Half tracks for bigfoot

[peelerpounder]

Hi guys. I’m new here to Argos. Love the wealth of info on here. Got a 2000 BF. Going after moose soon in Northern BC. Worried muskeg might be too much. Found a set of Argo tracks. These are run with 22’s and only 2 tires. He runs them on the front 2. Wondering what the best is. Maybe the back 2? Chime in please. I drool over the Adair’s but really they will run more than my Argo. Maybe just go to a new ish 8x8 but the Mrs dislikes new additions. She frowns on hunt expenditures 😎

[trevorakm1]

I say try it and see what happens while figuring and out to get unstuck. also if you have argo tracks , if segmented could you buy enough to complete the tracks to full length. could go the home made route with snow mobile tracks and guides. PM Buzz he just put up a couple videos running argos in muskeg.

[peelerpounder]

I was more concerned about chain wind up and those kinda issues. I’ve seen the odd Argo only half tracked up. Wondering if this is a frugal thing or operational requirement. Yes Buzz has some interesting set ups.

[Buzz]

there are 2 kinds of wind-up. Shoot, this can happen without tracks as the machine travels over the ground though to a lesser extent. The Problem is, Tires are not identical in circumference, and all tracks types can be subject to both of these types of wind up (I hate that word) if the tires are simply put on Willy Nilly

1) the BAD type of wind-up: a faster moving track speed caused by improper tire positioning that forces some tires to rotate prematurely via the track going by, not by the chains inside driving them (as is supposed to happen). This puts all the driving load on the wrong side of the chain (tensioner side) while travelling in the forward direction, which is what you do 99% of the time. You do not want this, especially if you have the very common ratcheting tensioners. Ideally they should never see this type of full driving load that tries to “force” them down even though they cannot go back down. Some manually adjustable (but still fixed) tensioners are the same. This strain on fixed tensioners DOES happen while travelling in reverse, so be gentle on your machine (load-wise) when backing up, just FYI, even if tires are positioned appropriately. Limit hardcore manuevers and chores when travelling in reverse.

2) Operational (FINE) wind-up (if you want to call it wind up). This happens with ALL track types/brands that have PROPERLY positioned tires, and it happens to varying degrees. Some tires are supposed to overdrive the track, and they will overcome some slipping load, however this slipping load is variable based on tread positioning, tire pressure, and the shape/material of the track surface. And this slipping load is almost always significantly LESS than the actual terrain requirements on anything but hard, flat ground (the type of terrain Argos are not designed for). In any kind of soft surface (mud, snow, water, muskeg, floating grass), the terrain itself causes a larger power demand to drive the track than the slipping load that is required of any middle tires when driven correctly via the chains. It is always better to have your middle tires overdrive your track, than it is to have your track prematurely rotate some of the tires, which can damage the tensioners. You won’t go far (in any serious country) w/o functioning tensioners.
Certain grouser shapes are very forgiving in regards to slipping load. Wide, rounded grousers (where tire treads touch) allow tires to slip much more easily than skinny and/or square edged (ex: steel bar channel) grousers or even solid flat rubber belting which can be very high friction in some circumstances. The slipping ratio doesn’t have to be very high to cause significant extra load. It simply has to be high friction. With small tweaks in track design and tire tread direction/air pressure, I have found that track tuners are not necessary on PROPERLY built bush tracks. And in the slimiest heavy-load scenarios the tires will more reliably drive the track. Now if someone wants to travel fast (I still don’t understand why this is important in Argo country), and they are going to be spending a lot of time on hard pack and trails, then I frequently will recommend an extra wide, big grouser HALF track (Elevated Belt Bush style) because they will have to deal with exactly ( 0% ) slipping load and will be able to travel at the full-rated speed of their given machine on tires. Both the tires IN the half track and the tires OUT of the half track will cover forward distance over the ground at exactly the same rate. There is no tensioner on the front axle, and the rear tire is almost always in the air (in the case of a center half track), but that is beside the point. It does make turning even easier (incredibly easy in fact) over an already easy-to-turn full bush-Track

Hopefully this helps anyone who can benefit. Have a great day- Buzz

[john swenson]

thanks buzz for more good explaining regarding tracks ..... i have'nt noticed much problems with chain windup on my max 2 highboy . with the half tracks on the rear and center tires and the front tires aired up to pretty close the same diameter size . i have noticed watching some videos of my machine , that very often one or both of the front tires are'nt touching the ground for a moment .. so i assume that lets the tire '' freewheel '' a moment and any chain tension is quickly dispersed . i keep a little slack in all the chains too . i finally realized they won't come of the sprockets and the too tight is worse and harder on chain , tensioners and sprockets and axles . just some shared thoughts , johnboy va.