ice cleats

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Barrie2777
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Joined:Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:17 pm
Location:Arundel Quebec
ice cleats

Post by Barrie2777 » Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:48 pm

This set of tracks and stainless cleats are for my 444 rider. These cleats make your machine very easy to steer by giving up some traction provided by the "U" channel style cleat.
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easy steering ice cleats
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Andy
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Joined:Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: ice cleats

Post by Andy » Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:55 pm

Your work is always amazing. I have learned so much from your posts. How I would love to have these tracks. My 444 has no metal cleats and nylon for the wood cleats and sliders. I find with this set up I have about the same traction as I do with my 502, not great with the crust and ice we have had this year but I still make it up the hills here on the farm, even though I might get more exercise than I want. The nylon however holds up pretty well and at this point I don't want to change everything over. I do use the machines for some work such as hauling out firewood from places I can't get the tractor to so I would like a little more traction. I have been toying with the idea of putting on metal cleats on every 4th or 5th nylon cleat. Is this crazy? What do you think this would do to the balance. I don't want to mess up anything else. In a couple years I will do a complete change over but right now it is kind of the old if it ain't broke don't fix it thing. Andy

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fap67
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Re: ice cleats

Post by fap67 » Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:45 am

Andy, I too have plastic cleats. When I first made my tracks, I didn't have enough of the metal cleats for a complete set, so I didn't use them. The traction was terrible compared to my 200A with the 5" long channel cleats. I had a hard time going up hills and on the slightest sidehill it would go sideways way too easy. I thought about putting a metal cleat on every third platic cleat. There is 27 cleats on each track so putting one every third one works out to even spacing. I found enough to make a complete set so I never did put on a partial set, but I think it would work and help out on traction. If you do this, let us know how it works out. I use the "U" style channel cleat, the kind used on early 444s and 600 twin tracks. The traction is way better than using only plastic cleats. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that if you had wood cleats without any metal cleats on them, the traction would be better than the plastic only cleats.

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Barrie2777
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Joined:Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:17 pm
Location:Arundel Quebec

Re: ice cleats

Post by Barrie2777 » Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:22 pm

As thin as these ice cleats are, they still provide some support for the wood. The "U" channel cleats give much more support and would be best if you do a lot of "wild" riding. I think that wood cleats without support would result in a lot more broken cleats.

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Andy
Posts:21
Joined:Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: ice cleats

Post by Andy » Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:46 pm

Thanks guys, excellent points. Sounds like a good summer project and will give me some time to round up some cleats. I'm thinking the u shaped ones because of all the hills and bush I drive through on the farm. I think I will go with your idea of every third cleat, that should help with any balance problems. I can always put them on every one if it doesn't work.

voltswagon
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Joined:Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:19 am
Location:Unity, Maine

Re: ice cleats

Post by voltswagon » Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:19 pm

I new to this forum so perhaps this isn't the right place to ask......Where did you obtain the nylon (plastic) cleats? Those look to be a whole bunch more suitable for varied conditions than wood.
Thanks

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fap67
Posts:223
Joined:Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:02 pm

Re: ice cleats

Post by fap67 » Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:38 am

I bought my plastic cleat from material from U.S. Plastics, here is a link to what I bought.

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item. ... &catid=868

It's easy to cut to length with a woodworking chop saw.

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