Are truck tracks street legal? (2024)

FAQs

Are truck tracks street legal? ›

Also, while the Sherp can ride on water, depending on your local and state laws, a truck with tank tracks is still street-legal. Both ATT and Track N Go report their tracks can drive on dry pavement just as well as on mud, snow, and ice.

Easily convert your vehicle into a track truck, for off-road transportation, to access places where tires can't go, with DOMINATOR® Track Systems by American Track Truck! Track systems, or track kits, as they are sometimes called, are available for almost any 4x4 or A.W.D. passenger vehicle.

But a little Googling makes it clear that these tracks aren't cheap: They're probably something like $10,000 to $15,000 installed. However, this is a small price to pay for the knowledge that you can now go anywhere — as long as “anywhere” does not involve paved roads or high speeds.

Track N Go product overview - YouTube

"On average, the segments of a steel track must be repaired or replaced after just 400 km (250 miles) of use." The new rubber tracks last more than 3,000 km (1865 miles) before they need to be replaced.

It would also be faster. Mattracks, ATT, and Track N Go claim max speed for their track systems is 40 mph; the Sherp can't do more than 25 mph.

Depending on the type of surface — polyurethane, latex, rubberized — a running track can range in cost from $50,000 to $1 million.

BT series tanks were capable of driving without tracks due to their Christie suspension. This was meant to reduce wear on the tracks and increase how far they could go on a road. It was planned for T-34s to be able to do this as well but among other issues they were too heavy.

Instead of the wheels having traction on the ground in 4 relatively small places, a tank has traction along the entirety of its track, meaning that there is more surface area for the tank to grip, lessening the likelihood of getting stuck, sinking, or losing traction.

Each new tank costs around $6 million. As a tank power, the United States is second only to Russia with its roughly 13,000 T-72s, T-80s, T-90s and other types. But Russia's tanks are lighter than America's tanks. A T-90 weighs just 53 tons.

How much does it cost to put tracks on a vehicle? ›

Getting your devices professionally installed is pretty affordable. It generally ranges from $50 – $125 per vehicle for standard GPS tracking. There may be additional costs for heavy equipment and cameras.

Driving on the road

The Mattracks have a recommended top speed of 40mph on the pavement. Above that and the rubber heats up and wears quickly. So depending on your highway rules and how strict the local law enforcement is, you may be fine.

A complete Track N Go package will set you back US$25,000. The tracks can be seen getting put through their paces, in the video below.

The US report explains: “From a mobility perspective, tracked vehicles offer the best solution for a versatile platform that is required to operate over diverse terrain, including extremely difficult ground.” Where wheels get bogged down, tracks with their increased surface area and drive provide a better solution.

Even a relatively light tank will chew up asphalt roads. Tanks have traditionally been banned from parades in the U.S. due to their use of asphalt-chewing metal tracks.

Tank steering systems allow a tank, or other continuous track vehicle, to turn. Because the tracks cannot be angled relative to the hull (in any operational design), steering must be accomplished by speeding one track up, slowing the other down (or reversing it), or a combination of both.