 inches (15.2 cm) from the ground.
Remove the attaching hardware and pry the skag downward.
Remove the front end of the skag.
Remove the rear end of the skag.
Reverse the steps to install a skag.

Rail Slide Wear

For ease of inspection, all POLARIS rail slides have a wear limit indicator groove to indicate the minimum permissible slide thickness . Replace the rail slides if they are worn to the top of the groove at any point along their length. Failure to do so may result in permanent damage to the track or rails.