While sitting around dreaming about cars passed, i stumbled upon this idea. Based on a 2nd gen hatch, and using parts that i have already on hand, minus the car of course. Possible?

Hmmh. actually recall a video of just that somewhere on the justy forum. It was some hatchback or other on tank tracks rallying in the snow.. would be sweet. as for finding that video.. I have no idea.

I Know that Ken Block did it with a 2010 STI, he had some aftermarket bolt on tracks.

Both those soobs, the hatch and Blocks STi had MATTRACKS on them... Your design is something completly different

http://www.mattracks.com

soobs are light enough to use the ATV tracks on them...

 

-Jaren

Yeah i looked at that, they are quite awsome. And Pricey!, this option is something that i think i can pull off if i get the right car to start with, i think i might have the reset of the Bits hanging around, and what i dont i have i can make at the machine shop.

Yeah i looked at that, they are quite awsome. And Pricey!, this option is something that i think i can pull off if i get the right car to start with, i think i might have the reset of the Bits hanging around, and what i dont i have i can make at the machine shop.

 

how do you turn...?:-\

how do you turn...?:-\

 

Skid steer - but not with a Subaru drivetrain obviously. You need a bobcat tranny or something.

 

As for mattracks - they are great for sand and snow, etc. They are not as good in mud and deep stuff - and the grit eats them to peices. They are useless for rock crawling.

 

GD

Both those soobs, the hatch and Blocks STi had MATTRACKS on them... Your design is something completly different

http://www.mattracks.com

soobs are light enough to use the ATV tracks on them...

 

-Jaren

 

I actually contacted them about using the ATV trax on a Sube and they said it would just be to much for them to handle.

I actually contacted them about using the ATV trax on a Sube and they said it would just be to much for them to handle.

 

I've seen video's of an EA81 hatch with them. Seemed to be doing just fine. Don't know if they would last, but it was working.

 

A stripped down hatch is around 1800 lbs or less. They are saying these things can't handle 400 to 600 lbs each? They made in China?

 

GD

good LUCK

 

farmers around here tried to convert to tracks a few different times, and one guy i Know had the tracks basically fall off/fall apart the first year, and even thogh the warranty covered it, it was the fact the John Deere factory=supplier had no replacements in stock for a YEAR. so whatever you buy for this, buy several or many of them so you can keep it going. In John Deers situaation, the designers of the track systme forgot that tractors had to cross highways, driveways etc, and the engineeers never tested them on concrete. several times over concrete killed them....i do not like over engineered items.

 

my friend had a brand new 400k dollar tractor with busted tracks sitting in his field for a year straight before the rep from JD could come out and tell him it would take yet another year to replace them once they could be produced at the factory. insurance company is called to get involved, and they have to TOTAL out the BRAND NEW tractor because no place could supply replacements. ....i learn from this stuff. Cool when it works YES.

Tractor was pulled out of the field by another REAL tractor with REAL tires, that would never ever immobilize the 400k implement even if the tread fell off. tractor hauled off, and JD lost the lawsuit.

 

now back to the on topic thread......its cool but theres alot more fun to be had otherways for a Subaru, ej22, ej22t, etc.

Edited December 5, 200916 yr by bheinen74

I agree, there are tons of fun things to do with a subie, this just seems like a worthy challenge, as for the turning, i would use a 8.8 ford rearend, equipped with Disc Brakes "12in rotors" install an ARB electric, or Manual locker to keep the tracks in Sync when going strait. Than to turn i would unlock the Diff and use a "Turning Brake" setup similar to a sand rail. Anyone who has ever run a Cat would know it more like using decelerator pedals. Setup would involve tieing the diff lock into the turning brakes so that the opperation was seamless. The tracks would simply be the ones of a BobCat, even utilizing the wheels and hard rubber tires. Since the ones i have a bolt together treads, you can prety much make them as long as you need.

less gab, more fab........

sure thing, as soon as i find a car its gonna happen.

I have the perfect car for you Wanna make a deal?

 

Stripped down '86 Hatchback, in decent shape. PM me if you are interested, I think this would be a rockin' Snow-wheeler.

 

-Bill

I like where this thread is going.

 

In John Deers situaation, the designers of the track systme forgot that tractors had to cross highways, driveways etc, and the engineeers never tested them on concrete. several times over concrete killed them....i do not like over engineered items.

 

 

Sounds under engineered to me.

 

To Subeast-EA81

 

I assume you're on the east coast someplace, if you happen to be near the washington dc area, there is a red DL hatch at a wrecking yard I know of. PM me if you want details

 

Looks like a fun project!

 

Will-

here's the video of the hatch with tracks:

 

http://www.sunvideos.net/videos.aspx/video~subaru_with_snow_tracks/Subaru_With_Snow_Tracks/Cool_videos/

 

 

I assume you're on the east coast someplace, if you happen to be near the washington dc area, there is a red DL hatch at a wrecking yard I know of. PM me if you want details

 

Looks like a fun project!

 

Will-

 

Looks like a really fun project!

 

Nope.. Battleground is in Oregon

 

Thanks for the link Pooparu:banana:

Battle ground is in Washington, but Oregon is close enough! seeing as its right across the bridge. Thanks for the link as well. That was by far the the coolest thing, i like that one better then Ken Blocks STI.

Edited December 5, 200916 yr by Subeast-EA81

I don't see why the track for the small pickups and SUV's would not work (Mattracks) the ATV ones would be too weak IMO. If a guy were to spend the money, why not spend it once and get tracks that are for a bigger vehicle and not a smaller one. They would just last much longer.

 

 

On another rant. You should get Bill's (the beast) hatch. It's a perfect starting platform for your idea

 

 

 

-Caleb

I've had a similar inspiration to turn a Brat into a snow cat by putting a pair of snowmobile tracks under the bed. There seems to be plenty of room under there, especially if the fuel tank is relocated to the bed. It seems like you could just remove the rear drive shaft or shorten it to a few inches to drive the tracks through the stock rear end, then fab up some skis for the front.

Heres a link to one of the other forums that I'm in where we were talking about putting a subaru engine into a snow trac:

 

http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=29889

 

Some of the other posts might give you ideas as to how some of the snow cats are put together.

 

Ed