Wheelhorse Crawler Conversion

[jd4310man]

I bought plans from ubuilditplans.com for their newest plan to convert an ordinary wheelhorse tractor into a crawler tractor. I have been collecting the metal and mechanical parts over the last few months and am now finally making some headway with the build. I have one track assembly tacked together and got the undercarriage assembly all cut and tacked together. I am very pleased with the plans as they are very well written and very easy to understand. I would recommend u build it plans to anyone. The plans call for a dozer blade run by an electric winch, but I am being very ambitious with this project and I want to build a front loader for it later on. I plan on using a 15hp Farymann diesel engine I acquired to power it. Its very heavy and is much wider and longer than the stock Kohler was. I am following the plans as close as possible but I made a few changes. The plans call for the use of 3/16' square tubing, I went with 1/4". I also added an additional third idler sprocket to the undercarriage as the plans call for two per side. It uses the stock 8speed wheelhorse transmission and the crawler steers with two 10" brake disks that are chain driven on independent mounts chain driven to the transmission. I'll post more pics as work progresses. It will probably take the rest of the winter to complete. It is a very fun and interesting project.

 

[Ductape]

Very cool ! Can't wait to see more pics as it takes shape.

 

[davedj1]

Very cool! Looks like a very fun project. Can you post some more info on the chains?

 

[jd4310man]

Hear is a pick of the designers prototype and an example of what one looks like. As for the tracks, they are made from 4 lengths of #80 roller chain. I got lucky and found them for $25 a piece on ebay. You have to make track brackets from 1" channel and 1-1/2" C channel. Then you make a jig to line up the three track brackets to weld to the sides of the roller chain. The tracks are by far the most tedious part of the build, but it is relatively easy with the jig. The first two pics are the prototype, the others are a customers machine.

 

[davedj1]

Yeah, I went to their website. I couldn't tell from your pic how big the chain was and I wasn't sure if you had to make each link.
thanks,
dave

 

[Farmerford]

That's quite a project. I look forward to wathching it come together. And hearing the diesel chuff along.

Is there an additional gearing reduction between the axles and the tracks?

Any idea how much it will weigh when you finish?

Chuck

 

[SPIKER]

heck here is a early prototype for sale, new on the site today, not mine but real neat l972 Power King with Tractor Trax installed
http://images.craigslist.org/3Ec3K13I15Lf5N15F6cb52e39a3c1e7cd1e7b.jpg

Mark

 

[jd4310man]

Well, the plans state that if you have a two speed trans. that you can have a 1 to 1 ratio and if you don't have the two speed, then you can have a lower ratio on the drive sprockets from the trans to the track axles. As far as weight is concerned i hope to get it past the 1000# mark. That's just the tractor part. I plan on adding a loader and eventually a 3 point hitch with rear ballast. So I'm hoping to add close to another 1000# of weight to the machine. When I get it done ill get it weighed to find out for sure.

Ross

 

[CNC Dan]

As for the tracks, they are made from 4 lengths of #80 roller chain.

got any pics of the track segments?

 

[jd4310man]

Hear is an update. I got the undercarriage all welded up, and I started back to work on the tracks. haven't had much time to work on it as the weather is so nice this week. Got started tacking the track shoes to the track bracket plates. Its a bit tricky getting everything to line up as there is a lot of little parts to work with. I am overall happy with the way things are going but im having an issue with getting the sprockets to line up with the track chains. Its got to be just right. Hear is some more pics.

Ross