Imp steering linkage

[backcountry]

Our Imp while driving down a straight road the Imp constantly veers to the left. We have to keep pulling the right steering lever to correct. In the picture below I adjusted the left side to match the right. That did not work. Ended up having to pull much harder on the left lever in order to turn left when needed. I then set the left back to the original placement. I adjusted the right a little and seems like that may correct the issue. However, when braking now we have to pull the left lever harder than the right. Is this the correct way to fix the veering to the left? Is there another way of doing so? Adjusting the linkage at the rear diff is this bad/good? Another thing I noticed is some fluid/oil coming out at the bolt where the left lever is located. Please let me know if we maybe running into a problem.

 

[fogtender]

You may have some bad bearings in the track wheels. That will cause some drag, also have you greased the bearings in the drive axles? The grease zircs are located just about inside of the sprockets pointing straight back. Many guys don't know they are there and don't grease them and wonder why they fail...

Having said that, mine was a wide track and the standard tracks may or may not have those grease fittings there.

 

[backcountry]

fogtender, I also have a wide track imp. I did find the grease zirc on the rear diff drives that I did shoot some grease into. So the drive wheels or boogie wheels on the left side maybe sticking you think? If I recall the wheels all have a grease zirc. I'm certain I shot some grease in those as well.

 

[Bulldog1401]

Equal track tension? also, what is the linkage on top of the diff for? Thanks.

 

[fogtender]

fogtender, I also have a wide track imp. I did find the grease zirc on the rear diff drives that I did shoot some grease into. So the drive wheels or boogie wheels on the left side maybe sticking you think? If I recall the wheels all have a grease zirc. I'm certain I shot some grease in those as well.

It doesn't take much to have the tracks pull to one side, tension, bad bearings, brakes adjusted to tight or even a Krustie Kritter run over and stuck in the tracks... normal stuff....

In the manual it said to give them all a shot of grease after a day of running, if in water, grease them a tad more to force the water out and park out of the water.

Whatever it is causing it, will be a simple fix once you find it.... just the finding it is the issues...

Problem with the bearings, if they are causing that much drag, they are probably toast already, just not noisy yet...

 

[IMP]

What shape are your tracks in? If the rig has set in the sun for years with the same side facing south that can change the length of one track more than the other. Or maybe the drive axle is tweaked a little. Measure from the drive sprocket to the front idler wheel to make sure things are square. My Imp veered left also Pre-restoration and had both of these issues. I ended up replacing the tracks and squaring up the drive axle. I think the previous owner had pulled on the rear hitch so hard, off at an angle, it bent the tunnel. It wouldn't be a real hard thing to do since no real frame exists on an Imp. Its just a light duty steel tunnel that carries the axle. You dont want to correct the veering problem by adjusting the brake bands unless the left side is already too tight now, both brake bands should be off tension when in transit and adjusted only to turn the vehicle when you are trying making a turn. At the time I restored my Imp I also replaced all the wheel bearings and springs so maybe that had something to do with it too. Post some PHOTOS please.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

all track rigs i have ever driven with brake steering have wandered one way or another a little this includes the m113 series ov vehicles some of that can be drivetrain drag track tension or weight difference or maby length so if its not tooo bad consider it normal i remember when i was a kid working at a lodge we got a new bombi ro replace the old snow trac kenney hhated it because it always wandered.

ps never did replace the snow trac the bombi was only driven during the summer and kenny drove the old 1960 snow trac till he passed away in if i remember right 1987

 

[weatherby]

Our Imp while driving down a straight road the Imp constantly veers to the left. We have to keep pulling the right steering lever to correct. In the picture below I adjusted the left side to match the right. That did not work. Ended up having to pull much harder on the left lever in order to turn left when needed. I then set the left back to the original placement. I adjusted the right a little and seems like that may correct the issue. However, when braking now we have to pull the left lever harder than the right. Is this the correct way to fix the veering to the left? Is there another way of doing so? Adjusting the linkage at the rear diff is this bad/good? Another thing I noticed is some fluid/oil coming out at the bolt where the left lever is located. Please let me know if we maybe running into a problem.

I had the same problem with brand new tracks on my 601. I also have a break steer style steering, your brake bands are ONLY for steering they should be adjusted so there is no drag when you are not trying to turn. I just adjusted the track tension on my 601 and it now tracks straight. My track adjuster bolts on each side are not at equal lengths now, BUT it dose track straight and that's what really counts. there are a number of things that can cause more track tension on one side than the other as mentioned in the above posts even if your adjuster's at equal lengths. Air pressure in my tires can also cause it to drift off to a side if they are not close to equal from one side to another.

 

[weatherby]

The track with the higher tension will cause the cat to drift to that side.

 

[backcountry]

watherby - That makes a lot more sense with the track tension possibly being the problem. I will set the steering linkage back to normal and look into the track tension on both sides. Since the snowcat veers to the left I will first adjust that side to see if that fixes the problem.

 

[Bulldog1401]

Equal track tension? also, what is the linkage on top of the diff for? Thanks.

Is that something to do with an attachment or somethig? Mine does not have that. Thanks.

 

[backcountry]

The top linkage you see in the picture is a parking brake.

My plan after talking to another forums member is to count the grousers and compare both sides. Then remove the tracks and check the boogie wheels, then install the tracks on the opposite sides. Will post later in the week.

 

[Bulldog1401]

The top linkage you see in the picture is a parking brake.

Thanks. Never saw one like that. Mine has a disc on the driveshaft for the parkingbrake. The disadvantage to mine is that if the transaxle is in neutral, there are no parking brakes.