carbide/stud ? - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

IHI · 12-12-2007, 10:02 PM

We've finally been able to do some riding with the new to us sleds. The EFI one has been sitting when we group ride since it's dog azzed slow, and actually guy called tonight and redid the clutch, gave the sled the once over and said it's day and night difference from when i took it to him a few days back. Anyways, I've been riding the Cougar and this looks to have a stock track with NO studs. The front ski's have ski skins, and looking at everybody else's ski tracks they all have very deep/pronounced carbide impressions in the snow.

So here's my problem, this sled is a serious handful while riding, everybody was even telling me they were scared FOR me since the sled is literally one side of the trail to the other. (we have fresh powder for the most part with layers of ice) whenever there was an area with fresh snow, I jumped on it since that was the only way i was not getting tossed around...on the trails where the traffic is heavy, i was getting tossed side to side like a rag doll and it took about all my nutz and stupidity to try and keep pace with the group. I'd lay back so i could watch their body movement/sled movement and it was like they were on a frozen lake, they were able to sit upright and go straight as a string. They told me to get carbides and get the track studded and it'll make a HUGE difference....so my question to the old veterans..will installing new carbides and having the track studded make my ride more managable? right now there is no way I'd let my wife who's never rode before get on this machine...I was getting serious arm pump/worn out just trying to manhandle the thing to stay on course.

thanks for the input
Josh

**RJ Gleason** · 12-12-2007, 10:29 PM

96 studs minimum and 6 inch carbides for the skis. Also sounds as if it's darting as well, you might want to have the ski alignment checked.

dave.s3693 · 12-13-2007, 06:48 AM

definitely get new carbides Youll also get unbelievably good traction if you install studs

SnowBunny550 · 12-13-2007, 03:54 PM

I'm not exactly an "old veteran," but I was having VERY similar problems to yours 2 seasons ago. It took all I had to try to keep up with my group, and that was mostly because I had to fight with my sled so much. Finally, a couple of the guys rode behind me to see what I was talking about & they all agreed I needed studs (my carbides were fine).

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am I've got a studded track (I think we did 96 on mine - it's just a 550 and I don't tear around that much). It just sticks so much better now, and I'm not nearly as scared/exhausted from fighting against my sled to stay on the trails now. It's seriously like night & day.

IHI · 12-13-2007, 07:45 PM

snowbunny-that sounds exactly like what mines doing. I made a call yesterday and got a price to stud it, figure i can throw the carbides on and save some labor cost, but studding does'nt sound like much fun for a newbie

SnowBunny550 · 12-16-2007, 11:57 AM

Yeah, I don't know how difficult it is - my boyfriend takes care of all the mechanical stuff on the sleds (in fact, he was raiding the kitchen earlier to find a container to hold his crank case oil....grrr).

I have a 550 SuperSport - we put 96 on that. Tim has a 600 Fusion with 120 studs; I think most of the guys we ride with have 120. Then we've got the odd-ball with the 900 and 144 studs. I think.

Anyway - hopefully the work can get done soon & you can get back out there. You'll LOVE the difference, I swear. You don't get as strenuous a fore-arm workout, but the reduced anxiety makes up for that.

Formula_Canuk · 12-16-2007, 02:31 PM

96 studs will do the trick. Thats all we run on all our sleds. I can't beleive people even run non studded tracks these days, seems so much more unsafe

IHI · 12-16-2007, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formula_Canuk

96 studs will do the trick. Thats all we run on all our sleds. I can't beleive people even run non studded tracks these days, seems so much more unsafe

That's an understatement!!! I installed new 6" carbides on this machine yesterday and it helped when we hit the ice pack/hard pack, it would go whre i pointed it, butthe back end was still all over the place. Then i screwed up, we were heading to my secluded jumping spot we found on the quads yrs back, i thought i'd have a nice smooth ride if i got between the railroad track for a quick jaunt close to our destination...just as i was gettinginto the tracks, i came to an abrupt stop (lucky i was just more/less ideling in) stink'n skis got wedged where two tracks came together and bent all 4 a arms so i lost about 12" of track/ski width since it tucked the front ski's nicely up underneath the belly pan

glad i was'nt going fast or that woulda hurt. So, now the hunt for new a arms begins and hopefully everything else is fine.

always sumthin.
Josh