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How to Stud your track
After selecting the proper stud (See story below), backer plates and nuts for your riding style, or purpose, it’s time to install them!
If your track doesn’t have molded holes already, you will need a power drill and a track drill bit to drill the holes into it.
You also may need tunnel protectors depending on the sled. Do NOT forget to install tunnel protectors if needed as without them you can cause major damage to the undercarriage and/or heat exchangers.
step 1: Loosen the rear axle bolts and back off the adjuster bolts to loosen the track, also remove the drive belt, so the track can be rotated by hand, this will make it easier to work on the track.
step 2: Lift the snowmobile’s backend to a comfortable position. Use chalk, or a paint pen to mark your stud pattern, where you will be drilling the holes for your studs. We will be demonstrating how to do a snocross pattern of 96 studs on a 121-inch track.
step 3: After marking the entire track, make sure the pattern at the No. 48 lug properly aligns with the No. 1 lug, after you make a complete rotation.
Personally I believe that this is a job you do NOT need a tape measure for, installing your studs slightly at random, is better. If the studs line up with one another in a perfect line, the scratch lines will follow each other. The following stud has nothing to bite into; it just follows in a groove. Slightly random studs have a better chance of biting into something fresh.
step 4: Once marked, and you’re happy with the pattern after a full rotation, you are ready to drill.
Make sure that you are not lined up with any bogie wheels or any other parts under the track. The drill bit can damage these parts if you are not careful. If your drill bit doesn’t seem to be cutting properly, there is a trick to sharpening this type of bit. Hold the bit on a 45 degree angle on a concrete floor and let the bit sharpen itself on the concrete with the drill running on a slow speed.
step 5: After drilling 96 holes it’s time to install the studs.
Take a stud and push it through from the inside of the track (hence the name push-through stud). Put on a backer plate and twist on the nylon lock nut by hand. Once it is snug, you will need an Allen wrench to hold the stud from turning and a deep socket to tighten the nuts. An air ratchet can work for this job, but be sure to wear a glove to hold the Allen wrench on the other side.
Don’t over-tighten the studs. An easy way to tell the proper torque is to look at the inside of the track, the stud head should be flush with the rubber. This way the studs are not as noisy if they have a smooth surface to run on. You may find that the studs actually bottom out in order to get the stud flush, different manufacturer’s studs install differently.
step 6: Install the tunnel protectors!
First remove the stock ones that often are too short. Use something with a flat edge. In the photograph, we used a chisel to pry the aluminum extrusion open. The factory just pinches these extrusions to hold the tunnel protector in position.
Once opened, the tunnel protector should slide out, spray some WD-40 on the area, this will help the protector slide more easily. Or you may need a vise-grips and a hammer. Once they are removed, spray some WD-40 on the new higher tunnel protectors and they will slide in.
step 7: You will need to crimp the extrusion back to hold the taller tunnel protectors in position. Using a pair of pliers you can pinch the extrusion back to the locked position easily.
step 8: Re-install the drive belt and adjust the track back to its operating position and retighten the rear axle.
Now you are ready for a test drive! Many snowmobilers believe that traction products are the most significant performance enhancement for the money spent, the best bang for the buck!
More info:
www.studboytraction.com