Yea I know its only September but I'm starting to think ahead to this winter when the water freezes and ice racing begins. I'm trying to figure out how to set up my Raptor for running on the ice. Besides studding my Razrs this is what I'm thinking. I already have a +3" axle. I'll put a front lowering kit on it, 1" offset rear rims, maybe front wheel spacers. Can I strap the rear end down with a tie down strap? Any advice from veteran ice racers is apprieciated.

 

It sounds like you`ve got most of what you`ll need to get started. I would recommend ice racing tires if you are going to get serious because they are a harder compound rubber and hold the screws better IMO. I had a 435 Warrior that I raced for couple of winters. I used only the wheel spacers front and rear and the "poor mans lowering kit" tie downs to compress the suspension. I thought it worked very well. 2 things you need to do are make sure the ends don`t come loose and get tangled somewhere another use for duct tape and loosen up the pre-load on your springs. If you don`t the springs will be bound up and offer little or no movement.HTH

Where are you racing and do they have a non-studded 4x4 class? I`d like to see how the Scram does.

 

Thanks for the tip on the duct tape ( one more use for it ). I had thought about loosening the preload like you said too. We run on a gravel pit with a bunch of guys around Olean. Nothing organized but more for fun, although some are serious about it. There are some local races too but I don't remember where right now. Its not too far from RaChaCha. I'll post any upcoming events I hear about.

 

Get Hand Protectors (Bark Busters, etc.). They will make a difference in keeping your hands warm at speed.

Ignore hand warmers, as the grips that come with the warmers are slippery as heck and will probably hurt you more than not.

I agree on the ice racing tires. Another good hint is to blow up the tires extra big when you are about to put in the studs. Then when finished, bring the pressure down. This will cause the tires to grip the studs more firmly.

I had a Scram which I studded a couple of years ago. Very cool. But the weight thing was still a problem.

We still run the rivers in the winters. It's a blast....

I still go up north with the quad and rip around on the lakes. Have to ensure it hasn't snowed more than a couple of inches in the previous few days. Need to give the wind some time to clear off the snow.....

RM

RM