One of the most stressed parts in your sled is the primary clutch spring, and one of the most well-known springs to lose rate and cause your sled’s performance to fall off the map is the square-wire almond-black or the almond-red springs found in various Polaris models. These springs are very stressed in the primary clutch, and are most likely to exhibit a rate change that affects the shifting and performance of your sled.
Many tuners will carry an extra spring with them, especially when we’re talking about RMK models. The clutches can get really hot in extreme mountain riding, and this stress causes the rate of the spring to heat-sag. If your sled is equipped with one of these and is not running like it used to, try a new one and see what happens. Then carry a spare.
