• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Tucker Track Rebuild 1344

ScottMX68

Member
Well like I said before I bought some used tracks but when I put them on the stuck in the sproket because they were the wrong pitch. SUCKS. I even has bought a new Tucker Rubber belt but it was 5 7/8" too. So I did some more mesurements and find my original tracks have anywhere from 6-7" pitch. S o I decided to take a gamble and shoot for 6 1/16" spacing. I bought the rubber to do all 4 tracks but decided to just build one to make sure that spacing worked. I set up a jig to drill all the holes whch worked out great. Bought new laces and hardware and decided to buy all new nylock nuts and the loose bolts got replaced too. Put it all together and it seems to work. I will now punch the other 3 sets and begin to build them. My yard looks like tracks just blew up. Rubber and cleats everywhere.
 

ScottMX68

Member
here are just a few pics. Also took the rack off.
 

Attachments

  • tucker track.jpg
    tucker track.jpg
    83.8 KB · Views: 734
  • tucker track 2.jpg
    tucker track 2.jpg
    14.6 KB · Views: 732
  • removal of cage rear.jpg
    removal of cage rear.jpg
    71.3 KB · Views: 743

snowbird

New member
Looks like quite a project, but you should have a great machine when you're finished. I'm hoping my old belting will hang together.:whistling:
 

ScottMX68

Member
I got the belt from Capitol Rubber in Sac. My work buys a lot from them so they made me a great deal? I know the rubber was actually cut somewhere in oregon. I went with a step up in plys than where on the rig/ it looked like 3 ply or 2 sets of strands and bought a 3 strand which i think is 4 ply not sure he said 3 but it has 3 sets of webbing in it. Bought all the laces from them too. They said they did not want to do the drilling and it would be cheeper for me so I built a jig and after it was set up I can drill a belt in about 15min. Really was a sweet set up. Luckely my buddy has done one similar before so he had the Idea of how to do it in production mode. The worst part of the hole thing is getting the old belts off the cleats.
 

ScottMX68

Member
Rebuilt the driver side rear track today and decided to take the carrier off because I cant seem to get enough grease in the bottom of them. I think I am going to put some zirks in the bottom of the carriers next summer. Anyway got it all back together with the track back on. Here are a few pics of my dad and I's progress.
 

Attachments

  • driver side carrier.jpg
    driver side carrier.jpg
    13.9 KB · Views: 618
  • track off.jpg
    track off.jpg
    97 KB · Views: 619

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Scott,

I'm a bit too late with this (sorry), but about a year ago I had a conversation on overhauling carriers with Jeff Godard (the parts and service manager at Tucker).

One thing he highly recommended was removing the spindles and reinstalling them after cleaning them and covering 'em with grease. The spindles have tendency to develop an attitude about not wanting to come out (in other words rust themselves in the carrier).

He related that it's not much fun to beat a rusted in spindle out of the carrier when it's broken "in the field".

I haven't done it "in the field" but he has so much experience and knowledge I treat what he says as "gospel".
 

ScottMX68

Member
What part is the spindal? Mine are Dana 60 full floaters. The carrier came right off but it was dry, the pass side was really worn and actually sits sideways now but I dont see away to fix it unless you torch it off and buy new material. I dont think the spindals come off my rig but I could be wrong. I cant get enough grease in them to reach the bottom of the tube so I decided to just take off and coat in grease. I really think some zirks in the bottom of the tube on the carrier would be an improvement. Thank you for the info.
I have people that stop bye all the time to talk Tuckers because they started here in this small town I live in its awesome what people have to say. I even had an older gentleman stop bye on xmas and wipped out a photo album of all his older tuckers hes had. Made my day!
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
What part is the spindal? Mine are Dana 60 full floaters. The carrier came right off but it was dry, the pass side was really worn and actually sits sideways now but I dont see away to fix it unless you torch it off and buy new material. I dont think the spindals come off my rig but I could be wrong. I cant get enough grease in them to reach the bottom of the tube so I decided to just take off and coat in grease. I really think some zirks in the bottom of the tube on the carrier would be an improvement. Thank you for the info.
I have people that stop bye all the time to talk Tuckers because they started here in this small town I live in its awesome what people have to say. I even had an older gentleman stop bye on xmas and wipped out a photo album of all his older tuckers hes had. Made my day!

Scott,

It looks like you removed the carriers as a complete assembly (which is fine). The spindles I'm writing about are the ones that the idler wheels (and damper wheels) rotate about. They slide into reinforced tubes in the carrier and have one retaining bolt each on the back side (inside) of the carrier.
 

ScottMX68

Member
Finished my tracks today, boy that was a lot of unbolting drilling fixing and bolting. Loaded it up on my new trailer ready for a little frame repair. Then hopefully its going to snow this week and I can take it out. Im ready to get out in the snow. If the Tucker is not done Ill take my Sled out.
 

Attachments

  • 11512 tucker 7.jpg
    11512 tucker 7.jpg
    63.8 KB · Views: 503
  • 11512 tucker 3.jpg
    11512 tucker 3.jpg
    70.9 KB · Views: 501

snowbird

New member
Great looking rig! :clap: Hope it snows here, too. I just bought a used trailer today so maybe I'll have to journey to where there's snow.:sad:
 

jchobby

New member
Interest to know how the 3 ply belts work for you. I have gone w/1 ply 1300 6 1/16 belts from Cooks GetSno in VT on my 1342. Their experience has been that the multi ply belts can be to stiff, & cause cracking/tearing sooner. Also I notice your grousers are worn down (no ice keel). I have welded all 96 on, powder coated grousers, carriers, & sprocket rims. may not be neede where you are, but in the east its neccessary due to ice.
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Also I notice your grousers are worn down (no ice keel). I have welded all 96 on, powder coated grousers, carriers, & sprocket rims. may not be neede where you are, but in the east its neccessary due to ice.

I have always heard them referred to as "ice cleats" but I have no idea what you are referring to when you say "your grousers are worn down (no ice keel)".

If you look at the photos the fourth full size photo shows the track on its side with the outside of the grousers facing the viewer. The ice cleats are very definitely there. They are the pieces of steel welded perpendicular to the grousers right in the center of the grousers. There are two pieces; one welded on each side (front and back) of each grouser.

The grousers show some wear, but nothing that's really out of the ordinary...
 

ScottMX68

Member
Yeah they are worn a little but seem to work great. This is my second pair of tracks as I have the originals too. They both show wear but seem to work just fine. I built this thing on a smaller budget just to get my family out in the snow with me. I cant afford to buy new gousers. I bet you would be real suprised to know how cheap I was able to re rubber these tracks for. I did all the cutting drilling and lacing myself, was not fun but it was cheap. I just did 30 miles the other day and had a great time. Our snow in the sierras sets up pretty quick so this thing does great. I also turned my outside rubber out so the stick out a 1/2" or so on the outer sides of the tracks for a little more floatation.
 
Top