Has anyone tried these running board inserts?

[dgibbons]

For a big guy aftermarket boards are worth their weight for the extra rigid platform. I won't have a sled without them for that reason alone. The snow evacuation is just a bonus. May not be as much of an issue with the Hardcore running board edges? Anyone that's ridden both care to comment on that aspect?

Nah, my feet still slid all over the boards with the wimpy extrusions in the middle of the board. I was cautiously optimistic when I bought the sled, because I don't enjoy spending money just to spend it, but I found out during my first ride on it, that the Hardocre boards have the same issues as the regular boards with snow evacuation and boot slippage.

 

[Vern]

Just a note, these are garbage boards in my opinion. I bought a 19 Alpha with them installed and I was really looking forward to them, but am disgusted with how bad they are. I installed BMfab on my 20 and had them on my 14 too and they are the best I have been on. In contrast, these replacements are slippery as heck, and build up ice on the outer rail very quick. The serrations are not deep enough and don't grip boots for crap once they get a little snow on them. I am intrigued by the Pin'd performance boards, but would still be concerned those extrusions are too rounded and will build ice and not be able to grip. Don't waste your money on the cat machined boards and after hearing from Goinboardin on the Cat tube boards with plastic cleats, don't bother installing the plastic cleats either and just install traction screws.

If anyone disagrees or doesn't trust my opinion on the machined boards, they are for sale and I'd be glad to get rid of them! As cheap as the tube boards are right now, I might just put those on with traction screws for the price.

Edit: I just saw the price of the Pin'd inserts, I wouldn't waste my time trying them when the Cat tube boards are the same price or less currently. They have sh!+ fitment, but worth the extra headache for the price for stiffer boards and better traction (with screws).

Arctic Cat Pro MTN Running Boards - 2012-2022 XF-HC M

PART NUMBERS7639-440 Black7639-441 Team Arctic Green7639-442 Orange7639-443 White

www.countrycat.com

I have the cat extruded boards on my ‘20 and had those cat tube boards on my last sled. I agree the extruded boards are a bit slick, but I haven’t noticed issues with ice build up. I agree though, if I were to do it again I’d go tube boards for the traction. As to those cat tube boards the plastic cleats do Ice up a bit, so I tried the traction screws and they were constantly falling out. I just don’t think the tube walls are thick enough to really get a good bite from the screws. I ended up putting the plastic cleats back on and just riding it. That was the reason I tried the extruded boards on my current sled. I prefer the feel and grip of the tube boards so next time I might bite the bullet and just buy some higher end tube boards like bmfab.

 

[dgibbons]

I have the cat extruded boards on my ‘20 and had those cat tube boards on my last sled. I agree the extruded boards are a bit slick, but I haven’t noticed issues with ice build up. I agree though, if I were to do it again I’d go tube boards for the traction. As to those cat tube boards the plastic cleats do Ice up a bit, so I tried the traction screws and they were constantly falling out. I just don’t think the tube walls are thick enough to really get a good bite from the screws. I ended up putting the plastic cleats back on and just riding it. That was the reason I tried the extruded boards on my current sled. I prefer the feel and grip of the tube boards so next time I might bite the bullet and just buy some higher end tube boards like bmfab.

That's really good information. I think now that you say that, I may have remembered hearing rumblings of that issue with screws a few years ago. I have a friend with the same skinny boards for going on four seasons on a 16 and he used sheet metal screws rather than traction screws (to save his boots) and has really liked them. They have a bigger shank than traction screws, maybe their threads just have more bite too.

I get ice build up right at the front of the boards where I stand. I've ridden them almost exclusively in deep pow, it's been an issue every day, but obviously wouldn't be in marginal snow. Became more a safety issue than anything, every time I planted a foot to make a turn, my foot would slide all the way back on the board.

 

[boondocker97]

I run Skinz traction screws on the outer tube of my Cat tube boards. Haven't lost any yet there. Running the plastic cleats on the inner tubes as they are too thin to hold screws. Mine are the first generation of the Cat boards and the plastic cleats are flatter than the later generation ones. The later ones still build some ice, but it comes off much easier with a boot kick. So I've updated my inner cleats to the newer style. I've never slid off since the screws on the outside always have bite. The BDX boards I had from 2014-2017 that were all tube with extruded traction nubs didn't give the same bite as the screws, but they never had any ice. Don't ever recall kicking them.

 

[Vern]

I was trying to run the traction screws on the inner tubes of the cat boards where I was having them fall out a lot. I was also just screwing them into the rivet holes from the plastic cleats so the hole sizing may have been a bit off, but they felt snug enough going in but ended up getting wallowed out over time to where they wouldn’t hold snug. I thought about trying bigger sheet metal screws, but gave up and put the cleats back on.

 

[boondocker97]

I was going to try the TKI traction blocks, but the hole spacing didn't match up with the plastic cleat holes I already had drilled. I also thought about drilling all the way through the cross tubes and putting short, pan head bolts up from the bottom with self locking nuts on the top side. Long pop rivets all the way through from the bottom might work too. Not sure drilling all the way through the tubes would be a great idea though.