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

[Garauld]

You will need to plug your diff vent and drill a new one on the top side of the housing.

-> good eye! Yes, I plan to use the OEM vent, just have not got around to it yet. I wanted to ensure I had enough room on top of the diff housing for it.

 

[Garauld]

I would HIGHLY recommend that you weld up the differential ...

I recently received my official Toyota U340E auto transmission repair manual. I wanted to look into the difficulty in getting to the differential and welding it up. Well, it actually looks pretty easy so I plan to do the deed - weld it rigid.

 

[The Fred]

Why lock the rear diff?

How can one steer the machine?

Regards, Nice project.

Fred

 

[Garauld]

Why lock the rear diff?

-> this design uses a front wheel drive car with an open differential , i.e, it does not have posi-traction. I will use one of the axles as the power side of the driveshaft to the other (also open) differential at the front of the chassis. One of the engine axles will either a) need to be anchored to the frame so the power will be transmitted to the driveshaft or b? the gears inside the differential need to be welded thus "locking" the diff.

How can one steer the machine?

-> the front driven differential has a brake rotor placed on each side - these are used for steering. Pull the right steering lever and the right brake caliper actuates thus transferring power to the left track to turn right. Make sense?

 

[Fallon]

-> this design uses a front wheel drive car with an open differential , i.e, it does not have posi-traction. I will use one of the axles as the power side of the driveshaft to the other (also open) differential at the front of the chassis. One of the engine axles will either a) need to be anchored to the frame so the power will be transmitted to the driveshaft or b? the gears inside the differential need to be welded thus "locking" the diff.

-> the front driven differential has a brake rotor placed on each side - these are used for steering. Pull the right steering lever and the right brake caliper actuates thus transferring power to the left track to turn right. Make sense?

Makes sense. I was confused as well. There is another dif for steering other than the dif you are locking up.

 

[bcp]

I think this is the approximate arrangement:

Bruce

 

[airbiscuit]

Isn't welding the internal spider gears the preferred option? Fewer parts spinning around.

 

[Garauld]

Isn't welding the internal spider gears the preferred option?

-> yes, that is the plan.

 

[CalG]

Jack jumpers often had the transmission attached to the engine feeding the input to a second transmission that provided the drive output.

Lots of range in that configuration, but nothing much higher than overdrive.

Does a "swamp thing" need to go 90 mph

 

[The Fred]

I misunderstood thanks for the clarifications.

It would be nice to engineer in a little more speed than 20 MPH at 6K. I think the high RPM will be a setback to driving the thing.