Split Tracks

[North Country Tough]

There's a few machines up here doing it now, I'll keep you guys posted. It seems to further improve upon the track style, especially for older lower hp machines, or heavily loaded machines that want increased reliability and a redundant set up.

We do load the machine large as well as use a drag to pack and a plow to basically "ice road" our lake crossing and had experienced lots of axle flange dislocation changed out to the newer axles and have had good luck not perfect as we have broke one wheel flange off could have been a flaw and currently looking at a re up to the new cast axles complete with the sprockets to match but the issue still is windup that's for sure but do not want to go to tuners.NCT

[Buzz]

what I do like about the elevated belt track is that the grousers are not fixed in position at the tread level. The guides are in fact fixed and cannot move, but the part of the grouser that interfaces with the tire tread can move, so in addition to the tire constantly breaking contact with the tire, the grousers themselves can move a tremendous distance to nestle-in and cooperate with the tire treads. The track is not "locked in" to the tires, so there is relief built in. I think it reduces windup as it allows the tires to do what they need to do a little bit easier, and the ability of the grousers to move lets them settle in to voids in the tread so that the treads can side-load the face of the grousers when needed to positively drive the track in slippery or loose-track conditions. Hopefully I explained that correctly!
If you use a full-track set up, you still need to use the tuners so that there is not a tread speed vs. track belting mis-match on the center tires.
No necessary with quad tracks though because there are no trapped "center tires" in between end-wrap tires.

[North Country Tough]

Hmmm yes know where you are going with this and I truly believe the fact that the tire and grouser bar are both moveable objects and have some give,back in the late eighty's my father and i had a pair of machines one six and one eight both equipped with the Argo plastic super track we put a ton of miles on these units they both had the old style axle flanges the pressed metal ****ters and never had a axle failure I could hear the tires from time to time slip on the internal tread of the plastic tracks as the tread itself would make a snap sound as it moved from one plastic rib to the other which was windup tension being released,we never had a axle failure whether good luck or the grace of God who knows but upon buying the Avenger and the rubber track was a option and having run sleds my entire life I opted for the rubber and have had a love hate relationship with them ever since its tough to make a decision to scrap them as used to the knowing they are not worth much and in the day the Avenger came thru with a Rawhide heavy lug the track kit included the Frontier style tires so the overall cost was extremely high but I thought I would have them forever and knew of no other option but plastic at that time.NCT

[ARGOJIM]

Buzz here is something to ponder and perhaps perfect, using the stock Argo (or Camoplast) rubber track bolting 1/2 inch plastic bars at every other or 3 voids on the inside of the track. This should allow all the slippage needed in the middle as well as some bite on corner tires, this would probably require a slightly smaller, say 24",tire or and extra spacer or 2.

Your first comes to mind thoughts.

[Buzz]

HDI, 24x10-8 tires

[Sparx]

Nice work Buzz, how do those Channels swim like that with no mods done to them?