maxII with adair tracks

[SCMay]

Got a set of used adair tracks for my maxII, only issue I see is that the clearance between the body and the front 2 wheels. They fit, not binding but just kissing the bottom of the tub a bit.
So I was wondering if anybody has heated up the body to make room for bigger tires.
What would be the best process for doing that?
I don't really want to buy smaller tires, so I figured I can move the body 1/4'' or so.
Thanks

[Mike]

Take a propane torch and slowly heat the tub. Then push a mold into the body and let it cool on its own overnight. That last step has been crucial for me. I tried a few times just letting it cool for an hour or two, putting water on it, etc and it worked temporarily but would eventually come back down. If I let it cool overnight, I didn't have a problem.

[Noel Woods]

I agree, this is an excellent technique. If you are skiddish of the propane torch, you can also use an electric heat gun, it takes longer to get the plastic hot, but is a more forgiving approach.

[SCMay]

map gas torch worked good, it was only touching at the top of the tires, so I'll see if it holds the shape, I did it last night so it could have all night to cool.
Thanks for the input.

[SCMay]

maxII with adair tracks great results

Took it for a test run today and went fishing with it also, good to say I never got stuck. Before with just my rawhide3 I could only going about 50' in this muck before stopping. Now I can climb out of the mud and go anywhere. They swim ok but I was using my trolling motor mainly to fight the current and wind.
My first Max fishing trip, and I caught dinner.

[Noel Woods]

Very impressive my friend, I can smell the trout cooking in the campfire too. Congrats on the Adair tracks, that machine looks bad to the zone.

[MaxRules]

Looks awesome. So you put the tracks over the Rawhide IIIs, what axle extensions did you use?

[SCMay]

I bought kenda tires with a chevron pattern 21x11x8 they came mounted to rims with a different offset that makes them stock out about 3'' more than stock rims.

[mudbug3]

That was some really soft mud that you drove your Max II through , and with no problems with the old style Adair tracks. Once you experience first hand all of the places that you can now go with the Adair tracks, you'll never want to run just tires again. The ride is more comfortable too because you can span the pot holes with the tracks that an amphib with just tires would normally fall into.

[Mike]

That's some soft muck.

[mightymaxIV]

SCMay Your MaxII is simply awesome and with the new Adair tracks and a trolling motor you should have very few limitations. Nothing more fun than a MaxII. I can see from the pictures that you have already found out just how good your machine will perform in the mud. I hope you enjoy the new found confidence and ability to go into places where you wouldn't have ventured before. WOW those are some big trout!

[SCMay]

Yes this is costal mud, you sink over you knees in this stuff.
Question I do have on using tracks is extra axle supports?
I saw a max on ebay that said "Track package includes wheel extensions, outer bearing cages and frame rail for axle support"
Does RI put different parts on max's with tracks?

[Noel Woods]

Yes this is costal mud, you sink over you knees in this stuff.
Question I do have on using tracks is extra axle supports?
I saw a max on ebay that said "Track package includes wheel extensions, outer bearing cages and frame rail for axle support"
Does RI put different parts on max's with tracks?

Yes, they set the machine up differently as you noted. The factory set up is really a snow track package because the solid rubber tracks gum up with mud, the Adair tracks are self-cleaning. I think the factory set up is over-kill. The Adair tracks work very well with a stock to slightly modified machine. With these tracks, I have never known a machine to get stuck in the mud, you may high center, but thats what reverse is for.

[SCMay]

Hey also I did the split shift upgrade to my max when I did my rebuild, it was easy and that realy helps when I was out yesterday, when one side hit mud in the water and the other side was still floating it wanted to turn the machine toward this side what was touching mud, holding the floating side to keep it from spinning was getting tiresom, so I put the side that was floating in reverse that way is didn't spin at all and I could pull back to fix myself quickly.

[mightymaxIV]

Very nice work on the split shifter, the ability to counter rotate comes in very handy in water with mud berms.