New Type of Tracks - Chanel Tracks

[Buzz]

the key is for the machine to see the center tires as the "largest". This will always be the case with this design. It's easy for the centers to slip. It is more difficult for the front/rear to slip as they have significant "wrap" and tension around them. You'll still be able to run higher pressure in the centers if you want and not have problems slipping even "without" tuners. But, tuners eliminate the vehicle-weight load on the center tires altogether. You'll definitely notice a "load" difference and mileage increase. I don't plan to remove mine unless the extra load on the front/rear axles and hubs proves to be detrimental. I think it's just as important to maintain proper tension in your chains to prevent the momentary "over-tension", release, and shock-loading of your drivetrain from loose chains. That seems to be what has caused the most wear and tear in my experience.

[North Country Tough]

Thanks Buzz good info for sure,I have ran the rubber tracks a ton of miles this winter without incident (no tuners) I was concerned about to much tire slippage as I run into a lot of slush on the lakes I cross to the cabin,and then it freezes super quick in 30 plus below,but there are times in the spring where the weather is mild and the excess water over ice and bush run off you can really tell the rubber to rubber contact has a bunch of friction.The chanel track may be my best all round track that I can install late fall and not remove till late spring.NCT

[Buzz]

Likewise NCT, kinda my thoughts too. I've had slippage problems with rubber tracks in the winter (water re-freeze, wet snow, slush like you said) and was always concerned about dropping 2 additional drive wheels. I haven't run rubber tracks "with" tuners in these conditions, so I'm not sure if the loss of drive wheels would be problematic or not...... I know that there is a lot of vehicle weight on those center tires at times, although they have a small contact-patch. Occasionally I have been unable to make it up a hill because my tracks won't turn (tires slipping inside) in these winter conditions....even with proper tire/track tension.
I think the key is to run rubber tracks only in the winter. Luckily, they are the best in winter, where often times they can and do "slip" inside. Now, like you said, when it warms up and you're in and out of clean water or melting snow, it's a different story. I think there are better tracks available that do great in the snow and do not have tire "grippiness" problems.

While good in snow, rubber tracks are not ideal in most other conditions, and most guys remove them for summer/fall/hunting use because of the grippiness of the tires, and the fact that they're so hard to skid-turn. The tracks themselves take a lot of abuse too if you run them in non-snow conditions. After all, it's snowmachine belting.
I agree, you should be able to put your tracks on and leave them on over multiple seasons with no worries.
And, I really look forward to some reports!

[gusgus]

Thank you guys for all the info on rubber and channel tracks,
Any more info/video on how well these channel tracks swim? They seem to cut through the water because they don't have the the surface area to push the water like Escargo and UHMW/Adair designs.
Found this video, and at the 2:00 mark it seems to get a lil more difficult.

(not bashing their product, just would like more info if I'm going to commit to purchasing a set from Marcel)

[Buzz]

I am also curious about the swimming. No machine is ever going to push anywhere close to an adequate trolling motor (track swimming I think is down on the list of priorities....seems like frequently there's at least something on the bottom to touch or "bounce" off of), but being able to at least maneuver (lets say properly point to a bank at then move towards it) is very important. I wonder if turning the tracks "slower" might help. This seems to help in the water and the mud. No doubt the additional surface area of a bigger vertical cleat helps, but so does an overall lighter track and one that simply floats the machine higher in the water. If the entire cleat "above" the tire is out of the water, all track movement will benefit only "forward" motion (only the tracks cleats "under" the tire act on the water), and with the proper technique it doesn't take long to really start walking across the water very well. The few videos that are out there seem to be poor examples with the wrong technique being used.

[Old Tucker]

I have spent many many hours trying to pick a track. That would travel in different snow conditions I go from a low elevation to a high elevation and the snow condition and road conditions will change a lot. The adair and escargo tracks are the top of the line in a open track. with the belted you can even get ice cleats that are bolted to the belt. You could do the same with the channel track if needed. If you try, you can brake any track. And they all have there pro,s and con,s. Lets be monist
#1 design
#2 made in Canada
#3 price
#4 With the money I saved I put HDI axles in her.
I am going with the dominator K300 tire, To ride in the Channel track. The tread design is for going in a straight line. And thats how your tire runs in a track It will give the max bite on the crossers. It also sites flatter on the track. Thats my story and im sticking to it.
No the tires do not swim and the track is SO SO in the water. If you put paddles on the belts it may work quit well.
This is only going to be for winter use In the summer the old runamuck tires will go back on Now I have my blue channel tracks, my blue conquest and Im set to go
All Most. The wife may make me move into the argo soon

I have found Marcel a very fine gentleman to deal with. And i believe he is offering us a good track idea. He may be on {The right track)
Time will tell after we all put it through the ringer and see what comes out
In buying a track I think you must consider the conditions you will be using it in.

[IMG][/IMG]

[plott hound]

as much as i would like to buy canadian,especially from a fellow frenchman.i dont think the channel track suits my needs.looks to me like the adair track is the way im leaning.

[North Country Tough]

as much as i would like to buy canadian,especially from a fellow frenchman.i dont think the channel track suits my needs.looks to me like the adair track is the way im leaning.

Not to many people in Ontario with as deep a pockets as you Plott Buffet LOL,sounds like the tax man was easy on you.NCT

[plott hound]

hahahahaha,thought you was gonna float me a loan bozzzzzz????

Not to many people in Ontario with as deep a pockets as you Plott Buffet LOL,sounds like the tax man was easy on you.NCT

[Old Tucker]

Well I am the now owner of a set of 20Inch channel tracks. And I am dying to give them a go before the snow is gone. I am going to run them with a totally different tire. Then what most argo owners run. If you look at the tread pattern on the KENDA DOMINATOR K300 tire. The knobs go straight across. The cleat of the track go straight across your tire and you get far more bite between tire and cleat. And also the tire will sit flatter in the cleat. I hear a lot of you say that you're pushing your tires off the bead and running out of the tracks. Maybe it,s not the track that is at fault. Its the tire you're trying to run in the track. I would say that a rounded big heavy lug tire is not the best tire for a open track system. You want the tire and track to run as smoothly and stable as possible. May be I am getting picky but I want to have a good reliable system And if means getting away from the monkey see monkey do big lug tire in tracks I will give it a try and see how it goes.
As for the channel track. It is a very simple clean looking track and that can make for a very reliable dependable track. It could not get any simpler to repair if needed. The k300 tires will run very smooth stable in the the grove of the cleats. And that is what you want your track to be doing. You can add ice cleats or two inch rubber paddles if you want. As I said before all tracks have there pros and cons. Some tracks you can climb out of the water onto the ice. But it may not make it a good track for side hilling on a steep mountain road in four Ft. of soft snow. You buy a track for what you are going to use it for. If you want super floatation then the big wide flat tracks from adair or escargo. May be what you're looking for. I picked the channel track because of it,s simplicity. And it will be the best all around track for my use.
Dam I sure hope I do not have to wait 8 more months for fall, and the snow to fly again.
The nice thing I like about this forum is we can all share different ideas and some may be as haywire as mine.

Al

[North Country Tough]

Old Tucker you like me almost always use your tracks in snow/slush/ice,so the need for swimming is a mute point,so tire selection for winter time track use is wide open,I think you have some valid points and will be interested on the outcome,I use the AT 189 24/10x8 for the winter on rubber track then switch out to 25/12/x9 in the summer sometimes dualed up,the reasoning for my winter selection is little more gear reduction,in fact when I find some time I would like to further gear the machine down we use it for hauling and top speed is meaningless,to have the extra torque is key,snowing here today in northern On so if you get some reports on these tracks I for one will be watching.NCT

[Old Tucker]

You are right NCT. I also hall heavy loads with her. I will hall almost a 1000Lbs of pellets up to the local rec. cabins at a time. {photo in post} If we have had lots snow sometimes I have to split the load and make two trips. It,s a 5 mile trip up a steep mountain side. I start out in a foot of wet heavy snow and end up in ten to fifteen feet of snow.By the time I make it to the cabins.
I was thinking of a smaller tires for the gear reduction. But the old conquest already have a small 22Inch tire. And I did not want to loose more ground clearance. I find the argo will find its own speed and I do not push It when I am carrying a heavy load.
The Channel track with the razed belt Will be far better going through the ruts left in the snow by 4x4 trucks on the lower part. It will be far easer on the tracks They will not twist as much. Some call this style of track a gear reduction. I gess it is somewhat. The belts travel A shorter distance then the outer part of the track. And the circumference around the tire is smaller. I may put rubber paddles on the belts If i find I loose traction in the deep snow. I think the track will side hill quit well. Your tire section will sink to the belts leaving a small rut you can side hill in.
It may be snowing there. Here I am running around in shorts and Thinking about mowing the lawn LOL

[gusgus]

Just received a new video from Marcel on his tracks.

[mightymaxIV]

Just received a new video from Marcel on his tracks.

Wow that is some very serious climbing power! That Argo looked like it
was going to flip over backwards more then once.

[rodp]

Very impressive ! Notice at 10.33 how it appears the front wheels are doing the driving, this is then causing the track to buckle at the bottom and lifting off the ground. Surely a cause for loss of traction and floatation. Would it be better to increase the pressure in the rears slightly ? (a question not a statement)

I would really have liked him to try the piles of loose scree and boulders, just out of interest, as that terrain is more or less what we have over here, probably more with limestone or clay instead of sand. It would have been good also to try and turn out of the gulleys on the climbs, just to see if it would do the little 2' or 3' ledge to the sides.

Never the less, a very good video.