Track Tuners ?

[North Country Tough]

OK here is my 11/2 cents,gotta agree with the Buzz man, I went from plastic to rubber when they came out,the rubber in my circumstance at the time was a improvement as it is almost always winter running,also at the time I was not aware of anything else on the market(did not have a computer nor heard about 6x6 world).I have had several winters use out of my tracks no tuners just setting them up as the factory says and rechecking that setting thru the winter cant really complain too much they have worked,is there better out there I believe so but as of yet have no personal experience with other tracks,would I buy another set of rubber tracks,no I would try something with a grouser bar set up,but as my tracks are still in great condition and cost me large when I bought them Iam in no rush,I can see where certain conditions the tuners could be a issue and those conditions exist mostly in the winter which is when I use them the most so I will just keep doing what I have been and call it a day till someone gives me a decent dollar for these and I will try another set,not sure why slippage is a problem half a dozen winters plus plowing running overflow snow measured in feet and I have never noticed slippage it has always got me thru everything I have asked of it.Has it slipped,not sure always went forward when asked even in deep slush,guess the tracks must be sized correctly but I do keep very good tires under it,do I load it you bet ya haul all kinds of stuff to the cabin as well as a drag.NCT

[argoxti]

Good evening Rock Doctor. Recently purchased a Argo XTI 2016 and a set of Beaverdam Argo Hybrid tracks. My concern is loss of power/speed of about 12 kilometers per hour with tracks on. Is this normal?? I used to own an 750 efi with the argo rubber tracks and didn't find too much difference in speed/power with and without tracks. IS there that much power loss with an elevated belted track?? Maybe I need track tuners also. When I throttle up to get moving it seems that about half throttle before any movement. Almost like the brakes are on, but they are not. Whats your take on this. Thanks for your insight!!

Take Care.....Brian

[SHOTGUN]

HI, couple quick answers for you: With a raised belt track you gain reduction and lose top speed, you should have more pulling power than with a similar geared rubber track machine. Track tuners optimize your machine whether you have rubber or raised belt tracks. There may be something wrong with your rig ( clutching, engine, driveline) that could be causing poor performance. Rock Doctor is a member of this forum, if you want to talk directly to him just shoot him a pm. Hope this Helps!!!

[Buzz]

The goal is to get the best of both worlds: Gear reduction equal to running much smaller tires, while retaining the ground clearance and bouyancy of much larger tires. Because you drive the track belting slower than the outer lip of the tires, and the individual grousers (in the middle) are moveable, the track is able to "centipede" around the corner tires. The tire treads go 100% speed, the track belting goes 75% speed, and the grouser adjust to stay compatible. This only happens around the corner tires. As the track moves under the center tires, it is moving 75% speed, but the center tires themselves are being driven 100% speed (because all axles are chained together). The center tires overdrive on top of the slower moving track that is under them. 0-5 mph, this is not as noticeable as 5+ mph speeds. The faster you attempt to go, the more slipping is required, and the more the CVT drive system is forced to adjust for load, and the machine speed is reduced. The best scenario is to just disconnect the center tires by using free-wheeling wheel spacers (track tuners) on the center axles. You get a full net-positive in power in ALL situations. It will now take 25% less throttle input or necessary power to operate in all situations. Now, if beaver dam designed their track to require factory-width (2.5") spacers, and the grouser body gives you the absolute smallest ground-contact patch, then you'll get added driveability benefits as well (easiest skid-turning and most resistant to uneven ground leveraging the track). Track tuners will help your complaints, especially since your machine (admiral transmission) is designed to be used in high-range most of the time. Increased speed causes increased power demand (without tuners). I would not run your machine without them unless you never plan to go over 5 mph. The only other way to avoid using track tuners is to run a quad track set up (dual half tracks) with the elevated belt track style.

[North Country Tough]

Probably a dumb question Buzz but Argo,s method of staggered air pressures what is the overall theory on that and does it help or is it more or less a waste of time fact of the matter I do spend most of my time at a lower speed say under 10 mph most of the time.NCT

[Buzz]

The staggered air pressure just further ensures that the indexing pattern is in effect. In other words if a tire is the largest of the bunch @5 psi, then it will definitely be the largest at a little higher psi. Not to mention that slightly larger tires in the center help to make turning easier (same theory as the avenger's banana frame).
Indexing the tires ensures that the chains do not try to force any of the tensioners in the opposite direction than they are trying to work (when you drive your machine in the forward direction). That's why indexing should happen if you're running any track style. What happens next is that the center tires (even after indexing) then have to overdrive the track (different track styles to different degrees) to scrub-out their imperfect-from-the-factory slightly larger size. This is the part that wastes power and increases drivetrain load and is the part can be eliminated by track tuners. Youll see power gain and reduced load with tuners but they are not mandatory...so long as you index your tires. Fully indexing tires is mandatory if you don't use them, but tuners give you more flexibility regarding tire placement. You will be able to substitute "larger pairs" with "smaller pairs" when swapping corner tires and center tires and won't have to worry about the track prematurely rotating any of the tires, which is what improperly loads the chain tensioners. Tuners let you adjust center air pressure for ride and also allow you to effectively loosen or tighten your track (because the corner tires exclusively determine track length) by swapping tire positions without worrying about damaging tensioners. Sometimes the difference in tire circumfrence can effectively change your required track length by 1-2" simply based on the size of tires that are placed on the corner axles. The power gain (reduced load w/o slipping requirement) with tuners is most noticeable above 5 mph but is extremely beneficial at all speeds.
So, to repeat, if you're not going to use tuners, then definitely make sure to at least index tires per argo specs.