There are a lot of different parts on a snowmobile as you may already know. Some of these parts are not always on the forefront of your mind at all times as they are unseen most of the time. Your snowmobile’s carbides fall into this category. Located under your skis they are hardly ever seen, but play a big part in the operation of your snowmobile. We are here to tell you what snowmobile carbides are, how long they last and how to choose the right carbide for your snowmobile.
What Is A Snowmobile Carbide?
First, let’s get one thing straight. The carbides are actually part of your snowmobile’s wear rods which are the long metal bars that attach to the bottom of your snowmobile’s skis. The wear rod helps protect your skis from unwanted wear and damage while increasing the steering ability and control you have over your snowmobile with the use of a carbide on the center of the wear rod. Put simply, the carbide is what helps you steer your snowmobile, especially on hard pack snow and ice.
How Long Do Snowmobile Carbides Last?
The life span of the carbides on your snowmobile varies depending on how much riding you are doing and the conditions in which you are riding. If you do a lot of trail riding on hard packed snow or are required to cross hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete, the longevity of your carbides is going to be decreased significantly. On the other hand, if you are riding deep powder, off-trail snow your carbides are going to last quite a bit longer. With that said if you are riding off-trail in deeper powder you probably are not running much of a carbide on your snowmobile anyways. We talk about this more below.
How To Choose A Snowmobile Carbide
There are many different styles of carbides. The first thing you need to think about is what kind of riding you plan on doing. If you are planning on doing a lot of trail riding on icy surfaces you will want to look into a sharper, longer carbide that is going to offer you the most control and steering ability. The sharper longer carbides are meant for this. They allow you to corner your snowmobile with ease and keep you going in the direction you want to be going.
If you are a mountain rider that does not plan on riding the hard pack trails much if at all, you will want a shorter, not sharp carbide. Some mountain riders, including ourselves, choose to use a round bar with no actual carbide on it as we do not need a carbide in deep powder. This is not always the most ideal option as it does make steering more difficult when we are not in the deep powder.
Take a look at the different options available on the market and see what would work best for your needs. There are numerous options from 4 inch to 6 inch to double carbide for maximum control to round bar carbides with very minimal control. The carbide you need will depend heavily on the type of riding you are going to be doing. Carbides are one of those parts on your snowmobile where you try a few different ones before you end up finding your preferred style.
