Any sled necks on here ? Track pick ?

So , I have a 99 550 Panther that I will be firewood hoarding with .
My goal is 128 cu ft ( cord ) sled loads.
My track is in very good shape . But doesn't have boat loads of traction on hard pack or ice.
For big loads I will have to freeze down a strong skid trail for the snogo and sled.
Sled is 11' long x 3' wide with lots of side stakes.
There used to be a product called Cat Claws that you could bolt to the track. But I can't find those anywhere.
So I am thinking to use bolt through Ice Picks.
Anyone have any experience with these or know where I can get them.
Any recommendations on where to put them on the track or how many to use.
This snogo goes at least twice as fast as I need or want it to go so I'm not worried about a lot of steel in the track slowing me down.
Thanks in advance.
Sorry but it's the best pic I have on this phone at the moment.

 

I had a Polaris 500 that had a studded track, I don’t recall the proper trade name for them. It seems to me that there were 4-5 per row & one row between each paddle/cleat. It’s been 20+ years since I had that sled, it did get along great on the lake & otherwise icy conditions.

 

The way winters have been here in recent years there is very little time a powered sled is needed or useable, huh, Jim?

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

 

I hoard with a snowmobile as well. You gave me some ideas for my outfit Cold Trigger Finger. My machines are one lingers so I could build a sled like yours, just a bit smaller, but bigger than the metal one I have, which is designed to pull gear and another person for ice fishing. The tracks on both my Tundras are original and look really good for their age, and considering how much I have used them.

 

I'm very familiar with the sled you have. My buddy had a 2000 550 panther. Same sled.

I have studded all of our sleds. I'll continue to do so unless I buy a sled with a pre studded track. Corners for trails get icy, as well as hills. Sliding in reverse with barely any control isn't fun.

Our 97 Yamaha venture 600 is a good comparison to your sled. 136" track, factory 2up under 100hp. 96 hp on the 600 venture and 85hp iirc for that 550 Suzuki.

You have a 136" track, from what it appears. That was the stock length. If so 2 studs per lug will easily give you the traction you require when it gets icy. That would be 108 studs. You'll need to measure the lug height to know how long of studs you'll need.

Cat claws didn't hold up, but they also rode in the steel lugs that also were the clips in the track that the hyfax ride on, on slide rail sleds.

To drill the hole, you can use a drill driver, but you'll need a track bit that is made for this. It's hollow, and the plug you cut out goes in the center. As you drill more, the plugs fall out of the bit.

You'll need a template, which you can make. Do them in a V. Start wider and and the track rotates forward, then go narrower.

Like this.. don't put studs in the outer lugs just the center.

"Track Studding the Right Way - Snowmobile.com" https://www.snowmobile.com/how-to/track-studding-the-right-way-1305.html

 

Decommissioned highway signs make Great toboggan bottoms . I think I did a write up on mine I built last winter. I'll look for it.

 

Thank U Sir !!
I read the article. Looks pretty straight forward.
Is there a reason for no picks on the outside edge of the track ?
Spinning the track is generally something to be avoided. And with 85 horses under the hood. It's Too easy to do !!

 

Yeah it's easy to do. Me and my buddy's have all studded our sleds ourselves.

When I put 144 studs in my last xc600sp with 125 hp, I put 144 studs in the 121" track. With studs in the outside as well. I never had any pull throughs, but with cornering, the outside lug studs get more abuse. There's less support from the hyfax and idler wheels.

You should have a 3/4" (.750 ) lug height on that sled of the track is stock. Measure to be sure. If it's not crazy miles on it, it could be the stock track still. Each brand of studs has recommended stud size for each height of track lugs, so go by the brand of studs for what size to buy. They all have charts.

I like Woody's, stud boy, and sabre brand studs. Iirc, sabre are stainless steel. That's why I have been using sabres the last couple sleds I studded. You want trail carbide tipped studs, no chisels, as those will get dull and are really only for racing.

 

We always studded our sleds.
I wouldn't ride without them. They can tear out over time as the track gets older, but I've never replaced a track.
I may be a little more concerned with pulling all that weight though. There's a lot more chance of tearing out studs with the added weight and better chance of spinning

 

Studding the track will also chip up ice and save your hyfax and create ice chips to help cool the heat exchangers. Speaking of which, you will need tunnel protectors and possibly dent heat exchanger guard for the sled before you stud it.

 

Uhh, what's that ?

 

You might have then already. I forget if we needed to add them on my buddy's.

"Kimpex Tunnel Wear Strip-1/2 in. high - 1 1/8 x 46 1/2 in. 299410" Kimpex Tunnel Wear Strip-1/2 in. high - 1 1/8 x 46 1/2 in. 299410

Take a look under the tunnel essentially under the seat, on the underside of the tunnel, closest to the track and snap a pic. There may be a heat exchanger, which is the same purpose as a radiator. There might be two umhw plastic tunnel protectors. If not, there's either 2 channels on the heat exchanger, to slide these in, or spots to add them

 

Way back in the day (this thread brought up fond memories) I had a '78 Scorpion Whip TK with an all rubber track running on bogie wheels, no rails. I loaded the track with "kangaroo kickers" (3" wide 3/4" tall jagged edge paddles) and 1" tall 4-point ice studs. That was a light weight 2 up sled with a wide & long track that was a great hill climber and pulled well but wasn't all that fast. The rubber track couldn't handle all the cleats and ended up stretching after a few years and I traded it in on a '81 SideWinder. That was a fun sled back then. I sold it a few years ago as I'm not able to ride any longer.

 

You would be correct there, maybe get a weeks worth of riding in your lucky.

 

Ya. Even the mildest of winters a guy can ride for at least 5 months. And usually it's 7 months.
I don't really ride for pleasure, the way most people view pleasure riding. But I Really enjoy loggin with a snogo.
Up north and out west. The State of Alaska DoT maintains snowgo roads, ( trails) like they do highways an roads in the rest of the state. There, snowgos and skiffs are the primary means of transportation.

I've thot about using 1" angle steel , cut in 4" long sections and bolting them to the track for more Push when breaking trail and general work. I'm not convinced it a bad idea yet. Our snow tends to be sugar snow.
The ice pics would work pretty good when going over blowdown. Be like the machine was wearing cork boots. And for a smooth ride and traction on ice.
But I think the angle steel would provide more general purpose traction.
But I may be wrong.

I'll get a pic up under the tunnel . I know that the keel cooler is up there. But I don't know if it has and protections.

 

What did those kangaroo kickers look like / made of.
I was thinking of steel paddles in the center and ice pics on the outside edges of the track.

 

I don't remember exactly, but they were stamped steel and plated with a jagged edge at the bottom to assist on hard pack or ice. They were like paddles that were angled some towards the back. I remeber them as very aggressive and were very good in the deeper snow. I'm pretty sure I had gotten them at the Scropion dealer in Mansfield (long gone) but they were not a Scorpion product. I bolted them on myself. I remember when I traded it in a few years later at the small dealer in Chatfield, OH (a guy I went to school with) said "wow, that's a lot of stuff on there, no wonder it is stretched." The all rubber track couldn't handle it especially when spinning and gripping all of a sudden. I rode it like a wildman back then... LOL


Some of the new tracks are already more aggressive that that old stuff and they are made to handle the power. You might look at replacing the track for a more agressive style.

 

This... Then add studs to the new track. However, if you're looking for a track this is a bad year. Used prices are up because so many used sleds are back on the trails and new track production is having a bear of a time with supply chain issues.

I say add the studs to the track this year, and see how you like it.

Just thought of this. Stud boy brand has special backers ( washers essentially) that have extra paddles built in. Add this to the penetration of the carbide studs and this should help you.

 

These are ice screws that screw into the lugs many sleds have the starter holes. Like the Skandic track above. Delta power sports should have a few bags of them.

 

Once the primary trail is in and froze down it’s not a issue, when your empty break the new trial where you will cut the next day and you will be fine.