J-Wheelz Test Run

[guyfox]

Great vid.

Noticed at one point you had the J-Wheelz taken off the machine. Are they hard to take off/put back on? How long do it take you to do this?

[NorthOf60]

Great vid.

Noticed at one point you had the J-Wheelz taken off the machine. Are they hard to take off/put back on? How long do it take you to do this?

You have sharp eyes. As I mentioned in the previous post J-Wheelz do not well on rock. The camera doesn't capture it well but that rock was sharp and jagged in many spots. I was doing less than walking speed with the rubber tires.

Now to your question. With the J-Wheelz installation tool, that comes with each kit, a 3/4" nut driver and a battery powered drill you can take them off in 2-3 minutes. Putting them back on is about a 10 minute process. Most of that time is spent alternating between nuts as you tighten them up. A wrench is needed for the final tightening as the portable drill likely won't have the torque to do it. It would take considerably longer to do it all with just two wrenches.

[Shawn H]

Great video, I've been kick the idea of buy this too. What size tires are you running with on your Argo?

[NorthOf60]

Great video, I've been kick the idea of buy this too. What size tires are you running with on your Argo?

They are stock 25x12x9's that came with the Argo when I bought it.

[NorthOf60]

North, that was a very impressive video, I have always been a fan of J-wheelz, in many cases they will out perform a track and I have always wondered how they would do on an Argo 8x8. Seems they would be much easier then tracks on chains and bearings. As much as I like the floatation and ability they would severely limit the places I could go in my area. I believe they would be great in the open marsh but mix in some trees and I would be in trouble.

Wish you could get someone outside the machine to film your Argo so we could get a good look at just how nasty that area really is.

Here's a quick video taken mostly from outside the Argo. Unfortunately I don't have a cameraman so it's the best I can do. My experience so far in mud is that you keep pushing forward until high centered, back up and repeat until through the area or pick a different route. Do a YouTube search for Max IV J-Wheels Nasty Mud Part 2. It illustrates what I'm talking about quite well.

http://youtu.be/B8rAiXwxkLE

[riotwarrior]

Damn those sure seem work well...just width here makes me think tracks...wonder bout tracks and J wheels together ROFL...unstoppable!

[Shawn H]

Now that you have had J-wheelz for some time, can you give us a update? How's it in snow, lake, and in the cold temps?

[NorthOf60]

Hi Shawn;

I just tried sending you a message but your message box is full. See below...

Hi Shawn;

Regarding two tires in front; interesting question and I don't really have an answer for you. I'd start with a call to J-Wheelz to see if they would sell you a set of two. Obviously you could try two and see how they work and add additional J-Wheelz as needed. If your "not by choice swimming event" is a real concern then I would opt for a full set for the increased floatation and stability.

I would expect that your six wheeler wouldn't have any issues with 4 - 6" of snow. And if the snow is not wet or packed you could probably push your way through about a foot of snow.

The J-Wheelz mount with a set of three studs that bolt where three lug nuts would go. A steel plate is then attached to studs. The plate sits flush with the wheel rim so nothing ever sticks out. So to go trail riding you would simply unbolt the plastic J-Wheelz cones. The unbolting takes about 1-2 minutes per wheel with an air/electric impact tool. If by some chance you needed to add air to the tires then you would also have to unbolt and re-insatll the plate - again 1-2 minutes per wheel.

Getting the J-Wheelz back on is another story. Takes about 10 minutes per wheel and has to be approached with some degree of care. For starters J-Wheelz has some special thread pattern that ensures the mounting bolts don't come out but makes them somewhat difficult to screw in. You will need a good air/electric impact wrench. A handheld cordless won't cut it. The basic process to tighten one bolt snug and then do the other and repeat until the whole assembly is on "really tight". If they are not on super tight you run the risk of enlarging the plastic holes in the J-Wheelz. The installation literature emphasizes this but it bears repeating. If you send me your email address I will send a couple of pics that illustrates what can happen when the J-Wheelz are not on tight enough.

Hope this helps.

Thanks
Tom

[Shawn H]

Thanks Tom