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ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 10:09 pm Aug 04 2013
by diymirage
hey guys

it looks like I got a good lead on a set of winter wheels for my buddy bike
these wheels come with tires which I will install ice screws into (last year I bought a used set of studded tires for my DD bike)

so, I've heard good things about kold kutter screws, is that the screw to go with or are there other/better options?
now, that narrows it down to the make, what size should I use?
I will be riding Michigan trails (not expecting to get onto frozen lakes, mainly snowed over trails)
so what size should I use?

the screws in my DD were not long enough to show through the actual tire into the tube so I take it I don't need liners?

and finally, this will be my buddy bike so I expect it will mainly be piloted by my 15 year old nephew who as of now has about 2-3 hours of total seat time on any bike (all of it on the KDX)
so, having said that, how many screws would I need in the front and back ?

I want the same size front and back yes?

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 10:28 pm Aug 04 2013
by rbates9
For trail riding there is better options but they are much more expensive. Around a buck a piece. So since we all know that is more then you will spend ( :lol: ) You will want to get the longest screw you can get with out going all the way through the tire and hitting the tube. If you can get a set of liners or make a set out of old street bike tires then it will help to have the longest screw you can get. If you are going to just screw a used set of tires then I would guess 1/2" will be the longest for the front and 5/8" for the rear. I would buy extra because the shorter screws tend to pull out easier so you will have to replace them as you go. Also riding in the woods will wear them out faster and they will need to be replaced more often. They do have the "Canadians" that have a taller head but snap off more easily then the standard.

On a side note when you are out riding you will want to stay back further then you think and have anyone behind you stay back further so when the screws come out and go flying they won't hurt as bad. A broken screw coming from a spinning tire can do some damage if it hits you.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 10:33 pm Aug 04 2013
by diymirage
unless the buck a piece is speaking of a buck per wheel count me out

any idea how many I would need for the front and rear?
I wouldn't mind having a few extra

it seems the ones I have in my plated KDX are good quality (or the tires are, I know those were brand new when the PO installed the screws) because it doesn't look like I have lost any


I do seem to remember someone warning me about keeping my distance, but that's the type of advice you cant hear enough

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 11:01 pm Aug 04 2013
by rbates9
I want to say the last time I screwed a rear knobby I bought 500? and used somewhere in the 300 range. I forget how they sell them. I think you can get them in a 100, 250, 500 pack.

To get the length measurement what I did was used a very small drill bit and drilled down through the shortest knob (center of a used tire) and when the bit came through I marked the bit and pulled it out to get a max measurement and bought the next size down.

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 11:04 pm Aug 04 2013
by rbates9
http://www.studrider.com/applications.php

It will only cost you about $300-$400 to go this way.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 11:24 pm Aug 04 2013
by KDXohio
Ive never screwed a tire but I would think the coarser the thread the harder it will be to pull out.

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 04:43 am Aug 05 2013
by diymirage
rbates9 wrote:http://www.studrider.com/applications.php

It will only cost you about $300-$400 to go this way.

lol, i'll use tapcons before I go that route

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 05:50 pm Aug 06 2013
by Roadhazardguy
I can't seem to find it but there was a video on YouTube where this kid took some of those blue sheet metal screws and put them in from the inside of the tires after pre drilling holes through all the lugs then took nuts and cross threaded them on from the outside with an impact driver and I think he covered the inside with some sort of sheet foam before putting the tubes and tires back on the wheels.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 05:52 pm Aug 06 2013
by rbates9
Roadhazardguy wrote:I can't seem to find it but there was a video on YouTube where this kid took some of those blue sheet metal screws and put them in from the inside of the tires after pre drilling holes through all the lugs then took nuts and cross threaded them on from the outside with an impact driver and I think he covered the inside with some sort of sheet foam before putting the tubes and tires back on the wheels.
That is the TapCon thing DIY was talking about.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 06:03 pm Aug 06 2013
by diymirage
it sure was, thought tapcons are for cement, not sheet metal
still, that's way more then what I want to spend or need

I have regular kold kutters in my DD winter rims and they work fine
but since I bought those tires studded I just need to know how to choose/install them

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 06:06 pm Aug 06 2013
by rbates9
diymirage wrote:it sure was, thought tapcons are for cement, not sheet metal
still, that's way more then what I want to spend or need

I have regular kold kutters in my DD winter rims and they work fine
but since I bought those tires studded I just need to know how to choose/install them

I was looking around last winter on the web and found a place to get the tapcons in bulk and the nuts in bulk and it was going to be around $80- a tire I figured.

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 06:10 pm Aug 06 2013
by rbates9
I have http://www.frpoffroad.com/Motorcycle-ic ... 1039&fpg=1 for the winter and if you look at the prices you will quickly see why you don't ride them in the woods. Just the lake.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 12:09 am Aug 07 2013
by Roadhazardguy
OK cool. Yeah they might not have been sheet metal screws, I think they were hardened.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 03:10 pm Aug 28 2013
by diymirage
allright guys, I now have the tires off the bike (well, the rear at least which has the least thread) and after drilling a knob like Batesy suggested and I came up with a 7/16 thickness
should I go with a 1/2 screw or a 3/8th ?

the 1/2 will fit more secure but will pose a larger risk of poking through and puncturing the tire, while the 3/8 is a lesser risk of punctures there is a larger risk of them pulling out :doh:

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 04:33 pm Aug 28 2013
by rbates9
I know you don't want to hear what I am going to say but, I think you need to get a (new) tire with more tread so you can at least use 5/8". When you are riding in the woods your tire will quickly go from spinning to grabbing so the more screw the better to help them from pulling out. 1/2" on the front will be ok you will just have to keep an eye on them. What shape are the "good" tires you have in? Could they be the tires to screw and then get new summer tires in the spring?

I can look through my worn out tire pile and probably find you a tire that will hold a 5/8" screw.

Re: ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 04:41 pm Aug 28 2013
by diymirage
the ones I was gonna stud a mix, the rear came off of my DD bike which got replaced with a brand new trakmaster (installed it yesterday)
the front came off my project bike (which now is kinda my nephews bike)
both tires on the project bike have recently been replaced with take offs from a KLX that are almost brand new, they still have the red line going around them
I've already tossed the old rear tire so studding the take off would require a brand new tire to replace it for summer use

if you have a knobby that might work I may be interested in it
especially since I wasn't too sure about the rear tire I took off of my bike, it is a kenda K270 dual sport and I think a knobby might do better for the snow anyway

ice screw help please (i know its only august)

Posted: 05:07 pm Aug 28 2013
by rbates9
I just went out and found it. It is a Maxis ... IT something? You can have it for the shipping if you want it. The screw holes are all laid out for you too! :grin: PM me if you want it.