Ice tire help

[Chickengizzard]

I'm studding a set of nobbies this year for ice racing my 125.
135514
Anyone have any recommendations on how to stud them?
Should I just put 1 in each lug or skip rows or diagonal, which would be best?

[Swinger]

I have never actually used a studded tire but the last one I saw had every other knobby row cut off then studs in the remaining. Count you rows because you may have to go a different route if its odd numbered because you would have two in a row messing up the pattern! Not sure if this is the correct way or even how it works, just relaying what I saw!

[Chickengizzard]

Their are fourty rows. The front tire of the 125 in the picture above is the same style tires I'm using. I was thinking about doubling up the studs in the two or thee middle rows on the front tire and doing like you said in the rears as far as skipping rows. I've seen pictures were someone did a diagonal pattern on the rear, figure it would help better having them set up in this pattern when slidding in corners.

[fabiodriven]

What you just said makes sense, you have the idea.

Once you have them installed and you test it out, you can "index" the screws to provide more or less traction depending on what you need the tires to do. "Indexing" is turning all the screw heads in a specific tire to provide more or less traction.

A low profile tire with not much sidewall flex is what you're going to want as well.

[TatTooL23]

As far as I know. U should stud every single lug. And Fabio is right about the indexing. Makes a big difference to have them turned depending on how it's acting.

Not sure if studding every lug is better for more powerful machines though, so maybe with a 125 u dont want every lug studded. For my zilla it will be every lug. Cheng shin makes a knobby tire just for ice racing. All it's lugs r slightly shifted from the rows around it so that the studs have a fresh place in the ice to grab. Just as u would do with studs in a sled track. U try to not have them match scratch lines.

[Chickengizzard]

Yeah I was thinking about the low pro tire also but having an old set of these tires is going to have to do for this year. I think I'm just going to try letting some air out for more ground contact.

[fabiodriven]

You're actually gonna want to run a higher air pressure, not lower. The tires will just fold if you run them low. You want the tire nice and hard. You don't need a big contact patch at all, the studs will do their job. Do not stud the rears heavily. As tatool said, that machine isn't going to have the sac to spin those tires if they get too much bite. Then you'll go nowhere but straight. Stud the front as much as you want. You can never have too much traction in the front.

[Chickengizzard]

Thanks guys lots of great info.

[just ben]

not trying to hijack but I had studding Q's myself and it would be stupid to start another thread on the same topic. First is I search the subject many times and have seen the duro scorcher mentioned a few times and again tonight in another thread but I havnt seen or heard of anyone actually using them. I have a brand new one,any reason I shouldn't stud it? for the rears I have 18,19" hole shots or 20" turf tamers. Are any of them worth studding? or should I just get a new set to stud?

[fabiodriven]

Not sure about the particular tires you're mentioning Ben, but 18's work best. That's all I know. Keep in mind you'll have to re-gear if you weren't running 18's already.

[yamaha driver]

i heard holeshots work good when you stud them, at least my cousin did on his predator and they worked out fine

[just ben]

The scorcher is the tire I am most curious about. It an asphalt front tire and to stud it with the pattern I was thinking it will take 394 studs. I would think that would be enough to keep the front end planted

[TatTooL23]

Does it have deep enough tread to have the studs not puncture?? Usually the flat track tires have such thin lugs seems like u would go right through if studded.

[fabiodriven]

I don't think it's a big deal if they go through a little bit. I always fill mine with Slime and they do fine.

[just ben]

I don't think it's a big deal if they go through a little bit. I always fill mine with Slime and they do fine.That was my plan

[TatTooL23]

Hmmmm yeah good idea. I'm an idiot. Never thought of that for some reason, lol. I know now...

[rjs89ia]

got a lot of good info on the link. this has probably been posted before but here it is again anyways. http://home.comcast.net/~atc330rrider/iceracerpage.htm

[Jason125m]

got a lot of good info on the link. this has probably been posted before but here it is again anyways. http://home.comcast.net/~atc330rrider/iceracerpage.htm

Thats a very good link, thanks for sharing .

[eddie pettengil]

The front Duro flat track tire was put to use by many last year but have not heard from any of them how well it performed. I dont think it is the best choice. The new tire choice for the quads is the ribbed sand tire. Not sure how it would work on the trikes but everyone on four wheels is using them now. I'll try to find a link for them.

No problem with studs going all the way in the tire, my studs are 1 1/4 inch and they hold air for 3 days with no slime.

[eddie pettengil]

beware quad pic. these are the fronts the quads guys are using. http://www.flattrackevolution.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=118983562

[just ben]

The front Duro flat track tire was put to use by many last year but have not heard from any of them how well it performed. I dont think it is the best choice. The new tire choice for the quads is the ribbed sand tire. Not sure how it would work on the trikes but everyone on four wheels is using them now. I'll try to find a link for them.

No problem with studs going all the way in the tire, my studs are 1 1/4 inch and they hold air for 3 days with no slime. I think it will be my choice since I have a new one and no other use for it

[willreed03]

I prefer the ChengShin Turf Tamers with the solid knobs not the idented knobs. Why spend a bunch of $$$ on tires you are going to put a ton of screws in? The ChengShin 18x9.5x8 is going to be the best tire for flat track ice racing. I have a stud in every knobbie. I have seen high powered 450's with 2 or 3 studs in every knobbie. When they are studded properly it should feel very similar to flat tracking on dirt. If doing circle or oval track I like to turn my inside tire around and run about 3-4 pounds lower pressure which helps turn-in. I have also found that an industrial adhesive helps prevent the screws from coming out and when paying $$$ for screws it makes sense to not lose as many as possible. And I recommend Slime in all tires that have studs as well. I run the Kenda ribbed front tire and stud the center rib with 3-4 studs and then both lines of ribs to the left and right of the center.

Basically you want the machine as low as possible with small tires to help powerslide through the turns. I have seen (and ran myself) guys run 22" tires and they are highsiding all the time because they can't make it slide just like on dirt. If you don't stud a 22" as aggressively then you can slide it more easily but you will lose a lot of straightline traction.

But this is just my opinion/advice so let us know what you end up doing. It's a lot of trial and error to get it just right TBH...but it sure is fun!