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Rookie question --- how much gravel is too much ?

rockhead

Member
Ok so stupid question time --- how much gravel and rocky road is too much to traverse to get to snow ? In a perfect world I could back off bare pavement into snow, in an imperfect world I can see needing to travel some distance without snow and don't want to wreck stuff.
I am looking at machine with aluminum grousers and thinking they would have even less tolerance than steel ones of rocky roads.
Your thoughts? Experience?
 

Cidertom

Chionophile
GOLD Site Supporter
This is the very reason I like my bar style. I have had no issues on gravel. From what I've seen if you need gravel/ dry road use stay away from paddle style grousers. Flip side is the best grousers for most snow is paddle style (or chain style on a pontoon Tucker) and short bar style can leave you not going places.
 
I say drive as straight as u can----and turn as wide as u can-----I guess if u have to run in the dirt all the time could u come up with some kind of rubber pads u could bolt on every 3rd or 4th grouser
 

HankScorpio

Member
Rocks are going to be your biggest issue in low snow conditions. Pavement and smooth gravel are really not that bad for short distances. The tracks really put down a grouser and then lift it back up, there isn't a lot of sliding around. Rocky road however puts the load on a small point of the grouser instead of spreading the load. This will cause bending and breakage. Pontoons really must have snow at all times, they do slide across the snow. I have driven my rubber belt, steel grouser tucker about a mile on pavement at the end of the season to get back to the trailer. There was no noticeable wear on the grouser hard surfacing. 1st gear at idle, straight. 2 track machines will have a harder time as there will be more stress on things while turning.
 

Cidertom

Chionophile
GOLD Site Supporter
Part of your decision is how much no snow running are you going to have.



As an example; I have a site that is two ridges in from the paved road. It is not uncommon to trailer part of the way up the first ridge, unload cat and go over the top of that ridge, then on the back side run out of snow. 8 miles of 3inch gravel later I get back to snow going up the second ridge to the site. That trip tears up the J style grousers on an imp. For what it's worth, it didn't do the cast rubber belts on a Tucker Terra any favors either.


If you look at pictures in the thread "Timberline Lodge, April 22,23,23, 2018 last snowflake adventure" you will see Tuckers solution to this problem. On Her Pontoones's Mud Kitten they used large blocks of rubber.
 

mtncrawler

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I think steel track Tucker rollers need snow to lubricate between the rollers and rails. Dry steel on steel is a bad thing. But not to worry, rollers are cheap and plentiful for old Tuckers, right?
 
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