New Type of Tracks - Chanel Tracks

[jjort]

The track length on that style should be such that you can almost work the two ends together by hand with the corner tires flat...in fact you usually can if you really work the slack out. But sometimes it takes a ratchet strap to make the last inch or so...or at least make it easier to hold the track position while you insert the hinge bolt.

That's all the tighter you need to be. Track sag isn't really looked at the same with this style track (in my opinion)....I've jacked them up in running position, and they've sagged a foot or better. I suppose you could shoot for 6 inches of sag....maybe 4 inches at the most. You want the belt to more or less "straighten out" w/o any super loose or wavy up and downs to it. When you lift up gently on the upper track belting, you want to feel just a slight tension. It doesnt have to be super tight. You can always put more air pressure in the corners if you want....or if you want more protection from skid-turning over ridges or whatever. Always put just a bit more in the rear tire than the front.
You'll need (16) individual pieces of Flexco 550's. Get the Flexco piloted bolts and nuts if you can (they are the best and center themselves to hold the hinge body on the belt the best). Otherwise use 1/4" bolts long enough go go through everything (even 1" is enough)...and insert them so the threads stick "toward the ground side."
Cut the belt with any sharp utility knife...or if you have longer runs to trim, score a line and use a sharp stiff filet knife with long strokes while you're pulling down and away on the trimmed piece.
Good luck and have fun!
Please post some videos when you have a chance.

Will it hurt if it is too tight?.... I have maybe 2 inches of sag...if that.
When I sent the picture to Marcel he said it was too loose (had about 3 inches of sag) so I pumped the tires up to 5 lbs in all of them.
I can add another crosser which would extend the length by 4.5 inches if I have to.

[Buzz]

I don't think you need to go any tighter...you could get away with going more loose if you ask me. I wouldn't go tighter....unless maybe you have HD axles with the heavier hub flange. All tracks if too tight ...add stress here, doesn't matter what they're made of.
If you make anything tight enough, you're going to put lateral stress on your corner axles and hub flanges. If your belting on top is straight with your corner tires aired up and does in fact feel like it has a little tension to it...it should be tight enough. If you want to add air to the corners (adding air to the middles will do almost nothing except affect your ride)....go ahead up to maybe 2-3 inches of sag. There really is no point to going tighter than that. I typically go far less. I'll take a picture of my track sag when I get home....it's probably A LOT. The point is it doesn't need a lot of tension to be reliable or stay on. Just enough to make the top belt straight out....there should be no air-gaps between your end tires and the crossers...and the top belt should have just a little bit of "tension" feel to it when you lift up. NOT "tight" or bowstring feeling.

[Old Tucker]

I found that having a 4 inch sag between crosser and mid tires is about right for my set up. I am running now 6 lb of air in the front and 7.5 in the mid tires and 7 lbs in the rear. That way the chain tension is on the top of the chains. Where it should be. I am not overly concerned about a hard ride because all my ridding is on snow. I have found that the chanel track will not twist at all even turning on a steep hill in deep snow, or down deep in a x ditch. That is one very big advantage you will have with a elevated belt track.

I picked my self up some Zshade video glasses with image stabilization. Nice glasses but they will not down to the computer??????? help before I pull my hair out OH right I lost my hair working on the argo. I hope to have some video some day before all the snow melts in the hills.

[jjort]

well I loosened the tracks and added another crosser so now I have 45 in use...I think it has about 5 inches of sag if I jack it up. I will try it like this and if the tracks come off, I can always tighten them up
I am finding that the machine likes to pull to the right. I find that I am constantly correcting it . Probably every 5 or 10 seconds I have to give left brake input.
after about half an hour the left brake is starting to overheat.. I cant see anything wrong with the brakes and the blower is connected and working

[jjort]

I picked my self up some Zshade video glasses with image stabilization. Nice glasses but they will not down to the computer??????? help before I pull my hair out OH right I lost my hair working on the argo. I hope to have some video some day before all the snow melts in the hills.

It says on the video just to plug in the usb to your computer and hold on the button on the side of the glasses for 3 seconds.. it should then show up as a flash drive on your computer

[husabergler]

I like this set up!

[Old Tucker]

well I loosened the tracks and added another crosser so now I have 45 in use...I think it has about 5 inches of sag if I jack it up. I will try it like this and if the tracks come off, I can always tighten them up
I am finding that the machine likes to pull to the right. I find that I am constantly correcting it . Probably every 5 or 10 seconds I have to give left brake input.
after about half an hour the left brake is starting to overheat.. I can't see anything wrong with the brakes and the blower is connected and working

For some reason you may have more drag on the right side. In doing so you will have to use the left brake more. When you have it jacked up, check by turning each track by hand with it out of gear. And see what you come up with. Then put it in gear and run the tracks to see if every thing is running straight. Let us know what you have come up with. My conquest will pull but only to the track that has the more drag, Sometimes too the left then too the right. If one track is in deep snow and the other is on a hard packed surface. It will always pull to the snow side.

[jjort]

Old Tucker (your private message folder is full)

I wish I could help you.... I have never heard of ZShades until you mentioned them. So I checked on youtube and watched the video. The glasses look pretty neat... The other problem is that I dont use a Mac (never have). It shouldnt affect how the glasses operate tho.

Your Mac is probably trying to save you time by automatically downloading.... if you can, cancel that but leave the glasses hooked up. Then go into explorer where you can see all your devices/drives and you should see the glasses. Navigate in the folders until you find the video files.... I hope this helps... I am doing it blind.

as for the argo, I will see what happens when I run up and down the road...It is difficult to tell if one side has more drag than the other as it is hard to turn the tracks up on the jack..there is quite a bit of effort required to turn the tracks.


JJ

[thorn]

Started the swap over to Chanel tracks. I am in the process of changing out the two front axles/bearings on the Conquest to the HD version just for good measure. I installed Adair Track Tuners and put on a set of Carlisle Stryker 22x11x8 tires to run with the tracks. They run big and look like a good tire for our machines to run even w/o tracks. I will be ordering the tracks from Marcel soon as I now have a tire to measure for fitment. I will keep you guys posted. I just hope I can get it done before the snow is gone, but I don't even think my trailer will be wide enough for the machine. Might be next season. We'll see...

[thorn]

Heres a pic of the left side with the HD axle/bearing (I know can't see those), tuners and new skins.

[jjort]

Your tires look exactly like mine...Mine are the Duro HF243 22x11-8.
I also went with the adair track tuners. I did not put the HD axle/bearings on mine. I am using 45 crossers so there is about 6 inches of slack when you jack up the machine. I found that if I went with 44 crossers, the front and rear tires were being squashed by the tracks and it was stressing the front and rear axles. The problem that I have now is that when I am plowing, sometimes the tires spin inside the tracks. I might get 4 more spacers to run in the winter so that all wheels drive and in the summer put the track tuners on..... Not sure on that yet. will see how they perform in the mud/swamp
Another thing I noticed is that the track tuners make it very hard to remove a center wheel with the track on. I was planning on using my tracks all year round and wanted to remove the center wheels so I could grease the axles. I might have to go to plan B (not sure what that is either)

[guyfox]

"Another thing I noticed is that the track tuners make it very hard to remove a center wheel with the track on. I was planning on using my tracks all year round and wanted to remove the center wheels so I could grease the axles. I might have to go to plan B (not sure what that is either) "

JJort, Depending on the machine you have and the rims, on some rims there is another hole something like the lug nut holes that allow you to grease the bearing without having to take your tire/rim off.

[jjort]

"Another thing I noticed is that the track tuners make it very hard to remove a center wheel with the track on. I was planning on using my tracks all year round and wanted to remove the center wheels so I could grease the axles. I might have to go to plan B (not sure what that is either) "

JJort, Depending on the machine you have and the rims, on some rims there is another hole something like the lug nut holes that allow you to grease the bearing without having to take your tire/rim off.

Yes that is true for the HD axles...not on mine unfortunately

[guyfox]

Yes that is true for the HD axles...not on mine unfortunately

I guess you will have to upgrade to hd axles......

[thorn]

Your tires look exactly like mine...Mine are the Duro HF243 22x11-8.
I also went with the adair track tuners. I did not put the HD axle/bearings on mine. I am using 45 crossers so there is about 6 inches of slack when you jack up the machine. I found that if I went with 44 crossers, the front and rear tires were being squashed by the tracks and it was stressing the front and rear axles. The problem that I have now is that when I am plowing, sometimes the tires spin inside the tracks. I might get 4 more spacers to run in the winter so that all wheels drive and in the summer put the track tuners on..... Not sure on that yet. will see how they perform in the mud/swamp
Another thing I noticed is that the track tuners make it very hard to remove a center wheel with the track on. I was planning on using my tracks all year round and wanted to remove the center wheels so I could grease the axles. I might have to go to plan B (not sure what that is either)

Well these Strykers run big. I have four of them that are about 23" tall. Even on the narrow 7" argo rims they are 10 3/4" wide. It is nice to have the four oversized tires to put on the center axles where you want them, but I am a bit concerned about tub clearance on one side. How tall are the metal Chanels that go across the tires?

I have always bee able to wiggle my (not small either) arms between the tires with tracks on to lube the center axles. It is not fun, but do able. I am going to put some 90 degree zerks on the new HD axle/bearings on the front to make them easy to lube.