Weasel Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Hello, I just signed up to the forum. I am looking for some good sprockets (NOS or after market). My weasel runs well on roads, pavement or gravel, but jumps the sprockets in the snow.I feel that the drag on the tracks from the snow along with bad sprockets is the problem. Others may have a better idea so advise is truly welcomed. The weasel has been repowered with a chevy 6 and a powerglide. I was not putting much power to the weasel in the snow and within 15 feet it jumped the track by half a teeth. So now the teeth are pushing on the track guide. The tracts are loose. See picture. Running on driveway: 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Tipton Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Greetings and welcome! Love that you posted the video - way to use this technology! I would love to see a few more pictures. First, it looks like you are running original tracks. Have they been repaired anywhere? If your tracks are in good shape, the tightness is a big factor in getting the tracks to run without jumping sprockets. You said they are loose.....can you post a picture of the track tensioning spring/setting? Regards, Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasel Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 Thank you for the reply Patrick My bad, forgot the word "NOT" before Loose.The tracks have links to hold them together. One track is a Norwegian re-band and the other is a BFG made track. I will try and get a pic of the tension on the spring and the contact of the track to sprocket. Both sprockets jumped the track. The teeth are pushing on the track guides and not the drive plates. Might try running in reverse to reset the teeth one notch. If not I will need to block up the boggies and work them into place. How many miles will the sprockets last? This weasel came from Weiner Motors in Akron, Ohio. I have the bill of sale when it was sold years ago. I have the Norwegian instruction plates that told the driver how to operate the rig. Don't know how many miles they put on the running gear in U.S. and Norway. Thanks to all for help 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Tipton Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 The track "timing" is 4.5" inches....so the center of the grousers are 4.5" on center. From what I am seeing on older tracks, I think that between repairs and just stretching from age, most of our WW2 era tracks are just a little out of time and won't run correctly. I have a set that has the outside cables replaced with conveyor belts and they will skip too. If you run them like this much, the sprockets will end up pushing on those tracks guides like you say and if the grousers have any rust or are weak from age, they will crack and break. The other possible cause is the tensioning spring being worn like an old leaf spring. If you look at factory photos of Weasels, the track is tight enough that the rear set of bogie wheels is substantially off the ground. I know that isn't very helpful, but there is enough tension that the rear leaf spring is being compressed and the bogie yolk is pivoting up towards the drive sprockets. My hypothesis is that that angle is really important - and the reason why almost all other track vehicles have front drive.....makes for more sprocket engagement and it is much harder to get a tooth so far out of time that it misses the hole. When we run Weasel tracks too loose...the a tooth's first contact with the track is at the very end of the tooth and depending on wear etc, it is easy to see how it would slip forward and then be out of time. At least that is my story and I'm sticking to it! Run your Weasel in reverse....it will get back on track and then see if you can make your tracks a little tighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Browning Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 There was a guy selling new sprockets on ebay. I had a couple of his sets. They are nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Browning Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 https://www.ebay.com/itm/165290751592?hash=item267c18b668:g:EAIAAMXQIBBRBaod Price of steel is crazy. I think I paid half that for my set from him 10 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Tipton Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 23 minutes ago, Jesse Browning said: https://www.ebay.com/itm/165290751592?hash=item267c18b668:g:EAIAAMXQIBBRBaod Price of steel is crazy. I think I paid half that for my set from him 10 years ago. I paid $600 a few months ago.....they are nice but did not solve the skipping problem for me. The skipping is also causing a lot of wear so I am working a new set of banded tracks before a wear them too much.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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