Tires,tracks, swimming and mud

[donverv]

Good Day, I have a 1977 6x6 that I am rebuilding. I plan using mostly in trails and snow, I have a trolling motor also,trying to decide what tires Carlile at101 or itp mud lites also thinking about tracks. If I don't need tracks because of tire choice also if I went with mud lites would the trolling motor be sufficient. Thank you

[Facemelter]

I have mud lights on my 84 8x8 alternating tread patterns. Rear most tires are in the 4 wheeler orientation and switches back and forth from there. They will keep you moving forward slowly in calm water/very short crossings. On the trail, in the swamps, climbing hills and rocks doing anything they are awesome. I have a 36 lb trolling motor and separate deep cycle battery, and a 4 hp merc for serious water use. If you are looking for winter use you WILL need tracks of some sort.... lots of options out there, but tires are only good till the snow is about an inch or 2 over the bottom of the tub. Hope this helps!

[donverv]

Thank you exactly the type of information I was hoping for

[great white]

Yep, tracks for snow. Tracks for swamp. Tracks for muskeg. It's the flotation they provide (ie; low point loading of generally 1lb per sq/in) that makes them great on soft, "sinky" surfaces.

Tires work fine everywhere else.

I prefer the Argo plastic "super tracks" for snow, but they're nearly useless on hard surfaces like pavement. They're like trying to drive on sheet ice.

Tracks do not swim at all, unless you're using the Adair type "open" tracks, which have large growlers and acts kind of like a paddle wheeler. I've never used them, but they sure look like they would be a bumpy ride on anything besides soft surfaces (ie water, snow. swamp, etc)

Swimming is a slow process with an Argo no matter what tire you use, even the original runamucks. Too much current and you're going with it. Too much wind and you're going with it, although wind effects an Argo less because they don't have a lot of "free-board" for the wind to work against.

Crossing a river that floats the Argo and has any kind of current means you have to take the current into account and pick an exit spot that is downstream a bit or you're not getting out until you find one. I generally don't enter faster water unless there are several options downstream that I can use to get the rig out. I also tend to take into account that the Argo often prefers to back out of the water rather than go nose first. That's because they all float "nose down". They will generally claw their way up and out from their nose down position, but I've had to reverse out of water before as the front just can't get enough purchase in wet, muddy, sandy river edges that are often a bit steep at the banks.

I mount a 2hp Johnson on mine and use that if doing any serious water traversing.

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Not much sense going any bigger. Just ads weight and no real increase in water speed. The Argo is a displacement hull design and has those eight "drag inducing" wheels sticking out too. It's only ever going to go so fast. About 2 mph or so is the most that can be expected. Somewhere around 1-2 mph with tire drive, but the outboard deals with currents and wind much better.

Mine runs knobbies. Works great with tracks and unstoppable off road. Little hard to turn on paved surfaces as the knobbies grip in all directions. I took a "tire shaver" and beveled off the sides of all the knobbies and it turns easier on hard surfaces like that. Basically, I knocked off the 90 degree edges so the tires don't dig in when turning side to side. Turns easier on hard dirt too. But still climbs like a mountain goat.

Knobbies do not swim at all. Enter water and try wheel drive and it will just spin in circles....at least mine does.

Mud is a little bit harder to answer. if the mud is deep enough to bottom out the tub, you may high center. Knobbies may work, or the paddle tires may work a little better. It all depends on how far down they need to go to find traction. If the mud is deep, the paddle type tires will drag it along, albeit slowly. Tracks are great in mud, as long as they can float the rig across it. If you sink in too far or the mud is very watery, even tracks won't help you a lot. They will generally continue to drag you along slowly if buried, much like the paddle type tires will. Mudding in an Argo is a little different than a 4x4 truck style rig. Argos generally "float" in mud, trucks and such usually have to dig down until they find some traction to drag you forward. 4x4 also need wheel speed to clear the tires and continue to dig, while argo's generally float and just claw along the top surface.

Regardless of tire choose, if you plan to mud, rock crawl or just get deep back into the woods, install a large deep cycle battery and a winch. Places you get Argo's stuck are generally inaccessible to any other vehicle. If you get it stuck, you either have to get it out yourself or another Argo usually has to come for you.

I usually end up playing "recovery" for my friends of quads. When they get stuck or break, they know my Argo can get to where ever they are and has the power to drag their quad (and them) out, even if it's upside down....I've even considered building a tow/wrecker type a-frame on the back of my rig for recoveries. I get called that often.....