Here’s a good tip for getting three times the life from the bearings in your ATV or UTV track system. Camso found that when the bearings in a track system are lubricated with a bit of oil, they lasted three times longer than without regular lubrication. At ATV Tracks, we have come up with a system that Camso agrees is perfect for maintaining the bearings in your tracks.
First, you need to buy a syringe. The type we use in this video is a 20 mL agricultural syringe. We used 16G x ½” stainless steel hypodermic needles. Smaller needles are much harder to get the oil through. Fill the syringe with 90W oil. Looking at the wheels, you will see a rubber center cap, and several small rubber ports around the center cap. Insert the needle into one of these ports and inject 10 mL/cc of oil. Do this for each one of the wheels. Since the hole is so small the port will seal up after you remove the syringe. You will also want to remove the cap from the hub and squirt some oil into the assembly. Take your time pushing the hub cap back into place – it’s an air-tight seal, and it will take some pressing and wiggling to work the air out, so the cap stays in place.
When storing the tracks, you will want to lubricate the wheels on one side of the track. Let the tracks sit for a day. Then turn the track over and lubricate the wheels on the other side. Also, for those who are out and about for hunting or mudding, you could lubricate the wheels on the spot to keep the bearings functioning smoothly while submerged in muddy or swampy conditions.
The advantage of the oil is that it attracts water and keeps the water from rusting the metal components. This should extend the life of your bearings far longer than baseline track maintenance alone would.
If you have any questions, please call us at (866) 243-8359. We are local to the Spokane area, located at 11617 East Trent Avenue, so come on by if you want to talk about track systems and accessories for your ATV or UTV. Thank you!
Example products used:
Agri-Pro Ardes Syringe: https://www.agri-pro.com/products/ardes-syringes
Neogen Ideal Stainless Needles: https://animalsafety.neogen.com/en/ideal-premium-stainless-steel-needle