New Type of Tracks - Chanel Tracks

[kghills]

Glad to hear you are liking them. Did you get a chance to take any video of them in some nasty mud? I would love to see them in action.

Keith.

[drjim1948]

Big Bird took my Argo out to play.

Argo by the lake.jpg
I took the Argo out with Patenteux's Channel Tracks to see just what it can do.
1. It can swim better than the Argo could with stock Argo tires.
2. It goes through silt that the stock Argo would have me stuck in and waiting for Plumcrazy to come rescue me. And he is out of town.
3, It climbs slopes that I would have slid down before and it does not go high center at the top.
4. The other side of the house is forest. It climbs over logs and rocks that I would have had to drive around before.

All in all, the $1800 that I spent on Marcel's new tracks may be the best investment of my life. It is certainly the most fun I can have with my clothes on. (And Marcel does make some really good moose sausage, if you can go in person to pick them up.)

[Notabiker]

now if you prefer to run a smaller tire in addition to that elevated belt track, you'll have even more gear-reduction. I personally think the 25's seem to do great. Instead of a "high" and "low" range, running this track essentially changes your machine so that you can run a "mid" and a "granny" gear. I think most of us probably tend to use the "low" (granny) gear for most driving. If you're on a dirt road, you don't really need an argo.

Uhmn no, you don't get any "gear reduction" from running an elevated belt track UNLESS the track is using your sidewalls for propulsion and in that case you are buying new tires every few miles.. In fact I would expect an overdrive situation if you were to compare one to the other on a hard surface, ie your tire effectively gains an inch in diameter (assuming the channel iron these are made out of is only 1/2" tall, if 3/4" then you gain 1 1/2" etc). FYI the Anchorage Argo dealer claims they get the higher torque lower speed gearbox in all their machines from the factory, top speed drops to around 15mph iirc.

Such a great first impression I am giving!! LOL this physics is as they say, a female pooch

Granted I don't own an argo or any other floaty atv but I've been shopping around and reading up on argo, mudd-ox, trackster, max, centaur, home built, etc

[Buzz]

the gear reduction absolutely happens

This is because the overall track (belting) is shorter...and wraps the tires on a smaller circumfrence that the tire-tread itself......even though the track grousers "cover" the larger circumfrence "distance" of the outer tire-tread.
The key is that....out at the tire-tread location, the grousers are not "fixed" in position.

So, given any axle speed, the track belting itself is driven "slower" than the tire "tread" itself. This is only possible because the track grousers can "move" distance in relation to one another......out at the tire tread level......as they "wrap" around the front and rear tires....they can "splay-out." This only happens in this fashion with an an elevated-belt-design.

With any over-the-wheel track, either your "tire-guides" (at the sidewall level) have to be able move (as in the case of argo rubber/plastic, or any other track that uses connecting-material at the same-level as the tire-tread) ...OR
.....if the tire guides (at the sidewall level)....cannot move (as in the case of "escargo-style tracks"....because they're affixed to the belting)....then the track grousers themselves have to be able to move, or in other words "change distance in relation to one another.".......out at the "tire-tread" level.

This can and does happens out at the tire-tread level.....when the track wraps the "end" tires. I can grasp 2 grousers on an escargo-style track (directly where the tire tread rides) and squeeze them together. Conversely, I can also push them apart to cover, or in this case "wrap" a much larger distance......All while the "guide" portion of the grouser body remains affixed the the belting....never changing its "on-center" distance from neighboring grousers. It's this ability to "change distance" out at the tire-tread-level that allows a slower belting (and therefore) track speed even though the drive axles (and tires) are spinning faster.......A gear reduction!

The only caveat is that because the track grousers do not splay-out while moving under the "center" tires.....the center tires actually want to rotate faster than the track is moving under them.....because they are chain-driven and want to match the axle speeds of the front/rear axles. Some slipping of the center tires is then required. All of the chain-tension remains on the correct side (away from the tensioners) on all chains, and NO crazy damage happens.
However, this required "slipping" does add some load to the tires...and therefore the drive system.... (same as driving up an incline). But it's nothing near what the machine is designed to handle.
The best option is to not "give-back" some of this gear-reduction advantage to this additional load and friction..........simply subsitute the center wheel spacers with "track-tuners" (a free-wheeling wheel spacer) and eliminate any additional load. It makes a gear-reduction track a true net-positive gain in power/torque. All while running tracks....which is when you need it.
There are some other advantages to the track design as well, but gear-reduction is probably the coolest. The ability to run a wide track that skid-turns as easily as a super-narrow track (8-10 inches wide) all while having a gear-reduction. Remove the track....everything is back to normal....no tranmission or clutching or sprocket modifications needed. Then there is the super-strong resistance to ever throwing a track with this design....all because of the grouser/guide and belting design.

Hopefully that helps......

Mudd-Ox Escargo 5 - YouTube


check out this video....it shows the center wheels "disconnected" from the machine's axle hubs. Note the white tape (I know I should have used pink or anything other color) that is placed in the same postion on every tire when the video starts. You will quickly see how the center tires (when disconnected from the machine's axle-hub-flange)....are allowed to rotate much much slower that the front/rear are "driven." This is the difference in belting speed vs. axle/tire speed I am talking about. The track works great all the time....but it works even better if you let the center hubs/tires roll exactly "how the track wants them to roll" instead of keeping them "driven at the same speed as the chains."

[Buzz]

the machine speed is a dead giveaway as well. GPS will confirm this with or without track-tuners installed...the gear reduction is still there. It is one reason escargo-style tracks climb so well....and can even do serious climbs with very little RPM compared to different track designs on the same machine.

[mudbug3]

Buzz


How you explained this was excellent.

[Buzz]

Cool...I was hoping it would make sense

[Old Tucker]

As they say ever photo is worth a thousand words
Here is one of how the chanel track grousers spread as they wrap themselves around the tire.
There is about 1.5 Inch spread from where the belt bolts to the top of the grouser..
On the 21 Inch tire I have, the belt is going around about a 16 inch tire. and the ground speed of the belt is a lot slower then the outer Di of the tire.
I am slowly getting things put back together and getting ready for the snow to fly.
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[Old Tucker]

In this photo you can see just how much shorter the chanel track is too compared to the supper track. And that is do to the where the belt is located on the track.
Yes you do lose a little flotation. and speed but you gain a lot more torque. For my use, In climbing steep hills and carrying heavy loads. I think they will work quite well. As they say time will tel. [IMG][/IMG]

[Buzz]

Those pictures are great! Do you know about how much your tracks weigh?

[drjim1948]

For my 6x6 Argo Vanguard, they are about 30 pounds each, after being fitted to the vehicle.

[brebett]

Wow, I just came back from my camp. I went over bolders, big rocks, big log with ease. The grousers catch before the body and they grab and climb over like nothing. I was thinking they would slip in a mountain with big rocks. But no they didn't. I can't wait for the snow to see how good they'll do. They seem very tough too. In the mountain it went throu some stuff that could tear them easy. Not a mark. They are tough

[drjim1948]

The only possible downside to the Channel Tracks is actually the opposite of what we have discussed. Their traction is so good that nothing, NOTHING, stops them. I have to be careful not to drag the tender ABS skin of my Argo through things that might tear it or puncture it. Before the tracks, it would just stop. Now, not so much!

[plott hound]

what is the price on these tracks?

[drjim1948]

I paid $1800.