Snowmobile Gears

Hobbed, Not Burned

Real gear hobbing. Real American steel.

Every KNS chaincase gear starts as domestic American alloy steel and is cut on true gear hobbing machines — the same process used to make production drivetrain gears. Most of our competition wire-EDM their tooth profiles out of a plate, which leaves a recast layer and a tooth form that only approximates the real involute. Many OEMs use powder cast metal gears, which is significantly weaker than the solid billet blanks that all KNS Performance gears start to life as. Hobbing generates the tooth form continuously, so the profile, lead and spacing come out right the first time.

The result is measurably better chain-to-gear mesh: quieter running, lower chain tension spikes, less stretch, and far more life out of both the gear and the chain it rides on. Then every gear is heat treated and case hardened so the tooth face can take the hit while the core stays tough.