Have your heard these stories or be given similar advice when you have asked your dealer about putting tracks on your Ranger 6x6?
Well, I have too, and it reminds me of a ladyfriend who, early in the relationship, announced, "DO NOT HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR PROBLEMS YOU HAVE HAD WITH OTHER WOMEN IN THE PAST!!!"
The very same principle applies to putting tracks on your Ranger 6x6. Something from the past must have started these rumors and stories about tracks, but unfortunately the facts and details got lost along the way such that now no one even knows "Why?". They just pass the stories along as fact.
The stories may be true or not, but there is no doubt that those were not my tracks. Despite the lack of verifiable evidence from the disbelievers my investigations and experimentations have come up with some likely possibilities as to the roots of the stories and how to control and avoid those problems. My tracks are different, designed to resolve the problems, so do not blame mine for the others' problems.
As an example, if you do not fold your parachute properly, it will not deploy properly. Is it fair to blame that "problem" on the parachute? Is that a design problem, or operator error?...but this is exactly what happens with tracks. Some of the past "problems" were design induced and have been addressed in the modified design of my tracks, but most were operator induced...i.e. failure to understand and control circumstances. Knowledge is power and that is why I have written a detailed operator manual to help you get the most from your tracks and steer clear of problems.
If you canvass a selection of dealers or other owners about putting tracks on your 6x6, probably 99% will disapprove based on having heard the rumors and tales. No doubt they will not be able to tell you "why", and if they try, and I mean no disrespect, the explainations can be a bit on the inaccurate side. For the facts, please read my article entitled "Air Pressure as a Tracks Adjustment Technique" where I discuss my findings as to the "why" and explain how my tracks can eliminate the problems. Call or write to me and I will email the article to you.
When you are seen with and word gets around that you have tracks on your Polaris Ranger, or if you inquire about installing them, there will be a parade of well meaning people who will warn you with the utmost sincerity and conviction that tracks will not work on the Polaris Ranger, will cause problems, etc. Unfortunately this is simply because the facts and knowledge that is revealed by my research (please contact me for a copy of the entire research article) has been virtually unknown previously or at least unappreciated.
Without ever examining The Tracks Company’s tracks and without knowing anything about how their engineered design is different, thereby placing them into a class by themselves (i.e. flexible links, patented adjustability to within 1/2", and designed to allow rather than prevent tire slippage within the track), these same people will often be quite willing to pronounce judgment, paint all tracks with the same brush, and hold these tracks accountable for the flaws and shortcomings which are inherent in other tracks on the market (i.e. those that can only be adjusted in larger increments and/or with air pressure, or which may tend to resist tire slippage).
Although the negative stories and experiences may or may not be true with regard to the other tracks, the net result is that it is difficult for people to even accept that it is possible to design away and control the causes of the historical problems and create tracks that will indeed work on the Polaris Ranger 6x6 and provide the owners of these machines with the increased traction and flotation to which they have long been entitled, but until now, deprived.
This article is from the installation/owners' guide and may be of interest:
"The Flexibility to Choose"
What I neglected to emphasize in the article "Air Pressure as a Track Adjustment Technique" was that air pressure settings and track adjustment techniques should be independent operations. With The Tracks Company's design they are because you are able to make fine tuned length adjustments down to 1/2" increments instead of only being able to make length adjustments by changing the tire air pressure or by adding/removing entire shoes as with the other brands of tracks.
Ideally it is desirable to choose an appropriate air pressure setting depending on your expected operating conditions and then also be able to adjust the tracks while maintaining that setting. With the other tracks that are available (Pure Polaris, Tru-Trax, Argo) you are stuck with whatever pressure setting happens to give you the proper track tension adjustment because these tracks are either non-length adjustable or adjustable only in large increments based on removing or inserting shoes into the track. Even if you are careful to properly adjust your tracks (per the article) while maintaining matching tire circumferences (pressure/tread wear) thereby avoiding drive line stresses, you are now stuck with the pressure setting that yields the proper track tension adjustment. What can you do if it happens to be too high or too low for your preference? With the other tracks? Nothing.
With the other manufacturers' tracks you can do one or the other (choose pressure or adjust tracks), but not both. With tracks from The Tracks Company, you can have both options. You can choose the pressure that you want, and also adjust the tracks to the proper tension without upsetting that setting. You get the flexibility to choose, rather being stuck with the pressure setting that just happens to give the proper track tension adjustment. With the other brands of tracks you sacrifice that flexibility.
