no more studs ever

[pat the rat]

one little stud just screwed up my ride today,lucky i wasnt far from home,stud went thru my front heat exchanger , the hole isnt that big,is there a kind of product you can use to fix it or should i get it tig welded,i dont want to take the track off if possible,we have a tig at work.the studs are coming off after its fixed,they wont screw another ride for me

 

[Rockmeister]

Depends on the size of the hole, you can use aluma-seal on small pinholes, can get it at NAPA and other auto parts stores.

Would TIG it for a long term fix for sure.
It isnt that bad pulling the skid, have heard of guys not even pulling the skid to fix it.

Just had a friend end up with a concussion from lack of studs in an icy corner, Id suggest studs as a safety feature for sure!

 

[terret725]

i would rather take the chance of losing a front heat exchanger then my life from not having studs. im studding as soon as i get the money. when ur goin side ways at 80 across a lake cause u dont have studs and went from snow to bare ice like i did last night it makes u realize how much a safty feature studs are.

 

[onlyblue]

Pull that track and install an ice ripper or ice attak... these are great tracks for trail riding.... enough bite to help acceleration, and definately enough stopping power for control on those icy corners....

 

[apltx08]

Pull that track and install an ice ripper or ice attak... these are great tracks for trail riding.... enough bite to help acceleration, and definately enough stopping power for control on those icy corners....

I'll never run studs for 2 reasons, Idlers don't last and the risk of PUNCHING a rad...I'd consider the new XT ICE ATTAK it looks a lot more aggressice than the old model or the new COBRA has had good reviews so far...here's a couple of links

http://www.camoplast.com/powersports/en ... oduct.html
http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php? ... highlight=

Never ran studs on my sleds and never had any handling issues, you just have to adjust to riding conditions, I drive 4000 to 6000 kms plus a year, so far so good.

 

[RTXs]

A stud punched a large hole through both sides of my heat x-changer. I used JB weld to fix it (5 bucks at any auto parts store). I just got back from Qubec and 500 miles later and it's just fine. It took me about 1/2hr to do, just clean the area really well, wire brush and brake cleaner and goop it on, very easy.

 

[QCRider]

It seems like a bad spot for a heat exchanger to me. Why not directly above the clipped track sections where no stud could ever possibly be?

 

[Deadman]

I NEVER stud.

 

[pat the rat]

i would rather take the chance of losing a front heat exchanger then my life from not having studs. im studding as soon as i get the money. when ur goin side ways at 80 across a lake cause u dont have studs and went from snow to bare ice like i did last night it makes u realize how much a safty feature studs are.

over here there isnt much ice on the trails or lakes,mostly snow,last year was the first season that i enjoyed my studs cuz there was no snow in december so we decided to do radar runs on bare ice,95% of the time the snow is good,my phazer is not studded and it handles just fine,i might consider an ice ripper but certainly no studs,i am selling the sled after season ends and will be buying something new,but i dont want to just patch it up and sell it to someone and have him coming back,im not the type

 

[sobfrogg]

If you have access to a Tig or a buddie w/ a Tig that would be the best fix.

-If needed drain fluid from coolling system. Enough so there is no coolant in the heat exchanger.
-Clean damaged area. Brake clean works well for this. Wipe excess cleaner from area and make sure it is dry.
-Use a heat source to help get rid of any coolant residue.
-Weld.
Fill system and check for leaks.

I did this on my 98 SRX. It never leaked! 5000 miles later.

 

[Superman]

I have not studded a track since 1996.

 

[LazyBastard]

Contrary to what some people claim, studs are NOT a safety device. If you're driving fast enough that you can't control it, then you're driving TOO FAST. Nothing more to it. Studs CANNOT be relied upon to increase control as you need to be on something that they can DIG INTO in order for them to work, ie, they'll slide dangerously if you're on a rock or paved road.

Studs are actually DANGEROUS!
1) They reduce your ability to STEER because they force your track to keep going in a straight line, which reduces your ability to react in an emergency and avoid that maniac who just came flying around that corner and is pointed straight at you (who also can't steer due to studs and is also affected by point 2).
2) They cause a FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY (see above) that can lead to people driving SIGNIFICANTLY beyond what is permitted by their skill and the conditions.
3) They can cause premature equipment failure which can lead to being stranded and/or dead.


Additional point to think about;
Studs cause damage to what you're driving on. Snowmobiles often cross roads, in most places, studs are NOT allowed on roads because they very quickly chew up the roads and cause a significant increase in maintenance costs. Snowmobiles are also required to STOP before crossing a road, which means that they need to accelerate when they get onto the road, which means a LOT of spinning. At every snowmobile crossing I see, there is a groove that gets worn quite deeply into the road. That means more taxes for everybody since the snowmobile tag doesn't cover the cost of road repairs. Thanks everybody with studs, thats just what I always wanted... more taxes to cover the road repairs.

 

[nate007]

For those of you that live in the northern reigons, I agree with you guys on the no-studs decision. I have one sled that it studded, and one that's not. Living in Iowa, we generally have crappy conditions, and in many areas, it's just down right icy. I can't get around many parts of our trails without studs, but when I ride up north, I have no problems. In any area where the trails are regularly groomed, I agree studs aren't needed, but where I live, they are almost a necessity.

 

[terret725]

i went from 144 studs on my old sled to none on my new and it is just down right scrary when it is warm out and then drops below frezzing at night when i do most of my riding,( dont have to worry about whos coming around the corner u see them long befor from their head light) i have come close to rear ending my brother countless times this winter because he stops in a third of the time that i can because of studs when he sees a water wash out. also have u ever gone 30 mph backwards down a hill because u only made it 2/3rds of the way up? it is realy friging scary espeiacly when u have to try to make a turn too cause theres a 50 foot drop off around the corner. as for ski push do to studs it is there but ive seen my share of ski push this season with no studs till i got new skis. it is all about balancing ur machine. studs increase traction which intur gives u more control and better breaking. more control makes a it safer, period. i have never been surpired by a paved surface and lost control cause of studs. i lost contron cause of a paved surface but that was caused my skis. oh yea had 12 inches of crabide so i had plenty of control. there are just somthings that doesnt matter what u have for control it doesnt matter, u get suprised and there is no time to react. do i like to ride fast? yes as fast as i can that is why i love the sport its the adrenilin rush. i havnt crashed sence the 04 cause the bare pavement on the soft corner between 2 long straight aways. once again why i ride at night u do not have to worry about running into anyone else cause u can always see head lights 1/2 mile or so befor the sled so ur never suprised and we always pull over and let them by. studs give 80% better traction on ice and hard packed frozen snow which are both a big part of the sport. not many of use have to worry about how good of traction we are goin to get on pavement.

studs=traction
traction= control
control= safety

 

[gormleyflyer2002]

my friends don't have studs.......when I lead I don't ever brake hard if its a blinf hill or corner.....for sure I'll get rear end (again).

I put a stud into a heat exchanger on my last seld. PIA for sure, installed an ICE RIPPER and loved it. Sled was a 600 so it was perfect, not sure about big HP sleds.

when my stock track is toast, thats what going on it.