SnowTech Magazine - (Clueless)

Service & Tuning NOTES - page 26 - March 2003

Dual Runner Ski Carbides

When it comes time to replace carbide runners on a set of dual runner skis, we've had excellent results by simply installing two new runners on the outside edges of the skis, and selecting the two best runners of the four old ones and placing them on the inside edges.

This practice started back in 1997 when we started using Simmons Flexi-Skis, and we've been using several sets of these dual runner skis ever since. Simmons has offered a host of runner options for their skis, and we found using Simmons "flat" carbide wear pads on the inside edges and their "cutting carbides" on the outside edges provides adequate bite but not excessive steering effort.

So, when Ski Doo came out with their Simmons-clone ski, the Precision skis with runners on the edges of the ski, we were a bit surprised to see four cutting carbides in all four locations. As soon as they had a few miles on them, we did our rotation bit – new, sharp runners on the outside edges and the best two of the old runners on the inside edges, since Ski-Doo didn't actually offer runners with "flat" carbide wear pads.

What we discovered was a nice improvement in the trail manners of the REV. When you let off the throttle, in certain snow conditions, the REV can be a handful to hang to at times, but by going to this less aggressive runner arrangement we found a set-up that most of our riders preferred for long distance trail riding.…

I've never heard a snowmobiler say they were looking for adequate bite! ADEQUATE BITE WILL NOT KEEP YOU SAFE IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION!!! The SnowTech crew obviously didn't understand what they were talking about in 2003 !!! DUAL RUNNERS AND DUAL RUNNER SKIS ARE TREATED THE SAME BY THE "LAWS OF PHYSICS"!!! The wider the gap between the carbides the closer the inside carbide is to the center of the track. In effect the ski stance is functionally narrowed so the sled pushes more when taking a corner. IN A NUT SHELL, THE INSIDE CARBIDES CARRY THE LOAD IN CORNERS. BECAUSE OF THE 10 DEGREE TILT OF THE SKIS, IN A FULL TURN, ALL THE WEIGHT IS FOCUSED ON THE INSIDE CARBIDES OF THE OUTSIDE SKI!!!

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