350x/250es Ski Build

[Caminofeld]

Awesome build! IMHO I'd stick with the aggressive rubbers over the track-tires. Prob not too much of a difference with traction and what if you had to negotiate some asphalt at some point? For the $900 price I'd save my cash and spend it on another trike.

[Scootertrash]

Well, mud tires aren't necessarily snow tires. At least from what I understand.
Here is a snow tire:


You want to stay on top of the snow as much as possible, hence the track on a snowmobile. Wide and flat. (Heh. Reminds me of a girl I woke up next to after a good party one time.) Mud tires chew. The paddles on a snow or sand tire are more like scoops and help to climb on top of the snow (or sand).

Anywhoooo.....My buddy's little brother did this on his 350X. I'm not sure why, but the pics may be a little distorted.:


He says he can go anywhere like this. The "ski" set up he tried was to take a snowmobile skid plate and cut a hole in it for the tire to fit thru so he had a tire or a "ski". He said it didn't work. I'm not sure how he had the skid plate mounted, but I think the skid plate would be too flexible.
He used an old snowmobile track with 2 inch paddles that he got for free. let the air out of the tires, cut the track to fit, bolted the ends together, then aired up the tires to hold the track on. He says he can pop wheelies in third and shoot big a** roosters if he wants.

[kebby28]

Anywhoooo.....My buddy's little brother did this on his 350X. I'm not sure why, but the pics may be a little distorted.:

Thats what i'm working on there with old snowmobile tracks. I have a set of woolyboogers on rims ready to do this to.

[CRAZY70MAN]

Well, mud tires aren't necessarily snow tires. At least from what I understand.
Here is a snow tire:


You want to stay on top of the snow as much as possible, hence the track on a snowmobile. Wide and flat. (Heh. Reminds me of a girl I woke up next to after a good party one time.) Mud tires chew. The paddles on a snow or sand tire are more like scoops and help to climb on top of the snow (or sand).

Anywhoooo.....My buddy's little brother did this on his 350X. I'm not sure why, but the pics may be a little distorted.:


He says he can go anywhere like this. The "ski" set up he tried was to take a snowmobile skid plate and cut a hole in it for the tire to fit thru so he had a tire or a "ski". He said it didn't work. I'm not sure how he had the skid plate mounted, but I think the skid plate would be too flexible.
He used an old snowmobile track with 2 inch paddles that he got for free. let the air out of the tires, cut the track to fit, bolted the ends together, then aired up the tires to hold the track on. He says he can pop wheelies in third and shoot big a** roosters if he wants.

Now that is awesome!!! I always wondered if it had been done??? Been thinking of doing it myself. I love that front design! Just like the bush planes on a show I watched to land or take off in snow........ thanks for the pics..

[kebby28]

I have been looking at the 4-snows for months now. I'm just weary about spending the money on them. The treads don't look very deep and it doesn't look like they can be studded. They do look light though.

[Scootertrash]

The 4-Snows work very well in snow because, well, they were designed for snow You don't want aggressive treads for snow, you'll chew yourself down and get stuck faster. That's why the tread is a shallow scoop shape, to help you climb on top of the snow, not chew through the snow to the ground for traction. Some guys use Sand paddle tires, but I've heard from others here that the 4-snopw does almost or just as well as a sand paddle tire, I've never personally tried it, just going by what I was told here. Even at that they have their limitations, like any other tire. After the snow gets deeper than a few inches the 4-snows work better in snow than my bear claws. I'm not sure about studding, but according to Maxxis if you turn the tire around (or simply switch sides on the trike)they are designed to get better traction on ice. I can't verify that since most of our ice is snow covered and I can always find some traction by changing my route, so I haven't bothered trying reversing the tread.

From Maxxis:

For improved acceleration, the Maxxis 4-Snow expands up to 40% during use. It features a reversible tread design for optimum traction on snow and ice. The soft compound remains flexible in cold weather for better grip.

Tire diameter expands up to 40% during acceleration for additional traction and ground clearance; reduces the need for shifting
Reversible tread design offers optimum traction: Use the scoop side for snow and back side for increased surface contact on ice
Special soft compound stays flexible in cold weather for amazing grip and a smooth ride
Drag racer’s first tire choice on ice, snow and pure sand

[kebby28]

Got her out fishing today. Before I headed out I grinded down the front of the carbide a little bit and it was a major improvement. This thing is so much fun out there. I did notice that my steering bearings are shot. I don't know if this just happened or had been that way...?

[Scootertrash]

How much did you grind off of the carbide?

[kebby28]

Only a little bit. The carbide was kinda square in the front so I rounded it so it would glide better.

I want to weld up some sort of a steering stabilizer so when I wheelie the ski stays straight.

I also rolled it upside down this afternoon messing around on a snow bank. Just came down it at an angle and it went right over. The thing was laying on its handlebars and rack. I felt like such an idiot!

[redsox]

the 4snos are so much better in snow than the bear claws. not even in the same catagory. not even close. i want to order a ski. what do i order?

[kebby28]

I would say if you have the money order a wide plastic ski. It doesnt have to be too long either

[fabiodriven]

4 Snows will not be beat by any mud tire in the snow, not even a chance. As Scooter said, they're designed for snow. Nobody is less than amazed after having used them.

[Scootertrash]

the 4snos are so much better in snow than the bear claws. not even in the same catagory. not even close. i want to order a ski. what do i order?

If you just want a single ski, You may have to order an OEM ski from whatever sled manufacturer you want, either that or get a used one off of ebay or craigslist. I use a Camoplast All Terrain ski, 7 inches wide by 41 inches long. They also make a touring ski that is 5 inches by 39 inches. Buuut.. You have to order them as a pair, then you also have to order the mount kit for your sled and order the carbides.

kebby:
What do you mean your ski doesn't stay straight when you wheelie?

[kebby28]

kebby:
What do you mean your ski doesn't stay straight when you wheelie?

When I lift the front end the front of the ski just drops. I didn't have a spindle to use with rubber dampeners, so my square stock just goes down to the ski with a bolt through it. I rounded the square stock and capped it, so the ski can go all the way up and touch the fender or all the way back...

[wonderboy]

When I lift the front end the front of the ski just drops. I didn't have a spindle to use with rubber dampeners, so my square stock just goes down to the ski with a bolt through it. I rounded the square stock and capped it, so the ski can go all the way up and touch the fender or all the way back...

As a quick fix, you could probably just use a couple limit straps. One in front, one in back. Leave enough slack in them to allow a certain amount of pitching of the ski, but short enough to stop the ski from flipping all the way around.

I do have a question (sorry if it was discussed earlier in the thread): Did you experiment and find the best attachment point for the ski to be so far back, or is this what worked out? At first glance, it seems to me to be too far back on the ski. Would it be better to fix your post to the ski more at the midpoint, so there is the same amount of ski in front of and behind the attachment point?