sources for quality front chains?

[MTGreen]

My apologies to @fishhead for the topic drift...

There are two antique Coot amphibious articulated ATVs in the shop next to the Honda. Quirky machines, but a lot of fun.

They are 4WD with no differentials (the front and rear axles are solid, driven by worm gears), so all 4 wheels turn the same speed all the time. The articulation keeps all 4 wheels on the ground all the time. Combine that with 11" ground clearance and a smooth belly, and it was tough to get them stuck. They'll walk right up a 45˚ slope. They are not fast. 20 MPH top speed, and frankly, you probably don't want to go that fast on anything but smooth ground: the only suspension is the air in the tires (which are generally run around 5 or 6 PSI). They are not very maneuverable. That lack of differentials means the turning radius is rather large. Later Coots improved on this by offering 4 wheel steering as an option. Both of mine have been retrofitted for 4 wheel steer. It helps a good bit, but even with it, they don't turn on a dime.

In the water, they would go about 2 MPH, but an optional propeller outdrive boosted that speed to about 5 MPH.

These pictures are not of my Coot. The guy who did the 4W Steer conversion on one of mine had this beautifully restored Coot

View attachment 838475

This picture shows the articulation, which keeps all four wheels on the ground even in very uneven terrain:
View attachment 838476

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing

 

[fishhead]

If you haven't already seen it, this is the video on Bluejay's site about installing the chains. It's a little different set-up than the OFA Eko chains I have on my tractor rear tires.

thanks

 

[fishhead]

I got the new square-link, diamond pattern chains mounted on my Honda Pioneer 520. They JUST made it on, but once on, the fit is very good. (as noted in an earlier post, the Wesco site recommended the size I bought, the guy at Bluejay thought that size would fit, but normally recommends the next size up.) The guy at Bluejay says they normally do not run these with chain tensioners/bungies.

View attachment 838451

On my tractor with the OFA Eko 8 chains, I normally drive them on with a rope tied to the rim, as Lou suggests. For chains of that size and weight, that is the easiest method I've found to put them on.

These chains were light enough that I decided to follow the procedure shown in their video and see how it worked out. I think with chains this light and on a vehicle I can easily push around by hand, this might be the quickest way. By leaving the UTV in neutral, I did not have to climb in and out at all: just drape the chains, push the UTV forward the amount shown in the video, and hook things up.

I should have done one their way and one with the drive-on method to compare. I guess that will have to wait for next year.

the great thing for me is they are going on the fronts so i'll just use the bucket to raise the wheels up and mounting should be a breeze.

 

[fishhead]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing

no apologies needed -those are cool