ATVFRONTIER.com APACHE TRACK REVIEW
By
Scott Monroe
Introduction:
When I was first contacted about the possibility of reviewing the Apache Track system, I was more than a little excited. The first thing that went through my mind were several questions that needed to be answered. How well would they work in our deep Alaska snow and extreme cold? How would they steer, and alter the way my Outlander handled overall? Most importantly how much fun would they be while still being useful for utility work? .....
To read the rest of this review, please click: CLICK HERE
To contribute / follow the discussion on the ATVFRONTIER.com forum, please: CLICK HERE
When I was first contacted about the possibility of reviewing the Apache Track system, I was more than a little excited. The first thing that went through my mind were several questions that needed to be answered. How well would they work in our deep Alaska snow and extreme cold? How would they steer, and alter the way my Outlander handled overall? Most importantly how much fun would they be while still being useful for utility work?
If a person is an avid ATV forum participant, then you are well aware of the evolution of products that are now available for ones ATV. The Apache Track system was introduced by BRP to open up their ATV market to more winter use and more importantly winter fun! Now most of us are guilty of taking our ATV’s out in the middle of freezing winds and winter snows to see just how far our tires, chains and lift kits will get us. Often times we find ourselves not getting nearly as far as we would probably like. Of course that means we end up stuck more often then not and find ourselves working more than having fun.
Thanks to BRP’s Apache Track system the terrain in which ones ATV can conquer in the winter has been greatly expanded and simplified.
Apache Track Facts:
Weighing in at just a bit over 68 lbs per track set (rear came in right at 68lbs and the fronts at 70lbs to be exact), a person is adding a fair amount of weight to ones machine compared to tires / rims. Considering the aluminum wheels and tire combination that comes with the XT package weighed in right at an average of 35lbs. In essence you are adding right at double the weight by going from the OEM tires and rims to the Apache Tracks.
But don’t panic just yet, because here is the rest of the story! Even with those extra pounds you will stay on top of the snow better then any tire / wheel combination out there could ever hope to achieve. Not to mention stay right with many trail snow machines out there when it comes to going through the deep stuff.
Sitting on hard pack snow, I took the length and width of the track sitting in the snow and came up with the following average footprint per track of 2.5 square feet. Take that by four tracks and your ATV now has right at 10 square feet of tracks ready to keep you and your ATV on top of the snow. Compare that to the best OEM / aftermarket tires out there and one is doing well to come up with anything over .9 square feet per tire. What this all means is this: the Apache Tracks will more than double the area in which you and your quad will drive upon in the snow compared to tires.
Remember, the above figures were with the Apache Track on hard pack and the area in which they cover only becomes greater as they get into deeper snow. With a track length of just over 30 inches and a width of 11.5 inches per track, you are in for some real flotation. Not to mention the increased ground clearance of 12.5 inches in front and 14 inches everywhere else, you will become even happier that you are now riding on a wheelbase that measures in at 53.5 inches (compared to approx. 48inches with OEM tires / rims). This extra width really helps keep the quad stable during off chamber situations and high-speed trail riding.
Some other interesting facts about the Apache Tracks:
* Easy-steer patent pending new point of rotation, inspired by same pivot point design used with Ski-Doo snowmobile front suspensions. This helps reduce the amount of work you will do as the rider steering your equipped with the Apache Tracks.
* Higher front angle of attack than other brands for superior obstacle clearance. 10” Corner wheels – the widest in the industry – reduce vibrations and improve ability to back up in snow compared to other brands / designs.
* Steering limiter that prolongs the life of the half shaft and steering components along with other moving parts of our BRP, keeping your warranty intact.
* Plastic slider allows for better flotation on snow, and unlike some other brands, comes standard, which helps with flotation.
* Corrosion resistant, painted aluminum frame link, durable plastic lower frame, and sprockets, which contribute to a strong, but fairly, light set of ATV tracks.
* Install ready, and fits all Can-Am ATV’s, as well as other brands of ATV’s. Apache from BRP is the first OEM ATV track kit that fits most major brands.
* Approx. $3,700.00 (US)
Installation:
Now that you’ve been amazed by the sheer size, coverage and ground clearance these tracks provide your Can-Am, lets talk about the actual installation process.
First you will notice that there are visual differences between the front and rear tracks. You can easily identify the front from the rear tracks due to the nice approach angle the front tracks enjoy.
You’ll notice that the front tracks have a stabilizer / steering limiter that needs to be installed, while the rear tracks have a stabilizer bar only to keep the tracks from over extending and turning into your foot wells.
To get started, jack your quad up and remove the OEM rims / tires. Once this is complete your next step is to remove the front and rear CV guards. The fronts are easily removed because they require only the bolts to be removed. The rear CV guards however are riveted on. Take a drill, chisel and hammer and simply remove them as shown in the photos below.
Once all the CV guards are removed, it is now time to install the stabilizers / steering limiter brackets.
The rear stabilizers as mentioned before keeps the tracks from going around when hitting obstacles and keeps the tracks from over articulating during riding over drifts, logs, bumps and during acceleration / braking. You’ll simply place the bracket with the U-clamp over the rear axle hub and bolt accordingly. The photo below shows how the finished stabilizer will appear.
Be aware that these stabilizers are adjustable and you’ll need to have both sides equally setup / measured to insure proper function and drivability with the Apache Tracks. They are easily adjusted using the adjustable bolts and tape measure. Now that you have the rear stabilizers on, it is time to put the front stabilizer / steering limiter on.
These can be a bit trickier and can be somewhat intimidating. Relax, as they simply clamp onto the front lower A-arm with the pre-drilled holes and bolts that fit perfectly more easy installation. Just be sure to use the longer ball joint bolt that is provided, as when the mount is clamped to the lower A-arm, you will need the extra length to insure proper mounting of the steering limiter / stabilizer.
The next part of properly mounting the front mounting kit is to again adjust and measure from the frame to insure correct tolerances of the steering limiter on both sides are even. You will need to re-check them when the Apache tracks are mounted and bolted up. Speaking of that, lets get to that!
Lets start with the rear Apache Tracks first. Once you start to mount them, you’ll notice that they are not exactly as light as the tires and rims when it comes to being mounted. So you’ll be best suited if you have an extra helper that is at the very least interested in helping you guide the hub bolts into the Apache Tracks.
Once you have them aligned, start the first 3 lug nuts that you will be able to get to without much trouble. At this time, don’t tighten them down completely because you will need to rotate the track to get to the fourth lug bolt and to get it started and tightened. Also, while it is somewhat still loose, this is a good time to connect the stabilizer to the tracks with the bolt, nut and spacer that is provided. The photos below show where these are located on the Apache Track.
Now with the ATV still lifted, make sure it is neutral and carefully rotate the tracks forward until you can get the fourth lug nut on and tighten. Once you have the last lug nut tighten, now continue to rotate the tracks and tighten the others accordingly. I suggest using a torque wrench to insure everything is even, as they can and will loosen if not properly tightened due to vibrations.
Once both sides are matched up, I suggest you re-check the adjustment of the stabilizers to insure equal adjustment and then we are off to the front tracks to install them.
The front tracks are a little more complicated due to the steering limiter and different adjustments that are required to insure proper steering and support from the stabilizer. Below you will see the front steering limiter and support bracket bolted up to the front Apache Track.
They are very similar to the rear tracks as the stabilizer bolts directly to the tracks via the same nut, washer and spacer setup. Other than insuring the steering limiter is correctly adjusted and everything is correctly tightened down, you will follow the same steps as the rear in having someone guide you on the hub bolts and repeat the process of starting the 3 accessible lug nuts and then turning them carefully to gain access to the fourth. Again torque them evenly and you are now ready to put the quad down and enjoy the looks of a mean looking tracked ATV with some serious ground clearance thanks to the Apache tracks!
(Side note: BRP on their website sells a front CVT intake cover that is much like a outerwear for your air filter. This outerwear is for helping to keep snow from entering through the front CVT intake and causing belt slippage. In this review due to the my Outlander being snorkeled, I have not included this installation in the review, but is something that you should be aware of if purchasing and running Apache Tracks)
Ride Impressions:
For the first test ride I headed to Tok Alaska. Tok is about 320 miles North of Anchorage Alaska and has some of the interiors coldest weather and solid snowfalls. It also offers the opportunity to test in some of the most grueling conditions due to the above-mentioned cold weather and utility applications that exist in the region. For the first test I wanted to see how functional the tracks would be in heading out to a local cabin and down a trap line which is normally best followed using a Ski-Doo Tundra or other type of trail snow machine.
While headed out to the trap line I had the opportunity to do some aggressive driving over some varying terrain. Snow cover was at about 2 ft., which I immediately noticed, helped decrease any vibration that is present with the track system.
This leads to me discussing one of the first impressions of the Apache Tracks. There is a noticeable difference in the ride and vibration on hard pack snow trails / roads versus higher snow covered areas. Nothing that is unbearable, but again a noticeable difference in the amount of noise also made by the tracks. However, nothing that wasn’t expected or detracts from the use of the tracks by any means.
Hitting speeds of about 35mph over some trails showed just how much fun the Apache tracks could be. The articulation of the tracks (especially the front approach angles) play a huge role in allowing the Apache equipped Outlander to take aggressively large snow drifts and varying trail conditions with confidence.
Once on the trap line we were on about 2 to 3 feet of snow cover that had been traveled earlier in the day with a trail machine and trap.
One impressive attribute I immediately noticed about the Apache tracks was its ability to follow the trap line trail. It did so without tearing the trail up for snow machines, and has the ability to make the sharp turns through the heavy forested areas of the line. Even when off the main portion of the trap line trail, the Apache Tracks had incredible floatation and steering capability to easily maneuver through the existing trail without the front pushing and causing a situation where you were playing Austin Powers.
In other words, reverse wasn’t needed because of the lack of steering ability! That is very important, because most snow machines have a tendency to push when maneuvering in and out of trees without the rider leaning heavily and with the Outlander I was firmly planted on the seat and enjoying my ride.
When we got to the end of the trap line we entered the open area of a frozen lake. This offered me the opportunity to open it up again on a completely smooth surface and to test the floatability of the tracks at speed.
The lake had about 1ft of snow cover and allowed me to take some aggressive corners and acceleration tests.
One of the things I noticed was at about 40mph I could feel the ATV start to really rise out of the snow and the ride was silky smooth. Anywhere between 40 to 45mph the tracks really kept the quad out of the snow and consistently climbing to attempt to plane. This brings up another observation in regards to speed.
The tracks gear down the quad quite a bit. With my friends snow machine beside me I reached a top speed of 49mph. The Outlander with tires has a top speed of 75mph. So the tracks knock about 26mph off the Outlander 800’s top speed.
Another important aspect from riding on the open lake was learning that fender extensions help some, but under hard cornering or at higher speeds the rider does get some snow buildup around the foot guard and around the rear foot brake. Constant awareness of the footbrake and cleaning of snow around the area is important for obvious reasons. Not that lifting ones thumb from the throttle didn’t send one stopping pretty easily. But it is never a good practice to not also have the brakes in working order, as one just never knows.
The other observation was that due to snow buildup, which happens heavily up front, the front brakes become spongy until pumped. It almost seems as if the calipers get pushed out and pumping the brakes brings the pads back out to the disk. So awareness is the best policy in regards to the brakes and snow buildup, which is normal even with tires and winter riding. The only difference is the tracks give the ATV better stopping power, which is a good thing.
The last observation I had from my initial ride was that snow protection on the quad was better than expected. During high speeds and general riding, the rider stays fairly dry. However under hard cornering and the deeper snow conditions get, the more the rider gets in regards to snow “feedback”. So wearing heavy winter cloths that stay dry really helps along with eye / head protection!
The next day I headed out to do some utility work. Not your normal type of winter ATV utility work either. One of our family friends that owns a saw mill invited my family to participate in a winter tree cut that included dragging trees up to 80 ft long out of a isolated area that is best accessed in the winter.
Due to the ground being frozen, it allowed for an opportune time to drag the trees to the sawmill some 7 miles away.
Snow machines could not and would not budge any of the trees. A small bulldozer was used to bring the trees out of the wooded area and out of the rougher terrain. From there the tractor and my Apache track equipped Outlander would drag the trees along the frozen snow road. The snow was packed down as we continued in and out of the area and had around 1 to 3 ft. of snow cover. I really had the opportunity to test the Apache’s ability to pull large loads in fairly deep snow, extreme temperatures, and last see how they would hold up over a long day of heavy utility work. Between our father’s tractor and my Outlander 800 equipped with the Apache tracks, we drug out in 7hrs approx 15 plus logs. Of the logs I drug out, the largest was about one and a half ft. in diameter by 40 ft. long. The temperature was around -25F and the tracks worked simply flawlessly!
So when it comes to utility work the Apache tracks are up to the challenge. Not only do they offer more than enough traction, they gear down the quad to the point that it is still fun and offers decent speed. But in the case of pulling logs out in the cold Alaska winter, I never left high gear once. The added weight of the tracks also kept the Outlander firmly attached to the ground pulling hard up hills and over overflow. I felt along with everyone else, that this test more then offered something most Apache tracks would never see. With that said, they were used extremely hard for as long as we could due to our short days. They passed the test with flying colors!
After the trap line experience and the log pulling work the day prior. Any remaining questions / doubts I had remaining had pretty much been answered. Especially in regards to having fun, the ability to run a trap line, and doing heavy utility work with them and observing how they affected my Outlander. The only question left was deep snow floatation and hill climbing.
Thankfully we were graced with some more snowfall recently. This offered the opportunity for me to test the Apache tracks out in several snow machine climbing bowls and various grades of climbs.
It also offered more deep snow for cross country trail making and gave one last comparison from what I had already experienced.
Gearing is near perfect in every aspect. During utility work, general recreation and for climbing in and out of large snow covered bowls, not once did the motor ever grunt under the grip the Apache tracks offered. Coming out of steep and long hills the only negative I ever noticed was that additional depth of the track would have been a real benefit for sure.
Generally though, I was able to climb most everything I pointed the nose to and the stability and track articulation was excellent.
General Observations / Last Thoughts:
Steering is a breeze. Regardless of terrain being hard packed, deep powder or rough terrain, the Apache tracks never felt much heavier than tires. Incredibly the way, in which the Apache tracks are designed, they have a great steering point that has been designed in that allows for light and effortless steering.
Traction for most every condition is great. For a track system that is designed to do it all, it’s perfect. Again though, a deeper track for long hill climbs or for deeper snow would be a nice option for the future. But honestly, only once in over 200 miles I used and abused the Apache tracks, did I ever have need for more traction (and the new studded tracks BRP offers now, would’ve taken care of that I believe).
Ride and handling performance was solid. I will admit I love getting into the snow where there are no tracks because the Apache tracks excel big time. However, even on hard packed trails they are a blast and very fun. On open lakes you can slide it and generally do just about anything you can do with tires, short of wheelies. The range of the bike on a tank of gas was slightly less, but I still could get around 35 miles of solid use, even when participating in heavy utility work.
Approach angles and off road ability were also fairly impressive. I was impressed overall with the Apache tracks ability to allow the rider to make new trails through deep snow. In fact, snow generally isn’t the problem or at least for me up to the deepest I encountered at about 4ft. What was however an issue was when I would ride over a log and then try to back up. The front approach angle is superb. However, the rear tracks in either direction could in my opinion use a slightly better approach angle. Now I understand why they are designed the way they are, floatation. However, when encountering obstacles like logs, holes, and or hard pack snow, there are times in which backing up and or going forward wasn’t as easy as it could’ve been if the approach angle was better. In my opinion the tracks could feature a suspension to allow the massive wheels to articulate just slightly more with the track and this would solve any issues.
However, this didn't detract from the fun factor in any way. You can see for yourself with the following video
(If you have any issues with the video not showing up, please: CLICK HERE)
Track cleansing was also very good. The tracks generally throw the snow away from themselves and self clean very well. Never did I experience issues with the tracks with brush, sticks, snow, and ice of any kind causing issues with the Apache tracks. They also do a good job overall of not drenching the rider under most riding conditions. In this area I would say overall the Apache tracks performed as well as they could be expected to do so.
Articulation and the steering limiter was also a welcomed feature. Due to the amount of ice buildup your ATV will encounter from the tracks / snow riding, this was a great addition. First it saves wear on your quads cv’s and other moving parts. It also helps prevent the ice that does buildup from cutting into the boots by limiting the angle in which you can steer. Not to mention it also helps protect the rider with improved stability and steering effort, by not allowing the rider to turn so sharp that the Apache tracks would actually work against you. Well done.
Installation was fairly straightforward and generally well designed. The only real work to the installation is taking off the rear CV boot guards and that’s for a good reason. BRP did an excellent job of designing the mounting brackets and also for removing parts that would encourage more ice / snow buildup and possible CV boot damage.
Overall they have changed my opinion of winter riding and for sure track use with ATV’s. I know that many around me that helped film, ride, and photograph came away with an improved opinion of the Apache tracks and now want a pair themselves.
Not once did I need to be pulled out and as I stated before. It went just about any direction I pointed it. It did so with stability, comfort and most of all a unique ability to get me places that ATV’s don’t normally make it to in the winter. With the added ability to basically replace a snow machine for winter use, they are well worth their price and installation time. They offer better comfort, the ATV experience and most of all expanded range over conventional ATV’s during winter use. Congrats BRP on an incredible product!
To contribute / follow the discussion on the ATVFRONTIER.com forum, please: CLICK HERE
Posted by Weasel on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 (15:09:12) (4217 reads)
The logos, images and trademarks used on this site are the property of their respective owners.
ATV Frontier is not accept responsibility for comments posted by users and does not necessarily agree, support or validate items posted by anyone using ATV Frontier.
Interactive software released under GNU GPL,
Code Credits,
Privacy Policy
Community
Members
Web
Communication
More about Bombardier ATV
Membership:
Latest: sonicflight
New Today: 0
New Yesterday: 1
Overall: 23708
Members: 0
Visitors: 1
Staff: 0
