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If you don't see what you need or have a very special part in mind, contact us, we have our own shop and can make your part. If we add it to our line, we will pay you a royalty.
Runners
The runner curve is calculated to make the most efficient work of the snow and ice. It is made of 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum, the strongest and best material for the job and is extruded by a company that makes aluminum parts used in commercial and military aircraft.
Plastics
The Plastic is extruded by the best in the business. We offer not only our own plastic, but the plastic that you know and trust: Tivar 88® and Tivar Dry Slide®. We also offer the hardest plastic in the business for those very rough trails.
Sled Components
Our sled components are carefully engineered, designed, and machined for maximum durability and fit. 20+ years of manufacturing experience goes into each part.
The Science
Some of the design decisions for our runner system were made based on the years of research done by Derrick. Here are some of the important points:
- The aluminum alloy called 7075 is normally a very soft, workable alloy. When it is heat treated with the process specified as "T6" it becomes very hard, but maintains its flexibility. It is used extensively in military and commercial aircraft for this reason. It is hard, so it holds its shape and holds fasteners very well. It has a very high "modulus of elasticity." This means that it will bend very far before it deforms. It makes a great sled runner for the same reason it makes great aircraft parts.
- The size of the runner was chosen to be compatible with the existing runner systems. Its strength is adequate for the job. No need to change much here.
- The shape of the snap fit was carefully engineered to make the fit firm but yet easy to install and remove. The fit can be adjusted by carefully sanding the lip of the runner snap.
- The base material used in virtually all snow gear (skis, snow machine skis, snow boards, runners, etc.) is UHMW or Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethelyene. This is, as you all know, a very versatile, tough material. It is not as slick as PTFE (or Teflon™), but it is much more rugged. What makes one UHMW different from another is the additives. Most manufacturers keep their ingredients secret.
- For the Super Dog plastic we have located a material that is made from UHMW but is significantly harder. It is so hard that it is difficult to extrude, so we machine it.
- Every Musher and Skier has his personal preferences, but, as a general rule, the harder the snow or ice, the harder you want your surface or wax. You also want the smoothest slickest surface you can get.
- Wet snow, however, presents a different challenge. The surface tension of the water actually sticks to the shiny plastic surface and slows you down. Rilling your plastic actually provides a place for the water to break loose. However rilling also raises ridges on the plastic counteracting the improvement. Our matte-finish provides the best possible surface to break free of the surface tension, yet offers the least resistance to the sliding of the sled.
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