# 2690XP Tracks Not Gripping



## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

I bought a 2960XP 6 years ago. When I bought it, I had a dirt driveway. It worked pretty well. Since then, I have gotten my driveway paved (quite steep driveway). Now I find myself breaking my back trying to use this thing. Tracks wont grip. Thing wont steer left or right on its own. I have to forcibly push down on the opposite side for it to steer at all. On top of that, if it hits any compacted snow (not hard ice) it just goes over it, even though I have the scrape plate set to scrape the driveway. I’m losing my mind here. I want to go Office Space on this machine, if you know what I mean. I have a really bad back and having to use my body weight to get it to steer or get through some slightly compacted snow is killing me.

Please help.


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## phendric (Oct 5, 2021)

Hello! Your situation sounds very frustrating. 



zjennings said:


> 2960XP


This is a Troybilt? I'm not familiar with it; hopefully someone here who is will chime in.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

zjennings said:


> I bought a 2960XP 6 years ago. When I bought it, I had a dirt driveway. It worked pretty well. Since then, I have gotten my driveway paved (quite steep driveway). Now I find myself breaking my back trying to use this thing. Tracks wont grip. Thing wont steer left or right on its own. I have to forcibly push down on the opposite side for it to steer at all. On top of that, if it hits any compacted snow (not hard ice) it just goes over it, even though I have the scrape plate set to scrape the driveway. I’m losing my mind here. I want to go Office Space on this machine, if you know what I mean. I have a really bad back and having to use my body weight to get it to steer or get through some slightly compacted snow is killing me.
> 
> Please help.


Welcome aboard, glad to have you at SBF.

Your dragging scraper bar may be the problem, acting as a brake on the slight irregularities it encounters. Highly recommend raising it at least 1/4 inch and see if that helps.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

The scraper bar is causing so much resistance it is making your tracked 
snowblower act like it is dragging an anchor and the tracks are just spinning
like they would be if they were on dense heavy clay.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Although it is called a scraper bar, on a 2 stage machine it is not actually supposed to contact the surface.
On a flat level surface, loosen the side skids, place 1 or 2 paint stir sticks on each side under the scraper bar. Tighten up the side skids.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

zjennings said:


> Tracks wont grip. Thing wont steer left or right on its own. I have to forcibly push down on the opposite side for it to steer at all. On top of that, if it hits any compacted snow (not hard ice) it just goes over it, even though I have the scrape plate set to scrape the driveway.





Yanmar Ronin said:


> Your dragging scraper bar may be the problem


I agree with Scott and the others. I gave my son one of these and I set the skids so that the scraper bar is 3/16" above a flat surface.


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## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

Ok, I’ll give that a whirl and report back after the next storm.

Also think I need to adjust my governor. The auger doesn’t throw snow like it used to.

Thanks!


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

zjennings said:


> Also think I need to adjust my governor. The auger doesn’t throw snow like it used to.


That's some pretty deep water... check RPM with a tach first and see. Very easy to mess up a governor/blow an engine if you're on unfamiliar ground there.


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## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

So, I raised it up the two paint sticks thickness as directed above, and it was a tiny bit better turning. Very tiny bit. I still had to use my weight to get the thing to turn most of the time. Also, it still got stuck on the smallest bit of stuck snow. And the tracks would just spin. On top of that, I had to use 40 lbs of ice melt to get rid of the snow that the blower didn’t get (photo attached). 

Thoughts?


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

If the drive belt is glazed over or the drive belt rubber comes off in your hand the belts need to be changed.
Drain the gas and push it up on the auger housing then remove the belly pan cover and check the belts before you go any further as it sounds like a new drive belt is needed. If any of it is the least bit glazed on the edges the belt needs to be tossed in the circular file.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

zjennings said:


> And the tracks would just spin.


Put some studs or flange-head screws into the crawlers? That's been done by some members here.








Grip Studs Worth a Try


Amended 2/20: They are coming out of the tracks. I suspect the rubber is too hard for the design. I am going to pull what I have left and then get some cheap ones and there have been notations to super glue them in. note: I have them in the Side Car tires and have not seen...




www.snowblowerforum.com






zjennings said:


> I still had to use my weight to get the thing to turn most of the time.


Are your steering triggers adjusted correctly?


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## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

Belts seem fine. Checked them at the end of last season. Last season I had issues with bad gas too. Cleaned it out and now I just use the crazy expensive stuff in the can that is ethanol free.

I think the steering triggers are doing what they are supposed to do. When I pull the right trigger, it stops power to the right tread. Same for the left. But for some reason, it will just keep moving almost perfectly straight unless I push down on the opposite side and/or pull back on the side where I pulled the trigger. I read a review on the Troy-Bilt website for this machine where someone said it would only turn in 1st gear. Ugh. I’m starting to think this machine is great for gravel driveways but sucks for paved driveways because the treads just wont grip. 😔

Is the steering trigger supposed to lock the tread on the side you pull? All it is doing is stopping the power from going to that tread. Seems like a major design flaw. It has always been that way.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

zjennings said:


> I’m starting to think this machine is great for gravel driveways but sucks for paved driveways because the treads just wont grip.


The 2690XP I gave my son works just fine on his paved driveway. Is yours freshly coated with some kind of sealer that's slippery? Again, try some studs to see if they help. Easily tested with a few of these...










zjennings said:


> All it is doing is stopping the power from going to that tread.


That's how steering triggers work. They work the same way on my Honda HSS1332. They're not magic, though; you do have to help just a little bit. If your crawlers are slipping they won't turn well, though.

What do your side skids look like? Poly or steel? Poly steers vastly better. I put roller skids on my son's machine as well as on mine.


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

Check the disc drive wheel. If it is worn at all it won’t get full power to the tracks causing a slight slip in the drive. I had one that looked ok but when I replaced the rubber drive wheel it seemed to make a big improvement. I noticed it was going when it would get wet and stop the drive altogether.


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## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

vmax29 said:


> Check the disc drive wheel. If it is worn at all it won’t get full power to the tracks causing a slight slip in the drive. I had one that looked ok but when I replaced the rubber drive wheel it seemed to make a big improvement. I noticed it was going when it would get wet and stop the drive altogether.


It's not the "drive" that is slipping. It's the treads not gripping the pavement.


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## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

tabora said:


> The 2690XP I gave my son works just fine on his paved driveway. Is yours freshly coated with some kind of sealer that's slippery? Again, try some studs to see if they help. Easily tested with a few of these...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good points. I have metal side skids. No, driveway hasn't been sealed since it was installed 4-5 years ago. I need to get that done in the spring.

Do the tracks ever wear out? I worry about putting screws in the tracks in case they damage them further or I lose a couple and end up with a flat tire on my car. 🤔


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## zjennings (Dec 21, 2021)

Additionally, looking at the tracks part number, it appears that they changed something with them. Part number is 735-05029A (replaces 735-05029). I wonder what changed. 🤔


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

zjennings said:


> I have metal side skids.


That's likely the biggest issue. Get poly skids or the Craftsman/Arnold roller skids...


zjennings said:


> Do the tracks ever wear out?


Not for MANY years. My Honda HS80 tracks from 1987 still look good!


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