SLIDERS

[the old trucker]

Has anyone ever thought about putting sliders on your snow cat ? They say it increases your traction a lot. Here are three versions of what they look like. They say the ones on the blue bomber are quiet & work best...

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m366/theoldtrucker/IMG_1676.jpg

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m366/theoldtrucker/IMG_1619-1.jpg

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m366/theoldtrucker/IMG_1245-2.jpg

[dds]

there is a reaon why they are now used on snowmobile's the one mod oicould see as necessary is some kind of ice wheel to take the weight off the slide rails when operating on hard surfaces up here we get a lot of snow drifted hard as ice or ice blown clean of snow it's not uncommon to have your slides melt and stick to your track when you come to a stop not a problem where you have lots of snow to cool and lube your track

[Northcoast]

Seems they would destribute the pressure more evenly than bogie wheels.

[the old trucker]

Here's a pic of my new bushings that I had made from uhmw polyethylene. That stuff is supposed to wear better than steel, & they say it's self lubricating, but I will put low temp grease in there also. First he cut them a little oversize & pressed them in place. Then he drilled them out to fit on the body axles.
Google garlandmfg.com & look up the specs on this stuff.

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m366/theoldtrucker/PICT0666.jpg

[the old trucker]

Seems they would destribute the pressure more evenly than bogie wheels.

Damn.... I wish I knew how to post that video I have of the sliders going through 3' of snow.

[Blackfoot Tucker]

there is a reaon why they are now used on snowmobile's the one mod oicould see as necessary is some kind of ice wheel to take the weight off the slide rails when operating on hard surfaces up here we get a lot of snow drifted hard as ice or ice blown clean of snow it's not uncommon to have your slides melt and stick to your track when you come to a stop not a problem where you have lots of snow to cool and lube your track


Don,

My Polaris snowmobile has 'Ice Scratchers" on it which are made of roughly 5/16" round spring steel.

When you are in snow you keep them up by lifting the business end up over the slide rail and when you are on ice/hardpack you deploy them by lifting the end off the slide rail and let it dig in and create some lubrication for the track. They work surprisingly well.

[the old trucker]

Most of the pics of snow cats that I've seen on here are in the snow, not on it. I think 90-95% of them. So if they need lubrication like you say, wouldn't that be sufficient ??