25.   This week the new tires for Project 6x6 finally arrived! I had them mounted Thursday so the machine would be ready to rock this weekend on a Moose Scouting adventure with the crew. OEM Argo tires are crazy expensive so I went with these Duro 243's for 1/3 the cost of the Argo units. I also picked up three brand new OEM 8" steel wheels to replace the worst three original wheels which were heavily rusted and leaking. I'm still undecided on what colour all 6 wheels will end up so for now three are black and the rest grey.

24.   With new tires and rims installed on the machine and torqued I left the house for a three hour shakedown ride to work out any bugs that may pop up with this rebuild.

23.

22.

21.

20.   The Argo seems to be running well, I played with the air idle mixture setting throughout the ride but it's still not perfect. I may have to re-read the manual for the correct adjustment procedure and the carb while cleaned may need a rebuild kit.

19.   The tires bite really well providing fantastic traction but the tread design still lets the machine skid steer with ease, a very important factor when choosing aftermarket tires for an Argo. Skid steering aggressive tires is brutally hard on already delicate wheel bearings and cast aluminum bearing housings.

18.

17.

16.   This hill climb is very steep in person especially near the top, but I took my time and walked the machine up over the hill with ease. Since I was working the machine harder than normal at low speed in low range I took off the hood to provide some extra cooling for the engine.

15.  This exercise was not only to test the machine but to build my confidence operating it over terrain I'm familiar with. The last time I really operated this unit was many years ago in my early 20's.

14.

13.  The keys to hill climbing any ATV are to be smooth on the throttle, maintain momentum and pick your line carefully.

12.

11.

10.

9.

8.

7.   The turning radius of these old machines, particularly the 6x6 is incredible. The longest drag mark is from the outside rear tire, these machines will literally turn on a dime.

6.   A little more mini hill climb action!

5.

4.   I did manage to get the beast stuck going slow in some particularly slimy mud but my newly rebuilt WARN winch had me pulled out with ease.

3.

2.

1.   All in all it was an excellent shakedown ride and I'm happy to say the Argo is ready for Moose Hunting season!

Cheers, MIKE

Copyright © 2025 Michael Smith