Homemade ice tires

[rocco16v at netzero.net (L F)]

Carl,
 Here's what we used to do, back when we'd ice race our dirt bikes on the frozen lakes in Michigan:
Use sheet metal screws, but you put them in from the outside of the tires, with the heads sticking out.  It takes a special type of screw, I still have a jar full of those babies.  (www.mcmaster.com has these....try part number 90197A194)  They are a 1/2" long screw and leaking air will not be a problem, since they don't penetrate all the way through.
  This screw a washer-head design and has a raised, knife-edged rim on it that provides plenty of grip on ice.  Get a 1/4" hex drive tool to chuck up in your variable-speed electric hand drill and you can "stud" a set of tires in about an hour.  (Oops, make that two hours for a car.)  The screws will run about $3/hundred, so you won't blow the budget...

Have fun!
Larry
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Carl Seidel 
  To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org 
  Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2004 8:06 PM
  Subject: Homemade ice tires


  Hi all,

  I was wondering if anyone had any experience making their own studded 
  tires.  Not for on the street, but for ice trials type events on a frozen 
  lake.  I dont feel like paying $140 each for Menard ice racing tires, so I 
  figured I'd go nuts with the sheet metal screws on an old set of tires.  I 
  was looking into snowmobile track studs, but they're kinda expensive 
  too.  The last event I did was fun on my blizzaks, but the guys with studs 
  were just rippin it up, so I want to rip it up too.  I found this web page:
  http://tonymo920.tripod.com/iceracingezine/id8.html
  That talks about it.  I'm just wondering how well they hold air like that, 
  and that green sealant seems like it would be kind of expensive (which is 
  the opposite of the theme of this project)

  Here's what my plan is currently:
  Tons of 3/4" sheet metal screws with washers on them and use that 3m 
  windshield urathane (appropriate choice?) to seal the screws.
  Then take a strip of a truck tire tube and paste that (with what?) on top 
  of all the screw heads inside the tire.
  Then run a regular tire tube inside the tire.

  Probably wont be the lightest things, but it will be more fun than 15mph 
  into a corner and still sliding.
  And for fun here's a pic of my rocco at the last ice trials event (and is 
  time trials, one car at a time so I'm not banging up my car)
  http://www.w-a-g.org/events/ice/2004/2004-01-03/batch1/photos/IMG_012.jpg

  So whos got some insight?

    -Carl 


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