My Senior design project - a "Swamp Thing" tracked vehicle clone

[Raul-02]

I plan to regularly post new photos

If it don't launch patriot missiles then~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

[Garauld]

As if I needed another project...

 

[MadJack]

search for Bombadiere 6048 sidewalk plow... There's one for sale here in Maine now on marketplace.
Engineering has been done, just copy and source parts...

 

[ArlyA]

search for Bombadiere 6048 sidewalk plow... There's one for sale here in Maine now on marketplace.
Engineering has been done, just copy and source parts...

Gary is building this project for fun and seats 2. Those Bombi sidewalk machines seat one, have very narrow tracks with high ground PSI and not made for general snow operations. Tracked snow machines is my forte.

 

[Garauld]

As there is no governor on Snowzer, I have found that it is real easy to redline the engine in the lower gears. In lieu of a governor, I have thought of integrating a soft rev limiter. A soft limiter shuts off one or more injectors as the revs increase. Does anyone have experience using a rev limiter on race or other vehicles? Are there other options to be considered?

 

[scootr]

I was so enamored with the ripsaw tank when it first appeared in 2004/05

I have a 773 bobcat now - that's my ripsaw

Good luck with the project.

 

[Garauld]

Yesterday, I went and moved Snowzer so I could mow the grass under it. While I was making a left turn, I started to hear bad sounds in the back which turned out to be the track had ridden up onto the rear idler and the grousers were rubbing on the underside of the cargo box. Apparently, the side force generated by the track when turning pushed the rear tire off the bead and let the track move sideways onto the idler. Have any of you forum members filled tires with foam or other concoctions to make them flat-proof? I have looked into 2-part urethane rubber products which would probably work to fill and make the tires rigid but they are expensive at $100/gal. For now I plan to install tubes into the rear tires and see if that works. Solid rubber tires would be the preferred option if they were available in my required size.

 

[ArlyA]

This is why bullies (and other tracks machines) use high ply tires on there iders and I mean very, very strong and stiff ones. Side loads are tought on the idlers.

 

[Garauld]

I bought a pair of tire tubes and installed them into the rear track idler wheels. We will see how they work out to prevent the turning side loads from de-beading them. I was pondering other alternatives to the tube and rubber fill plans. One thought was to make the tire out of a hardwood like maple or hickory. For each "tire", I could make a pair of wood donuts each about 2" thick from layering and gluing individual boards together like plywood. These would be sandwiched and screwed to a round 3/16" thick piece of aluminum sheet to be used to mount it to the hub. I could make a contouring cutter to form the curved sidewalls on my milling machine using the rotary table. Do you think it would work? Your thoughts?

 

[jmc]

I bought a pair of tire tubes and installed them into the rear track idler wheels. We will see how they work out to prevent the turning side loads from de-beading them. I was pondering other alternatives to the tube and rubber fill plans. One thought was to make the tire out of a hardwood like maple or hickory. For each "tire", I could make a pair of wood donuts each about 2" thick from layering and gluing individual boards together like plywood. These would be sandwiched and screwed to a round 3/16" thick piece of aluminum sheet to be used to mount it to the hub. I could make a contouring cutter to form the curved sidewalls on my milling machine using the rotary table. Do you think it would work? Your thoughts?

Since you asked... I'd be concerned about the wet wood, as the packed snow up in the tracks melts in your garage. Whatever protective finish you apply will probably abrade.

Could you fill the tubes/tires with something that will set up firmly yet still allow you to cut the rubber off the rim if it didn't work out?