The snowblower's auger housing has a skid shoe on each side that controls the height of the auger housing, which contains the augers and shave plate. When set at the correct height, the skid shoe prevents the augers and shave plate from scraping against the ground. Each skid shoe is reversible, so when one side wears out, you can flip it over and use the other side. When both sides wear out, it’s time to replace the skid shoe. This step-by-step repair guide shows how to do install a new snowblower skid shoe. Replace a worn or broken skid shoe with a manufacturer-approved replacement part. We recommend replacing both at the same time, to ensure they're the same thickness.
Use this basic procedure to replace skid shoes on Craftsman, Ariens, Husqvarna, Troybilt, MTD, Murray, Snapper, Poulan and Noma snowblowers.
Instructions
- 01.
Disconnect the spark plug wire
Pull the wire straight up and off of the spark plug.
- 02.
Remove the skid shoe
Loosen and remove skid shoe mounting nuts. Pull the skid shoe off of the housing.
Tip: If the bolts are rusted, soak them with penetrating oil.
Remove the skid shoe mounting nuts.
Remove the skid shoe.
- 03.
Attach the new skid shoe
Position the new skid shoe on the mounting bolts and finger tighten the nuts.Â
- 04.
Set the height of the skid shoe
Place corrugated cardboard under the scraper blade to hold the blade about ¼-inch off the ground. Lower the skid shoe so that it contacts the ground. Tighten the mounting nuts with the ½-inch wrench.
Use cardboard as a spacer.
- 05.
Reconnect the spark plug wire
Push the wire back onto the spark plug. Start the engine and confirm that the skid shoes keep the blade slightly off the ground.
Symptoms for gas snowblowers
Repair guides for gas snowblowers
You need a spark to fire up the engine of your snowblower, and that spark comes from a spark plug. You can replace one in minutes.
Replace the fuel line on your snowblower if it's cracked or damaged.
The shear pin breaks if you hit hard-packed snow, to protect the engine from damage. Your snowblower auger won't rotate until you fix it. You can replace it in about 10 minutes.
Articles and videos for gas snowblowers
This video shows how to adjust a snowblower's auger control.
Learn how to tighten a snowblower drive control if the drive slips or doesn't engage, and how to loosen it if the snowblower creeps when you disengage the drive.
See how to replace the chute control rod on a snowblower.