I just got my SW48 home from the lake where we use it to tow our ice fishing hut. I would like to widen the tracks if its possible. Are there different grousers and tire guides the will work to widen the tracks? I'm looking at replacing the track belting anyway and would like to give it a bigger footprint. I can't really change (widen) the inboard track belt but the one on the outside can be wider than it is right now (about 4.5in). The tracks are 14in wide. Would it be a problem to just widen the outside belt from 4.5in to say 9in?? I mean if I extended the grousers and tire guides too. That would make my tracks about 18in wide which would help out alot. Any help would be great. Thanks.
-
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/
SW48 needs wider tracks
- Thread starter gleno97
- Start date
it would just be a guesss but I would bet you could put bombi wide tracks on it the little bombies kind of suck pulling compared to a snow trac so I don't know if it would help much. bogie should have a good answer for you you do have a nice looking little rig.
I was thinking about doing the same thing to my J5. I can get around in 2' of snow but its a track spinning struggle (only about 20% steering control). I have a full set of 28" wide x 3" deep wedge shaped piston bully aluminum grousers with tire guides and ice cleats that I'm thinking about cutting down to make an assentric track. I difinatly need my summer tracks for hunting but winter time firewood / trail grooming the standard steel grousers barely work in deep snow until you get a packed trail down. I'm sure someone has done this before and hopefully shed some insight on this for us
Attachments
you all need to remember the sw machines were intended to be tractors not snow cat's they run narrower tracks for increased traction and weigh more than your average bombi it would be cool to see what kind of modds you all come up with if it were me I would opt to add 1 or 2 more road wheels and an a-symmetric track and see what kind of performance you get out of a longer wider track
You are right these machines are built for pulling and rough ground. It seems to float ok just no traction in loose snow. My tracks just spin and they never touch the ground. It like I'm dog paddling through the snow dragging my self around. I've got 40 hours of snow time on this machine since finished with restoration and I've never been stuck yet, only struggling to turn. That's why I think a deeper, more aggressive grouser would work for me in interior Alaska snow conditions....Maybe
Attachments
I have a bombie that i'm storing this winter when my snow trac engine took a dump it could barely tow the snow trac and every time I tried to steer it just dug in. it has a pretty aggressive grouser compared to the snow trac but the snow trac out pulls it the tracks are about the same width but the snow trac has about a foot and a half more track on the ground my reasoning is if the tracks were longer on your sw machines like a br 160 you would be able to pull better. the a-symmetric tracks would give you better floatation.
Thanks for the responses but my question remains unanswered. I would like to make my tracks wider without changing anything mechanical on my machine. I would like to use a wider belt on the outboard side of the tracks and lengthen the grousers and tire guides to match. I think it would work but I just wanted to know if anyone has done this before. Thanks.
as I previously stated I would bet the asymmetrical bombi snow track will work you might check with Brad at minnasota out doors using those grousers you have I don't see it working if you had the d dent grousers you could extend every other one and drop in an extra belt for a waffle track
keep an eye open every now and then you see a pair of bombi tracks come up for sale other wise one could fabricate some grousers and make your own but that would be a lot of work
There are a couple of clubs out east that have modified the tracks on a SW48
By welding on extensions and using wider belts. But they did not have the rubber cover cleats when the attempted it. The biggest problem with these units
They are made heavy to plow with so you need at least 5000 square inches
Of track to do any good as far as staying even close to the top of the snow 6000 or 7000 would be better
In the stock for J5 will do a little better because they are a little lighter. And have a slightly wider track 16.5" verse the 14.5" on the SW
If you look up a Bombardier BR110 it basically is a SW 48 new style with a modified under carriage and track system. But does much better in the snow
Thanks for the insight Brad. I may try to build a set of 24" asentrical winter tracks just to give it a try and because I aready have most of the components. That would increase my track size by over 1/3rd and give me a more aggressive grouser. But that would be a next winter project
russ1111sled
New member
I have an SW48 that has widened tracks. I did not do the modification but essentially the rubber is all removed and angle iron welded to each grouser to give an asymetrical extension of about 8 inches.
I use this machine to groom a dog sled trail but even with the widened tracks it bogs down in deep snow especially if pulling a groomer. By that I mean if we head off a groomed trail with a base then we are not floating and spinning. Often I have to plow myself to freedome. These are machines made for plowing and they sure can do that well though a narrow path.
In heavier snow falls I have to run the machine around once or twice before dragging with a mogul master knock off drag. Its a reasonable way to groom our 6 or 8 miles of trails and late at night it is a bit of fun.
Make no mistake though as everyone has said, the machine is designed to plow snow and is not a true sno cat for reliable use in deep untracked snow. I will try to do some pics of our track extension for you. I have thought of doing another extension and maybe a second set of wheels to give balance to the extended track but at some point its trying to drive a square peg into a round hole.
I just groom more often
to have a decent base and tell the wife that it is not fun at all, this is real work!! Now a two seater would be a plus, but that's dreaming of my next machine.
I use this machine to groom a dog sled trail but even with the widened tracks it bogs down in deep snow especially if pulling a groomer. By that I mean if we head off a groomed trail with a base then we are not floating and spinning. Often I have to plow myself to freedome. These are machines made for plowing and they sure can do that well though a narrow path.
In heavier snow falls I have to run the machine around once or twice before dragging with a mogul master knock off drag. Its a reasonable way to groom our 6 or 8 miles of trails and late at night it is a bit of fun.
Make no mistake though as everyone has said, the machine is designed to plow snow and is not a true sno cat for reliable use in deep untracked snow. I will try to do some pics of our track extension for you. I have thought of doing another extension and maybe a second set of wheels to give balance to the extended track but at some point its trying to drive a square peg into a round hole.
I just groom more often
to have a decent base and tell the wife that it is not fun at all, this is real work!! Now a two seater would be a plus, but that's dreaming of my next machine.Thank You! This project did take me along time to finish(two winters). Summers in Fairbanks are too short and nice to spend them inside my shop. I thourghly enjoyed the restoration and all of the challenges. Do it right, the end result is worth it. Brads photo of the BR110 has inspired me to build a set of winter tracks. My first priority with this machine is fall moose hunting so I don't want to make any modifications that effect it's performance in the swamp / woods. It sounds like from listening to other peoples SW modifications that I run the risk of just digging a deep hole in the snow with more aggressive, asemetric winter tracks. But you never really know until you try.
Prerestoration photo
Attachments
Hey Russ, thanks for the reply. I would love to see a few pics of your modded track. I will also be doing some kind of alteration to my machine this summer and any info is appreciated.
I use my machine primarily on a lake and there is not always a groomed trail to follow. Even when there is a trail my machine sinks and chews up the trail and generally makes a mess. I would like it to at least not sink into the trail like it does and I think this mod will help out alot. Thanks, Gleno.
I use my machine primarily on a lake and there is not always a groomed trail to follow. Even when there is a trail my machine sinks and chews up the trail and generally makes a mess. I would like it to at least not sink into the trail like it does and I think this mod will help out alot. Thanks, Gleno.