Let's look at aftermarket running boards and what you get for your money

[Sled Solutions]

Paul-

Thank you. Now I think you have given some info to back up info you have stated before but it was somewhat unclear.
The Air Frame is lighter- point taken. Because of the thicker wall does that make it stronger? Brand X has more "bars" in their board- over-all does that make it stronger? No doubt brand X has used more feet of tube if it is thinner walled but the board is heavier.......

IMO, the construction of the board can make a lighter board stronger. Putting heavier wall tubing places it doesn't need to be doesn't make it stronger....just heavier. Again, these boards never meant to be a weight savings product on a garage floor but where it counts....on the snow. Airframes have been around for 3 years and they (Skinz) has never had one return due to bending. I'm 240 dressed for riding and have beat my boards for 2 seasons and they are perfect still. Skinz put a lot of time and engineering into the construction of their board. I've got buddies that weigh 350+ running these boards with no issues at all. The amount of boards sold by Skinz is crazy and to have a zero failure rate is impressive to say the least. For the record I've heard of no failures with Brand "X" either.

 

[kidwoo]

The reality is that the Skinz board weight less by 6 o.z.

Which model/chassis design did you weigh?


There's not really much more tubing feet in the BM boards if you think about every other skinz crossbar being flipped to angle the other way. That's kind of more what B&M did. Lot's more welding bead for sure though.

SS, what are your pics actually of, the outer rail or the inner? I could see some benefit of the outer rail being overly thick for impacts on rocks but that's about it. I'm sure neither is 6000 series heat treated to T6 but I do way more risky things on a mountainbike all summer with plenty of spots of thin aluminum tubing supporting all kinds of weight, impacts and high resonance chatter that you'll never duplicate on a sled.

That B&M cross section looks completely fine to me and just like the walls on plenty of bike frames I've had and beat on for years. They're also welded the same.

Both of those companies make boards in relatively the same price range and there's no question they're both miles better than any stock board. I'm actually glad there's some difference in them because it shows someone's trying something that may not be necessary in the other fabricator's boards.

The crosshatch pattern on the B&M boards are a stonger design for lateral impacts. Maybe that's why the skinz guys beefed up that rail, to make up for the continuous crossbar pattern that's not going to be as supportive to that kind of hit. I don't think either are going to be that great for impacts from the bottom.

It's pretty obvious why you started this thread, and it's not to 'educate' anyone beyond helping your own sales. I didn't see the original post but what you wrote on your facebook page makes that clear. That's fine but until someone folds up or cracks off some B&M boards, you're working on an assumption from a non-fabricator perspective aren't you? I know I am. But I can admit it

Go find your favorite 300lb linebacker and get them to jump up and down a million times on each. That would be way more 'educational'. Edit:beat me to the punch, okay just the BM ones now. You might want to end up selling the damn things. Brand A isn't always so good with the backstock.

 

[christopher]

and wasn;t that upgraded product eerily similar in size (5/8) to Timbersleds helm joint..??

see where all this can go..??..iTS KINDA SIMILAR EH...

NO ONE HAS A PATENT OR RIGHTS TO BEND ROUND METAL..

Funny thing.
Timbersled did not create the HEIM JOINT.
But I am pretty sure it was PATENTED and TRADEMARKED when it was first created many long years ago. Timbersled simply used pre-existing off the shelf technology that was HIGHLY common.

Be honest with yourself.
Skinz actually created something UNIQUE in the marketplace that did not previously exist. They INNOVATED.

 

[christopher]

Christopher,

Since the Brand X manufacture is in favor of the information being posted and all the PM's I've gotten asking for the information put it back up if you possible. If you can see the history can your reverse what I deleted? I deleted all of it.

Thanks,
Paul

Can do Paul.
Stand by.

 

[WingNutRacing]

so?

Does anyone remember the Fabcraft tunnel running boards? Im pretty sure they were the first of this breed of running board, don't know why they never sold them as just a running board replacement? ?? They were pretty sweet for back in the late 90's, early 00's. I had em on a 01 RMK, they worked pretty good..


Just throwin info out, it looks to be those runningboards may have grandfathered all of em...

 

[B&M Fabrications]

We use 6061-t4 aluminum

The inner tubes are. 3/4" OD x 1/8" wall

The outter rail is 1" OD x 1/8" wall

 

[05900]

Actually when my 00 rmk boards warped and I plazzed out the middles and welded tubing to it Fabcraft saw it and Viola
I was to busy inventing the whole Forum thing to notice..all them bitches owe me $$$$ ..... oh well.

 

[christopher]

Does anyone remember the Fabcraft tunnel running boards? Im pretty sure they were the first of this breed of running board, don't know why they never sold them as just a running board replacement? ?? They were pretty sweet for back in the late 90's, early 00's. I had em on a 01 RMK, they worked pretty good..


Just throwin info out, it looks to be those runningboards may have grandfathered all of em...

Don't know the ones from back then, but the current ones are pretty cool.

 

[WingNutRacing]

I guess Fabcraft didn't know what they had, their design has been around since the 1990's at least... pretty cool..... I wonder how many guys looked at those and said, We could build something like that....

Tapatalk'n LG G2....

 

[milehighassassin]

What is the availability of each one? If you can actually buy one but not the other, then does it matter?

 

[Sled Solutions]

Which model/chassis design did you weigh?

Pro RMK vs. Pro RMK

Can do Paul.
Stand by.

Thanks!

Does anyone remember the Fabcraft tunnel running boards? Im pretty sure they were the first of this breed of running board, don't know why they never sold them as just a running board replacement? ?? They were pretty sweet for back in the late 90's, early 00's. I had em on a 01 RMK, they worked pretty good..

Before my time really so I never saw them.

Just throwin info out, it looks to be those runningboards may have grandfathered all of em...

What is the availability of each one? If you can actually buy one but not the other, then does it matter?

Pretty much I can ship any Black and some Polished in any make model right now. Some boards like the ProClimb Bret boards I have in white right now.

 

[nuggetau]

You people are STARVING for drama.

1. I never called out the other company. Fact
2. I never said the other companies boards were junk. Fact
3. Brand X boards came out when Skinz couldn't keep up with demand. Fact
4. The Brand X boards are $124 cheaper than Airframe's. Fact
5. I showed the difference between the two. FACT

The rest is what it morphed into by members, defenders of Brand X made this more than it was.

One thing in life I can NOT tolerate and that's people who steal. Second is drama.....

If you don't want drama, then I would recommend that you not post on the net! These boards thrive on drama and bickering. The bickering and quips probably make up 75% of the posts.

 

[woodzy]

Tube style boards have been around for a long time, people who build tube chassis' sleds have been doing it long before SS started it. Big deal, there are more than just these two companies building these, hell there are a LOT of companies building everything that you can find on the BMF and the SS site. This was done to make sales and nothing more, and who cares if a company wants to do it, just don't do it cutting another company down.

 

[Leaf27]

I hate to say it, but there is no future for these boards anyways. These boards will be stock on every mountain sled just like Polaris put on the Pro.

 

[nuggetau]

I hate to say it, but there is no future for these boards anyways. These boards will be stock on every mountain sled just like Polaris put on the Pro.

The front 6" and the back 12" of the pro rb still sucks, so until they make the tube rb's stock, there will still be a need for these rb's. However I agree that one of the manufacturers will eventually come out with a stock rb that will look a LOT like the airframes, it's inevitable. The sooner the better in my opinion!

There are only 2 control interfaces with a snowmobile, the handlebars and the running boards. Snowmobiles have been around for a LONG time, yet the oem's still haven't made a running board in all that time that work as well as some of the aftermarket rb's do. Shameful, bloody godawful designers who don't seem to ride a sled themselves, if they ever did they would know what a problem it has been for 60+ years.

 

[christopher]

I hate to say it, but there is no future for these boards anyways. These boards will be stock on every mountain sled just like Polaris put on the Pro.

And that should have been the case 5 years ago, but it isn't yet is it...
The manufacturer's have dragged their feet on this issue for a LOOOOONG time. I think we will see room for innovative small after market manufacturers such as SKINZ for years to come.

Speaking on for SPG, they have new "concepts & designs" in the pipeline that will be every bit as "revolutionary" as the airframes were when they first debuted.

I think I can safely say

Their Best is Yet to Come..

 

[sloz71]

Paul has an interesting way of attracting business?

 

[Leaf27]

And that should have been the case 5 years ago, but it isn't yet is it...
The manufacturer's have dragged their feet on this issue for a LOOOOONG time. I think we will see room for innovative small after market manufacturers such as SKINZ for years to come.

Speaking on for SPG, they have new "concepts & designs" in the pipeline that will be every bit as "revolutionary" as the airframes were when they first debuted.

I think I can safely say

Their Best is Yet to Come..

Not saying Skinz or other aftermarket manufacturers have no future. But you have to admit items like the boards are going to take a hit when more and more upgrade to new sleds with stock boards like the 13 and 14 Pro have.

 

[kidwoo]

We use 6061-t4 aluminum

The inner tubes are. 3/4" OD x 1/8" wall

The outter rail is 1" OD x 1/8" wall

Jesus..... That's burly as shlt.

Yeah somebody go break these these things. It's gonna take a hard direct rock hit, just a heads up.

 

[sledneck600]

I'm ordering a pair of BMfab boards tomorrow. I like that they didn't drill the crap out of the outer rail and I try to always help the small shops over a bigger company. Them being cheaper doesn't hurt either.

I love this thread though, super entertaining!