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A New Generation The Woody's Dooly and Roetin Tru-Trak are far different designs than a single carbide wear rod. Both the Dooly and Tru-Trak have two round host bars fitted with carbide inserts that are welded to a flat 1/4-inch steel mounting plate.
This design creates two scratch lines per ski and yields a two-fold advantage. First, it provides more host bar surface area on the snow for improved corner handling. Second, the two wear rod runner gives the skis remarkable anti-darting characteristics.
The Dooly comes in four different carbide lengths, 4-, 6-, and 8-inch. The 4-inch wear rods carry trail-type 90-degree carbide inserts while the 6- and 8-inch wear rods contain the competition-oriented 60-degree carbide. A bead of hard weld on the front and 1 1/2-inch carbide pad on the back helps maintain the wear rod's shape.
Unlike traditional wear rods, Doolys are sold individually. A single 4-inch wear rod retails for $48.99, a 6-inch for $54.99 and an 8-inch for $72.99. To compare, a pair of 6-inch standard carbides retails for about $60 while a pair of 6-inch Doolys goes for $110.
The Tru-Trak carbides take a different approach than the Dooly. The outside and inside host bars on both skis carry two different lengths of carbides. The outside host bar contains 6 inches of turning carbide, which Roetin calls the Power Rail. The inside host bar, which is referred to as the Guide Rail, features 4 inches of turning carbide. Both are 60-degree carbide, and this is the only configuration or length offered.
The outside wear rod carries a higher load under cornering. Thus, the wear rod is driven harder into the snow and plays a more important role in handling. Conversely, the inside wear rod is subjected to less of a load under cornering and serves as a guide bar to maintain tracking.
Both the Dooly and the Tru-Trak weigh nearly twice as much as standard wear rods. The Dooly tips the scales at 2 lbs., 6 oz. and the Tru-Trak weighs 2 lbs., 8 oz. While one pound may not seam like a big deal, both aftermarket and OEM manufacturers invest enormous resources to reduce un-sprung weight as much as possible. Un-sprung weight on the front suspension reduces agility and suspension performance.