Author Topic: atv track kits?  (Read 1167 times)

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Offline adirondacker

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atv track kits?
« on: January 23, 2005, 12:52:15 PM »
has anyone here had any experience with the track kits on an atv.i have a couple of atvs and no interest in buying a snowmobile,but was thinkin the tracks would be nice for ice fishing and riding this winter,thanks

Offline markc

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« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2005, 03:57:35 AM »
it doesn't snow where I live, but have read from some guys using tracks on  their vehicles from another forum.  They love them, and once spring time hits, they switch back to the tires/wheels.
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Offline Sourdough

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atv track kits?
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2005, 06:21:40 PM »
There are several kits out there.  Stay away from the ones using hard plastic plates hinged with pins.  They are made strictly for snow, and don't work well  in mud or sand.  The ones made of soft rubber banding with metal cleats inside to hold them on the wheels are best.  Plastic or metal cleats on the outside are really needed to gain traction.  Metal works best in mud because eventually you are going to run out of mud and onto rocks.  Plastic wears out too fast or breaks in the rocks.  Also check and make sure the tightening adjustment system is easy to operate, and in a location you can reach well if you are sitting in mud and throw a track.  In that event you will need to loosen the adjustment, reset the tracks, then retighten.  And it will happen sooner or later.  Also an air adjustment shock to give more weight carrying capability is almost neccessary.  Once you have the added length and traction, you will want to carry more.  Turning is the only problem.  Don't try and use them in heavily wooded areas where the trails are narrow and full of tight turns.  You can't turn that tight due to the added traction, and length.  Also due to both rear wheels turning at the same rate, one has to slip to make a turn.  On surfaces that give good traction turns take a lot of room.
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Offline 264 WIN MAG

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atv track kits?
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2005, 05:17:36 PM »
I have seen a whole lot of different set-ups for tracks on ATV's, but only in the mud. Bottom line is tires are made for mud. We saw a whole bunch of guys trying to hit some mud with them and they didn't make it far plus those tracks aren't made to be buried in the mud all the time.

Offline Sourdough

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atv track kits?
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2005, 10:13:52 PM »
264: I have to disagree.  Up here we have miles and miles of trail that is nothing but mud.  About the consistancy of chocolate pudding.  Wheels won't go anywhere, unless they are 6ft tall.  The rubber tracks are the only way to get anywhere in that mud.  I use a track rig, have for years.  Where i hunt it is 32 miles of solid mud and water.  We never saw an ATV untill Polaris came out with tracks on their 6X6.  Now with those new tracks that you can put on both front and rear of a 4X4 ATV we are seeing them a lot more.  Usually one person has tracks and is dragging his buddies through the mud holes.  The major drawback is the mud eats up the seals on the wheels.  After each season be ready to replace all the wheel seals, and check the bearings.  Of course I have to do that with my Track Rig at the end of each season too.  I have 32 seals, and 32 sets of 1 inch bearings to check.  Along with tuning the engine, checking the transmission, adjusting two cone clutches with linkage, adjusting the brakes, tracks, and looking for damage and broken springs.  Gosh these things are high maintenance, think I'm going to get a Polaris 6X6.
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Offline Dogshooter

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atv track kits?
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2005, 12:31:25 PM »
I looked at a set at my local dealer. I have a sled anyway and didn't see where taking out my 4 wheeler on the snow was worth an extra $4k. I live in the Rockies and don't see enough mud to keep me from going where I want. My advice is to take that $4k and buy a sled if you want to play in the snow too.
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Offline Two Bears

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atv track kits?
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2005, 08:20:42 PM »
I was at a mud run for ATV's and as I watched all of the wheelers go through I thought that the 4X4 ATV's did pretty good in the mud slop and then out came a wheeler with the tracks on it and I thought that is was going to be neat to see this machine go through the mud with tracks on it.

Well it went through the mud and it did not go through any better than the machines without the tracks NOT impressed............Although I think that the tracked machine would go through a much longer run than the machines without the tracks as the "Mud run" was a controled run and they only had about 100 feet to go through.

Just an observation
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Offline Special Ed

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atv track kits?
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2005, 05:37:49 AM »
Check these out.... :D  :D



http://www.mattracks.com/