Duals on a 6x4 Gator

[sinthome]

I have a 6x4 Gator TH. It is already relatively wide and stable, low COG, but I would like to widen its stance even more for a specific cross-slope towing situation that I have. There are folks making wheel spacers and also adapters for bolt-on dual wheels. Some say good things, others say it is asking for a bent transaxle or worse. Well, I have another "parts" Gator and I am fighting the impulse to pilfer the back wheels and weld up some dual wheel adapters for the rear (all four wheels). Despite the cautionary tales out there, I am thinking that it might be different having two sets of duals per side, since it would distribute the load better than a single set of duals. There might be other reasons not to do it... even saying "10-wheeled Gator" kinda makes me cringe... but I wonder if it might not achieve my purposes and not be that much worse than 3" wheel spacers. Thoughts on this? Specifically, I have yet to see any load stress calculations for these kind of mods, only anecdotal "it does great" or "that's crazy" or "try it and see". Is there a good way to determine, for starters, bending force of the axle or how much force does it take to damage a transaxle? If I could find the ratings for these parts then we could do potential load calculations and get a sense of how utterly stupid it might be. Thoughts on this?

 

[roadhunter]

Interesting. I bet it would look cool. That must be some slope as as you mentioned they have a low center of gravity.

I suspect it would work just fine as long as you were just pulling.

 

[sinthome]

Tongue weight around 250# with a homebuilt trailer, which is designed to carry a hard-pack 4x5 round bale on it. The trailer has a 7' width to keep it stable in transport and is designed to lower the bale and unroll it across the steep pasture slope, which varies from 15-30deg. So far I have kept off the steepest sections and probably still won't use it for that. I'm hoping to get a little more stable on the 20-25deg sections, though.

I would also be curious for garden tractor recommendations that could achieve this task, but I haven't seen any that seem as stable with the same minimal ground compaction as the Gator, but it certainly is under-powered and I worry about the clutch and belt burning up when hauling uphill. I would love a 1.5-ton 25-30hp range tractor that could take duals.

 

[roadhunter]

Some of the older tractors and adjustable rear wheels. I know my old farmall appears to have enough space to get well over 10 ft wide. I would think somethign like that might work and be easy on the budget but may have too much ground compaction for your needs.

My little skidder would work perfect for this application. I foamed the tires and its' works really well on slopes as it has a low center of gravity much like the gator.


There also may be tractor alternatives like the power trac that might work better than a conventional tractor. What about a little articulated tractor?




OR this.
JACOBSEN / STEINER 43 COMMERCIAL ARTICULATED TRACTOR ONLY. KOHLER. 4X4. NICE | eBay

 

[sinthome]

Thanks for the ideas, roadhunter, they have helped me narrow down my options.

Since this tractor talk is tending away from the ATV/UTV forum topic I'm gonna start a new thread for "Gator alternatives" and reserve this for comment on the "dually 6x4" proposition. I am still interested in more feedback, if anyone else cares to comment. Otherwise you can look at my tractor deliberations here--

Mountain Tractor Choices (hills, slopes, pasture, forest)

 

[woodhe1]

I have 2 extra sets.

New Zealand Distributor for ClicDualWheels for ATVs Off-Road vehicles and Ride-On Mowers Increase Safety Double Traction and Towing Power

 

[ovrszd]

Without pics this is a bit hard for me to visualize. For example, what style tires do you have? If they are turf type I'm guessing you'll gain great stability, but the lbs per sq in will be so low that you'll struggle to stay on a steep side slope without spinning and sliding to the bottom??

I think the concern about bending axle assemblies would be if you were carrying large loads and the weight fell upon the dual tire, which will most definitely happen at times.

 

[sinthome]

Hmm, yeah they are all similar squishy turf wheels. Good point about sliding, I hadn't thought about that but now I can really see that happening.

Hey, thanks, those Clics are cool and they sure would make it easy to try out my idea... but ultimately kinda expensive and I could probably fab up some axle extensions for <$100 of steel and my own welding time. Although, if you wanted to loan them to me to try, that'd be something else!

 

[woodhe1]

Hey, thanks, those Clics are cool and they sure would make it easy to try out my idea... but ultimately kinda expensive and I could probably fab up some axle extensions for <$100 of steel and my own welding time. Although, if you wanted to loan them to me to try, that'd be something else![/QUOTE]

Bring the unit up to N. Illinois and try them out (I have 4 of them).

 

[sinthome]

Would be a fun road trip and I appreciate the offer! I'll hit you up if it ever makes sense to lug the Gator that far.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Those small articulated tractors are so cool! I used to have an 8 wheel Diesel Argo (factory prototype). It was amazing on hills, PLUS it could swim!

 

[Argonne]

6x4 Gators are already "challenged" when it comes to turning, with the front tires trying to get enough purchase to "out traction" the rear to redirect the vehicle path to the direction you want to go. I think with duals, this problem might be exacerbated to the point of not being able to steer much at all. Having said that, I'd love to see you try it cuz that rig would be off the gnarly scale .

Also, when running empty and encountering a small rise, I think you might find the front wheels entirely off the ground quite often with the added static weight back there. I can see you having to run the rear tire pressures very low, and the mid tire pressures almost un-measurable, to prevent this.

My 6x4 M-gator normally pulls the front wheels (look mom, no steering!) just going up the gentle rise entering the garage. Granted, the M model is heavier in the rear than the civilian models, and it's a diesel, so maybe this wouldn't be as big an issue with a stock model.