Snowmobile Forum banner

Stud Length

4K views 23 replies 4 participants last post by  Skier76 
#1 ·
Both sleds have the standard issue .78" stock track. I may have the option of picking up an old track to use as a track mat on my bridge that crosses a stream on our property. If that track is studded, would a longer stud than a .875" cause issues? I have to image the longer the stud, the more pressure it puts on the track?
 
#4 ·
Not bad for $90. $60 for the firecat rear shock which is going on the Jag. $30 for the track. It's got a pretty significant tear by one of the tack widows, so it's not useable.

Pulling the studs is a bit harder than I thought. The Allen driver likes to spin or pop out when you really torque the nut on the other side.
 

Attachments

#5 ·
Longer studs will put some more strain on the track than shorter studs. 3/8" above each lug is the benchmark to go for. Also note that the outer two belts are more prone to pullouts.

My 1" track was studded with studs that stick out about 3/8" on the center belt, and the studs on the outer belts stick out only by 1/8". The previous owner of said he studded the track when the sled had 1,000 miles on it, and it now has 9,200 miles. The track has 8,200 miles without any appreciable lug, clip, or stud wear, save one bent stud in the center belt.
 
#6 ·
Good point on studding the outter track sections. That track I bought has damage; outter part of the track near a stud.

I've pulled the outter studs off the Jag last season, left the center ones in.

Hosed the nuts on half of the used track down with PB Blaster. We'll see if that works. They'll sit for almost two weeks.
 
#9 ·
Pulling the studs can be a real PITA!
And for a mat, you will have to cut all the lugs off the inside of the track!
For a hundred or what ever it cost to repair a track, it may be worth it to swap out the whole track as is!
How good is your old track?
 
#13 ·
Do you think it may be easier to just tighten up the studs until they break off? It has always been easier for me to break off rusted bolts than to unscrew them.
 
#14 ·
I should know in about a week and a half. They're soaking up north in PB Blaster. I wan planning on reusing the good studs and installing them on the Puma. This track has 90-100 studs in it. I just need 50 or so to stud the 136" on the Puma 340.
 
#15 ·
I had removed a few by hand and it was tough. So I brought up my 1/2" impact this weekend. My little compressor has a hard time keeping up; it's not meant for tools like that. But it worked....slowly. Lol!

I put a few drops of brake fluid on each nut last weekend and let it sit. The impact zipped the nuts off pretty easily.



I'll do the other side of the track tomorrow. Brake fluid is in soaking now.

Here's how most of the studs look. I'll need new nuts. Think these are salvageable?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#20 ·
What should I use for nuts on these? Stainless?

Any thoughts on bits for drilling out a track? The Puma has never been studded. I'll be studded it with the track on the sled. Any tips for that are welcome.
 
#21 ·
Just in case you ever need to do this again in the future, I would reccomend making the home brew penetrating oil which is 50/50 acetone and automatic transmission fluid. I used to always use pb blaster but I randomly decided to mix up some of that stuff and I can definitely say that it works probably twice as good as PB blaster or liquid wrench. If you ever want to chemically brake rust, then this is the stuff to use. Otherwise heat is the way to go.
 
#23 ·
I just put it in an old spray bottle from some windex that I picked out of the garbage. I don't know if it's going to eat the spray parts of the bottle away but it works good so far!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top