Another Mini-Dozer

[dntfxr]

I guess for your wheelbase you could cut the I-beams in front of the square cross members and add in sections there, and make some more track links. I guess you'd need longer drive chains too but maybe lengthening the front end only would work. Maybe a larger driven sprocket would help with the speed too? Thanks for the update, I'm sure you'll get her sorted!

Eta: I meant C channel instead of I beam.

 

[dntfxr]

Is it the black sprocket that is keyed or the yellow? Could you just weld it to the shaft on one side?

It hard to tell from the earlier pics exactly how the power is engaged but perhaps changing the length on the engagement levers on the idler pulleys would smooth out engagement?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

It sounds to me that all of the problems (too fast, tippy, sheared key, hard to handle) all come down to one cause... lack of control of the power you have. You need some way of easing the beast into moving rather than an all or nothing type of system. The first thing that comes to mind for me is hydraulics, but there may be other systems.

I'm thinking as a minimum you could rig your drive mechanism to be a pump/motor type system with an adjustable bypass that allows you to proportion the fluid according to the desired speed. Optimally you could mount independant drive motors on each of the tracks allowing you to alter the speed and direction of each track with infinite variability.

 

[RangerRick]

Hi Rawinok2,

I've been following this post since you started it and I am impressed with your welding, fabrication and dedication to this project. Having said that, I see you are at a point where you have to take a step back for a minute are regroup.

I have run dozers, backhoes, excavators, etc. for more than 35 years and I have also attended college majoring in mechanical engineering so my experience should be of some value to you.

I agree with Iplayfarmer that a hydraulic pump with drive motors is the way to go on this dozer. You can feather in any speed you want and reverse would be a piece of cake. No belts either, just the chains from the motors to final drive sprockets. The hydraulic pump would be attached directly to the shaft on your engine and the hydraulic hoses are easy to run.

I know that the cost is a big factor for you but you are doing such a fine job on the rest of the machine, maybe you can wait awhile and save up what you need to go the hydraulic route. It would make your dozer operate smoother and more reliable without ever having to change a belt.

Now getting back to your last post about any suggestions about speed and rough ride:

To slow your dozer down to half its current speed, you can change the pulley on the engine to half its diameter.

To steady the machine, the blade on the front or weights on the back won't help much. What you need to do is lengthen the wheel base by at least 18 inches. The longer the track length, the smoother the ride.

It's unfortunate you live so far away from where I live. I am in the swimming pool business and I have five months off for the winter. I would have enjoyed giving you a hand working on this project.

Thanks for all the posts and keep up the great work!!

Rick

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I am in the swimming pool business and I have five months off for the winter.

Rick

WHAT! Nobody wants swimming pools in the winer! :laughing:

Welcome aboard Rick.

I think you will fit right in and be very helpful to have around.

Be Well,
David

 

[teg]

...Welcome aboard Rick...

I guess you missed the part under his name... "Join Date: Dec 2004".

Back to the problem... Could you add another sprocket, like slowing down the drill press trick???

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I guess you missed the part under his name... "Join Date: Dec 2004".

TEG,

I triggered the "Welcome Aboard" off of the # of posts = 1 & the "New Member" on his profile.

Missed the date. Still though a howdy was a good idea. :thumbsup:

Not the first time, nor will it be the last, where I goof something up.

David

 

[rcurrie]

Rawinok2 don't get discouraged. You have done an awsome job on your build and now have to do some tweeking. I agree that I would try changing engine pulley to half the size to slow it down and maybe you'll have to extend track frames by a few inches but I'm sure you have already thought of this as you seem like a very capable fabricator. Best of luck and keep us posted, Rob.

 

[workinprogress]

Trust me things will come together. Think of them more like improvements than corrections. I know with my small dozer build I am on version 10.0+ with all the improvements. I would work on getting your speed down and more control. Those rapid shifts can cause issues with keys. As already suggested i would suggest reducing the pulley size at the engine to lower speed.

 

[Renze]

I am in the swimming pool business and I have five months off for the winter.

Sell them as ice skating rinks

 

[hizoot]

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

Sell them as ice skating rinks

 

[scott_vt]

I don't have a video camera but hope to get one for my birthday on November the 8th ! ..

Good Evenin rawinok2,
What a great thread and beautiful workmanship ! After all this beautiful craftsmanship there is no doubt in my mind that you will figure out your present problems !

Happy Birthday, mine is Nov 7th, I turned 60...

From one Scorpio to another great job !!!

 

[cschulz]

:cool2::cool2::cool2:Sorry its late in the day but.......HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!!!!!!!!!!!


Chris

 

[Grayson Klassen]

Well, I took it for a "off-camera" drive today. It was quite a scary ride, kind of of like ridin' a wild bull ! All in all, it failed miserably ! The speed is about twice as fast as I'd like it to be. The steering was very jerky and when I either started or stopped, the machine would tilt either forward or backward respectively. I think I may have made the wheel base (or in this case, sprocket base) too short! Of course this was without the blade on front nor the box blade on back. Having them on might help to prevent the problem somewhat or make it worse, who knows! Then to top it all off, before I made it back to the garage, I sheered a key off on the left drive assembly. So, it looks like back to the drawing board for me! I would appreciate any thoughts on the matter. :anyone: I know I am having major thoughts of installing a roll bar! The photos below shows my sprocket setup (keyed to shaft) versus Strucks' (sprockets integrally welded):

Any way to re-shieve the primary drive for more torque less speed? I know that belt assembly might be tough to pull apart but at least it is only changing teo pulleys

 

[Grayson Klassen]

Two pulleys LOL

 

[beppington]

Two pulleys LOL

There is an edit button ...

 

[YesDeere]

There is an edit button ...

Sure is. But that was alot funnier!!

 

[rawinok2]

Any way to re-shieve the primary drive for more torque less speed? I know that belt assembly might be tough to pull apart but at least it is only changing teo pulleys

Thanks to everyone for both the camera information and your ideas on how to tame the beast! When someone mentioned that I could just use an Iphone to make the movies, I remembered that both daughters have them contraptions so I cancelled the request for a camera for now ! In regards to the speed problem on the dozer, I am thinking about adding a jack shaft right behind the motor. The existing belt is quite long and tends to have a lot of bounce in it. Two short belts would cure that problem and the added shaft could be used as a PTO to run a hydraulic oil pump should I decide to go that route in the future. Of course it then could be slowed down by installing two pullies of different diameters on the jack shaft as shown on the attached photo.I used paint to mark it up in order to show you what I 'm talking about.

BTW...is there any way to back out of a reply other than logging off and on again ? I intended on doing a "multiple quote" reply so that I could answer some of your questions but couldn't figure out how to back up (hitting the "go back" arrow didn't work).

 

[Renze]

I would put the pulleys opposed to what you sketch in the pictures, when the big pulley drives the smaller one, the speed will increase...

 

[MossflowerWoods]

BTW...is there any way to back out of a reply other than logging off and on again ? I intended on doing a "multiple quote" reply so that I could answer some of your questions but couldn't figure out how to back up (hitting the "go back" arrow didn't work).

I'm not qualified to speak on the dozer project, but when I start a reply and want to change it (like to a multi-quote) I simply hit the "Back arrow" on my browser which SHOULD take you o the prior screen, and start all over. If the text I was writing was good, I copy it BEFORE going back.

Not sure that answers your ?? But I hope I'm helpful.

Loving the Dozer! You can build for me anytime sir!

Be well,
David