Things to keep in mind when studding

[dirkdiggler]

Number one you never want to under stud your track. The 121 Apex Should have 144 studs minimum. The Attack should have a minimum of 162. Otherwise you are putting undo stress on the track itself and studs. this causes the studs to wear quicker. It can and will cause studs to tear out of the track.

Number two you want to buy a good stud. I personally like Roetins. With an Good Backer they are 2 bucks a piece. O my attack it costs 324.00 to stud the sled. Why use cheap studs that save you 100.00 to 150.00 dollars to have to turn around and replace them the next year???

Number three you should go with a good aluminum or plastic backer. The Stud Boy power plate is an excellent backer that I've never bent.

Number four If your running a 1.25 track and you go with a 1.325 to a 1.4 plus length stud you should really use a tall nut. this will stop the studs from bending over.


Number five You might think your saving a couple bucks by looking for this great deal but in the long run you will spend more to replace studs and possibly a track if it's not done right the first time!!!!!!!

 

[APEXLIGHTNING]

no number 4?
lol sorry couldent resist

 

[Yamahammer485]

no number 4?
lol sorry couldent resist

LOL, just noticed that too.

Good thing you posted that dirk, especially this time of year when everyone is coming back and wanting to stud their sleds. Any quality stud is good, and stud accessories, like backer plates and tall nuts, I personally have had very good experiece with woodys stuff, so im going to stick with it. Never had any luck with plastic backer plates however, despite them being different brands shapes and sizes. Mind you, it wasnt my sled, but I rode with my buddyy all the time, and they shouldnt have let go 100%

 

[welterracer]

i agree and disagree with your post..

If you want to stud for safety purposes only there is no reason you cant uses less than 144 studs.. (not everyone is a hot rod rider or a racer)

I do agree you should use high quality studs and backers.. but you dont really HAVE to use tall nuts to get the job done.. .. I never have and ive never had a problem..

BTW... i had a 02 viper with cheap studs with plastic backers with 3500 miles on them and they were in great shap with no pull outs or lost studs..

 

[dirkdiggler]

no number 4?
lol sorry couldent resist

Fixed it

 

[dirkdiggler]

i agree and disagree with your post..

If you want to stud for safety purposes only there is no reason you cant uses less than 144 studs.. (not everyone is a hot rod rider or a racer)

I do agree you should use high quality studs and backers.. but you dont really HAVE to use tall nuts to get the job done.. .. I never have and ive never had a problem..

BTW... i had a 02 viper with cheap studs with plastic backers with 3500 miles on them and they were in great shap with no pull outs or lost studs..

The apex Sleds make an honest 150 hp. When you understud you run the risk of damage period. You can do it but I wouldn't be out drag racing.

 

[NY_Nytro]

I ran 108 on my Warrior for 4000+ miles and none lost or bent one. I ride hard but I don't launch from every dead stop and don't spin the track in marginal conditions.

 

[4Fighter]

Thanks for the advice. I agree on most all accounts. I had a '95 XLT that I only put 96 studs in, and it was still not enough (1 tear-out). That's only what, 90 HP or so?

I am also a firm believer in adding 1/4" aluminum strips to the tunnel protectors. Even with protectors, only, I managed to scratch the front cooler on the RX-1. Thus maintaining proper track tension is also paramount.

 

[**sj**]

4fighter
can you share your technique for adding the strips?
pics?

 

[Swiss Sledder]

Number one you never want to under stud your track. The 121 Apex Should have 144 studs minimum. The Attack should have a minimum of 162. Otherwise you are putting undo stress on the track itself and studs. this causes the studs to wear quicker. It can and will cause studs to tear out of the track.

Disagree. There are lots of members on this site, including me, that only put 96 studs down the middle on their 121" tracks. The stud manufacturers will tell this is not enough studs, but my experience and that of many other members indicate 96 studs down the center for safety is plenty and is less likely to cause any damage.

 

[dirkdiggler]

Number one you never want to under stud your track. The 121 Apex Should have 144 studs minimum. The Attack should have a minimum of 162. Otherwise you are putting undo stress on the track itself and studs. this causes the studs to wear quicker. It can and will cause studs to tear out of the track.

Disagree. There are lots of members on this site, including me, that only put 96 studs down the middle on their 121" tracks. The stud manufacturers will tell this is not enough studs, but my experience and that of many other members indicate 96 studs down the center for safety is plenty and is less likely to cause any damage.

I've studding sleds for a long time. I've tried both a minimal amount of studs and more studs. In my experience the more power you have the more studs you need. Thing about it If you put X amount of stress against 96 studs every time you lay into the throttle compared to 144 which studs do you think have more stress on them? The 96 do. They will bend easier and wear faster.


Tell me what is the benefit of only using 96. You save 50.00. There is zero performance gain to using less studs.

 

[**sj**]

it all depends on riding style...terrain and power of machine...if a guy is riding any machine...high powered or not on long straights like in Canada...and mostly cruising less studs would be just fine both in terms of longevity and usefullness..
alternatively if he rode the sme high powered machine in lower snow conditions ocassionally, twisties in the woods (complete with root systems and rocks coming into the trail) and ride like an animal...then a greater amount of studs will be needed..
for my attack gt...I'm going with 216...and I've never had a stud pull through.
each rider should assess the power of his machine, his riding style,his riding terrain and make his own determination.

 

[4Fighter]

4fighter
can you share your technique for adding the strips?
pics?

Sorry, I can't get pics right now, but I took the Advice of "Doc" from Munising. Not everyone will take this step, as it requires you to pull the track.

All you do is go and buy about 6' or so of 1/4" x 1" Aluminum flat stock (Ace, Tractor Supply, NAPA ???). You'll need to cut it and bend it so it wraps the front tunnel protectors. Then all you need to do is fasten them to the protectors using rivets (I recommend the same rivets you get from Yamaha). I taped the strips in-place so I could keep the stock steady, so the holes lined up.

Keep in mind that you should also countersink the rivet heads so as to not catch the track. An end-mill is recommended, but I used a 1/4" B&D Pilot point drill bit to counter-sink the holes. This bit is flat where it starts the larger DIA, so it produces virtually no further taper-cut into the stock. You will also want to make sure you add to the full length of the protectors.

According to Doc, this will prevent any potential track lock-ups that might be caused by studs catching the tunnel, or front cooler on a G-out. I loathed the idea at first, but I'm glad I did it as before I found scratch marks on the cooler - lucky. Oh yeah and I had 2000 miles on my track prior to studding it.

 

[**sj**]

you really think they would have hit? 1.325's?

 

[Swiss Sledder]

Dirk, the advantage of 96 studs has nothing to do with cost of the studs themselves. The majority of problems with studded tracks comes from the studs in the outside of the center belt. The other advantage of 96 studs is that they will provide you with sufficient traction to stop on icy surfaces, yet still give you the ability to slide the back end around in the corners.

All I am pointing out is that the number of studs to install is a personal decision and there is no one size fits all.