Rubber Track System For Utility Tractors TRACTORS Tires/Wheels 19-5-40 "It has tremendous flotation on soft ground which allows it to go just about anywhere, and the tracks can be quickly removed so you can use the tractor on wheels for other jobs," says retired engineer Chuck Williams of Vancouver, Wash., about the rubber track system he designed for his Ford 1720 37 hp, 4-WD tractor. Williams has a lot of experience with rubber tracks, having designed them for snowmobiles for many years. His new track system makes use of an add-on axle that mounts 6 ft. 4 in. behind the tractor's original rear axle. Williams removed all the tractor's original wheels, replacing them with duals all the way around, mounting big truck tires at the rear. The 2 1/2-ft. wide cleated tracks wrap around the tires on both rear axles. The tracks have 1-ft. long, 1 1/4-in. high rubber cleats staggered every 6 in. To hold the tracks in place, a row of steel spring guides inside each track runs between the dual wheels on both axles. The guides allow the belts to stretch under stress, then return to their original shape. Both tracks are sup-ported by a hydraulic suspension system that mounts on the tag-along axle. An 8-ft. sq. steel platform mounts behind the tractor seat over the tag-along axle. The platform bolts directly to the tractor frame and can be used to haul spray tanks, fertilizer, hay bales, etc. A backhoe can be mounted on back of the tractor and a loader in front. "It converts a small tractor into a multi-purpose rig that can be used all year long," says Williams. "The tracks have 7,240 sq. in. of belt in contact with the ground and the tractor and track together weigh only 3,240 lbs. Ground pressure is only .222 psi compared to 3 or 4 psi for most conventional rubber tracked tractors this size. The track floats right over mud and snow and can even run over your toes without hurting them. Track thickness is only 3/8 in. thick. It's the same belting I use on the snowmobiles I build. It's very flexible so it'll stretch as needed without damage. "It takes only 1 1/2 hours to remove the tracks and put the. wheels back on. I made an adapter plate that bolts onto the original wheel hubs to carry the outside dual.wheels. To mount the tracks on each axle I let the air out of the first wheel and slide the track over it, then mount the outside wheel and pump up both tires." Williams is looking for a manufacturer and says that a tractor equipped with his track system, as well as a loader and back-hoe, could be marketed for about $50,000. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chuck Williams, Box 804, Vancouver, Wash. 98666 (ph 360 573-1177).

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