Mudbug,s 650 HD with swimming tracks

[mudbug3]

After putting 58 hours my 2011 Argo Frontier I,ve really come to appreciate the new admiral steering transmission over the brake bands in the T-20, and the disc brakes on the axles of the Argo,s that were built before 2010. When you have the admiral transmission in high gear it makes really smooth turns, though not as precise as the T-20 transmission or an older Argo that uses brakes to steer it. In high or low gear the admiral transmission will have a really hard time keeping up with a T-20 amphib or brake steer Argo when driving through tight woods that have lots of twist and turns. Where the admiral transmission shines though , is when you,re driving through really thick mud. The admiral transmission allows you to turn in thick mud to change directions with minimal effort, but with a skid steer machine like a Max or Argo this is VERY HARD to do ! I also like the ease of maintenance on my new Argo Frontier when compared to the Max IV and Hustler Bigfoot that I own, and also the Mudd-Ox that I used to own. The floor boards fit tight against the inner sides of the lower tub so small twigs, pine needles, and mud does,nt find their way onto the chains and lower tub


Noel drove my 2011 ,Argo 650 HD with the admiral steering transmission in it, through this thick pudding mud. After driving my machine and then driving his 2008 Argo Frontier through this very same mud hole , Noel told me driving mine was like driving an amphib that had power steering. I was amazed at how well and how easy my Argo HD was able to change directions in mud this thick. Even though my new Argo steers easier than Noel,s Argo does , with Adair tracks on it there was,nt any place that I could drive that Noel could,nt follow me. This mud hole is so bad that even big trucks with tractor tires can,nt drive across it.

[mightymaxIV]

David, that is with out question the worse mud I have ever seen, I am sure that I don't have to ask this but did any of the side by sides or high lifted quads even attempt this hole?

I see your running with your hood off have your done any thing to help with heat issues?

Thanks for taking the time to post up this excellent video, got any more?

[Noel Woods]

Thats right. I was really impressed with that new 650HD. I found it to turn easier than my old style transmission machine would, easier to maneuver in the slop, more precise to turn, etc. This was the third time I've driven this machine. The first time I drove this as well as a 750HDI I did note the locker sound that came from the transmission, it seemed different the first time or so I drove an Admiral equipped vehicle, but now I'm getting used to it. It really is no big deal to me. I think the machine functions flawlessly and as you can see in the videos with Dave's machine, as well as Dan's, these machines are put through the rigors of some healthy mud.

[Noel Woods]

This was absolutely the worst mud at River Run Park. Its the Crazy Eight mud pit. It had just rained a couple days prior and this is the worst part of the pit. I think we should re-name this the Mortar Mixer because the mud was just like mortar. These two Argos were the only machines that attempted the pit. There were some lifted quads that got stuck on the approaches to this whole, so needless to say, we had the only two machines that navigated it.

[mudbug3]

mightymaxIV

I had six 4-wheelers riders on one side and one side by side Yamaha Rhino driver on the other side of this mud hole, and after watching how hard it was for our tracked machines to drive through this mud ,none of them wanted to try it. That day Noel and I both ran with our hoods off , because in conditions like this it really causes the engine to run hot. Since then I,ve istalled a less restrictive 2008 , Frontier muffler ,and also different sections of truck radiator hose , with a K&N air filter on the end. I bought the cone shaped K&N air filter from Performance V-twin. I routed the hoses and K&N air filter between the front head light and the cool air engine fan vent. This lets the carburetor draw cooler outside air from below and front edge of the cool air vent. I let the engine idle for an hour with the hood on with these modification, and when I raised the hood again, the engine temps were a whole lot cooler. Noel and I plan to go riding soon ,and I,ll report back on how well these modifications work.

[mightymaxIV]

Very impressive videos! Impressive performance by both machines, Video number three is nothing but pure mud-no water to help keep the machine afloat! Worse mud than video one, hard to believe that any machine could move through that mud, but J.R. stops the machine, eases on the gas and then just moves forward, he makes it look so easy, he's got an awful lot of skill for a seven year old.

[mudbug3]

Dan

The last video that I posted was with JR driving Noel,s 2008 Argo Frontier. I instructed JR on how to drive my Frontier in different kinds of conditions for about 3 weeks now, and he,s turning into a very capable little driver.

[mightymaxIV]

This was absolutely the worst mud at River Run Park. Its the Crazy Eight mud pit. It had just rained a couple days prior and this is the worst part of the pit. I think we should re-name this the Mortar Mixer because the mud was just like mortar. These two Argos were the only machines that attempted the pit. There were some lifted quads that got stuck on the approaches to this whole, so needless to say, we had the only two machines that navigated it.

The High lifted quads are fast, powerful and have their places but when the going gets extreme anyone can see the difference between an Argo and a modified quad.

Kids seem more fascinated by these machines then adults, I remember seeing my first Amiphicat running across the desert in Phoenix when I was growing up, at that point I had driven and seen motorcycles, rails, jeeps, trucks and everything else you can imagine and been on rides in modified rails that were fast enough to scare the daylights out of me but nothing fascinated me more than watching that Amiphicat run through the desert. I think it was at that point that I was hooked on six wheelers.

Driving my modified quad seems kind of boring in comparison because I am always thinking about what I could be doing if I was driving my 6x6.

[Noel Woods]

I recently drove Mudbug3's Argo 650 HD again, this time was after a conversion to the lighter 185g - High Elevation clutch weights. While I was apprehensive that this machine could be made better to perform in the unique East Texas mud, I was very surprised by the improved performance. The lighter weights are usually reserved to high elevation situations, but here in the flatland swamps, this worked very well. Power came on very quickly with none of the delayed response with the heavier weights. The engine stayed in the maximum power band at all times. Engine power felt more like 30 horse power rather than 23. The power delivery came on quickly and really complemented the fresh air intake David came up with, and also worked well with the Admiral transmission and new and improved Adair track system.
The clutch weight change was a very good idea. Not only did it perform better but the engine stayed cooler as well as the air intake fan pulled in more cool air even though it was typically operated at a higher rpm than normal. Ironically using less fuel at the same time.

For those who have the Admiral transmission, I recommend this set up.

[mudbug3]

The stock primary clutch weights that came in my 2011, Argo Frontier were steel ,275 gram weights. Even though I was told to get the steel ,240 gram clutch weghts, I chose the 185 gram, aluminum , drilled out , clutch weights.. My clutch does'nt engage until I give the engine more rpms. This works similar to a stall converter on a car. In the mud though, being able to gain 4-5 more ft pds of torque much faster in the off road conditions that I usually ride in, makes a BIG difference. When driving down a ditch and then have to make a turn 90 degrees up and out of the ditch ,with no run at it , I had to use low gear, but now I can rev the engine up much faster to climb a ditch like this in high gear. If you're running tracks in the mud ,and have an Argo that is 2010 on up, with the higher gearing, this is the hot set up!




Below are the optional clutch weights that Argo offers.


6x6 Frontier 650

1 127-208 Weight Set (3), 185g - High Elevation

1 127-209 Weight Set (3), 220g - High Elevation

1 127-210 Weight Set (3), 240g - High Elevation