Testing the IceAge Elevate Kit

It’s surprising what a couple of inches will do to improve the handling of a snowmobile. IceAge Performance designed the Elevate Kit for the Arctic Cat Ascender chassis to lift the bulkhead height two inches and increase the tunnel height by .75 inches.

This seemingly simple adjustment takes a very good mountain Cat and turns it into a mountain lion—easily traversing the most rugged terrain.

The editors of SnoWest Magazine got a chance to put the IceAge Elevate Kit to the test on an exclusive ride. Riding both the Alpha One single-beam rear suspension and the M8000 twin-beam rear suspension, we found that by increasing the ride height, you not only improve the clearance in the snow, but also enhance rider control over the snowmobile.

According to Brock Lindberg, general manager at IceAge, this subtle change in the geometry of the snowmobile drastically improves the agility, handling and deep snow performance by lifting the chassis to a height similar to its OEM counterparts. This increase in height allows the sled to glide over the snow with ease and reduces running board and side panel drag.

We were able to test the IceAge Alpha One against the stock Alpha One and the improvement in handling in mountain terrain was easily noticeable. Because you had a little more leverage due to the higher center of gravity, the Alpha One with the IceAge kit was much easier to lean into a sidehill and hold its line.

The kit includes spindles, rails and all the hardware necessary to install. The spindle height is increased near the base where it mounts to the ski. The rail height is increased in both the front and rear mountain positions (using factory pre-drilled holes). The rear shock mount is also slightly moved to improve shock function.

Price: $1,795

www.iceageperformance.com.