Offroad tractor

[tractor guy]

Been beefin this up awile now. Basicly I just started with a working $50 mtd tradesman and started modifin everything that I could brake offroadin it. So far I have rolled it several times and totaly trashed the steering. I replaced theentire steering system with a murry type (duel tie rod) from a troybuilt, replaced the hood then welded the side panels, hood and grill Iinto one peace on its third repair. Then I decided to build a cage to keep the motor from gettin tore up. I built an internal cage to suport the hood and exo-cage, threw on the nerf bars (if ya wanna call em that) and added a atv rack on the back. The motor is a stock briggs opposed 18.5 and the drive train is the stock variable drive pully with 3/4" belts and a two speed transaxle with 1" axles. Still debatin a pulley swap.

 

[souperman000]

That's looks cool, I like the railroad spikes on the front.

Have you considered beefing up the suspension? Can you do a lift on a tractor?

 

[landuse]

Nice tractor. Have you messed around with the pulleys for more speed?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Looks pretty stout. Are the 1" axleshafts stock, or did you modify the transaxle to accept them? As for the 3/4" belts... 3/4"? where do you even find those? I'm surprised they work with the varidrive system. You're not actually referring to "B" series or "5L" belts, are you? Those, I believe, are 5/8".

Love the ag pattern rear tires.

 

[tractor guy]

Havnt done a pully swap. I call em 3/4" belts cuz they are closer to 3/4" then half. I figure even if I can find them they will cost to much. When they go ill probly do a 1/2" belt pully swap and loose the variable drive. The transaxle is stock 1" axle with two forward speeds, neutral and reverse. Its unlocked. Id like to get a peerless 820 and lock it but its all about fun on the cheap. My total investment is about $100 so far.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

$100? Not bad at all! And the 1" axle shafts are a big bonus. FYI- I rotated your pics 'cuz my neck was getting sore...

 

[B.M.800]

Doc, I think you killed the clickable part of the pics when you fixed them lol.

That cage looks pretty neat. How bout a pic from behind? Do you have a rear bumper built?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Yup- think I might have. Not sure what happened to the sizing there. Tractor Guy, if you want to repost them larger, go ahead- or if you need help, contact me and I'll be more than happy to get you sorted out.

 

[tractor guy]

Doc, thats alright I didnt know I could rotate them. B.m.800, got no rear shots of it. It has no rear bumper just a utility quad rack. The cage was a product of bordom and scrap layin around. I did make it strong enough to support the front in a rollover but the sides and some of the hood cage are made of very thin tent frame and is mostly just to complete the post appocoliptic redneck look.

 

[tractor guy]

flatbed wagon

Built a wagon with two lawn tractor front axles, an old sign post, and some scrap kart frame. Got about $30 in it. $25 was the lumber and lag screws. Also did a lil work on the tractor. Re-did the hood and grill and a lil exo-cage work. Gotta build a new throttle now.

 

[tractor guy]

more in-depth look at the redneck express

This picture just shows how I made the hood, grille, and side panel's to come off easier. All the attachments use pins aside from the bottom of the grille that has two studs that drop in and are held in place with the top grille retainer pins.

 

[tractor guy]

more in-depth look at the redneck express

Here you see the battery retainer, grossly over built throttle assembly, thin wall tubing I used on the sides, and the 2" lift I did to realign the pulleys after ditchin the vari-drive.

 

[tractor guy]

more in-depth look at the redneck express

Here you can see the pulley swap (5 1/2"). Top speed is same as before I ditched the var-drive. Then the front bumper made from an old dolley handle and my Hank lll hood ornament. (I was a huge fan back before I had kids and cleaned up) the front wheels are the originals but after swapin in a murry type steering system from a troybuilt I had to extend the spindles by weldin on some threaded barstock and double-nuttin the wheels on. They are also filled with water to keep it from poppin up on hill climbs. The rears were also on it when I got it and use a two speed transaxle with 1" axles.

 

[tractor guy]

more in-depth look at the redneck express

Next in line is the flatbed. I used two front axles from old tractors that use 1 tierod from one side to the other. The rear has one spindle welded in place, the other is free so I can use the tierod to align them. The front is of course tied into the hitch to steer. They are bolted and welded to two rails made from a post I cut into two 5'4" sections. I used 2x3s bolted with lag screws to the posts then the 2x6s and 2x10s accross those. Before I dared put my kids on it I loaded it with 14 bricks like you see here and offroaded the heck out of it. Even drugg it threw the mud pit and didnt get stuck! And no, I didnt lock my transaxle. This was the first real stress test I did in my welds. No problems watso ever. I also put a hitch on the back of it for...

 

[tractor guy]

...the chunk wagon

This thing started life as my welding cart but evolved into the chunk wagon. It uses 12x6 kart tires and a frame built from scrap. The spindles are made from old shoppin cart front wheels, washers, and lil scraps and 3/4" grade 8 bolts. The tierod is a peace of square stock and deck hight adjustments. Throw in some welded chain (a redneck must have) to support the frame a lil and vwa la! I wrap a chain around the handle with a screw together link and use a quick clip rated for 350pnds to hook it to the flatbed.

 

[tractor guy]

more in-depth look at the redneck express

And there ya have it. The Redneck Express. So far ive had me and the wife on the tractor, two adults and five kids on the flatbed, and the baby in the wagon all at once. Needless to say we got a few looks ridin out the holler.