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This is our family story and product journey. Along the way we’ve faced trials and triumphs, but no challenge greater than the winter and spring of 2023, when we said goodbye to our Mom Irma, affectionately known as “Mom” by our customers. Her warmth and resilience and dedication to Dad’s (Dan’s) mission to “build a better roller” remain the foundation of Hi-Torque Rollers.
Mom’s journey ended in 2023, but her influence continues to guide us as we work together to honor her memory and sustain our company which she helped shape.
It was also the love and respect that Mom taught us to have for each other as a family that allowed us to continue operating without missing an order or a shipping date, while still caring for her needs as her body slowly failed. Mom will be sadly missed until we see her again in her new home.
Calvin, the eldest son of Dan and Irma, and his wife Judy have been running the Canadian division of Hi-Torque Rollers since December 2022. Calvin takes the lead on product development and testing, driving innovation to meet the evolving needs of the industry. With a strong background in machining, quality control, and years of hands-on experience with all product lines, Calvin oversees Canadian production, ensuring every roller meets the high standards our customers trust.
Together, Calvin and Judy continue to innovate and expand Hi-Torque Rollers, maintaining the heart of the business in Creston, BC.
Clayton, the second son of Dan and Irma, and his wife Gena, based in Arizona, bring their expertise and passion for motorsports to lead the U.S. division of Hi-Torque Rollers. Clayton’s deep knowledge of motorsports and years of hands-on experience with Hi-Torque products, combined with Gena’s expertise in accounting, IT, and business management, ensure the continued growth and success of our U.S. operations.
As avid motorsports enthusiasts, Clayton and Gena take the lead in manufacturing Hi-Torque Rollers products for the U.S. market. They also play a pivotal role in research and development, rigorously testing new products to ensure top-tier performance. Their commitment to innovation and quality helps drive the continuous improvement and success of Hi-Torque Rollers in the U.S. market.
Susan, the daughter of Dan and Irma, and her husband Dave, although not directly involved in the business, have supported both Clayton and Calvin as they took over the family business and continued the legacy after the loss of their mother. Without their support, this journey would have had a different destination. The family is deeply grateful to both of them.
During the 1970s, we were raised near Pincher Creek, Alberta—a picturesque area where prairies, foothills, and mountains converged. Weekends were often spent camping with other families, with dirt bikes always in tow. Dan would pack two kids on his bike while Irma carried one on hers, and together we explored nearly every fire lookout in the region. These adventures fostered our deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and a lifelong connection to off-road vehicles, a passion that became central to our family’s identity.
After relocating to Creston, BC, in the early 1990s, Clayton introduced Dan to snowmobiling and the pair often spoke of the stunning mountain landscapes and the exhilarating sense of freedom they felt while riding. Inspired by their enthusiasm, Calvin joined in, purchasing a 1995 670 Summit to partake in their snowy adventures. From his very first ride, the thrill of feeling the CVT clutching in action had him hooked. This passion for riding carried on to the next generation, with Calvin’s son Joshua joining the rides at the age of 12. Today, Joshua plays an important role in the business, serving as a test pilot for Hi-Torque Rollers’ products.
The mountain terrain was ideal for indulging in one of our family’s shared passions – racing. Frozen lakes and open slopes often transformed into impromptu drag strips—and Calvin, often found himself losing to his younger brother, Clayton. With changing traction conditions on uphill climbs, Clayton would surge ahead by several lengths, leaving no doubt as to why he had invested in an aftermarket steel helix and roller-bearing secondary clutch setup. Clayton’s dedication to clutch tuning, coupled with countless hours studying “Olav Aaen’s Clutch Tuning Handbook” soon inspired both Dan and Calvin to pursue clutch tuning themselves.
This shared pursuit laid the foundation for Hi-Torque Rollers, driven by a core CVT principle: reducing the friction between the torque-sensing components—helix, roller, and button— enhances the system’s overall efficiency.
The steel roller systems proved effective but came with challenges—they were expensive, prone to corrosion, and, in some cases, susceptible to mechanical failure, such as a roller-to-helix impact event that could shear off the bearing mounting studs. Around this time, Arctic Cat introduced a roller secondary clutch using plastic rollers. However, the material’s softness led to the infamous “flat spotting” over time, which resulted in poor shift performance.
This presented an opportunity for Dan’s 40 years of machining expertise to shine. After extensive testing of various materials, he discovered a blend that perfectly balanced the properties of a bushing and roller. A refined version of this material became the standard for Hi-Torque Rollers and remains the foundation of our product line today.
During this period, Clayton and Gena launched a high-performance snowmobile shop, Multi-Tech Motorsports operating both in Creston, BC and in southern Alberta. One of Clayton’s go-to modifications for his customers’ Ski-Doo sleds was installing a Cat secondary clutch fitted with “Dan’s Rollers.” At the same time, Judy began selling these rollers on a snowmobile forum. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and word-of-mouth recommendations quickly fueled the growth of sales, establishing our rollers as a trusted product in the industry.
The Ski-Doo QRS clutch story began with Clayton’s purchase of a 2008 Ski-Doo XP. Upon receiving it, his first move was to dismantle the secondary clutch, where he immediately noticed the significant production tolerance in the roller bore. Recognizing an opportunity for improvement, Clayton called Dan and suggested they could design a better roller. Drawing on the same material that had proven highly effective in the Arctic Cat clutch, Dan crafted the first QRS roller set. These improved rollers were put to use early in the season, quickly showcasing their enhanced performance.
These rollers gained significant popularity, thanks to their ability to deliver stable upshifts and quick backshifts—a feature that was frequently praised on snowmobile forums. Riders who had already experienced the performance of Dan’s Arctic Cat rollers were eager to try the new product and shared their positive feedback widely. This success came at a time when it wasn’t yet widely known that stock rollers were prone to reverse impact events, which caused some of them to fail. While destructive testing had already demonstrated the superior strength of Dan’s rollers, their importance for long-term reliability became increasingly evident.
As sales continued to grow, Dan and Irma took a moment to reflect on the future of their venture. Recognizing its potential, they decided to transition from a hobby to a full-fledged business. In 2007, they launched the original website, HiTorqueRollers.com, which has since expanded to include dual sites at HiTorqueRollers.com and HiTorqueRollers.ca. “Dan’s Rollers” officially became Hi-Torque Rollers—a name that both Dan and Irma took great pride in, and one that continues to represent their legacy today.
In the years that followed, Hi-Torque Rollers expanded its product line to include rollers for the 2012–2015 Arctic Cat and Yamaha Sidewinder secondary clutches. These products, along with the Ski-Doo QRS rollers, delivered exceptional performance and collectively have sold thousands of sets across Canada, the USA, Europe, and Asia.
Before officially being a part of the business, Calvin conducted extensive research and development to create rollers specifically for the UTV market, including Can-Am, Polaris and Arctic Cat models. After testing numerous high-temperature materials, a superior option was selected that excelled in both reliability and performance. These rollers are manufactured using materials proudly made in the USA and are quickly earning a reputation as solid and dependable products. We support them with a comprehensive warranty, reflecting our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Read our Warranty and Return Policy
Our team at Hi-Torque Rollers look forward to providing you with a high quality performance product and outstanding customer service.
The values at the heart of Hi-Torque Rollers—quality craftsmanship and exceptional customer service—were instilled by our parents, Dan and Irma, who built the business on a foundation of fairness, respect, and treating others as they themselves would like to be treated. This principle continues to guide the company’s operations today, shaping its dedication to delivering trusted products and outstanding service to customers around the world. We are grateful for the reputation our parents established and for the lessons they passed down, which remain central to Hi-Torque Rollers’ commitment to excellence.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Whether you’re working with Calvin and Judy in Canada or Clayton and Gena in the United States, we look forward to serving you with the same passion and dedication that has defined Hi-Torque Rollers for generations.
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