My New Tracks

[Rock Doctor]

I got my new set of Adair "Belted" Tracks the other day, have not had much of a chance to test them, but so far they are working out fine.
Will review them when I have more time on them, but for now, here are a few pics.

















RD

[mudbug3]

Rock Doctor

Those new rubber belted ,Adair tracks sure look sweet on your Argo 8x8. I'm really looking forward to watching a video of you testing these tracks out in the muskeg that you drive though so often.

[Noel Woods]

R.D.:
Beautiful tracks man, I bet they will really go! Can't wait to see the vids. I bet they are really quite too.

[trevorakm1]

Are they lighter than the tracks that have chain incorporated, looks like the profile is not symetrical like the previous tracks i've seen, any reason for this, looks like the spacing is larger between the grousers/ cleats? Why did you go with this style as opposed to your other set style, I know you mentioned wanting the 14.5" dimension for narrower trails. Are they changing their track manufacturing, I liked the other style with the chains.

trevor

[kghills]

Right now I think there are three variations being manufactured by Adair depending on your needs. Case hardened chain connectors, rubber belting connectors and steel plate connectors. You just need to talk with Tim to see what fits your machine and needs.

Keith.

[Obsessed]

Are they lighter than the tracks that have chain incorporated, looks like the profile is not symetrical like the previous tracks i've seen, any reason for this, looks like the spacing is larger between the grousers/ cleats? Why did you go with this style as opposed to your other set style, I know you mentioned wanting the 14.5" dimension for narrower trails. Are they changing their track manufacturing, I liked the other style with the chains.

trevor

hi Trevor...i wouldnt normally get in the middle of these conversations, but you made some really good observations and i wanted to give you honest answers to your questions....

Are they lighter than the tracks that have chain incorporated...probably slightly heavier but close to the same

looks like the profile is not symetrical like the previous tracks i've seen, any reason for this...we have been listening to complaints that they can be more slippery than necessary on piles of rock, or metal car ramps, wooden bridges, etc... and so we have incorporated slight profile pockets into the grousers to help hold them on hard lumpy surfaces a little better, also the more complex side and bottom profile should improve bite in mud and ruts a little over the repetitive pattern that we started with...each grouser is actually the same but when they are assembled every other one is placed backwards and is slightly different than the one before or after it

looks like the spacing is larger between the grousers/ cleats?...spacing between the grousers has changed from about a 3" gap to a 3.5" gap...also the grousers themselves have been increased to 1.5" from the standard 1" that we normally use...this helps with the design that i have developed which actually clamps down on the rubber belting....it also makes each individual wheel guide stronger and a lot stiffer so that it is less likely to fold over and let a tire drive over it....the overall increase in grouser lug pitch from 4" to 5" is for several benefits including.. more agressive traction, reduced track weight, reduced number of parts and cost, better clean out, faster water drainage, etc... grousers can easily be placed at any spacing on the belting, where as we were locked into the pitch and diamention of the chain on previous designs with chain for belting

Are they changing their track manufacturing?...Yes we are beginning a trend to produce narrow tracks in one of the two new designs depending on customer application....i think that the narrower tracks will both benifit from the two newer concepts in track construction....i think that in applications where there is a need for a low maintaince and very agressive lightweight narrow track, and in coastal or salt water applications, the rubber belting design can be easily assembled with all stainless steel hardware and hold up better over all on most applications....i also think that by exposing the rubber belting to the ground we can increase some of the traction in certain hard and lumpy situations like piles of rock or maybe steel car ramps, etc...also the belting itself runs at a straight edge which allows for a slightly more agressive outer edge bite as apposed to the serated edge that the previous adair design had... as far as durrability of the attachment method, there is a short video on youtube showing a few grousers mounted on the custom belting and our guys testing it with a skidloader to see what would break under stress, it appears to be a pretty strong concept

the other new design which uses heavier steel shackles on a narrow track footprint is proving to be very twist resistant and strong in applications that are abusive or the equipment is very heavy...i think it is a very stable design for a machine that may run through very hard and deep ruts or that might be prone to breaking or throwing a weaker track off...also the metal shackle design leaves a very large portion of the grouser face open which tends to be slightly better in water and slightly more agressive in mud, this design is more like our first several generations of chain tracks that used rubber tubing before we started developing the plastic spacer plates (which look like rubber belting on the adair track) which did improve floation, but compromised other traits as well

i still think that wider tracks can get very heavy fast, and currently wide tracks are better built using our chain design...they have proven to be very durrable and effective when bolted together on the sides....not to say that we are ever total happy with a single design and we are always working to improve our products.... we are curently developing technques to bolt on extra width to these two newer designs, and at some point you will probably start to see wider versions of these designs also

hope this helps make sense of some of the changes

tim

[Noel Woods]

Good to see that the guys at the Adair skunkworks are continuously improving their product, while listening to customer feedback. Each series of track has evolved and gotten more advanced, while the cost is constant. Great job at Adair Argo! I can't wait to compare these new tracks at upcoming rides.

[mrtlc]

Those are the nicest set of tracks I've seen. That belting will be the way to GO!

[mudbug3]

This is a short video clip showing the durability of the new rubber belted , Adair tracks. I really liked this design, but instead chose the metal plate design for dealing with the hard and deep atv ruts that I,m often forced to ride through at the atv parks.

[trevorakm1]

noel, I had to chuckle athe skunkworks reference, very appropriate with these guys.

[Rock Doctor]

Are they lighter than the tracks that have chain incorporated, looks like the profile is not symetrical like the previous tracks i've seen, any reason for this, looks like the spacing is larger between the grousers/ cleats? Why did you go with this style as opposed to your other set style, I know you mentioned wanting the 14.5" dimension for narrower trails. Are they changing their track manufacturing, I liked the other style with the chains.

trevor

I see that Tim has piped in here so I'll just give my personal 2 bits:
Why did I choose to try the Belted Style?
The style with the chains is good, seem strong, work well, and would be a good choice in most cases. The problem is that I'm very hard on my equipment and I had a few concerns: As you mentioned, overall width was a concern..... Even though the Chained Tracks seem strong enough, they are getting a portion of that strength from the Wider, Bolted Profile. I want a narrower profile and an even stronger design. I have a feeling that the narrower Grousers will wear out faster than the new thicker Grousers.
The Belted Design seems VERY Robust, they are still relatively light, they are maintenance free, and very quiet. Indevidual Grousers can be replaced if you were ever to damage one, the tracks themselves are easy to "Size" for your machine if/when they need to be shortened (This should not be an issue though with 1% stretch over 5yrs estimated)
I'm having trouble finding a challenge for the new tracks right now, as we have had a very dry yr to date. However, the dry conditions have brought out new challenges. I've discovered a few things about the new design. They are a little more "Slippery" on hard ground, rocks, Grassy Hills, ect than the Chained Design. Presumably because of the Wider Grouser and new larger spacing between Grousers. The Belted Design is also more prone to sliding sideways on a sidehill. The bright side of this is that there are already design improvements underway. Also, there is a lot more "Meat" to the new Grousers to enable you to add some kind of Traction enhancers for such conditions (Eg, Cleats, Picks, Rubber Faces, ect). I also like the aggressive side profile of the new design.
I was sorely tempted to order the Steel Plated design. I think they are probably the strongest design, and will resist the twisting effect of riding in ruts. They can also be taken apart at any point. With Stainless hardware, they would also be mostly maintenance free. They may be a bit noisier though.

RD

[spookum]

hi Trevor...i wouldnt normally get in the middle of these conversations, but you made some really good observations and i wanted to give you honest answers to your questions....

Are they lighter than the tracks that have chain incorporated...probably slightly heavier but close to the same

looks like the profile is not symetrical like the previous tracks i've seen, any reason for this...we have been listening to complaints that they can be more slippery than necessary on piles of rock, or metal car ramps, wooden bridges, etc... and so we have incorporated slight profile pockets into the grousers to help hold them on hard lumpy surfaces a little better, also the more complex side and bottom profile should improve bite in mud and ruts a little over the repetitive pattern that we started with...each grouser is actually the same but when they are assembled every other one is placed backwards and is slightly different than the one before or after it

looks like the spacing is larger between the grousers/ cleats?...spacing between the grousers has changed from about a 3" gap to a 3.5" gap...also the grousers themselves have been increased to 1.5" from the standard 1" that we normally use...this helps with the design that i have developed which actually clamps down on the rubber belting....it also makes each individual wheel guide stronger and a lot stiffer so that it is less likely to fold over and let a tire drive over it....the overall increase in grouser lug pitch from 4" to 5" is for several benefits including.. more agressive traction, reduced track weight, reduced number of parts and cost, better clean out, faster water drainage, etc... grousers can easily be placed at any spacing on the belting, where as we were locked into the pitch and diamention of the chain on previous designs with chain for belting

Are they changing their track manufacturing?...Yes we are beginning a trend to produce narrow tracks in one of the two new designs depending on customer application....i think that the narrower tracks will both benifit from the two newer concepts in track construction....i think that in applications where there is a need for a low maintaince and very agressive lightweight narrow track, and in coastal or salt water applications, the rubber belting design can be easily assembled with all stainless steel hardware and hold up better over all on most applications....i also think that by exposing the rubber belting to the ground we can increase some of the traction in certain hard and lumpy situations like piles of rock or maybe steel car ramps, etc...also the belting itself runs at a straight edge which allows for a slightly more agressive outer edge bite as apposed to the serated edge that the previous adair design had... as far as durrability of the attachment method, there is a short video on youtube showing a few grousers mounted on the custom belting and our guys testing it with a skidloader to see what would break under stress, it appears to be a pretty strong concept

the other new design which uses heavier steel shackles on a narrow track footprint is proving to be very twist resistant and strong in applications that are abusive or the equipment is very heavy...i think it is a very stable design for a machine that may run through very hard and deep ruts or that might be prone to breaking or throwing a weaker track off...also the metal shackle design leaves a very large portion of the grouser face open which tends to be slightly better in water and slightly more agressive in mud, this design is more like our first several generations of chain tracks that used rubber tubing before we started developing the plastic spacer plates (which look like rubber belting on the adair track) which did improve floation, but compromised other traits as well

i still think that wider tracks can get very heavy fast, and currently wide tracks are better built using our chain design...they have proven to be very durrable and effective when bolted together on the sides....not to say that we are ever total happy with a single design and we are always working to improve our products.... we are curently developing technques to bolt on extra width to these two newer designs, and at some point you will probably start to see wider versions of these designs also

hope this helps make sense of some of the changes

tim

WOW EFFIN WOW!!!!!! Your a credit to the sport tim! Most folks, when they get a KILLER product that wipes out the compition, simply sit back and make money. I KNOW it takes A TON of money for research and development, but you just keep on trucking. I love your trying to specialize for our far north rigs!!! thanks a TON

[BCgrizzly]

Very impressed, and love the skid steer video. Can't wait to see the improved versions. I plan on buying a new rig spring of 2013, hope that the improvements will be ready, as it is I was sold by all the Adair Video of the earlier version RD has. What track option (from Adair) would be best for winter hunting in Northern BC (north of Forth Nelson)? Need to carry a load in Deep snow on hills that have not been driven on by sleds, virgin powder.