How to shorten stock sn pole

[Fro Diesel]

Anyone ever shorten a stock sn pole? I was thinking -4 but i don't know how to do it or put it back together so it won't SNAP. any help is appreciated. I searched but found nothing for sn, just for the rn which looks doable.

 

[Boris]

A while back I asked the same question and was told that all you can do is drill out new pivot holes on the bottom. I think you can shorten it by about 2" and that's it.
There isn't all that much you can do with that pole so try to find a stock RN one. Well worth it.

 

[hermanns]

do a rn pole conversion and then shorten that pole. I don't think the sn can be shortened in the same way

 

[Fro Diesel]

I am sure someone has a neg4 sn pole out there....

 

[hermanns]

I am sure someone has a neg4 sn pole out there....

yep, but they are made out of aluminum

 

[kskip]

Drill the rivets, remove the innards and bust that sawzall out,buz it off at the bracket,,grind out everything on the inside of the pole bracket that doesn't appear to be aluminum, scuff up with 60 grit what looks like it should slide back in,mix up some jb weld ,applly all of it cuz more is better in the Engineering world.....Wipe off what sloshes out. Get some big aluminum rivets from MacMaster-Carr, Rent the Rivet tool or borrow it from work......
Run all the innards back up and your set...

 

[DR3]

Drill the rivets, remove the innards and bust that sawzall out,buz it off at the bracket,,grind out everything on the inside of the pole bracket that doesn't appear to be aluminum, scuff up with 60 grit what looks like it should slide back in,mix up some jb weld ,applly all of it cuz more is better in the Engineering world.....Wipe off what sloshes out. Get some big aluminum rivets from MacMaster-Carr, Rent the Rivet tool or borrow it from work......
Run all the innards back up and your set...

square nose pole :icon16:

 

[Fro Diesel]

Maybe skip will come up to MI with his RN so i can buy it. Then i won't mess with this pole...but it does need to be at least 2-5 inches shorter. I rode a rn with total -6 and it was wayyyy better. More control and i wasn't fallin off the back of the ski on landings. Thanks kyle for letting me rip your ride. :splatt:

 

[ketsair]

i think you'd have some hood to cut away if you shortened a square pole that much...think the wide part would hit....

 

[Matt_E]

Bah, don't listen to the haters. :biggthumpup:

You can shorten a stock squarenose pole. Phill shortened one by cutting four inches out the middle section.

It will require clearancing of the hood and is generally a pain in the ass.
A roundnose pole conversion is much easier.

 

[Fro Diesel]

yup i posted in teh WTB. lookin for just a stock RN pole.

 

[Phill]

Like Matt said, it can be done.....Mine didnt look too bad (the pic in my sig is with a short SN pole). You will have to clearance the hood.

It will be less work to put a RN pole on and it looks better.

It will cost you a lot less to shorten yor SN pole.



I would do the RN pole.

 

[TB]

yup i did mine -4 and clearanced the hood for it..if its just temparary till you find a rn pole you dont really have to clearance the hood..pm mile9c1 he bought my old square and might still have the pole laying around:dunno:

 

['Crockett]

I shortened my old Square pole 2" as described above . . . . . . moved the pivot hole up 2" and reshaped the end of the pole. I also re-radiused the opening on the back side to allow clearance for movement of all the cables.

I didn't go any shorter on that end because I didn't want to modify the hood. I was looking at and considering moving the steering pivot point down and shortening that end of the pole and chinpad to get another 2". It would have been alot of extra work but very "do-able" with some time and patience. I was going to section out the pivot hole with a hole saw and the relocate it with glass and a couple of flange plates for strength.

That being said you can buy a shortened steering plate now that might do the same thing or just convert to a RN pole. My buddy put a RN pole on his square and it's way better than the old stock "dogleg" pole . . . . . IMO

Good luck with it . . . .

 

[Fro Diesel]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have a RN pole on the way. WIll my stock steering bolt up to it, or will i have to modify.

 

[ketsair]

it'll all swap over

 

[Phill]

That being said you can buy a shortened steering plate now that might do the same thing or just convert to a RN pole. My buddy put a RN pole on his square and it's way better than the old stock "dogleg" pole . . . . . IMO

Good luck with it . . . .

I tried a short turn plate with a SN pole and had trouble with the start/stop switch and the throttle lever hitting the pole. Not sure if it was just me or if it is like that one all SN

 

[keefer]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have a RN pole on the way. WIll my stock steering bolt up to it, or will i have to modify.

If you try to use the stock SN bracket, the pole will not go up all the way. Only about 2/3 of what it used to due to the difference of the angle of the deck between the SN & RN. I have seen several friends struggle with various methods of overcoming this problem. I recently put a X-Metal pole on the wife's ski and found that Pat makes one of his nice SS brackets & backing plate that works killer on the SN. You will get full extension of the pole and a bullet proof bracket too. The hood hooks are built into the bracket, you only have to relocate the hood hooks farther apart on the hood. This will make your install a lot easier and everything works well.

Check it out at http://www.xmetalworks.com/prod.html you will have to call for Pat and ask specifically for the SN version of the bracket.

 

[Fro Diesel]

I'll look into that once i get the pole...

 

[accbr]

The pole I'm sending him has the end ground down so it will come up far enough. I meant to take pics before I took it off the hull. I used this pole with the round bracket for awhile too. I just switched to the square bracket since it sits a little lower.