• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Broken grousers on 601 track

crafttree

crafttree

New member
I have a 4t10 that has been modified and now runs with 601 tracks. I keep breaking grousers on the left side, 5 so far, while running over snow.

The track tension on the left side is tighter than the right side. The slack adjuster on the left side is backed off all the way. The track was put together by overlapping and bolting together with the grousers.
Not sure what my problem is , is it possible to break grousers because the track tension is too tight?
The curved part of the grousers does not touch the top of the wheels and it does on the right side. The track tension keeps the track suspended about 1/2 inch above the wheels on the left side. The tension is the only difference I can see in the two sides.
I do have the aligator track fasteners that join the ends of the tracks together. If I took the track apart and put on the aligator clamps, I would be able to back off the tension on the left side. If track tension is not the problem I did not want to do this.
Anyone have any ideas as to what my problem is or a solution.
 
need some pics usualy rutts in hard surfaces like ice break them however i could imagne rust and an overtightend track could also gause the same problem
 
Don, thanks for the reply. 95% of my travel has been on groomed snow mobile trails, no ruts to speak of or ice.
The last go around 2 grousers next to each other were broken and my drive sprocket got chewed up a little so I need to get the problem fixed. Sounds like too much track tension. I guess I need to take the track off and put the aligator connectors on.

Dick
 
Snowmobile trails are hard, I am sure those tracks were designed to have cushion as they sink into virgin snow. I think if a man can walk on the snow and sink less that 4inches they are too hard, My cat rides best when the track compress the snow about 1 foot.
 
If your adjuster is all the way out and they are still too tight, that track might be a grouser short or they could be spaced wrong.
I know it sounds unbelievable, but I had a J5 like that : an extra cleat on one side !!!
 
Crafttree........I can almost guarantee that your track tension is far too tight. (That is a known cause of broken grousers) You should also be experiencing a drift or pulling to the side that is tight when driving in a straight line.

The owners manual "states"....that they want you to run the tracks "just tight enough" to keep the track from jumping a tooth when turning. They say the tightest you should run your track is when you have no less than a 1/4" sag between the second & third wheel.

You need to also make sure you have 80 grousers per track.

My track touches the tops of all my tires.

Your tire size also needs to be correct, along with, tire press. They want 30 to 35 psi
 
Thanks weatherby, little slow getting back to you. The track is not touching the center two wheels like it on the other side. My tracks are fastened by overlap and securing with two grousers on each side. I suspect the grouser count is not the same. The ajjuster is screwed all the way in so I can not loosen the track any. A set of aligator track clamps came with the cat so it looks like I need to take the track apart and rejoin the ends with the clamps so I can lossen it some.
Since the broken grouser problem, I just broke a rear boggie wheel on the same side. That was not fun, now looking for a source for a tire, I have the wheel odrered.:sad:
 
I think I finnally figured out my broken grouser problems. I replaced the tire and broken wheel. I ordered the same size tire as the one that was ruined a 205-15. Upon closer inspection I noticed that all but two of the tires are 650-15. The two 205's were mounted front and rear on the side with the tight track. Taking a closer look I noticed that the 205's are about 1 and1/2 inches taller than the 650's. With a taller tire in the front it tensioned the track an inch and a half more than a 650 would. Since the track tensioner was all the way in, I could not loosen the track any more. I am going to put the two 650's front and rear so hopefully this will give me some slack to work with.
Any one see a problem with running the two taller tires in the middle. At $200 a a tire I am reluctant to replace the two 205's.
 
Put the taller ones on opposite sides in the middle and you might just make it work. But more preasure will be on the grousers at that spot under those tires on hard surfaces.

In the end a corrrect pair are what you really need.

Regards, Kirk
 
I finally got around to putting the smaller dia tires in the front on the side that was too tight, that 1.5 inch taller tire made a big difference not being mounted in front. The track tension is more like the other side now.The two 205's are mounted 2nd from the front on each side. If that turns out to be a problem I think I will replace them with the smaller tire and air fill them with a tube. Cheaper for sure! Hopefully this will cure the problem I had with the cat pulling to the left.
 
I have a spare 601 track so I have been robbing grousers from it and welding others if they can be fixed. When I bought the 4t10 that was modified to a 601 rear end and track, it came with an extra track, rather fortunate since they are hard to come by. So I can't tell you what grousers are going for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top