Adair Tracks for my MaxIV

[mightymaxIV]

My Adair tracks for the MaxIV arrived today along with six Argo 24" swimmer tires mounted on Argo 8" bead lock rims. The Max will soon have a set of new Fafnir bearings. The ASX tires will come off and the tracks will go on.

I have been considering the weight difference between the tires and the tracks so I weighed everything thing this morning.

Six ASX vampire tires on 12" K lock rims at 49 1/2 pounds each: equals 297 pounds.

Six Argo 24" swimmer tires on 8" rims equals 24 pounds each or 144 pounds! (they feel like a feather compared to the ASX tires)

Adair tracks weigh in at 77 pounds a piece for a total of 154 pounds.

Argo tires plus tracks equal 298 pounds for a net weight gain of one pound over the ASX Vampires.

Now to get the new bearings in and get the machine back together in time for Doles (Creek side ATV park) for the 18th of February.

[Dirty Harry]

Sounds like you did your homework, Dan. Cannot wait to see some pix. Do you have any snow where you are to test your rig in the white stuff?? I am really considering ponying up the dough and buying a track kit for my machine this summer/fall so I'm ready for next winter. We got so much snow that my IV just bottoms out now, but I am confident with tracks it would just skitter right over the stuff. I plow kit may be next after that, since I have no way to clear my (very)long driveway and they don't make a decent snow thrower for my old garden tractor anymore.

Anyhow.. post some pics ASAP!!

[Noel Woods]

Dan that Max4 always impressed me with the ASX tires. I can't imagine how superior it should be with tracks. There should be a slight reduction in final gear ratio as well so it should have better gearing as well as better traction. Let us know how all works out.

[Roadtorque]

To be honest I would be very interested in seeing a side by side comparison video of your tracked argo vs. tracked max. vs your tracked ATV in a variety of conditions to see where each machine shines. Either way enjoy the new addition to your toy

[awesomepossum66]

Me to lets just see witch one one fairs the best ,,

[mightymaxIV]

I can't wait to get everything together! One of the things I like about the Max is the suspension seat that sits me lower in the machine and allows me to adjust the the seat back and fourth.
As far as snow, I don't get any down here but I am sure the machine would be awesome in snow. As for mud and swamp, I don't believe there will be anything to stop me.

For comparison videos, there will be a lot of them, my son and I will swamp machines and try them through every bad hole we can find.

Now that I have two machines I can take them into the Richmond Hill swamps and some of the other really bad stuff that in the past has stopped my Max and Heath's Argo Frontier.

[mightymaxIV]

I have run into some clearance issues with the tracks and have to make several decisions. I have decided to to run my generation Five tracks with the 25" RawhideIII. Now I have a choice. Make clearance on the tub with a heat gun or go to a smaller tire and not modify the tub.

My choice is a smaller tire and there is only one tire on the market that will work.

The tire is 22x12x9 Kenda bear claw. This tire with the tracks should give me all the tub clearance I need without modification. I will lose approximately 1/4 inch ground clearance over stock Terra tires but after watching the mud performance of Noels MaxII in the mud with 18" tires I don't think ground clearance will ever be an issue.

Now to get it all together. As much as I love my new Argo HD the Max offers some advantages with control and the T-20 transmission. Nothing offers better control in a skid steer machine.

The 22" tire will gear my machine down even more and with a 13 tooth sprocket, red spring clutch and a 27 horse engine the MaxIV should be a real work horse that will be a blast to drive.

I am going start slow here by ordering one tire to make sure that everything will match and work the way I want.

Hopefully I will have everything together and ready for Busco this year.

[smog]

I also had to modify the Max IV tub for 18" plastic tracks (argo) on Maxxis 4snow 22x10x8 tires. I only had to push in the 2 triangles renforcing the side "fenders"

be aware the Kenda Bear claw is a very stiff and very heavy tire.

[mightymaxIV]

I also had to modify the Max IV tub for 18" plastic tracks (argo) on Maxxis 4snow 22x10x8 tires. I only had to push in the 2 triangles reinforcing the side "fenders"

be aware the Kenda Bear claw is a very stiff and very heavy tire.

Thanks Smog, I am aware of the stiff side wall on the Kenda but it is the only tire on the market that is 12" wide (must fit in the track) 22" high and fits on a 9" rim.

[Noel Woods]

Dan:
I think you will have one heck of a Max4 when this is all said and done. After testing/verifying my tracked Max2, I can honestly say that ground clearance is not that big an issue as long as the Adair tracks are turning and a grouser or two are connecting in the mud, you will continue to pull forward. The smaller tires will get you lower gearing, and with that 27hp motor, you will have power to spare.
The new bearings should last you many years, its been my observation that the Adair tracks are so much smoother than tires that bearing wear should be less on the tracked machine then on a wheeled vehicle. Turning with the Adair tracks is effortless, especially compared to the ASX tires.
I can't wait to see the "beast" come together!
Noel

[micmac]

Dan,

What happened to the 24" tires and the tracks did they not fit the tub?

[mightymaxIV]

Dan,

What happened to the 24" tires and the tracks did they not fit the tub?

I didn't have enough clearance so the 24" tires and tracks went on the Argo. I could have made them work on the max but I would have had to spend a lot of time heating the tub and working on clearance. After watching the videos of Noels MaxII with 18" tires in that awful Texas mud I would rather lose an inch of ground clearance and not have tub issues. The lower stance will make the machine more stable and fun to ride on the trail.

My calculations say I will lose about 1/4" over the stock ride height. The 22" tires will lower the over all gear ratio. The tracks put a lot less stress on the machine in deep mud so with the suspension seat the machine should be smooth, fast, powerful and unstoppable in the mud.


The Argo Bigfoot I saw in Texas had a lot less ground clearance than my Max will and I never saw that tracked Bigfoot close to getting stuck and he went through some awful mud that I never expected him to make.

[micmac]

Thanks for the info Dan. This is something I'm considering with my Max IV so I'm interested in your results. Would you find a better selection of tires if you went with an 8 inch rim? Looking forward to the results.

[mightymaxIV]

Thanks for the info Dan. This is something I'm considering with my Max IV so I'm interested in your results. Would you find a better selection of tires if you went with an 8 inch rim? Looking forward to the results.

MICMAC-the tracks are cut for a 10" wide tire or a 12" wide tire. My second set happens to be the 12" wide cut which leaves me with very few choices.

If you run a set of generation 10 tracks cut for the 10" wide tire on a MaxIV you could use runamucks, Argo 22" swimmer tires, or Carlise 22.5x10x8 field trax, all would work great.

If I were starting from scratch I believe I would go with the Carlise 22.5x10x8 field tracks which would give good ground clearance, lower your gear ratio, and make that bad boy unstoppable in the mud.

I let you know what happens and what my final choices are.

[Noel Woods]

Using a cheapy calculator, it looks like the 22x10x8 tires would get you a 22% gear reduction over the current 26" tires, the 22.5x10x8 would be about 21% reduction, I think I plugged in all numbers correctly, even give or take a couple percentage points either way, thats going to be more jump off the line, and better gearing up the powerband. That Max4 has never lacked for power, but now it should be a screamer.