8X8 Argo tracks

[Lithail]

Hello,

I just purchased an Argo and it came with broken plastic tracks. I need tracks where i live in canada to go over the snow, But I am to cheap to buy some so my dad and I used pieces of the old tracks to make our new ones.

We used 12 inch wide conveyor belting and 1x1.5 in metal cleats.

Here are some pictures. just thought i would share. We currently only have one track complete.

IMG_1422.jpgIMG_1431.jpgIMG_1421.jpgIMG_1420.jpgIMG_1423.jpg

[curtisbyrne]

cool,look like it should work.. nice old argo! what engine does it have?

[john swenson]

great tracks...nice seeing some creativity using parts to rebuild. let us know how they workout. johnboy

[philipatmaxfour]

Good thinking.I bet the rubber belt will work well on hardpack and ice too.

[Lithail]

Engine

The Argo had a Koehler 18 hp engine. But it was scrap. So we had an old alpine snowmobile with a 640 cc rotax engine. So I took the old tilitson carb off and installed a mikuni. The Argo flys now. I will make a thread with the pictures of the Argo I f wanted.IMG_1410.jpg

[philipatmaxfour]

The Argo had a Koehler 18 hp engine. But it was scrap. So we had an old alpine snowmobile with a 640 cc rotax engine. So I took the old tilitson carb off and installed a mikuni. The Argo flys now. I will make a thread with the pictures of the Argo I f wanted.[ATTACH=CONFIG]15825[/ATTACH]

yes please. We like videos and there aren't too many machines with rotax engines around.The exhaust is pretty unusual.

[curtisbyrne]

wow nice conversion the first rotax ive seen in an argo! great work keep us posted!

[Lithail]

Yes. As you can see there is not much room to mount this engine and make a pretty exhaust system. With more effort we could have designed a better exhaust manifold, but it does work better than I expected. I also had to find a short carb boot so the carb wouldn't hit the transmission.

[Lithail]

So an update on the homemade tracks. This machine now goes anywhere but we have 2 problems.

1. The spacing we put between the track guides is to wide. Which makes it feel like you are on a really bumpy road on hard packed snow . You can't feel it once you are in soft snow . We are putting spacers between the track guides .

2. This old Argo does not have much clearance above the tires so the track hits the frame/shell of the machine. Not quite sure of to fix this yet. We are thinking of bending the plastic shell or trying to make our tracks thinner. We only need to gain 1/4 to 1/2 inch clearance.

Just thought I would share.

[john swenson]

lithail, i think adding more spacers is a good try. i also had problems of my adair tracks slapping the tub, as many do. in order not to rub holes in the tub, i attached some 3/16'' thick white plastic uhmv under the tub. the tracks slid very easy on it,and it won't wear down for a long time. mcmaster carr sells it in different lenghts and widths. maybe this would work for you. johnboy

[Lithail]

lithail, i think adding more spacers is a good try. i also had problems of my adair tracks slapping the tub, as many do. in order not to rub holes in the tub, i attached some 3/16'' thick white plastic uhmv under the tub. the tracks slid very easy on it,and it won't wear down for a long time. mcmaster carr sells it in different lenghts and widths. maybe this would work for you. johnboy

Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to install metal rails on the outside bolted to a bracket on the inside. I i am going to connect it to the main steel chassis and force the outside upwards. I will upload photo's when I have that complete.

[eightwheeler]

Awesome!! Good thinking!!

[Lithail]

Quick update

I have now fixed the tracks and modified the Argo with steel brackets inside and and a rail along the outside. we gained about 2 inches of clearance. Here of some pictures of the inside steel brackets. I will be covering the rear brackets with plastic pipe or something. The front ones are in the engine bay.

argo4.jpgargo2.jpgargo3.jpgargo1.jpg

[john swenson]

nice job and you solved the clearance problem. will you need to tie the two together with a cross piece somehow so they don't sag ? good luck and enjoy the tracks. johnboy va. p.s. wish we would get some snow !!!

[Lithail]

I am not going to tie them in together as of yet . I was trying to keep the cargo space but if I have to tie them together I will do it near the bottom. Hopefully I can drive it tonight. If your in Ontario. Yea we need snow bad.

If you are in Ontario. Do you know how I can get an ownership?