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How to Replace the Skis on a Snowmobile

Snowmobiling provides your family an escape from the indoors during the long winter months. Snowmobiles can corner quite well in snowy and icy conditions due to the two skis on the front of the machine with steel carbide runners installed on the bottom. Older snowmobiles used steel skis that need to be replaced periodically due to rust and corrosion. Changing these skis will provide improved cornering and a better looking sled.

Things You'll Need

Car jack
Blocks of wood
Ratchet
Socket
Replacement skis

Instructions

- 1
  Park the snowmobile on a flat solid surface like a concrete floor in a garage. Apply the parking brake on the handle bar controls.
- 2
  Jack the front of the snowmobile up with the car jack until the skis are off the ground. Support the snowmobile in this position by stacking wood blocks on top of one another until they bear the weight of the front end. Remove the car jack.
- 3
  Loosen the remove the nut securing the first ski to the suspension arm with a ratchet and socket. You may need to place a wrench on the opposite side of the bolt's nut to prevent it from turning.
- 4
  Pull the ski off the snowmobile and inspect the rubber grommet on the bottom of the suspension arm. If it is deteriorated or cracked, replace the grommet with a new one.
- 5
  Push the new ski onto the suspension arm aligning the bolt holes.
- 6
  Insert the old bolt through the bolt hole and secure with a washer and nut. Tighten the nut until it is tight, but still allows the ski to move up and down naturally.
- 7
  Repeat steps 3 through 6 to replace the other ski.

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