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| Tucker; wondering about the rubber tracks | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 14 2008, 01:20 PM (1,551 Views) | |
| mt-adams | Jan 14 2008, 01:20 PM Post #1 |
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Hi guys just wondering if there been problems with the tracks? Pulling the drive lugs off or cracking around them of the Tucker snocat? Just seeing what other area if they had these problem or note?
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| Koz | Jan 14 2008, 01:35 PM Post #2 |
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One of the local clubs is having problems with their tracks delaminating, I think they have less than 1000 hrs on them. |
Ilion Snowdrifters
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| RJ85MSP | Jan 17 2008, 12:35 AM Post #3 |
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Here is the "real deal" and this isn't a sales ploy or anything other then the facts. I'm a service manager and I see every single cat that comes and goes at this place and I talk to a lot of people on this subject. It's the biggest question from non Tucker owners there is. I'm also the groomer cordinator for my local club along with the main mechanic and driver. Our club has had the Terra tracked vehicles since 2001 and have had 3 of them since then. Each traded with around 1200-1500 hours on them, of course our new 2008 doesn't apply yet. History: Tucker Sno-Cats are steal cleat models, still in production and a lot of people are familiar with as well as it's the name of the company. Tucker Terra, is the name for the rubber tracked vehicles from them. The first one hit the snow in 1996 and became the choice in the midwest around 1998. They have been the mainstay since then. There are two types of tracks out there right now that people will see. The Terra bar style tracks which are exactly that. All rubber tracks that have straight bars running across them. There is also a Terra snow track and they look like a mountain snowmobile track. (These have been the standard since late 2001 or so) Track life has nothing to do with the track what so ever! It has everything to do with the operator and the conditions they operate in and the speed at which they operate. The bar style tracks are more condusive to areas with lower snow and lots of road running, the snow tracks are just that, made for the snow and offer unbelievable traction. A tracks look on the outside has no bearing to it's performance. No one would change a car tire if it had a few chips in it or a few nicks as long as it was holding air right? Same thing with a rubber track, if it propels the vehicle forward and still allows for proper tensioning, it is servicable no matter what it looks like. Only when your run out of adjustment on the adjusters or the track will not propel the vehicle is it deemed unservicable. The adjusters on these vehicles are mighty long, I still haven't seen one all the way out yet! As far as the lugs on the inside, they can only fail if the sprocket is slipping in the cogs (meaning too loose and pulling too hard). Only possible way! If the track is run properly tensioned, the vehicle run at a normal speeds to groom, (8-12mph while grooming) the tracks will last the life of the groomer. If you need to go down a road to get to the next section then by all means you can go quicker, but on average a speed around 10 will net you the best performance out of the tracks one can expect. A lot of people complained about steel track maintenance back in the day. Tucker eliminated that with the rubber track Terra. Now people still go back to the tracks? Why? Because everyone still is in the dark ages and is going of mis-information. Things that can benefit the customer and the track: The addition of the doube front and rear wheels on the carriers and the removal of the center wheel under the sprocket. It distributes the load more effictively and the double wheel kits are interchangable to the cats with single front and rear wheels. The center wheel has to remain if it has one to begin with due to the center distances. The ones without the center wheels (mid 05+) have redesigned carriers with different center distances. If a track is showing signs of little splits at the tip of the center "v" ( it's plently servicable) and has single wheels at the front and rear, it is cheaper to buy a whole set of double wheel kits then it is to buy a whole new set of tracks. By putting the double wheel kits in you spread out the load to in-between the cogs on the track which gets the load away from that center "v" and you are back in business. Plus the double wheel kits are a good incentive when it comes time to sell on the late model cats. Tucker started using the double wheel kits in mid 05 so if your cat is pre 05 it makes it a wise decesion. If you buy a used Tucker Terra in good condition from a dealer you will be garunteed a great vehicle that all your operators will love, you will know it has a good trade in value and market for resale, try that with the other stuff that is out there rubber or steel tracked! If you buy a new one you will get the latest and greatest and be the envy of almost every club out there. |
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| roady | Jan 17 2008, 03:07 PM Post #4 |
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RJ85MSP what would you say about a terra track that pack snow into th track from the wheel side that makes a blister on the outside so big you would think you had a softball stuck to the track? |
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| jim228 | Jan 18 2008, 01:29 AM Post #5 |
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RJ85MSP...are you saying that the clubs that are having the problems with their terra tracks delaminating are their own fault? How about a club that has a great maintenance records and very good drivers going through 2 complete sets of rubber tracks on their 2002 Tucker 200 machine, with only 1200 hours on the machines? Cook's has sent them a complete set of new replacement tracks again under warranty (different style, I believe) and he is now offering Korean made rubber tracks as an option on the new 2008 machines. Does the serial number on the tracks designate their manufacturer or what track it is? The "j"-serial #ed tracks are the ones that they have falling apart in only a few hundred hours of operation, and that's with the $4,000.00 worth of double wheels installed. This seems like it's a problem to me. Another club in this area has had 3 tracks go bad also, with almost no warranty help from Tucker. |
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| Randy Crosby | Jan 18 2008, 03:18 AM Post #6 |
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Jim228, I'd stick to the pisten bullys if I were you, the tuckers seem a little to complicated to me!
I love it when the rep tells me it's my fault and couldn't possibly be a flaw in the equipment :wacko:
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| mt-adams | Jan 18 2008, 03:57 AM Post #7 |
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Forgot to ask if the carrier wheel wearing on the side of the drive lug of the track? I wood think it was out of line. Yes or No |
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| RJ85MSP | Jan 20 2008, 01:28 PM Post #8 |
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You have a cut big enough probably on the leading edge of the chevron/tip that is allowing moisture in as it goes around the wheels, mainly it does this in the back as that is like a scoop in a way. There is a sealent available, you will need to dry the track, open it up a bit, make sure it's fully dry, put in sealent and allow to dry. It won't bond the track back together but it will fill in the void so it won't allow as much moisture in. Also running the track a bit looser will help as well as when it goes around the wheel it won't open up as far. Do you have single wheels on the front and rear of this track? If you do, a double wheel kit would help some as well because again it wouldn't allow as much of a opening to get the moisture in there. Carry a hammer and when it gets a bit noticable, simply hammer it into pieces so it's not like a big football. |
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| RJ85MSP | Jan 20 2008, 01:47 PM Post #9 |
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Camoplast makes a track as well Taeruyuk (sp). Camo's have been the standard for years and years. The new Taeruyuk's have been out for about 2-3 seasons now. We have them on all our long tracks this season and the Camo's on all our standard tracks. Is one better then the other? Time will tell, I prefer the Korean tracks as they are softer, more flexible which I think provides better grip?, wider, and don't have any internal rods. We have them on our clubs 2008 Tucker and I have been impressed with them so far. I'm not going to get into a battle on who does what and who doesn't as it's always open for interpation. I'm just trying to cut the B.S. out of the picture and explain things a bit for everyone in general. 1) Operation techniques are the #1 reason tracks go south, they also can be the #1 reason they stay in tip top shape. (Double edged sword of you will) 2) Spinning on hills or ice, or anything like that. Most people can eliminate the spinning if they simply let off the throttle, allow the transmission to shift and generally that will regain the traction needed to make it up the hill. We have proven that in many demos throughout the midwest, and doing this will only benefit everything in the long run. 3) Proper tension 4) Grooming speed 5) Maintenance in the terms of PREVENATIVE MAINTENANCE, not EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE. Another thing that can help tremendoulsy is having all drivers read the manual and create a test for your operators. It's not uncommon out there to do this and IMO makes a difference in the way everyone operates it. Also get a copy of the grooming handbook that Kim Raap put out a year or two back. It's a good read with plenty of good pictures. Again, like I said in the first reply we have seen tracks at 4000 hours, original tracks as to when it was made come through the shop and not get changed. We have seen less as well but in general most customers never touch a track for the life of the vehicle from what I have seen. Our club hasn't and were not in the minority. |
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| RJ85MSP | Jan 20 2008, 01:51 PM Post #10 |
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It could be a bit, is it just one wheel? 1) Check the tracking of the vehicle so when you are heading straight the front and rear tracks are running true to each other. 2) Make sure the spindle pin is still installed and the wheel/spindle combo is like all the rest. It's not a big issue in terms of needing a remedy right now. Generally it rubs for a bit and everything finds it's "happy place" and all is good. |
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| RJ85MSP | Jan 20 2008, 02:00 PM Post #11 |
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I'm not a rep, and I haven't stayed at a Holiday inn either. It's just hard to hear some of the stuff sometimes and I feel it needs to be explained a bit. That's all. The more good information one can pick up the better it is for everyone involved no matter what brand or color they are using. I'm not saying people here or anywhere haven't had problems, I'm just saying is it's not as straight forward as this vehicle, or this track has a problem, or this one has this because this or that is junk. There are always more variables to the problem then just one and I'm giving what I have seen and what I have operated with over the years. Remember, planes, trains and automobiles don't crash because of one thing, they always happen due to a chain of events and if you simply remove one link in the chain the crash don't happen. The same thing can hold true for Tuckers, Pisten Bully's, BR's and so on and anything that is attached to them. I always answer in the most honest way possible and if anyone has any questions about anything on the Tuckers, please don't hesitate to ask here or through the PM system on this forum. |
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| Randy Crosby | Jan 20 2008, 03:32 PM Post #12 |
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I was just kidding!
I've been an A&P mechanic for 25 years and own, maintain and operate a whole #*^%load of equipment including snowcats, dozers, excavators etc. I totally agree that crashes or problems come from several sources. I have owned 6 snowcats over the past 17 years and all were well worn out when I bought them(like most equipment in Alaska) and I have completely disassembled each one and they all became great dependable cats,I have never driven a Tucker but would like to see how they perform. I groom 120 miles of trail a week and from what you and others have said they run at a little higher speeds which would help out. I groom at speeds from 4-7.5 with my PB200Ds. Unfortunetly there aren't a whole lot of any snowcats in my area let alone Tuckers. Keep up the good work on sharing info and if you are ever coming to Alaska bring a Tucker so I can check it out! |
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| RJ85MSP | Jan 20 2008, 03:48 PM Post #13 |
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Was a mechanic for Mesaba airlines for 10 years (northwest airlink) until they started screwing with everyone, figured it was time to get out. I still miss aviation though, just not the schedule! There are a lot of Tuckers near you, well somewhere up there that is. Head to the north slope and anything around the pipe line and you will see more then you ever imagined. |
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| mt-adams | Jan 24 2008, 12:25 AM Post #14 |
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![]() I think it worn.
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I love it when the rep tells me it's my fault and couldn't possibly be a flaw in the equipment :wacko:
I've been an A&P mechanic for 25 years and own, maintain and operate a whole #*^%load of equipment including snowcats, dozers, excavators etc. I totally agree that crashes or problems come from several sources. I have owned 6 snowcats over the past 17 years and all were well worn out when I bought them(like most equipment in Alaska) and I have completely disassembled each one and they all became great dependable cats,
3:08 PM Jul 11