Studding the stock Quiet track

[idontknowjack]

Are all those studs for ice racing or just trail riding?

Trail. They recommend 1 stud/hp. According to that I still need to add more. Gonna see how this works for now.

 

[Motorhead]

After drilling my stud pattern for middle only, I simply used a small heat gun to warm up each bump before inserting stud and tightening. Softer rubber allows the stud to dimple those bumps a bit more. At least make sure your track is warm before putting the stud in. Put a ratchet on those studs again after a couple of rides!

 

[APEXJOCKEY]

I love the Pro-Lite plastic backers, however I also tap them about 3/4 of the way thru. They like to strip out and loosen up if you don’t tap them. I only use the pro-lites in the doubles.

Thats a good tip. I’m glad someone else confirms that they do loosen up more often. That has been my experience with my buddies sled and his plastic backers. I’ll have to let him know about your tip knappattack.

 

[Turboflash]

I will end up cutting them down a little bit. I just found a old post on here of a guy that took a stud and cut blades out of it and chucked it up in a drill. Looks pretty slick I might try that method out and see how it works.

I have used Stud Boy ProLite backers (both double and single) for maybe 10 years now with great success. As justinator says, if you spin ANY stud over rocks, railroad tracks, cement curbs, boulders, you will ruin them. As KA says, IMO the doubles are better than singles. What I've always done (per suggestions from Stud Boy) is always tap the backer (I go all the way through) and then when installing, I use professional super glue on stud threads. They NEVER loosen. And, I always put a drop of oil on the track side of the head so when the studs gets pulled in and contacts the track, it will turn easily and pull into track. Works for me.
Also, I do countersink the heads into the quiet track. I built a countersink tool to do it. Its a 15/16" hole saw with a track drill for the center arbor. I put a stop (just wood) that is the right thickness so that it only goes into track about the thickness of the stud head. When done, the track turns nice and quiet and I can't feel the stud heads at all.
BTW - the ProLite setup is about 15% lighter than even aluminum based on my gram scale. No, I don't work for Stud Boy.

 

[mainedrummer]

The Green color looks great with a Green sled color/graphics!

 

[Turboflash]

IMO, yup.

 

[21GT]

I have used Stud Boy ProLite backers (both double and single) for maybe 10 years now with great success. As justinator says, if you spin ANY stud over rocks, railroad tracks, cement curbs, boulders, you will ruin them. As KA says, IMO the doubles are better than singles. What I've always done (per suggestions from Stud Boy) is always tap the backer (I go all the way through) and then when installing, I use professional super glue on stud threads. They NEVER loosen. And, I always put a drop of oil on the track side of the head so when the studs gets pulled in and contacts the track, it will turn easily and pull into track. Works for me.
Also, I do countersink the heads into the quiet track. I built a countersink tool to do it. Its a 15/16" hole saw with a track drill for the center arbor. I put a stop (just wood) that is the right thickness so that it only goes into track about the thickness of the stud head. When done, the track turns nice and quiet and I can't feel the stud heads at all.
BTW - the ProLite setup is about 15% lighter than even aluminum based on my gram scale. No, I don't work for Stud Boy.

What size stud are you running? I have the 1.375 but thinking about going up 1 size now with the hurricane bundle.

 

[STAIN]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still a little skeptical on the backers myself but I asked two of the different vendors at the snowshow about the durability multiple times. And they said they were stronger than the metal backers so idk as long as a stud doesn't end up in my heat exchanger I guess I'll be happy with them. I went with the doubles 192

It was not the durability that I didnt like, it was the way they preformed. It felt like they didnt let the track "clean out" properly, like trying to cut wood with a metal blade. Track felt like it was spinning on top of the snow, not digging down through it. Others who drove my sled felt the same sensation. Just my opinion on my set up.

 

[snowdust]

Some additional info in this thread: https://ty4stroke.com/threads/tools-to-make-studding-easier.148774/#post-1371131

 

[Turboflash]

What size stud are you running? I have the 1.375 but thinking about going up 1 size now with the hurricane bundle.

1.62"

 

[21GT]

1.62"

How does it steer on the trail in the corners with that length?

 

[twyztid]

The Stud Boy Super Lite Pro scooped backers are great. I ran them on my turbo Viper and will be installing them on the Sidewinder that I got late last season. When I installed those backers on my Viper, it has been studded before but I was also adding some more. I found it was much easier to strip out the backer when trying to pull the studs flush into the quiet pads than in areas that already had a depression from a previous stud.

Here's what I did with my Sidewinder (although more costly and more work). I installed 192 studs with standard Woody's aluminum double backers soon after I got it last season. Before this season, I am going to pull all those aluminum double backers and install the Stud Boy Super-Lite Pro scooped backers. There will already be a nice depression in the track where all the studs heads were so it won't be so hard to get them pulled in flush without stripping the backer.

I also found that you want those backers, warm, but not hot, and use plenty of soapy water. In addition, don't run your installation tool too fast. I was using my Makita cordless drill on the #1 (slow) speed and, even then, I couldn't run it at full speed for that setting. If the stud spins into the backer too fast, it creates too much heat from friction and the plastic gets too soft and it will strip. A battery-powered or air ratchet is likely a better tool for this because it spins at a slow speed but has good torque. I had tapped about 3-4 threads into all my backers with a hand tap first as well. Not sure that was necessary.

 

[Turboflash]

I don't warm up the backers. The super glue is the lubricant and because I put a drop of oil on the track side of the head, once the stud contacts the track, it continues to turn until it's tight into the track countersink and tight into backer. I also turn stud slower to not create heat using a pneumatic right-angle 3/8" ratchet, air pressure regulated. Once installed, I can use a standard 3/8" ratchet to check and the studs are very tight and do not strip and are as tight as I can get them with manual 3/8" ratchet. Never had them strip or come loose. 5 minutes are install the super glue has setup and it's really hard to get them loose (but I still can if needed). If I have to replace one, sometimes I warm up the backer with a hair dryer to get super glue to soften.

 

[Turboflash]

How does it steer on the trail in the corners with that length?

Steers great. This is why I didn't stud the outer belt. I run 9" carbide shaper bars (Stud Boy S2264) on Cat ski.

 

[21GT]

Some additional info in this thread: https://ty4stroke.com/threads/tools-to-make-studding-easier.148774/#post-1371131

How did you make the Guide Piece for the end of the drill bit you made? I was thinking about turning down a 5/16" bolt on a lathe unless you have an easier way?