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tracked vehicle build up

1M views 1K replies 181 participants last post by  87manche 
#1 ·
well i started about a year ago getting information about building tracks for a truck and always like the mattracks design but the price was umph... out of my well... you know... so i decided on building a set of my own so after looking everwhere on the net and other formus this was what i came up with......
 

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#326 ·
yah they pivit and i am changing that i have right now two springs that can move intependant of each other and i threw a track the yesterday and i know why, the suspension can travel up and down like a walking bean style and also side to side, no big deal when it walks up and down like a walking beam all it does is loosen the track but when it walks side to side(each track assem. has two springs and one can compress while other doesn't) the one side of track is tight while other side is loose and walks the track off due to not being straight.
solution is i am going to be welding them solid to see how bad the ride is and if it ain't to bad it will be solid, the tracks will never walk off and i will weld the rear end. i might change the rear suspension at a later time but for now i just want to drive it. this truck was originally built for pulling a drag as per the earlier posts so it is suposed to only travel up to 12mph. know more tomorrow.
 
#327 ·
here are the most recent picts of the unit, took it for a ride today and pulled a load out to our new cabin we are building and no problems i have it solved i think so far i am going to be welding in pipes under the suspension and still it will allow it to travel up in the front like a walking beam and not do any side ways travel worked all day just a few more mods left and ready to go and ride all day with no problems. we used old cat sleighs to pull the loads of osb and plywood and 2 x 6 lumber out to the build location. pulled easy and no problems i have a video i will be loading shortly when i get it up.
 

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#330 ·
Not a bit. The wheels sit in between the nubs on the inside. Its kind of a pain in the ass to even take the tracks off and on. Its a lot easier if I pull an axle and some wheels on the end after loosening the tension. I had it so tight that I was using a crowbar to get the nubs over the wheels.

Buddy of mine has a TJ that he built tracks for. The upper section and support is just like mine but he used complete snowmobile frames for the bottom. He cut and rewelded the front and gave it about a 40 degree kick up and ran some rectangular down the middle to reinforce it. He's put about 50 miles on it so far with no problems.
 
#335 · (Edited)
for the rear tracks i paid 850 for the pair and the front are used around 150 a piece or new 350 depends where you find them. ebay helps a lot.
tracks can cost a lot of money to build depends how you want to do it and how much you actually want to drive them, if you only want to build them to go 100 miles it is easy to do but if you want to put on 1000miles it is more of a challenge, and expect to spend more for quality parts. just my design this year is running around 3500 bucks for only the rear and the front is up there also. but i have also put on 300kms so far and plan a lot more reliable riding yet with no problems.
 
#339 ·
OK, been watching this for a while now. Have any of you looked into splicing 2 snowmoble tracks together for a longer footprint?

I have an old Tucker Sno-Cat that needs some love in the track department, and was thinking SM tracks may have be the key to my dilemma. I have no idea what it would take, but I'd be trying for a belt about 14-15 feet long. my current footprint is 7'x18". rig weighs 4500#.
 
#342 ·
yah they have tracks that long and yes you can splice tracks we used some 140c belting clamps and they seam to work but the problem is getting it straight and if you are using the internal drive you have a diffcult problem getting enough belt to splice together and still have the same distance on the internal drive lugs, just use belting it runs new about 30 dollars a foot. or fins some old stuff from gravel pits or mining pits.
as of using square tubing to weld toghether your tracks i hope it is thick and strong as ther is a lot of stresses in a lot of places when you are driving and hitting stuff.
 
#354 ·
Here's a snow groomer I drive past, some not so good ideas... but some interesting ones too
I've got larger copies if anyone wants em
QUOTE]

I'd like to see how it is setup in front, bearing, spindle etc..
just trying to figure what they've done to over pass the front locking hubs
even if they were full lock hubs, d'like to see their setup

Ours has homebuilt spacers, but i'm not too fond of that setup
might not be any other to bypass it tho

nbbearsden@hotmail.com
 
#346 · (Edited)
looks like they are supporting the outside edge with a small bearing, and the inner edge ----- I'm not sure. It sort of looks like the inner side of the track carriage rides against that anti-roll structure - but I think that would at least take some sort plastic or rubber "pad" for it to slip around on, since it won't rotate exactly with the radius of the bearing......I think....:homer: - more pics?

and thanks! :D

EDIT:
the more I look - the more it seems like that small outer bearing is the ONLY bearing( and way under-sized) - very like my yellow tracks. Only suitable for flat, smooth terrain.

 
#347 ·
We run steel spockes on ours with no problems to the windows and less slipping of the tracks, we also have one set up that is very similar to the one above just using a hub from a car and a piece of pipe to space it out from the rim.

Still working on getting pics posted.
 
#348 ·
I'll get some more next time I drive over that way.

It looked to me like they cut/welded to a stock rim 2 of those drive wheels. Then the bearing for the rest is just that one on the outside. (no idea what they are from, but the back one had some sensor/wires coming off it - just from the donor)
Thinking for the light use it gets as a groomer it might be OK since the bearing is short and it's just a samurai
 
#349 ·
sick thread.love these things and think everyone should own one.with the help of tdi i have been running one scince 2004 and would love to share some pics with all of you.correct me if im wrong,in order to upload attatchments i need to give the $20 to become an extreme member then i can post pics?
 
#351 ·
you have a template you are using for the drive windows set up? i know it took me a while to do the internal drive set up? those are some nice set up, i like them on the jeeps light and functional, with the 4.0 power, also what idler wheels you using the ones i have seam to be hard to find cheep and also the wheel supports i am using are alumnium and cost almost as much as the wheel to buy.
 
#355 ·
I know what you mean for the wheels supports, but you really don't need them to be the same as a snowmobile, wich can be easy to find at times, but most guys who have second hand snowmobile parts want to keep them or sell them at a good price,,, you can use the aluminum shafts also, wich are easier to build or come by
 
#359 ·
Anyone wanting tracks pics hosted can send them to me - I put them on supermotors, then I will link them here. Once you have the link to my supermotors page, you can easily add your pictures to any thread you happen to be posting in, not just here at Pirate.

deepmud@gmail.com

Picture size doesn't matter but if you can keep the total email to about 20 meg at a time it helps me in dealing with it - so ten 2 meg pics in each email, or 20 1 meg pics, etc.

Erik
 
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