I have a 1987 Suzuki Samurai - or it used to be. I've messed with it a lot over the years, being one on the early diesel conversions about 10 years ago or so back (maybe it was 15 years ago...) anyway - it was a 1.9td Samurai that I drove to work every day. Great rig - 27mpg at 65mph on 35" tires. AND I had some homebuilt tracks from a guy in Maine. They had "issues" but I did use them some.
Somehow it was the "year with no snow" that I bought them. This is December in Alaska:
Eventually I got some snow:
It worked pretty well but the track carriage had an Achilles heel. Weak Spindle, weak design - they've been sitting while I gather parts for the redesign.
I got another set of tracks, some of the original, 1970, Unatracs, in trade.
Here they are on a old Jeep Wagoneer.
Of course, I never leave well enough alone - in the intervening years the Samurai got stretched, lifted, coil suspended, new axles, new Toyota driveline, and a "new"diesel, a TDI with a manual pump and big intercooler. No longer commuting, it's a trailer queen.
I have the same tracks on my Samurai, with about 1/2 the weight. Video is of me trying them out, running a ditch (about 4 to 6 feet deep - but you know ditch snow is pretty packed compared to normal snowfall)
My next project is to make a topper that allows me to haul the wife and kid ( the two older ones are out of the house
) and maybe some friends kids along in comfort.
I hope to be out on the trail near Willow this next Sunday to watch the Iditarod Restart go by. If it works well I'll take some trails out in Trapper Creek/Talkeetna next.
I even got a flashing yellow beacon so the snowmachines don't run into me.
Somehow it was the "year with no snow" that I bought them. This is December in Alaska:
Eventually I got some snow:
It worked pretty well but the track carriage had an Achilles heel. Weak Spindle, weak design - they've been sitting while I gather parts for the redesign.
I got another set of tracks, some of the original, 1970, Unatracs, in trade.
Here they are on a old Jeep Wagoneer.
Of course, I never leave well enough alone - in the intervening years the Samurai got stretched, lifted, coil suspended, new axles, new Toyota driveline, and a "new"diesel, a TDI with a manual pump and big intercooler. No longer commuting, it's a trailer queen.
I have the same tracks on my Samurai, with about 1/2 the weight. Video is of me trying them out, running a ditch (about 4 to 6 feet deep - but you know ditch snow is pretty packed compared to normal snowfall)
My next project is to make a topper that allows me to haul the wife and kid ( the two older ones are out of the house
) and maybe some friends kids along in comfort.I hope to be out on the trail near Willow this next Sunday to watch the Iditarod Restart go by. If it works well I'll take some trails out in Trapper Creek/Talkeetna next.
I even got a flashing yellow beacon so the snowmachines don't run into me.
) - this would be .... I'm guessing 1974. I was 5 or 6 and it stuck with me. I would draw "custom 4x4 vans with tracks" on graph paper for years to come, lol. 
and have put off the ram-assist steering again too long and have blown the high pressure line on my power steering ( Scout II box adapted to ZF/VW pump) - it's a know issue for me, as much from the rebuild-able fitting at the steering box as from the massssssive steering effort of the 5 foot long tracks (later models of Unatrac lifted the front and rear bogie off the ground about 4 inches - aids in climbing, eases steering effort).
