"Field find" SPYDER rough terrain forklift. Looking for info on it.

[MossRoad]

Kubota Parts Spyder Parts Kubota Engine Parts Spyder Florklifts

I'd try this one, too. It says they have machines and parts. Maybe they'd have a parts diagram they could send you.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: "Field find" SPYDER rough terrain forklift. Looking for info on it.

And good luck. I'm gonna follow your progress. Looks interesting. :thumbsup:

 

[strantor]

What information are you looking for? It’s a pretty simple unit that’s mostly put together with 3rd party parts.

Here are some examples of questions I suspect might be answered by the manual:

What is the maximum grade it can safely operate on?
How much is it rated to lift?
How much is that lift rating de-rated by having the extendable forks extended?
Are there any other scenarios under which the capacity must be de-rated (having the legs extended downward, travelling down a grade, etc)?
What pressure should relief valves be set at?
What's the part number for the seal kit for the caster lift cylinders?
How much pressure can the hub motors handle?
How much tension should the drive belts have?
What's the part number of that in-line flow control orifice valve on the annular end of the wheel leg cylinder that now just looks like a block of rust?
And the part number of the hexagonal drive belts that are long since worn off?
Am I in fact missing a dash panel with an hour meter or is just built without one?
And so on.

These are just questions I came up with having never taken a wrench to it. I'm sure there are more, many more, that will crop up as I go along. I'm sure I can fumble along and figure it out as I go, but I do prefer to have a road map.
Having a hydraulic circuit diagram would be especially nice, in case I fumble a total hose replacement. And I know absolutely nothing about the history of the machine; who has worked on it, what they replaced, if they replaced it with the correct parts, etc. I could run into a situation where something doesn't work properly (how would I even know?) so I replace it, only to find it still doesn't work properly, because some dingus 15 years ago swapped out the proper part for something else entirely, and whatever it was supposed to be, is undocumented and lost forever.

 

[Big Barn]

"Field find" SPYDER rough terrain forklift. Looking for info on it.

Interesting factoids (or not).

The machine overall width was 96” ( outside of tire to outside of tire) but because of the caster wheel setup and the fact one drive wheel could go one direction and the other could be made to go in the OTHER direction it could get in between fence openings with LESS than 96” clearance.

How much less depended on the skill set of the operator.

Extending the front cylinders would shorten up the machine a bit also.

You would travel loaded downhill backwards as you would a conventional
forklift but had to be certain to leave the front legs lowered and extend the caster wheel assembly to keep the load level.

The extendable forks are not a true scissor mechanism. The cylinder merely slides an “outer” fork outwards over the main forks.

 

[strantor]

strantor. I always supply the service and operators manuals when I
sell or trade in equipment. I would give Earl a call. I don’t remember the entire story but I think he was one of the original manufacturers of the Spyder as it was his design. Most likely from the 1970’s or 80’s.

If you end up needing a wheel drive motor and it is the same as the one I have in my parts room you are more than welcome to it. It’s a heavy sucker though.

Thank you sir! I will let you know.

 

[strantor]

Interesting factoid (or not).

The machine overall width was 96 ( outside of tire to outside of tire) but because of the caster wheel setup and the fact one drive wheel could go one direction and the other could be made to go in the OTHER direction it could get in between fence openings with LESS than 96 clearance.

How much less depended on the skill set of the operator.

Yeah, that IS interesting. A complementary factoid: it will fit on a car hauler, but only with about 1.5" of tire sitting on the deck. I was 100% uncomfortable with this, but I only live 2mi away and I drove home on the shoulder going 10mph.

Edit: also, where its sitting up against the trailer fenders, the trailer is perfectly balanced, zero tongue load, and can be lifted, lowered with a single finger.

 

[strantor]

I'd try this one, too. It says they have machines and parts. Maybe they'd have a parts diagram they could send you.

Thanks!

 

[4570Man]

Re: "Field find" SPYDER rough terrain forklift. Looking for info on it.

Interesting factoids (or not).

The machine overall width was 96” ( outside of tire to outside of tire) but because of the caster wheel setup and the fact one drive wheel could go one direction and the other could be made to go in the OTHER direction it could get in between fence openings with LESS than 96” clearance.

How much less depended on the skill set of the operator.

Extending the front cylinders would narrow up the machine a bit also.

You would travel loaded downhill backwards as you would a conventional
forklift but had to be certain to leave the front legs lowered and extend the caster wheel assembly to keep the load level.

The extendable forks are not a true scissor mechanism. The cylinder merely slides an “outer” fork outwards over the main forks.

I watched a guy deliver siding with one and the front wheels would pivot sideways and he could drive sideways. A nice feature to set 20 foot siding through less than 20 foot doors.

 

[strantor]

Update: it has made the transition from "dragger" to "roller." I disconnected the lines from the Eaton pumps to the hub motors and connected them in loops with crow's foot connectors. I realize these aren't rated for hydraulic system pressures but it's just temporary so it can be rolled around. 3 out of 4 tires were off the rim so I had to employ ye olde "spray something explosive inside and then explode it" trick times 3. After that I was able to easily roll it from the front of my shop where it was negatively impacting the value of my favorite neighbors' house that he's trying to sell, and into my tractor port where I can work on it out of the soul-sucking Texas sun.

Good news:
I only lost half of one eyebrow.
The hub motors spun very freely once suction/discharge hoses were looped.

Bad news:
There was entrained water in the fluid found in the lines of both motors.

Mediocre news:
The watery fluid didn't seem entirely rusty.

 

[Big Barn]

There should be a mechanical lock for the rear caster assembly to keep it in a in line position if you need to reverse direction immediately after driving forward in soft terrain.