By rgo8X8 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hello All. I have enjoyed reading the discussions on this board for awhile now and would now like to start a discussion on track options for an Argo Response.

I have a 2001 Argo Response which I am really happy with and I would like to play in the snow with it this year. I am considering getting a set of Tru trax for this machine but would like to hear some real world experiences of those who have used tru trax verses the std argo tracks or argo supertracks in the same snow conditons.

I live in Idaho.

Thanks in advance for any advice on trutrax vs ODG tracks.

By Douglas MacCullagh (Dougmac) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

rgo8X8, I also have a Response. A retired Marine I work with told me that with tracks, wider is better - always. I was thinking about tracks for mud here in Mississippi, but I haven't bought tracks yet. However, standard Argo tracks seem mighty narrow to me.

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

We have had a set of standard tracks for over 16 years now, used every year except last ( They were only on for one run) and they have been smashed, crashed, stuck, skidded on, and tortured, and they have not failed yet. They were from the origional ARGO my dad had, way before I was born. Then he got a new one, and used the tracks on it. Then he bought our Magnum, and we use the tracks on it. They stand up well and can smash the living hell out of them.

By rgo8X8 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Doug, Thanks for the advice. I had an Argo 6X6 and put a set of Argo supertracks on it, but they were so wide that they took a lot of power to run. However, the floatation was excellent.

I now have the Response and think that the added length should make up for some width without taking extra power. I did some theoretical calculations on an Argo Vanguard, an Argo Response, and a Max IV with TruTrax, Argo Std tracks and Argo Supertracks. I used the specs from the manufacturers and added 6" to the wheelbase (to assume some sinkage into the snow) and came up with the following calculations:
Trutrax ArgoStd ArgoSuper
Argo Vanguard 1.06 1.02 0.74
Argo Response 0.98 0.94 0.68
Max IV 0.97 0.93 0.67

The numbers are ground pressure in Pounds/Square inch.
I don't know if you can mount Argo tracks on a Max, but I thought it was interesting to throw it in the comparison, if only theoretically. I also could not find the actual width of the Max tracks to make a comparison to a real Max product.

From this you can see that the Argo Super Tracks have the least ground pressure. I don't like them because they require me to install hubs to push out the wheels and they really take a lot of power to push through the snow. I think that they add a lot of stress on the bearings/axles/brakes due to their width and the wheel hubs. On top of that, they are very spendy. The Tru trax are quite reasonably priced.

I would still like to hear from someone who has run both Argo super tracks and TruTrax on an Argo 8X8 in the same snow to hear some real world comparisons.

Neil -

By Timothy Schotanus (Mudbuster) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I have the factory rubber max track. It is 15 inch wide. However, no snow last year means that I have no real life experiance with them in the snow. I am waiting patiently for the first big storm.

By John Kevin Maiolo (Johnmaiolo) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I heard a topic raised in regards to the MARSHMASTER made in Baton Rouge Louisiana. I submitted 5 jpegs to Richard on Thursday night of this machine that we have at my workplace. Look for them in the photo gallery. Richard will post them as time permits.

By rgo8X8 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

AATVers,
I got the TruTrax installed on my Response and today we finally got our first snow of the year. We got around 6" of wet snow and the tracks worked great! I got the optional ice cleat kit which puts a lot of metal down into the ice and I found that they worked very well. The only problem that I had with them today is that they tended to plug up with the wet sticky snow.

After crusing around for a couple of hours I put the snow plow on and found that the machine was greatly improved as a snow plow platform with the addition of the TruTrax. With the tracks on the machine is more stable and doesn't want to be pushed sideways by a plow full of snow nearly as much as the machine alone. I also found the ice cleats to be far superior to Argo's factory ice cleats for plowing. The Argo cleats just attach to the edge of the track, but the tru trax cleats run right under the tires and are much wider, about 6" per cleat. There are 2 cleats per track section on the Tru Trax. With the TruTrax on I was able to plow very steep sections going uphill! I have never plowed uphill in the past, only downhill.

All in all, I am very happy with the TruTrax so far in my application. They were very reasonably priced (compared to Argo or Max factory tracks) they appear to be very high quality, and they have enough floatation for how I intend to use the machine, in the snow we have here. The TruTrax Ice cleat system is also the best cleat system for snowplowing. They come with Stainless steel pins which are a higher quality than the Argo track pins.

If anyone wants to check out the TruTrax on a response just surf on over to http://photos.yahoo.com/nneiwert and then go the photo album titled "Argo with Tracks"

By Rem721 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

rgo8X8 - the Response looks great with the TruTrax on. Thanks for sharing the photos. Please keep us informed on how the TruTRax work out in various conditions and uses. Any slapping or rubbing on the tub that you noticed? How reasonable were the TruTrax priced?

By rgo8X8 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Rem721, Glad you enjoyed the pics. I will put up another post when I have had a chance to run the machine in some deep snow. Hopefully mother nature will soon provide such an opportunity.

I was worried that the tracks might slap the tub. I can pull them up to the tub if I want to. The metal cleats also decrease the clearance. In the end though, this was not a problem. The only problem I had was the sticky snow building up around the cleats, then the snow would rub on the tub. This was solved by a few minutes of scraping.

I will inspect the machine carefully next time I have it out for any contact, but I did not hear any.

For pricing you can check out http://www.trutrax.com/ and get an exact quote for your machine.

By Fred Sowerwine, Montana's Max Dealer (Fred4dot) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

rgo8X8, Try spraying some cooking "Pam" on your metal parts to keep the snow from sticking. That advice was given to me several years ago on this board to keep the snow from sticking to my snow plow blade. Works pretty well.

By liflod (Liflod) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I have also heard that truckers use bleach poured on the tires to keep the snow from sticking to the rubber.

By Bruce on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Fuel oil will keep snow from sticking to a plow.

By Phil Millam on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hi, have a Max IV which is use only in winter on rubber tracks. It works well most of the time, but someone suggested that I look into adding snowmobile lugs onto the outside edge of the track. Not sure what a snowmobile lug is. Any experience or ideas out there? Live in North Central Washington in snow country.

By newmax on Unrecorded Date: Edit

i bought some snowmobile spike studs they are star shaped stude that bolt on i am just aboutfinished putting them on and will try them today and let you know how they work.

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hi phil m, the lugs can be of severl typs,they can be screws with raisd edges on heads that you screw into track, (not too agesave)
there are real tall spike thingys witch are like bolts with real wide heads n nuts wide as washers that hold the bolt outward twards the snow, some may even look like pop rivets on steroids,
you can find them on page 50 of the free catelog from www.AlsSnowmobile.com or # 802-487-1000
they are in newport,vermont.

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hi phil m, the lugs can be of severl typs,they can be screws with raisd edges on heads that you screw into track, (not too agesave)
there are real tall spike thingys witch are like bolts with real wide heads n nuts wide as washers that hold the bolt outward twards the snow, some may even look like pop rivets on steroids,
you can find them on page 50 of the free catelog from www.AlsSnowmobile.com or # 802-487-1000
they are in newport,vermont.