My new track studs chewed up my heat exchanger in one weekend

Bought a used 2017 Renegade last fall and the seller threw in a fresh set of studs for free, so I figured I'd mount them before the season. Only went out twice near Traverse City before I noticed a small puddle of coolant under the sled after a warm-up in the garage. Pulled the belly pan and found a dime-sized hole in the heat exchanger right where the track clips pass over it. Those studs sat a little proud because I used the wrong backer plate, and on hard pack they canted sideways just enough to eat the aluminum. The shop quoted me $620 for a replacement exchanger plus labor, so I ended up patching it with epoxy and a steel washer as a temp fix. Check your stud lengths and backer plates before your first ride, especially if the track has any sag. Anyone else have a stud strike nick the cooler, and did you just patch it or replace the whole unit?

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richard_sanchez431mo agoTop Commenter

Heard about these newer studs walking sideways on hard pack, good tip on the backers for sure.