Studding is not difficult. It is unforgiving. Almost every ruined track comes from
one of two mistakes, and both are made before the drill comes out.
The three numbers
Lug height decides stud length. Track ply decides which stud and
which support plate. Track length and pitch decide the pattern and the stud count.
Nothing about the sled decides any of it — the track does.
Measure the lug rather than trusting the brochure. Woody’s note that lug height varies by up to
3% and Stud Boy quote ±.030″. If you are between two series, the shorter one is the safe side:
their published penetration window is .250″ to .375″ and the hard ceiling is 3/8″.
Mistake one: the wrong ply
Single-ply studs have a shorter shoulder and a wider head. Two-ply studs have a longer shoulder.
Put a two-ply stud in a single-ply track and the head does not trap the rubber properly; put a
single-ply stud in a two-ply track and you over-compress it. Woody’s publish this as a hard rule and
pair each stud family with its own support plate: single-ply takes Grand Digger plates, two-ply takes
Digger plates. There is no in-between option and no reason to look for one.
Mistake two: freehand
Woody’s publish a pattern for every track length, pitch and stud count, and sell the template that
marks it. The template costs less than one ruined track. Mark, then drill, then check the first row
before you commit to the rest.
Order of operations
- Measure the lug height. Confirm the track length and pitch off the track, not the spec sheet.
- Look up the series and the count. The calculator does this
from the published charts. - Fit the template. Mark every hole before drilling any of them.
- Drill with the proper track drill — it is sized for the stud and it does not wander.
- Fit studs with their support plates. Torque two-ply to 22 ft-lb, single-ply to 30 ft-lb.
- Check tunnel clearance before the sled moves. Woody’s publish a tunnel protection part number for
most sleds for a reason. - Re-torque after the first ride. Aluminium lock nuts cannot be reused once run down.
Then do the front end
Studs without matching carbide give you a sled that hooks up at the back and pushes straight
through corners, which is more dangerous than no studs at all. Woody’s publish a carbide length per
riding style, per sled and per ski — the whole table is
here. Match it.
One more thing
Check your owner’s manual. Studding against the manufacturer’s recommendation can void the track
warranty, and on Ski-Doo single-ply tracks the Grand Master — sold by Ski-Doo as the Phantom stud — is
the only stud that keeps it intact.