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Slow day at work, and had another 6x6 world member bring up an idea that I've thought about in the past. (He brought up the idea of a Factory "Tracked Only" Argo, I'm just taking it a little further.
Picture this:
Argo on Tracks.
All drive chains removed, except for front Axle chain, or Tracks Tuners on all axles except the front.
Front tires replaced with some kind of wierd Positive Drive "Tire" that will mesh with the open spaces in the Tracks (Think Adair type Tracks). Maybe it would work better driven from the back, with a smaller "wierd positive drive tire" (Maybe something like the Aquatorque Tires, but with no curve to the lugs, just straight cut lugs across the tire face, spaced to fit the Track Grouser Spacing.
What would be the disadvantages of such a setup?
Would there be a positive advantage to such a setup?
I've always like this idea. I'm around a lot of track-mounted drill rigs for work and I'm always thinking that it would be pretty innovative to just commit a machine to tracks for year-round use. The first downfall that comes to mind RD is the losing what little suspension we have by eliminating the tires if we go that route. On an 8x8, if you could take the center two axles and use a modified-style tuner on them that essentially turns them into a bogie-like setup it might help out. Sort of what Cushman Tracksters have? It might end up looking something like Mattracks or Tatou tracks do, but just on the center axles. As you know on those setups, the cog is driven, but I don't see any reason that you couldn't just turn it into a 'tuner. The more I picture it in my head, the whole setup might end up looking a lot like a set of mattracks, but with one "track" connecting all of the 'tuners.
If you remove all of the chains except for the fronts, do you think that it would put too much stress on the front axles (since all of the torque is applied to just those two, and not distributed to the other axles) ?
As far as the positive advantage goes, it'd be awesome.
Thought about this myself. You just described a snowcat.
The only thing I can imagine being complained about is the lack of suspension at the sprocket so I imagined a sleeve made of something like conveyor belt that has a fixed diameter that you inflate your tire inside of. It has cogs on it that fit the Adair grouser pitch. You put it on the front and remove all of the chains to the back.
Another: This one is based on Adair's double tired track system. The front "wheel" is a single unit that carries the two tires but the center used the tire guides in the center for cogs in a sprocket. Again, no chains to the back.
Positive - no chain windup, can't be, so no power loses due chain windup. A possible positive is that the tires become much less technical so probably a lot cheaper.
Possible negative is lack of suspension at the sprocket.
With the right track and drive wheel I don't see why it wouldn't work. You might have more chance of breaking something as there would be less "give" or slipping if necessary. Less buoyancy, and you would lose some performance and/or ability to run on just tires if the need arises.
OK, so lets leave all the tires on, so suspension will not be effected any more than any other track system. For the sake of discussion, lets say I have a 25" "Aquatorque Type" tire on the front of my machine, where the lugs just happen too match the Pitch of this mythical Track, and I have 3- 24" Frontier Tires for the other 3 axles........ I provide power to the front tire only, with the chains to the back 3 axles OFF.
The torque to the front axle should not be any greater than the force in the Trans Output Shafts, or the Idler Shaft though, right? If these components can take it, should't an axle take it? The Driving Tire on the front should spin on the rim before you twist off an axle...... Which brings up another possible issue...
There can be no "Chain Windeup Issues", if there are no chains, all back 3 sets of tires would be free to spin at any speed, so less worries about tire diameter.
John, would using a Tire as the Sprocket, as mentioned above, address your Sprocket suspension Issue?
Buzz,
Help me visualize, now that I've added more detail, do you still see "More chance of breaking, and less give" somewhere? Bouyancy should remain the same. Ability to run on just tires would definatly be effected, but what if you had your chains, and could put them on if the need arises? We would still have a 25" tire mached with 24" tires, but for a "Limp Home" run, it would be OK.
[QUOTE=Rock Doctor;139556]Gotta love how great minds think alike
OK, so lets leave all the tires on, so suspension will not be effected any more than any other track system. For the sake of discussion, lets say I have a 25" "Aquatorque Type" tire on the front of my machine, where the lugs just happen too match the Pitch of this mythical Track, and I have 3- 24" Frontier Tires for the other 3 axles........ I provide power to the front tire only, with the chains to the back 3 axles OFF.
The torque to the front axle should not be any greater than the force in the Trans Output Shafts, or the Idler Shaft though, right? If these components can take it, should't an axle take it? The Driving Tire on the front should spin on the rim before you twist off an axle...... Which brings up another possible issue...
There can be no "Chain Windeup Issues", if there are no chains, all back 3 sets of tires would be free to spin at any speed, so less worries about tire diameter.
John, would using a Tire as the Sprocket, as mentioned above, address your Sprocket suspension Issue?
Buzz,
Help me visualize, now that I've added more detail, do you still see "More chance of breaking, and less give" somewhere? Bouyancy should remain the same. Ability to run on just tires would definatly be effected, but what if you had your chains, and could put them on if the need arises? We would still have a 25" tire mached with 24" tires, but for a "Limp Home" run, it would be OK.
Am I getting to "Out There" yet, lol
yeah, you're definitely on to something. Keeping all your tires would be a huge advantage since you are amphibious unlike some track machines. Tires could scrub or skid to handle the wind-up okay. I've always thought it's cool that you're still in pretty good shape even if your tracks break or fail or something like that. Shoot, you're still an 8-wheeler which isn't bad at all. The only concern about using a sprocket that crossed my mind is if you "geared-down" the output of your drive sprocket so that your engine torque is multiplied and more than the axles and bearing cages (if you had them) and frame could handle. Usually, your engine bogs first, but with ultra-low gearing...who knows. And yeah, bringing your chains seems like a great idea too. Finding a tire that would engage like a sprocket would be great...if possible.
If not, I'm trying to picture the best set-up to maintain the bouyancy of the drive axle without getting in the way of a standard drive sprocket. I guess once you figured out the sprocket diameter that's needed, you could come up with a design plan...seems like floatation tires would need to be smaller than the sprocket. I have a feeling the sprocket would probably be smallish so that might be tough to accomplish...maybe just adding more floatation to the front of the machine (like a large boat fender that's removeable) would be the best. It would be cool if you could replace a bolt-on sprocket with a bolt-on wheel/tire if needed. In fact, if the body diameter (not teeth) of the sprocket was the same as the tires, you could interchange them without having to change the track length. And, the sprocket teeth would stick up higher than the tire tread. You might be able to sandwich a wheel/tire between 2 drive sprockets. Driving the "center" of the track with a single sprocket or both edges of the track with 2 sprockets I think makes the most sense (I think). I'm kind of "guessing" on all of this. I'm probably out there!
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