New Type of Tracks - Chanel Tracks

[thorn]

Decisions...Decisions...Decisions....

from what I have read/seen on youtube I have come up with the following:

Swimming - Adair swims well, Chanel swims but not very well - Advantage Adair

Mud - Chanel excellent - Adair very good - Advantage Chanel

Ice/wet trees etc - Chanel excellent - Adair not so good but ice cleats available - Advantage Chanel

Gravel hard surface - Adair very good - Chanel very rough - Advantage Adair

Snow - both seem very good - no clear winner

Durability - both seem good - no clear winner

Ease of installation - both seem good but Adair does not require spacers or tuners - Advantage Adair

Sales and service- Both seem to have excellent support - no clear winner

Cost - Adair base price $1840 + taxes + shipping from the website.... Marcel quoted me a little more than that + added costs of spacers and tuners - Advantage Adair

If there is anything else I should be considering, let me know...its a tough choice...I keep waffling back and forth

I take it you are looking at Adairs "Classic" track which is 17" wide? If that is the case then I chose the Chanels because they are 20" wide and would give more floatation. I like the Adair Pro Series with winter kit, but I ruled that one out due to cost and the fact that I want a gear reduction track to help my little 20 HP engine deal with high altitudes (=power loss). I have also been looking at Escargos Hybrid stell/uhmw tracks. These are the most money, but if I ran these on my runamuks They are about the same as Chanels/tuners/tires would be. The price quoted includes spacers, but I would want to run tuners with them. Like you say decisions, decisions...

[jjort]

I take it you are looking at Adairs "Classic" track which is 17" wide? If that is the case then I chose the Chanels because they are 20" wide and would give more floatation. I like the Adair Pro Series with winter kit, but I ruled that one out due to cost and the fact that I want a gear reduction track to help my little 20 HP engine deal with high altitudes (=power loss). I have also been looking at Escargos Hybrid stell/uhmw tracks. These are the most money, but if I ran these on my runamuks They are about the same as Chanels/tuners/tires would be. The price quoted includes spacers, but I would want to run tuners with them. Like you say decisions, decisions...

Yes I am talking about the 17" classics... what do you mean about a grear reduction track?

[thorn]

Yes I am talking about the 17" classics... what do you mean about a grear reduction track?

Boy I could not come close to explaining it as good as a couple of guys on here, but it is a unique and cool attribute with tracks that have elevated belts that go up the sidewalls of the tires. Escargo, Chanel, and Adair Classics are the only "store bought" tracks that I know of with the elevated belts. Search the track section here under "gear reduction" grab a cold beer and get "enlightened". It basically will reduce the gear ratio of your machine by approx 25% and give you more grunt. Using tuners also frees up some power as it cancels out the power needed to turn the center tires. Another big attribute of the tuners is it helps stop chain wind up which should help your drive train components last long and the machine is smoother all together with the elevated tracks. Everyone says the are "highly recommended" or "mandatory" when run this type of track.

[Buzz]

Thorn's got it alright!

For this style, ideally you want belt-width, large surface area or "paddle", traction, and not too much weight (in the water).

Both the channel and the "classic" as adair calls it compromise a little here and there because life is a compromise. But the prices on each are very fair!

a few things:

Any elevated belt track should run track tuners so that part of the "cost" is a wash between both styles. Both styles should also run a matching wheel spacer.

If you're going to run the smallest tuner/spacer combo (2.5"), then it also pays to take advantage of running a wider inner belt and a wider crosser body to make the most use of the increased clearance to the inside of the tire sidewalls. Both for increased belt floatation and..ideally...increased paddle surface area. You could mount a wider belt on a classic than the classic "body" itself if you wanted. Same goes for channel. The channel will take a wider belt but has less paddle surface area.

In the mud they'll both be good, but wider belts really help here.

On hard surfaces, UHMW is at a considerable disadvantage w/o cleats

On snow wider tracks work tremendously better. Either style could add a winter kit. If you make a wide enough main track, often times you don't need a winter-kit. So a track crosser with a wider belt-mounting-surface is at an advantage.

Again, both require tuners/spacers, which give you the ability to clear a 4-5" inner belt as well as an outer belt that equals the width of your crosser body + 4" hangover easy if wanted. So a wider cleat is at an advantage here. This style track will turn very easily even with extra wide belts.

Gear reduction- crossers are affixed to belting at sidewall level and therefore the "guide" portion of the crosser cannot move. When wrapping the end tires, the tips of the crossers around the tread can move or "splay out" to cover the larger circumfrence of the tire tread, even though the belting (where the top of the guides are affixed) is covering a smaller circumfrence. Faster tread speed = slower track belting speed = gear reduction. You really want to disconnect the center hubs (with track tuners) because the track crossers moving under the "center" tire treads are no longer splayed-out...and are now covering the same distance under the tire tread as they are on the belting....where they are affixed. The crossers moving under the "center" tire-treads will now move slower than the "driven" center tire treads themselves (if the tires are installed directly to the axle hubs). Bolt on the track-tuner idler hub to the center axles and allow the center tires to freewheel (slowly) like the track wants them to.

[Old Tucker]

Here is a photo to show you how the gear reduction is accomplished. The crosser is fixed on the belt and there is about 1 1/2 inch spread as it go,s around the tire. I hope this helps. The wider track is, its far better for the snow,.
Buss sums it up [IMG][/IMG]pretty good.

[jjort]

Ok...it took me a while but I finally get it....wow, I must be getting old. Thanks for all your input
What tires are you running? I can get these tires for $71 cdn taxes in WORKHORSE - Vee Rubber| vehicle tires, motorcycle tires, bicycle tires , truck and bias tires,bike tires,fat bike

[Old Tucker]

Heck, You are not getting old. We are all just getting better.

[Old Tucker]

Ok...it took me a while but I finally get it....wow, I must be getting old. Thanks for all your input
What tires are you running? I can get these tires for $71 cdn taxes in WORKHORSE - Vee Rubber| vehicle tires, motorcycle tires, bicycle tires , truck and bias tires,bike tires,fat bike

I am running the Kenda Dominator 22x11x8 tire just has a bigger knob. They are a good tire for the tracks but They are a dog for trying to turn with a skid steer system with out the tracks. I have my old runamuks for summer use. If you can try to go for the 4ply tire. 2 ply is just to soft and with the open track you may have sticks pocking through that could pop a soft 2 ply tire. Just my 2 cents.

[jjort]

Hi
I was wondering if you could tell me the width of your machine with the chanel tracks
I just bought a new trailer and the door opening is 73.5 inches...I have a 2004 Conquest

cheers.... ps your private mailbox is full

JJ

[Old Tucker]

Sorry I fell asleep at the wheel.Or you could say the PM box
The 2002 conquest is 73 inches wide with the 20 inch chanel and 2.5 inch spacers.

[jjort]

Wow...talk about cutting it close....that would give me 1/4 inch clearance on each side.... I think I will be winching it into the trailer.

[Old Tucker]

What I did is to put guides on the bed of the trailer Once the argo starts onto the back of the trailer the chanel track falls into the grove and is right where you want it. Nice and easy. I dwell take a photo for you

[thorn]

Wow...talk about cutting it close....that would give me 1/4 inch clearance on each side.... I think I will be winching it into the trailer.

Well I have super tracks right now that are 71" and I have no problem loading it on a 72" wide trailer with rails. I have ordered my tires (carlisle strikers) and my 2 1/2" axle spacers and track tuners for a set of Chanel tracks. My machine should be as wide as Old Tucker's and hoping that the belting will give a bit on each side to still allow me to use this trailer. I guess wait and see.

[Old Tucker]

Good for you Thorn I bet you can't wait for all parts to come in. Then you can go out and really play
Darn I wish there was someone else in town I could go ridding with. There are a couple of other argos in town. One fella has one, on argo rubber tracks but he con sitters a outing, is going to the end of his driveway then its back in the shop to be greased with another coat of wax. Ive seen a lot of side by sides but most of them have been broken or laying on their side with there tracks rapped around a stump or log.

[jjort]

What I did is to put guides on the bed of the trailer Once the argo starts onto the back of the trailer the chanel track falls into the grove and is right where you want it. Nice and easy. I dwell take a photo for you

Pictures would be great. Marcel is going to make me a set of 19" tracks and he says they will be 72.5 inches
Here is the trailer that I bought, I think guides would work good on the ramp