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larger tracks on front tucker

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
any advantage for having larger tracks on front?
tuckerr.jpg
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Lager front tracks would help in powder snow to get the front of the cat, the heavy end up on top of the snow, while packing it so the backs can stay up as well.

Have you seen a Tucker in deep fluff? They "submarine " the tracks and try to put them on the ground, not the snow...

So I am guessing the bigger front track help with that, only in deep powder snow.

Regards, Kirk
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
I agree the fronts are there to pack a trail for the smaller tracks to bite in to the smaller tracks exert more psi and in theory should gain more traction on a packed surface when pulling a load
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Lager front tracks would help in powder snow to get the front of the cat, the heavy end up on top of the snow, while packing it so the backs can stay up as well.

Have you seen a Tucker in deep fluff? They "submarine " the tracks and try to put them on the ground, not the snow...

So I am guessing the bigger front track help with that, only in deep powder snow.

Regards, Kirk

I'd agree with the first paragraph, but not the second. In my experience the front tracks try and climb over, or on top of, an object or surface. If the surface won't support the weight of the machine it will sink, but the tracks will keep trying.

I do recall a couple of forum members who reported issues similar to what Kirk describes. I think one involved falling through some thin ice while crossing a stream and the other was (IIRC) Teamster and his 1344 wouldn't stay on top of an icy crust on top of the snow below. I got the impression that it was an issue of insufficient flotation, which might be solved by longer tracks.

Tuckers with engines in front don't have very good front to back weight distribution, and are somewhat heavier in front. If you look at the photo in the first post and draw a vertical line midway between the center of the front axle and the center of the rear axle that defines the weight distribution. Everything in front of that line goes on the front tracks and everything behind the line goes on the rear tracks. The vast majority of the heavy stuff is in front: engine, flywheel, clutch, transmission, battery, hydraulic tank and pump, radiator, etc. In the middle you've got the transfer case, driver, and maybe a front passenger In back you've got gas tanks, gasoline and maybe more passengers or gear.

The Tucker in the photo may have left the factory with long tracks in front and short ones in the rear. I'd view the long front tracks as a bonus as it improves the flotation.

A couple of other things I'd point out:

This machine has damper wheels supporting the tracks on top as opposed to the other method of a steel frame with replaceable plastic hyfax strips. The damper wheels are quieter and have less friction. I'd view those as a nice bonus too. (The conversion isn't cheap.)

Something that gives me concern is the exhaust and the fuel line setup. I've mentioned in other threads that I bought a Tucker with an underfloor exhaust and it really heated up the floor. In fact, the previous owner pulled up the carpet and put some ceramic fiberboard on the floor as insulation. Then he put some aluminum plate on top of the fiberboard and carpet on top of the aluminum. The exhaust system on the pictured machine is tucked up high, close to the floor, and I think it will cause heat problems.

Also, the fuel line runs from the front of the gas tank sump perpendicularly back toward the rear cab's foot well wall. It then bends 90º and runs forward about 1 1/2" away from that wall on the underside of the rear cab's seating. That routing is just above the tailpipe and muffler. I'd be concerned about the potential of gasoline percolating in the line causing vapor lock issues.
 
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