Carbide Wear Rod
Wear Patterns

The finest wear rods and... we can prove it!

Typical Carbide Wear Rod Wear Patterns

Wear pads do not prevent wear on the turning carbide,
they generate wear patterns and DRAG!

As you can see, the front and back wear pads, and even the turning carbide, did not prevent the host bar from wearing away.  This leads to diminished handling and ski damage.

The ski protection and turning ability of these wear rods were long gone.  They demonstrate that these snowmobilers were not getting maximum function out of the turning carbide.

Seven wear pads did not keep the 2 inches of turning carbide from dulling.
Dulled so much, the turning carbides look like wear pads now!
 
These Ski-doo carbides are good rods for driving on blacktop because at least every other inch is carbide (9" total). This snowmobiler threw away 15" (out of 18") of expensive carbide.  And, the excessive wear in the front of the host bar severely damaged his ski... costing him even more money.
You will need LOTS of studs to overcome all the resistance generated by this XPR Roetin wear pattern.

The carbide dug in so much harder that this added resistance pushed the nose of the ski down, impairing turning ability and causing ski damage

This Woody's carbide is a perfect example of the futility of wear pads and the resistance caused by them.

This pair of Stud Boy carbides was ridden in the Tomahawk, WI area in mid January 2007 for 300 miles.  Conditions were low snow but icy.  The first 40 miles were good but after a 100 they were shot.  Note the typical wear around and behind the front wear pads.  Also, note how exposed the front of the turning carbides have become. 

Mike H.
Greenfield, WI 

  

Two Stage Wear Pattern

1st Stage - The front of this Bottom Line rod wore until the carbide was extremely exposed.

2nd Stage - Then, the carbide dug in so much harder that this added resistance pushed the nose of the ski down, impairing turning ability and causing ski damage.

Shaper Bars on Artic Cat
'09 - '10 Season

Only 560 miles in Northern Wisconsin on good snow conditions.

Note the heavy wear between the front wear pad and the turning carbide.

  
Artic Cat Shaper Bars

Click on image for larger view   |   Skip K Utica, IL

Simmon's latest and greatest carbide design.
Made by Bottomline.

Unfortunately, they maintained the same old wear pattern they have always had.

That is why the 3 carbide wear pads up front are gone.

Hacksaw / File tests
Aftermarket Plastic Ski
wear pattern

 image

Polaris 2010 Rush
'09 - '10 Season

December 15 - January 18

Ridden in the UP of Michigan for 1300 miles in good snow conditions.

Note the heavy wear on front

  
2010 Polaris Rush

Click on image for larger view  |  Click on image for alternative front view

Polaris 2013 Pro-Steer Ski

January 2014

Ridden in the Beloit Wisconsin area with only 87 miles on them.

Note the significant wear from the bend back

   Polaris Pro Steer
Qualipieces – Cobra 4"  

Qualipieces – Cobra 8"

Black dots (toward front) indicate the start of the carbide.

  

Used Saber carbide

From Ski Doo Flex ski. Note the heavy wear to the front.

 

  

Saber Bar

Click on image for larger view

Used Pilot Rods

Left ski rods. Note the heavy wear to the front.

  


Click on image for larger view
     

Same sled right side ski.

Note the heavy wear to the front.

  

Click on image for larger view
Ski-Doo Extreme Rod

Note the heavy wear to the front.

  
Extreme Rod

Click on image for larger view  |   Pilot SL wear pattern

Woody's – Yamaha Slim Jims

Note the heavy wear to the front of the turning carbide. There are only 500 miles on these rods.

Ridden in the UP of MI (Gaylord area) with good snow conditions. ('08-'09 season)

  
Slim Jims on Polaris

1,767 miles ridden in N&S WIS and the UP of MI (Gaylord area) with good snow conditions. ('08-'09 season)

  
Slim Jims

Click on image for larger view
   
Used Simmons Gen-3 rods

350 miles. Note the heavy wear to the front.

ski photo

   Gen3
Click on image for larger view 
Used USI Project-X Ski rod

Note the heavy wear to the front.

 

  

USI Project-X
Click on image for larger view

The more carbide on the wear rod, the more carbide you throw away.

Kalamazoo Engineering's 18" of carbide was not enough in the 1970's.

Flat topped
 

The bar has worn from 7/16" to 1/4"
 

See how the host bar material is eroding around the carbide?

John Deere's 1981 22-5/8" of carbide - $216.00 per pair - was
not enough in the 1980's

New carbide
Used carbide.
This rod is off the right side ski - non-roadside.
The left was sent to the dump along with the destroyed ski.

Note how the host bar material is eroding undercutting the carbide the full length.

 

New & Used Rods Side by Side

carengh1.jpg (11829 bytes)

The unavoidable truth about carbide... it only stays in as long as
the host bar holds it in.
 

Back End

Note the loss of host bar material, making the ski vulnerable.

The wear pattern proves that carbide is not relevant to the life of the wear rod on a snowmobile trail. Bare pavement, yes, because then only the carbide makes any contract.

After-market plastic skis

These photos PROVE that a wear rod lasts
only as long as it's weakest link.

Woody's model history  |  Woody's host bar channel history  |  Woody's wear pad history
 Woody's turning carbide history  |  Woody's advertising history

Dollar per mile, Bergstrom Skegs are the best value on the market...Period!


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