Everything You Need to Know About Carbides for Snowmobiling

When it comes to snowmobiling, carbides are essential. They provide traction and control in a variety of terrain and conditions. But what exactly are carbides and how do you choose the right set for your sled? In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about selecting the right carbide for your snowmobile.

• Choosing the right carbides is essential for setting up a snowmobile's traction correctly.

• The length and degree of cut of the carbide should be chosen depending on sled type, track size, lug length and number of studs.
• For an average rider with a short track, 4” carbides are sufficient; 6” or 8" may be necessary for longer tracks with more studs/larger lugs or if ridden aggressively by heavier riders.
• A 90 degree cut will last longer than 60 degrees but provide less bite when new; two rows per wear bar can help reduce darting caused by singular paths created in snowpack.
• Everything You Need to Know About Carbides for Snowmobiling

What are Carbides?

Carbides are steel runners with a tungsten or titanium tip that attach to the wear bars on a snowmobile. The tips provide increased traction, better cornering control, reduced sliding, and improved maneuverability over different types of terrain. The length of the carbide determines how much bite it provides in turns. Longer lengths will generally provide more bite while shorter lengths will offer less bite but still improve overall performance.

How to Choose the Right Carbide for Your Snowmobile

Choosing the right set of carbides for your sled is important because it impacts how it performs on the trails. There are several factors to consider when selecting a set of carbides including sled type, track size, lug length, and number of studs. Generally speaking, average riders with short tracks should use longer 7” - 9” runners with a 3° cut; whereas longer tracks with more studs/larger lugs or aggressive riding by heavier riders should use 5” - 7” runners with a 5° cut. Additionally, two rows per wear bar can provide improved traction and cornering control in deep snow conditions or icy surfaces compared to one row per wear bar setups. Check out the Woody’s Dual Dooly carbides.

Choosing the right carbides for a snowmobile is not something that should be taken lightly. In fact, it can make all the difference to how the sled performs out on the snow. Carbides provide traction control and stability to ensure smooth operation in tough winter conditions, meaning they must be chosen with care to guarantee performance capability. Without correctly setting up the right carbide configuration, a snowmobile's handling integrity could be compromised; resulting in an uncomfortable or even hazardous ride. Thus, it is essential to select the appropriate carbide configuration that best suits the terrain and rider preferences, helping create a safe and enjoyable journey through any kind of winter condition. Check out Stud Boy's carbdies.

Carbide cuts are critical for the maintenance and protection of sleds. The length and degree of how this cut is made should be determined carefully, taking into account the type of sled you own, the size of the track, Lug length and number of studs. This will ultimately determine how well your sled performs- making sure that it runs smoothly while giving your snow vehicle maximum traction with every ride you take on it. In order to keep your winter riding experience optimal, it's important to make sure that your carbide cutting strategy is tailored to best serve the specifics of your sled.

In summary, choosing the right set of carbides is an important part of maximizing performance on your snowmobile. Carbides provide increased traction and cornering control which is essential for navigating different types of terrain safely and efficiently. Consider sled type, track size, lug length and number of studs when selecting a set of carbides as well as the benefits of two rows per wear bar compared to one row per wear bar setups for deep snow conditions or icy surfaces. For more information on selecting the right carbide setup for your sled check out our additional resources section below!