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Snow Trac, Kids and Camping

Sno-Surfer

Active member
Well finally I'll get some more photos posted of recent adventures in the Snow Trac.
During the weekend of the Snow Cat Jamboree we took a detour and found some snow and decided to go camping instead. We've been having an inversion around here and it's been gray and cold in town but super nice and warm up above the clouds. Weather looked perfect for a camp out on Mt Adams so a total of 10 of us, 5 adults and 5 kids took the Snow Trac up for a weekend of fun. 8 of us were going to campout for the night. We were LOADED on the way up. Had to tow half the group on sleds and skis but we were off like the Beverly hillbillies.


 

Sno-Surfer

Active member
We had about a mile of spotty snow along the road up before we really reached the good stuff.



After setting up camp at about 4600 ft, my buddy and I took it up to about 6,000 ft. We were running out of time so had to turn around a bit early. that was the highest I've been on Adams with the Cat so far.



That's not water down there, it's the inversion and we were in paradise up on the Mt.



This is our camp. We had a nice little shelter and even out houses up there all to ourselves.



But on the way back down we had a little problem.



There was a side hill and a stump to maneuver around. I couldn't get it to turn quite fast enough and ended up slipping off the road a bit and the track started to walk off the drive sprocket and of course I had no recovery equipment on board. We left it here for the night and walked back to camp.



I had cell service there which was real nice. I put out a little call for help via facebook of all places and then shut the phone off to conserve the battery. Had a great campout and was just hoping that some help would arrive so that we didn't have to ski out. The morning came and so did help. It was really great to see help pulling in in the morning. Had a guy with a snowmobile and winches and another with more winches and even a friend that has a serious off road 4x4 made it in to us. That was impressive, running flat tires and all. We were stoked and I knew these guys would be able to get me out.



Once we got to the cat, we had it out within an hour. It worked out slick and we tied off to a stump and pendulum around it and the track walked back on thankfully. We did bend the skid plate back and I had to remove it for the ride back. But with the help we were able to enjoy the rest of the weekend. It could not have been nicer!



So we built igloos and stuff



It was a great weekend and the kids all had so much fun. Other than the stuck cat, it was super fun.
 

Sno-Surfer

Active member
I also broke a bogie wheel when I got this stuck.

Fast forward about 2 weeks and after having so little snow on the Mts. we just had a good two foot dump right at our house!! That might happen once a year if I'm lucky. Nothing better than being able to snow cat right out of your house. I live at the foot of great hills and can access them right out of the house. Most of these pictures are just around the neighborhood.







A sharp eye will notice that crooked bogie. Thanks to Snowtrac Nome for sending me a replacement!




Now I have a technical questions. I have finally figured out that my Snow Trac doesn't turn to the right very well. It's a looonnggg slow turn and I usually end up backing up a time or two to make some right hand turns. It turns left really well, just like it should I think.
What could be the right turning problem? Any ideas? Thanks as always for the help I've received on here. Not sure what I'd do with out it. :biggrin:
 

NorCal

New member
Looks like it was a great outing Snowsurfer, wish I had snow like that this year. (Note to self, carry a cumalong and rope)
I bet the kids had a blast.:w00t2:
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Mine had the same steering issues. They turned out to be from a previous owner most likely. If you are familiar with how to tighten you variator belt, the lower nut is hard to get to.. And if you fail to look at the book, you end up loosening the nut on a spring pack that is factory adjusted. I noticed the pair of these springs were not adjusted to the same specs. There is an upper and lower pair of these spring packs, between the variator sheeves over the trans axle. There are "I" type bolts going through them, and they stand vertically.. The lower one is the one some times people loosen, thinking they are tightening the belt. When this is done it reduces the maximum clamping preasure of the sheeve on the variator belt the I bolt in the spring pack is connected to. This in turn makes it turn less aggressivily to one side. Check yours out and find these spring packs, and make sure they are adjusted simularly. My bet is the lower on is loose, as some time some one put their wrench on the wrong nut....

Excellent pics and I am jealous of the fun you had!!

Regards, Kirk
 
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JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
it's a surprise is good to read and it tells how to center and adjust your steering.
on cornering with a load work the throttle some and it will grab the snow better.
jim
 

Sno-Surfer

Active member
Thanks all for the tips on the steering. That sounds like the culprit to me. It turns left great. Funny how I just figured that out driving it around my house during this snow. I always thought it was snow conditions and never realized it was only to the right!
And I do sort of pump the throttle a bit and it does help it turn. I end up going real slow and just bump it along. Maybe it's getting worse too.
I'll go mess with it tomorrow and see if I can work it out. Snow is melting fast now around here now. Probably 3 days or so.
Had it turned right better, I may not have gotten stuck...:doh:
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
snowsurfer,

Your steering may actually get worse, mine did... Over time and use the nut on the spring pack (nested inside one another two springs) back off some more till had not much turning ability right. That is when I finally noticed these springs were not adjusted to the same height. The nut is actually staked with a punch to keep it from loosening. But a wrench and a strong arm will over ride the staking job, and then the trouble begins...

Regards, Kirk
 
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