True all wheel drive?

[JohnF]

John, ... Please understand. It can be done.

Oh, I understand. If you want I can go all engineer on ya... I never said, "it can't be done." I said that the need depends on the machine design and the performance expectation of the user.

Someone (I don't even remember now) said that high/low range is unnecessary. I said that the need depends on the machine design and the performance expectation of the user.

Whatever? I just want to be anti-Argo?

Sorry, I mean that you want to be anti-Argo transmission.

... I like ... the Argo, but I don't like ... the transmissions...

Got it.

And you said, "I thought he said it was a T-20 from an Attex." in reference to Hydromike's build.

Hydromike? I don't know that project. I was talking about the wrong Mike's project.

A T-20 can be from...

I only mention "from an Attex" because that's what I remembered of the transmission part of the project. I know they can come from many places.

So you can see that I was simply stating a fact, about thousands of T-20 transmissions being made and pretty much unchanged since 1969.

A fact that I have not disputed.

And just because there are a handful of T-20 machines out there that have a 2 speed gearbox, doesn't mean that it's needed.

<sigh>

I didn't say it was needed.

[Back in edit]

Okay, this is in response to Bridget's post just above this. She picked that bit of mine on purpose so I pondered that a bit. Was it the challenge that, "simply hasn't expanded their performance expectations far enough." That got everyone all worked up? Okay, let me expand on that challenge: A buggy the weight and shape of jpswift's attex probably needs, oh, 10 or 13 HP to maintain 75mph on the flat. (Although those tubes are gonna suck aerodynamically, so let's take the tubes off for this mind experiment.) I believe he has the 10 or 13 HP in there after mechanical losses. What happens when we move our expectation to here?

Or let's decide that we want to use that same attex to move around a 40ft triple axle triple slide out super camper that clocks in at 5 or 6 ton. There's horsepower to do it. (Really you wonder? The crawler-transporter weighs 3000 tons without the shuttle on it. It has 5364 HP (in 4 engines) for a power loading of 1.79 HP / ton if it were only moving itself.) What happens when we move our expectation here?

[blown84gt]

My head hurts....

[hydromike]

Hydromike? I don't know that project. I was talking about the wrong Mike's project.

Hey John,

The project I'm working on (slowly....) involves putting a hi/low range box from a New Process transfer case (2:1 low, 1:1 high) between a Kubota V1505 diesel and a T-20.



The plan is to put it in a 1969(ish) Newt the Bold, which is a fiberglass-bodied machine that originally only had a center "spine" rather than a perimeter frame. The fiberglass body is so large (it might be the largest 6x6 from that era?) that it lets me line up a bunch of drivetrain components with room to spare.



It's really the only reason I *could* put a low range box in there. I'm a bit disappointed that it's only going to be a 2:1 reduction in low range, but hopefully she'll generate enough juice to really make the most of it at really low rpm. It does add a bit of weight, but I'm unconciously trying to make this unit extremely heavy. Once it's finished, the goal is to pull a nice, small, two-bottom plow.

[amphibious drew]

I think everyone needs to take a step back for a second. I have been on many rides with a bunch of different machines. Most machines have all performed to the ability of their driver. The choice we have for new machines is great. I would not turn down a ride or turn to drive in any of them. That said, I believe the argo's advantage was the use of spanned axles, but for more than a decade that has been standard equipment on every popular amphib. As for a need for 2 speeds, a cvt system givesunlimited options for gearing between two set gear ratio's. I have pulled hard enough to spin a set of tracks and then drove through 18" of snow at 30mph in maxIV marks stock machine. I was pulling marks dodge with trailer attached and then driving with 2 other grown men in it. Just like a 2 speed argo, it did its job. No machine is perfect for everything, but the popular modern amphibs are all well rounded enough to produce a turn key, no mods required, good time. Even if the engineering and mechanics differ slightly.

[blown84gt]

No one stock machine can excell at EVERYTHING but they do come darn close, the key is the INCREDIBLE versatility of all the models out there, and then you can tweak them to do more specialized tasks for whatever your situation is. The guy in Florida couldn't care less about what his machine will do in 24" powder snow, and the guy Minnesota is not interested in what his machine will do in a swamp. I need mine for hunting deer up and down steep hills and in gumbo mud and I have it set up just for that.

[JohnF]

Hey John,

The project I'm working on ... the goal is to pull a nice, small, two-bottom plow.

Nice! And to pull a plow effectively I think making it heavy with low gearing makes a lot of sense.

[Shawn H]

Was out yesterday with the grandkids and the wife found a deep snow drift and low and behold got stuck up on it (took tracks off -stupid move) - what I saw was that the right wheels where spinning but the left side where not - until she put the right brake on - then the left started to spin - when she let off the right brake - left side stopped spinning again - I was under the assumption that all wheels are to turn when brakes are off. ->> Question - is this normal for these machines or do I have a problem?

Man oh man I hope we answer your ? the more you play the more you will learn how to drive your Argo. And it's working how it was made of that year of Argo you have. just get out and play and you will get to know the ins & outs of your Argo. Go Luck!

[George]

hi guys does anyone know where i could get one in austrailia

We have a guy on the site going by "AussieMax". I think he might be a dealer for Recreative Industries down there.

[Model Citizen]

[Bazooo guy]

Do you think ODG designed the trans to be limited slip for a reason?
Has anyone tried installing an air locker or some way of locking the trans?
It would be good until you needed to turn if it was a switch on the dash it would be a great option.

[jpswift1]

Do you think ODG designed the trans to be limited slip for a reason?
Has anyone tried installing an air locker or some way of locking the trans?
It would be good until you needed to turn if it was a switch on the dash it would be a great option.

This has been discussed in a few other threads. It would be to complicated because anytime you turn, even the slightest bit, it would have to disengage and then reengage again when you go straight, and then engage again and so on.

[Bazooo guy]

I guess thats why they need a fan to cool the brakes.
When i feel my tires slipping i just hit the throttle and jam the sticks forward

[jpswift1]

When i feel my tires slipping i just hit the throttle and jam the sticks forward

Same here!

[Rusty-Gunn]

Argos work with brake pads. The Max works with brake bands bathed in oil. Is this correct? It seems as though a T-20 lasts longer this way. Am I understanding this correctly?

[hydromike]

Argos work with brake pads. The Max works with brake bands bathed in oil. Is this correct? It seems as though a T-20 lasts longer this way. Am I understanding this correctly?

Well, sorta. There's a much greater thickness of brake material on the Argo break pads, but the T-20 accomplishes breaking with greater surface area instead of thickness. As far as comparing the two to see what brake design lasts longer, I think that'd be a cool test. To make it fair, you'd need the two transmissions in identical machines with the same sort of use. I'm curious to know how often Argo owners replace brake pads. There are tons of threads about replacing T-20 bands and getting them relined, but what's the maintenance interval on the different Argo brake systems?