Busted lugs on tracks / Ladder Ramps?

[Ox]

I understand that trying to keep up with trail sleds will git'chew in the poor house, but I just cringe whenever I see a ladder ramp.
While they are WAY nicer to climb (I'm sure) than a smooth ramp, I just cringe at the thought of that lug coming around and hitting the ladder wrung in a manner that bends it over, and unless your ladder is built to accommodate the specific pitch of your track (3.5" incr ?) Shirley some of the lugs are getting bent. They just gotta be - don't they?

I run a smooth ramp and just hit it with more speed. Not had much troubles over the last 20 years, but I'm on a flatbed too, not an over-the-rails deck (anymore) so my ramp isn't as steep either...
But with that said - the last track that I replaced was prolly close to 15 yrs ago. And I've only bought one new sled in that time... And I've spun out on my share of icey rocks and whatnot as well.

So - I'm wondering if there is any correlation with those who have had much issues with lugs/tracks and whether they have ladder ramps or not?

 

[simnil]

You loose lugs from overheating/overspeeding the track in poor snow conditions and "milling down" stumps and rocks at full throttle, not gently bending lugs on a ladder.

 

[tuneman]

You're significantly more likely to get pummeled by the abominable snowman while riding in the backcountry than to tear a lug on a ladder ramp.

 

[joshkoltes]

I'm about to build a ladder ramp, I wonder if there is a magic spacing number that accomadates all pitches

 

[simnil]

I'm about to build a ladder ramp, I wonder if there is a magic spacing number that accomadates all pitches

You will still hit rungs with lugs, or do you intend to stop just before starting to climb the ramp synchronizing the track lugg pattern with the ramp before climbing it?

Going by just logic, (mine that is, might be wrong), just don't put in too many rungs. There should be a threshold number of rungs which if you go above it you start loosing traction because to many lugs are on top of the rungs at the same time.

Anyways. Compared to the everyday life of a properly used mountain sled track, going up any ramp, regardless of design, is a breeze!
Unless you plan on doing burnouts on the ramp to impress your friends then you don't have to overthink this.

 

[Ox]

I'm about to build a ladder ramp, I wonder if there is a magic spacing number that accomadates all pitches

Well, not "all pitches" but since 2.52 is not so common on deep lug tracks these days, you could simply use the "3 x 3.5" pattern.
So - bars spaced at 10.5" centers should come out evenly for both 3" and 3.5" tracks.


EDIT - actually you would need to be on 21" centers for that to work.
My bad...

 

[Ox]

In watching a few videos, I see that some ramps are open wrungs, but others have at least some sort of bar up the middle that can somewhat act like a bottom, only allowing the lugs to sink an inch or whatnot deep (size of wrung material used) and thus not allowing the wrung to be clear down to the track.

But then that's going to want to collect snow on the ramp...

I guess everything is a compromise..

 

[kidwoo]

I'm about to build a ladder ramp, I wonder if there is a magic spacing number that accomadates all pitches

pi

 

[bnorth]

10 years on ladder ramps and never shed a lug. Sure torn a lot on stumps though.

 

[Blk88GT]

Same here. I have had my deck for nearly 10 years, never lost a lug on the ramp.

 

[Ox]

Thanks guys!

I watched a few ladder rack vids, and one thing that it does show is that the track is hardly ever laid down flat on the ramp anyway. By the time the rear of the track is in contact, the front of the rear suspension is compressing greatly and then the rear starts to pick straight up out of the wrungs.

 

[HCRRider]

Going on yr 5 with my deck and have no issues. I dont get on the ramp, stop and try to spin up the ramp to the deck. You hit it at the right speed and can almost cost up it onto the deck. Ive seen guys hit the ramp, hesitate and spin up the ramp the whole way. Cant be good for alot of things!!!!!!!! Do it correctly and you wont have any problems at all.