What can we do about tracks?

[That Girl Racing]

I looked at Wahls cleated tracks. It is workable. They come in various lengths but the pitch is wrong. You could buy the track, knock off the cleats and re-rivet them back on at the right pitch. Wahls sells the rivets and bars. Rail centers are 7 1/2 inches and the width is 15. My guess is you would have $800-900 tied up in the track but it would be a brand new cleated track. My second guess is it is too expensive for most but that is what this kind of stuff costs. Peter

[S_Kyle]

There is a guy on the VS classifieds that sell new cleated tracks he makes for the old Polaris machines. Apparently he orders new belting from somewhere and builds these new tracks. Would it be possible to get him to do a run of DD tracks? I know the last add I saw his prices were very reasonable.

[Liquifire 4/6]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Lots of good ideas here. I know squat about the track manufacturing process, but I always wondered why Kimpex would have made tracks for the Cyclone/Liquifire series, but not for the Fire series considering there were loads of Fire series sleds built and they were notoriously hard on tracks. You'd think that Kimpex would have had a replacement track available. Perhaps, the fact that JD sold new tracks for under $100.00 might have had something to do with their decision not to make any.

I don't understand why it would be so terribly difficult for Kimpex or Camoplast to make a 15" one ply all rubber track with a 2" pitch and the appropriate slide rail spacing to work on these sleds. I think a single ply all rubber track would work reasonably well on the DD sleds. Or at least then, we could install the all rubber tracks onto our Trailfire/Sportfire models and save the original cleated ones to use on our DD sleds. But then again, I don't know whats involved with making track molds. I just can't see why it should be six figure expensive. It's not as though a 2" pitch all rubber track has never been produced before.

S_Kyle, please check further into the fellow producing the cleated Polaris tracks. My guess is, he's probably making them for the old external drive models that did not have the inner drive lugs. If that's the case, he likely wouldn't be geared up to build the type of tracks we require. But it sure is worth looking into.

I just think that if we put our collective minds together, we should be able to come up with some sort of a solution. Maybe a bunch of us could hang out at the Deere plant with "we want tracks" protest signs?

[SpitfireKing]

Maybe an "occupy Deere movement " is what your getting at? :p

I'm just trying to snap up all the parts machines I can... But decent tracks are hard to come by

[Liquifire 4/6]

Maybe an "occupy Deere movement " is what your getting at? :p

Well, that might be a little extreme, but supposing a couple hundred farmers across North America went to their JD dealers and said, "Hey, I sure would be interested in buying that there $400,000.00 combine sitting on your lot if you'd consider throwing in a new track for my old Trailfire. Otherwise, those New Hollands are looking pretty good".

[S_Kyle]

I have contacted the guy doing reproduction tracks. I am waiting for a reply. One thing we will need for this to go ahead is a supply of cleats either NOS or good used ones. I know he has resorted to using used cleats on some of the Polaris tracks as the NOS supply has dried up.

[SpitfireKing]

Maybe an "occupy Deere movement " is what your getting at? :p

Well, that might be a little extreme, but supposing a couple hundred farmers across North America went to their JD dealers and said, "Hey, I sure would be interested in buying that there $400,000.00 combine sitting on your lot if you'd consider throwing in a new track for my old Trailfire. Otherwise, those New Hollands are looking pretty good".

How about...I'd like to buy all green equipment if they were to get back into making JD sleds and all the parts again.... I wouldn't mind a 2015 Spitfire 800

[JDT]

MCM sells steel U channel. It is 1/2" deep and 1/8" thick. The wdith is 1" and comes in 6 foot lengths.
Cost is $18.59 .
That is enough to make 6 cleats. You would have to drill teh rivet/bolt holes.

Just a thought....

[I500]

There was a fellow awhile back that suggested using angle-irion for cleats. I believe he went by Chevyster or something like that. Was a pretty smart guy if you ask me but not sure why i remember that.
If you really could invest money in repoped tracks why would you do cleats and not just do all rubber?

[ammon]

I just think that if we put our collective minds together, we should be able to come up with some sort of a solution. Maybe a bunch of us could hang out at the Deere plant with "we want tracks" protest signs?

Now this is funny Deere's comeback would be, " You want a track huh?! Here's one off an 8330T Ag tractor. Now make due with it sonny!

[S_Kyle]

What is the diameter of the spity drivers?

[400brian]

There was a fellow awhile back that suggested using angle-irion for cleats. I believe he went by Chevyster or something like that. Was a pretty smart guy if you ask me but not sure why i remember that.

Chuck, I wonder how many on here remember that? That was a long time ago, I'd guess early 2000s.

Chevyster was something else!

[harleysportster]

There was a fellow awhile back that suggested using angle-irion for cleats. I believe he went by Chevyster or something like that. Was a pretty smart guy if you ask me but not sure why i remember that.

Chuck, I wonder how many on here remember that? That was a long time ago, I'd guess early 2000s.

Chevyster was something else!

He was buddies with Rodimus Prime....

[S_Kyle]

Also what is the drive shaft size and profile? What is the clearance from the centre of the drive shaft to the tunnel. I don't have regular access to the Internet up north but I would appreciate these numbers, and I will see what I can come up with.

Thanks
Scott

[boaski]

Could you revert back to the old cleat drive sprockets instead of the newer involute drive? If you did that it would be a lot simpler to have a track made. I know this wouldn't work with a high hp sled, but it should work for a Spitfire.