Defender 110 with Mattracks

[Ray Hyland]

OK, so we finally bit the bullet and put Mattracks on our 1993 Defender 110.

Learning from the experiences that Ran and Max had when they tried to drive across the arctic, we did some driveline work first:
Changed the gearing from 3:54 to 4:75
Added a new Roverdrive overdrive
Upgraded halfshafts and hubs to KAM heavy-duty units
Added ARB Airlockers front and rear.

Overall we have been very happy with them. They are a little loud on pavement but the sound smooths out a bit at speed on the highway...

On snow they are silky smooth, the deeper the better. When driving up steep ice-covered mountain roads they slip a bit more than I expected. Not as bad as plain snowtires, but not as good as a set of heavy ice chains. But once you are off the sheer ice and back onto the snow they grip really well.

Here are a few pics of them in action in the Cascade Mountains where we are based. I am happy to give feedback on them if anyone is curious. Usage, installation, comparison to the snowcat, economy, etc.

Cheers

Ray

www.hylandadventures.com

 

[barlowrs]

wow those are SWEEEEEEET! :Wow1:

 

[rezdiver]

Ray,
That is a nice looking truck. I dont think any of the other boys and girls can follow those footsteps up the hill.
how are the tracks for wear if driven on pavenment. what does the company reccomend for speed? or should i ask what is a comfortabe speed for wear and handling?

 

[Ray Hyland]

Thanks Reza,

It is pretty cool what it will do when the snow is deep. When we did the Whipsaw in the spring we were struggling with 3 or 4 feet of heavy thick snow, which even chained up was brutal to push through. Now we can float on top and it is an amazing feeling.
I don't think they would last very long with a lot of pavement driving, but a little bit doesn't seem to bother them. The company recommends not exceeding 40 mph on the pavement. On the snow we've gone faster with no issues. Basically just need to use your head and evaluate the terrain you are crossing.
Pop in the next time you are passing through Hope.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Devinchi]

How does it compare to a sno-cat? I have been toying with the idea of a Tucker for a while, but a set of tracks on a nice truck would be ok too.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I've been curious about exactly what type of snow this can float on? It can't really float on 3-4 feet of *powder* can it? Must it be packed? How about virgin (unpacked) heavy warm wet snow? Or only packed and/or frozen heavy snow?

 

[bcourtney]

Ray I am working on an east coast dealership, but truthfully have not seen a set in person. What model did you get for the 110? I want to get a set to use on my 110, Range Rover Sport or my Tacoma using wheel adapters. Probably would get them for the 110 hubs as I also have a Series III build in the works so they could work there as well.
Do you notice any power issues as you added 1200 lbs to the truck? I see you changed the gearing so I'm sure that helped.

 

[SeaRubi]

Thanks for posting up about these; they sound great for snow. I'm curious if you by chance know of anyone who's had experience with these on muskeg? How well is the track mechanism protected from debris? What kind of maintenance issues have you experienced with them, if any?

cheers
-ike

 

[Wander]

With those tracks and that flat black paint a .50 cal mounted to the roof would look perfect!

Nice set up!

 

[Ray Hyland]

OK, I will try to answer the various posts all at once...

Q: Devinchi - How does it compare to a sno-cat? I have been toying with the idea of a Tucker for a while, but a set of tracks on a nice truck would be ok too.
A: Well, it depends what you are using it for. You can see the Tucker in the background in one of the shots. Both vehicles make it to the top of the hill in about the same amount of time. The Rover is comfortable and pretty quiet, the Tucker is pretty industrial, so if you want to take passengers that could be a concern unless you soundproof the passenger area. The Tucker though has a blade on the front and full hydraulics for grooming gear, so if you need to maintain an area for recreational usage then the Tucker is a better bet. The rover on tracks is still totally road legal, but the tucker needs a trailer to get around. If you're only going a couple of miles of road to the trail head the rover is convenient. If you are going to go 30 miles of highway to the trailhead, then you would trailer either, so it makes no difference. What do you plan to use it for?

*****

Q: R_Lefebvre - I've been curious about exactly what type of snow this can float on? It can't really float on 3-4 feet of *powder* can it? Must it be packed? How about virgin (unpacked) heavy warm wet snow? Or only packed and/or frozen heavy snow?
A: Well if it true powder like you get in the eastern side of the rockies or the Selkirk/Bugaboo ranges, you will just blow through 3 or 4 feet of it, on tracks or wheels, no problem. Unpacked wet snow (say higher than 10% water content) like you get on the west coast ranges is surprisingly easy to float on, you only sink about 6 inches into it when you are driving, but when you stop and get out of the truck you can sink up to your waist in the snow. Just like a snow cat in those conditions. And for packed or frozen heavy snow you only sink about an inch or so into the top. Unpacked wet snow seems to be the best as the tracks get good traction in it, even on steep slopes, and you side-slip less than on the icy crust snow.

******

Q: bcourtney -
Ray I am working on an east coast dealership, but truthfully have not seen a set in person. What model did you get for the 110? I want to get a set to use on my 110, Range Rover Sport or my Tacoma using wheel adapters. Probably would get them for the 110 hubs as I also have a Series III build in the works so they could work there as well.
Do you notice any power issues as you added 1200 lbs to the truck? I see you changed the gearing so I'm sure that helped.
A: I got the 8800 M1A1, so they have a full suspension but no steering assist as I wanted to avoid that complexity. The fit is incredibly tight, and sits on the hub itself, so you might want to discuss wheel adapters with their engineers first. Speak to Guy in Minnesota about it. They are already geared 30% lower due to the big sprocket, so you dont feel any real change in power. What you notice is that you dont need to use your brakes much any more. Just push the clutch in and you stop.

*****

Q: SeaRubi - Thanks for posting up about these; they sound great for snow. I'm curious if you by chance know of anyone who's had experience with these on muskeg? How well is the track mechanism protected from debris? What kind of maintenance issues have you experienced with them, if any?
A: There is a guy in North Ontario who does park tours in the muskeg with them on an H1. He loves them and has had no issues that I know of. The mechanism is well protected, but you do want to try to avoid getting branches stuck in sideways. So far I haven't had any maintenance issues.

*****

Cheers

Ray

 

[Youngunner]

I hope one day to work for New South Wales Ambulance in one of these bad boys:

 

[SeaRubi]

Ray, thanks for the detailed response. Look forward to some more photographs of these in action!

cheers
-ike

 

[lwg]

Ray, thanks for the detailed response. Look forward to some more photographs of these in action!

cheers
-ike

Photographs? It's time for some video. This is pretty cool and a very practical application. My biggest wonder is if you stop in 4' of powder will the truck sink and get stuck like a snowmobile will? Or does it drive right out?

 

[benlittle]

Photographs? It's time for some video. This is pretty cool and a very practical application. My biggest wonder is if you stop in 4' of powder will the truck sink and get stuck like a snowmobile will? Or does it drive right out?

I found a sweet video a few weeks ago on youtube. Two 110's on mattracks, one pulling a huge boat/ sled type thing somewhere in the arctic. They deployed the boat, drove the two 110's on it and then drove the boat across a stretch of arctic ocean, drove off onto ice and kept going. It was sweet but I can't find it

 

[SeaRubi]

Ben - I'm about 98% certain that's the trip alluded to in the first post by Ran(Ron?) and Max.

I've seen it, too, and it is hella sweet.