Wonder if these would work

[garretttpe]

Guides

I was looking at using the Argo Guides as they are Nylon and just over $5 dollars a piece. I am looking at 86 total guides, so they are light weight and strong, worst case is this does not work and I can use the guides for a "normal" track set up. either way the weight will be the same per side, distributed differently yes but same weight on the drive system I am thinking.. thanks for al the input

[Allwheeldrive]

The problem boils down to Pie

A 21” diameter tire has 66” of circumference. 5.5 feet x 6 = 33 feet of track

Assuming your using a 40 pound “short track” of 121 inches would require 3.27 tracks or 130 pounds
That is HALF the weight of these advertised wheel track thingies. Which is a big improvement no doubt  . That said I would honestly doubt one could manage to make guides and hardware weighing less than quarter the track itself. Which comes in at 162 pounds assuming practical garage level engineering with steel guides. Just my 2 cents.
Cool sure, would it be an improvement in snow? Yes likely.  Would it be a more efficient solution to going with say J-wheelz which only weighs 7 pounds apiece?  Probably not. 

[garretttpe]

Hi Allwheeldrive

thanks for the input

I would not buy these for my machine, I looked at them as an Idea. I would use my current tires I have now and use 15 inch snowmobile tracks with 1/2 to 3/4 inch lugs, the weight would be minimal. A snowmobile track is about 40 lbs then add guides and hardware, 50-60 lbs  per side total. If my tires are 11 inches wide now and I use 15 inch tracks that should increase my ground area and decrease my PSI X 6 tires. just a thought. I cant see these costing me much more than 500 dollars to make, I figure I would need aprox 84 guides plus hardware.

just have to talk my financial acct to let me do it..........

[Allwheeldrive]

I’ve seen these equipped to a lot of 6x6 woodland fire truck UTVs and by 6x6 I mean they have the track in the back and the single tire wrap in the front like the 6x6 Polaris (to keep the ratios correct) front to back. I have no doubt these would increase traction sort of like a big wide snow chain. However I don’t see this really increasing floatation overall. Ground pressure is directly proportional to tire pressure (3 PSI in tires will always work out to almost exactly enough rubber in contact with the ground to make 3 PSI of ground pressure. The same is true for cars, trucks, bicycles etc. These flat tracks should provide a lot of ground contact area, BUT aired down tires (such in snow) do not gain all of their ground surface area via sidewall budge. Most is from the actual tread flattening lengthwise very much like a track would touch the ground. I do not see this being very possible with these ridged plates.

These may work a bit better if you could put them on preexisting tires on an AATV, but just like real tracks you’ll have to reduce tire size to fit them and gain no additional ground clearance.
I’d be more interested to see how they perform in mud and swampy areas where they should self clean very quickly vs round tires. Usually the less round a “wheel” is the better it is at not gumming up and becoming clogged in clay and mud which these should do very well to avoid.   

Also just noticed the weight…

That’s 40 pounds additional PER 21" wheel
240 pounds additional on a 5-700 pound AATV would be very noticeable all in its own. Actually that single handedly removes any justification of these being smart in my mind.

Rotational weigh is approximately (depending on diameter) 3x more detrimental to performance vs static weight on a vehicle so adding 720 pounds is going to make most any machine complain, especially chains, clutches etc. Not to mention that is some incredible upspring weight and axle bending inertia right there. The 31” ko-2 BFG tires on my truck weigh 55 pounds each. I can’t image asking a 6x6 to spin 6 of them. Heck my Coot’s 31” R-1 AG tires only weigh 35 pounds a pop. Likewise 27” tire sized V-bar snow chains weigh 16 pounds.   

[garretttpe]

O YES I would get hammered bad if riding on the trails with cleats this big for sure.. in powder it would ride like a Cadillac... My Idea is to use 15 inch wide snowmobile tracks with 1/2 cleats would ride smooth on the trails yet be enough to have traction in the snow.. My Artic Cat sled has 3/4 lugs and no issues so I figure this might work......... thanks for all the input. Plus in Maine it is illegal to ride the snowmobile trails in winter with out tracks, this could give me best of both worlds in the winter....

Larry

[wedge]

Well that would help ! We haven't had that kind of snow here in some time.

[ascaw]

With the amount of snow he gets up in Northern Maine he won't bounce or hammer his back.  The snow should make it ride like a Cadillac.

[wedge]

I would think those size Cleat would ride like Crap !
That is A lot of hammering you back in a Machine with no give.
But as I said before I am Not a Track fan ! 

[garretttpe]

I would put outer bearings on for sure, I hope t have an answer from the company in a few days with the height to include the cleats and width

[wedge]

It is BEST to run the 3rd bearing as Tracks put a Lot of pressure on the outer bearing !

[ascaw]

Just make sure you have the proper clearance to the tub, you may need wheel spacers for a proper fit.  Not sure if you would need the outer 3rd bearing like you would with full tracks.

[garretttpe]

I just had an epiphany, or maybe it is the San Miquel, Either way. when and If I get home this winter I will try to make a set of individual over the tire tracks 15 inches wide. Getting used snowmobile tracks for free in my area is easy. Now all I need to do is price some grouser's, I know I can get them for 5 dollars a piece from Argo.. the project should not cost to much and if they dont work then I still have the grousers to do something with........ If I get home..

[garretttpe]

I have a email into the company asking what the actual width and height dimension is on the 21 inch set, I am curious if 21 inch is to the track material or from cleat to cleat..... Since I am in snow county I am always looking as anything over 6 inches of snow my machine is useless.....Last winter for a 2 week period we had a deep freeze and that was when I got home on rotation so 2 feet of snow was frozen solid and I was able to go into the woods......I have a mint condition Artic Cat 600 Pantera but the MAX is so much more fun

[wedge]

Looks like thy have Ribs that wrap around the tire side wall. Tub clearance would be the other issue ?
My self I am Not a Big Track fan But that's just me 

[ascaw]

Without seeing them in person it's hard to tell.  I'm not sure if they are one piece with rim or wrap around existing tires or if you can get them either way.  They were/are designed for 4 wheelers/utv's and not skid steer 6x6's, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't work on a 6x6.  It would be interesting to see.