Bolt Through Ski as Ice Scratcher?

[rockdog2112]

I found a series of posts on Snow and Mud.com about using a bolt through the ski by the spindle as an ice scratcher. I'm new at this so I was curious what you guys thought. Does this make sense or is it totally retarded? It kind of seems that it could go either way. It seems this would eliminate some of the problems associated with spring wire type scratchers, like backing up or getting caught on stuff. Below are three of the posts that I have cut and pasted here:

I use a 1 3/4 inch bolt on the inside back corner of the ski. The bottom of the bolt is about 3/4 inch above the ground when on something hard like the trailer deck. When you go down the trail and the ski drops into an old skeg track then it contacts the snow and sends up a spray of ice chips to lubricate. They don't seem to affect steering probably because they aren't in constant contact with the snow. I never remove them (except to replace them when they get too short) and have never caught them on anything in 8 years.

yup............ what Summiteer said!!!! put a 3/8" bolt in the inside back corner of each ski & away you go........... no worries about lack of lubrication or over-heating anymore. don't have to worry about reverse either. just remember to take them out at the end of the day.

Got ours drilled behind spindle on ski before it curves upward.... Works awesome giving alot of spray. Just use a couple of washers & double nut the bolts.

 

[rockdog2112]

No takers on this one?

 

[anchorman]

without even thinking too much about it, I see two problems:

1. Sometimes the snow is so hard (ice), that I need my scratchers down. In this instance, the bolt is still going to be in the air. The scratchers needs to be below the ski.

2. If hit anything solid - so much for your plastic ski!!

 

[Banshee AL]

Ski bolt ice scratcher

I've done this forever (stating in the 70s) only I put the bolt at the very rear inside edge of the ski. I use a 5/16 bolt and bend it so it forms an about 45° angled to the rear then it won't catch hard items as much (never have broken a plastic ski) and it still throws a good deal of spray into the track. On hard snow it can cause some darting but not to bad if both bolts are the same length.

Good Luck

 

[BackCountryBob]

I bolted mine in the rear-inside but I still use scratchers.

BCB

 

[rockdog2112]

Adrenaline Junky posted this in Mountain/Deep Powder:

Ive seen it before but i think thats there is a better way and just about as cheap take a look at this-

http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.p...579&highlight=

 

[rockdog2112]

I bolted mine in the rear-inside but I still use scratchers.

BCB

Why both? Safety margin? Does the bolt not work as well as you would like?

 

[ibdoon]

Have used the bolt for quite a while, throws more snow than any ice ccratcher ever will. They can be a little darty on the trail, but you can adjust the bolt length fairly easily. you will need to remove or adjust bolt up when loading on trailer. We've used a 3/8 bolt with no ill effects. Have never seen bolts rip out of skies if kept tight to ski. Learned about this in Golden Bc. Definitely gets snow to the front of your skid, where it's needed. Have tried ice scratchers but are generally useless after you back up, and are alot of $$$. bolts are cheap.
There are a lot of nay sayers on this subject, give it a try and then decide. they work real well for us, on cold mornings when snow is frozen rock hard.

 

[Wolfrun]

This is what i have used for years now. 5/16 carriage bolt with nuts to adjust it and snap pins to hold it. Will break off when loading or unloading on ramps but only a loss of 37 cents +-, otherwise fool proof. Hyfax 3 to 4 thousand miles. Engines never heat. Can't break ski. No darting.

 

[EricW]

Heres a few ideas that I have used.

This is a ski scratcher that I got from F-Bomb at the snow show. I had to over drill the small hole on the verticle part of the mount to put it on a Dragon ski as in the pic. I used the 2 base mount holes to mount them on our Doo.

In the up position

In the down position

This is a design that I came up with and am still working on. I have run these for 2 years as well getting all the bugs out and trying to make them fit most skis.

On my Apex I have also used regular rail scratchers mounted through the spindle bolt or the ski loop bolt. Just dremmeled a little hole in the ski for the scratcher tip to rest in when in the up position. They worked well too.

Good luck. EW

 

[BackCountryBob]

rockdog--I don't think the ski bolt got enough snow into the heat exchanger, especially with a shortened snow flap

BCB

 

[Wade]

Heres a few ideas that I have used.

This is a design that I came up with and am still working on. I have run these for 2 years as well getting all the bugs out and trying to make them fit most skis.

Are those the little hay rake spring fingers, you can get at D&B tractor supply store?

 

[m7bandit]

I used wolfrun bolt idea last year it worked well. i replaced my hifax two days ago after 2400 mi. and they didn't really need changing coulda gone another season

 

[Mtn. missle]

bolts

x3 on wolfruns idea, we use a large (3/8 or 5/16) carriage bolt-back inside edge of ski double nut under ski drill for keeper on top have a long enough bolt that you can drill multiple holes and adjust nuts if needed.

 

[EricW]

Are those the little hay rake spring fingers, you can get at D&B tractor supply store?

Yep. The key is to roll the bend in the tangs rather than the angular bends you see in the pics. Heating and bending in a vise created weak spots. EW

 

[Wade]

Yep. The key is to roll the bend in the tangs rather than the angular bends you see in the pics. Heating and bending in a vise created weak spots. EW

Thanks

 

[rockdog2112]

Thanks for all the ideas folks. I have a new 08 M8 SP that I have not even been on yet and I am concerned that I will have a heat problem when riding the trails with my wife. Now I have several solutions to pick from. Thanks again and keep them coming.

 

[KFD070]

Some great ideas! I know what I'm playing with for the next couple of days....seing as how THERE"S NO FRICKEN SNOW YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[whitefish]

These work well.

 

[longtrack156]

I have an 06 M7 and I have found that it will overheat when there is 2" of fresh snow on the hard trail, scratchers, while they worked on the hardpack, didn't work in the 2" of fresh. Seemed like the snow stopped the spray. I had to build some ski scratchers with wings to take care of this situation. The sled is not accessable right now otherwise I would post pics.