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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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#137 ·
I'm saying your idea may be patentable - and, in my non-lawyer opinion :D, would not be attackable by Mattracks, and I think if you sell them, like even a few sets, be prepared for one of their lawyers to contact you with cease and desist, even if tho, in my non-lawyer opinion they may only have a patent on their specific anti-roll/rotate device, not on tracks that bolt onto trucks.
However - I have noticed AmericanTrackTruck is seems unmolested - they clearly are advertising/selling/building tracks and have been for awhile - maybe Mattracks gave up? Maybe their patent ran out? It's been in place since about 1990? I think?

I'm not trying to sound like a downer, I am glad to see you having fun and doing well :D Just want you ready if the evil lawyers come a'calling, lol.
 
#138 ·
ha.. ha.. "for the record then i will be just giving them away,":smokin: To all my friends. If i ever get any cash for them it is for the beer that i will be drinking to build them, ha ha...... In the mean time i will put a pattent on them so american tracks dont copy my design, and make a shit load of money!
 
#140 ·
ok not that i am concerned about the questions being asked but...... How does a guy even know if there is a pattent on some build designs, or do you just wait till someone comes walking up to your door and hands you some court papers, and is ther a difference from canadian to american? just asking?
 
#141 · (Edited)
well looky looky. I found the Mattracks patent. Applied for in 1994!
5607210 is the patent number.
You have to join PatentStorm to view it there.
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/pdfs/patent_id/5607210.html

PatentStorm only goes back to 1976 - the Mattracks patent cites patents back to 1970 - I did see a 1976 patent that really looks like it applies to a modifaction of Unatracks, to use chains to limit tract rotation - patent 3939930 - the drawings are clearly later versions of the Una-Track. Una-Trac? oy . Anyway, Mattracks Paten cites a bunch of patents before it - good references to check out.

Google does patent search now. Woot! Goes back to the 60's in the citations - I don't see a clear Una-track patent...but 3939930 is closest.
Mattracks:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=jPwaAAAAEBAJ&dq=U.S.+Pat.+No.+5607210
Una-Track?:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=yXw3AAAAEBAJ&dq=U.S.+Pat.+No.+3939930
 
#143 ·
the thing about bigger lugs, i would not go over an inch on snomobile tracks, on hard pack ,dirt or real roads your going to put alot of stress on the lugs and you may rip them off or rip the track!!! that and you may dig holes faster than you can get out of!!!!

the ones above with the huge tracks look real heavy duty!!! i bet they work well though!!!
 
#152 ·
ha ha as for picts of broken parts all that i have to date is three broken aluminum supports for the idler wheels from hitting rocks and the sliders on one of the rear tracks is almost gone from the track that is missing most of its side lugs(not enough support for the track and driving on the gravel roads for miles and miles) still havent put the extra wheels on yet will wait till i am ready to put away for the summer and put all new parts on sliders and wheels.

i am burining about one litre of fuel for one mile of grooming on new trails better milage on existing trails less load on truck
 
#155 · (Edited)
ok here are the broken parts so far............. some front idler wheel supports and some idler wheels not to bad for the miles i have put on this rig so far...nice part about all this is it doesn't affect the driving of the truck due to the sliders still under there and as long as you stay on the snow you are fine.. the only reason that the outside ones are breaking off is when i hit a rock on the edge of the track it makes a lout bang and throws the truck sideways so takes a lot to break.... the middle ones are fine they are supported on both sides of the wheel. the track that is in bad shape started like that i is just getting worse i cary a spare one takes 15 min to change if i had to.
 

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#157 ·
glad you enjoy it, ha ha now is the plan looking for some more 121 tracks and also looking for some 136" tracks or maybe something longer for the rear as i am for sure going to be building longer ones for the rear in the summer, also have to pick up a cheep dakota to use as a groomer this durango will be going under the torch in the next few weeks, to get a sas dana 60 front and a 10.5 stirling rear. she served her life for the winter like i had wanted it to.
 
#158 ·
As much as I would like to see someone run some 153" or 162" tracks with 2.25" paddles on a setup like this I would be cautious about tracks over 130" the price and availability seems to shoot up quite a bit.

I was happy to pay $400 for a stock Arctic Cat 162" take off to clip the paddles down to run for late season snow.
 
#160 ·
hi me and a buddy of mine have gotten intrested in making a track vehicle and ive been researching about diffrent styles and was wondering if you could give me diffrent mesurements and angles so i can get a base in starting my set. i was wondering things like your rim size and lenth and angles of the diffrent parts of the frame. and maybe a few tips on designing it. i plan on making a version for summer and winter where they dont rely as much on sliders but will consider keeping that on as a back up to the small running wheels. my plan is on taking another jeep cherokee and turning it into a moose rig and then adding tracks in the back if not in the front too depending of effectiveness, thanks and you have a sick set up
 
#163 ·
huh??? it steers like a truck with 44 inch tires just have to be moving to turn, and it turns as sharp as a regular truck, so brakes would make no difference, This is not a kit that you can buy i made it my self from sheets of steel and lots of thinking....... i will be making a set of longer ones out of 136" tracks. here are some recent picts of the tracks out and about........
 

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#167 ·
ha ha yah classic, the bombies are from some local people out for a ride to the sled cabins. the bronco 2 is my fauther in laws truck he did a design with sled tracks using car rims riding on the track and suported by welding a beam off the axel of the truck with stubs, hard to explain front is even harder, he mounted steel off the cast axel bearing supports, same piece the brake calapers are mounted to, i had some picts will dig around to see if i have them on my comp. He has had to ad extra sliders and such to keep the tracks from riding off. "Building tracks just ain;t is easy as it looks."
 
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