Installation and Review: SKINZ Air Frame Running Boards

christopher · Oct 11, 2010

Got the 2nd board installed today at lunch.
Went in very quickly now that I have done it once before.
Used more adhesive to get a better more complete seal than yesterday.

While I didn't need it, it would be nice to have an extra mixing tube or two laying around just in case. But when the 6 minutes was up, the tube was solid.

Now to roll the sled back off it's side, slide the sled stand underneath, and start drilling all the holes to mount the traction studs.

Trashy · Oct 11, 2010

Great thread, Chris!

Maybe Skniz should include a link to this instead of including instructions with their boards from now on!

christopher · Oct 11, 2010

I have to say that the instruction booklet that they included is quite nice. I suppose I offer a bit more detailed photos than they did, but their booklet certainly walked me through the whole process.

600xc4me · Oct 11, 2010

Does skinz reccomend you use the Lord adhesive? Or is it just something you decided to do on your own to make a stronger joint? I was hoping when I bought the boards, that it would be a rivit in deal only? Any thoughts?

christopher · Oct 16, 2010

I was told to use it by one of their test riders who used the Air Frame boards last winter and thought the Lord Adhesive made a noticeable difference in structural rigidity.

There is NOTHING in their literature that suggests you use it.

christopher · Oct 16, 2010

Tonight I mounted the TRACTION STUDS on one of the boards.

All of the stud holes have to be Center Punched first.

Then drilled out with two different bits.
There is a large bit for the outside tube, and a small bit for the inside tubes.

Each stud in then SLOWLY screwed into the hole.
The wall thickness on the outside tube is MUCH greater than on the inside tubes. When the stud is tight on the outside tube you can fell it.

But be CAREFULL on the inside tubes. It is VERY easy to strip the tube with just an extra 1/4 turn of the ratchet. The wall thickness is much thinner on these tubes.

christopher · Oct 16, 2010

Skinz provides a small plate to use as a measuring template for positioning the hole punch.

christopher · Oct 16, 2010

Installing the studs is SLOW work.

smokindave · Oct 17, 2010

Looks good Chris,did you have to locktite them to make sure they don't come out?
I would bet your boards won't be holding snow this season,nice.

KSH · Oct 17, 2010

Looks good.

But, I do have a question.
Why are you using a hand ratchet? You have a compressor now, a 1/4" air ratchet makes disassembling and reassembling sleds a joy. Most 1/4" air rackets will not have enough power to strip out most fasteners.

christopher · Oct 17, 2010

KSH said:
Looks good.

But, I do have a question.
Why are you using a hand ratchet? You have a compressor now, a 1/4" air ratchet makes disassembling and reassembling sleds a joy. Most 1/4" air rackets will not have enough power to strip out most fasteners.

EASY ANSWER

STRIPPING!

The studs that go into the inner tubes have to be tightened EVER SO GENTLY or they will strip out. The wall thickness on those tubes is not all that great and it wouldn't take much at all to spin one of those studs. I can't see doing it with an air tool and NOT stripping out a bunch of them. The outside tube would be fine. It has plenty of metal to bite on and you can "Feel" when the stud is torqued down and it's time to release. But I could barely ever feel that on the inner tubes.

christopher · Oct 17, 2010

smokindave said:
Looks good Chris,did you have to locktite them to make sure they don't come out?
I would bet your boards won't be holding snow this season,nice.

I never even considered doing the locktight on them?

Really do NOT know how they will stand up to real world use.

With the INSTALL portion of this project almost finished, now I have to wait for another 2 months for the REVIEW portion when I finally get to take it out in the snow and see what happens.

KSH · Oct 17, 2010

christopher said:
EASY ANSWER

STRIPPING!

The studs that go into the inner tubes have to be tightened EVER SO GENTLY or they will strip out. The wall thickness on those tubes is not all that great and it wouldn't take much at all to spin one of those studs. I can't see doing it with an air tool and NOT stripping out a bunch of them. The outside tube would be fine. It has plenty of metal to bite on and you can "Feel" when the stud is torqued down and it's time to release. But I could barely ever feel that on the inner tubes.

I use my air ratchet on all my small fasteners, I found I had very little stripping using the air ratchet and a long extension than when doing the plastic fasteners by only hand.

Stripping is over torquing, use Locktite and less torque.

When using air tools, to lower the Torque use less air pressure or longer extensions.

The big thing is your doing it yourself, not paying some one to do it.
So it doesn't matter how it gets done, just that it gets done.
:focus:
What's next?

christopher · Oct 17, 2010

Here was the torque issue I noticed on the inner tubes.

To get the stud started took a look of down pressure.

The first revolution took the most torque.

Then it dropped to almost NO FRICTION at all, and the stud would turn effortlessly.

And lastly as the head of the stud started to get close to the tube itself, there was a little bit of friction once again, but if I wasn't really attentive and

LOOKING at the head, and extra quarter turn on VERY LOW TORQUE would just strip it right out.

KSH · Oct 18, 2010

Looking at the screw, it looks like the thread design tapers back just before the head. They were designed for thicker metal.
They may feel like there stripping out, but can you pull them straight out?
I'm wondering if they would loosen up over time with the threads like that.

christopher said:
Here was the torque issue I noticed on the inner tubes.

To get the stud started took a look of down pressure.

The first revolution took the most torque.

Then it dropped to almost NO FRICTION at all, and the stud would turn effortlessly.

And lastly as the head of the stud started to get close to the tube itself, there was a little bit of friction once again, but if I wasn't really attentive and

LOOKING at the head, and extra quarter turn on VERY LOW TORQUE would just strip it right out.

christopher · Oct 18, 2010

KSH said:
Looking at the screw, it looks like the thread design tapers back just before the head. They were designed for thicker metal.
They may feel like there stripping out, but can you pull them straight out?
I'm wondering if they would loosen up over time with the threads like that.

They are all tight.
I was very careful not to strip any of them by over-tightening them. As soon as the head touched the bar, I stopped tightening.

600xc4me · Oct 27, 2010

christopher said:
They are all tight.
I was very careful not to strip any of them by over-tightening them. As soon as the head touched the bar, I stopped tightening.

So if you didn't strip any, then you really don't know just how easy they really would strip. Or am I missing something? Just seems odd to me that they would strip THAT easy. Sounds like if you look at them wrong they will strip on their own. I hope it's not as bad as it sounds.

christopher · Oct 28, 2010

It just felt like each one of them was about to break loose to me.
I spoke to Skinz about this at the Snow Show this last Saturday.
They told me they screw them in using an electric screw driver with the tension set to 1, the very lowest setting on the screwdriver.

this1ultraflyz · Nov 14, 2010

Thanks for spending extra time on the super detail on the install. :thumb::thumb:

this1ultraflyz · Nov 14, 2010

Ok, Ya i read the whole thread and need the update its like i was installing them here from the recliner! Where we at?

Installation and Review: SKINZ Air Frame Running Boards

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