Addding shocks to rear transaxle

Thinking of adding shocks to the rear of my craftsman.

Be tricky unless you had a live axle or some other setup similar. If the puelly is on top of your Craftsmans transmission it would be near possible because the belt would just flex and fall off.

You mean "Impossible" I think. Don't ya hate that? Yes if it flexes up or down to much, the belt will jump the pulley for sure. Also, you'd have to do some work to your shifting and brake linkage. Now if ya had one of them older tractors where the belt pulley is on the side of the tranny, you probably could do it. How was ya going to go about doing it?

Yes, my mower has a spicer 4 speed transaxle. I know about the belt & flex. I was thinking someone had tried it. The linkage looks like it would flex enough. It would only be 2" of movement alowed. How do you upload a pic.?

Be easier to get a 700 peerless trans and run a separate axle then to mess with trying to setup a 'normal' trans for flex. Or an ATV setup with a swing arm suspension.


Only way to make something actually work would be to come up with a driveshaft setup - that way could flex and move - youd need coil overs to raise the tractor, and locating bars with hiem joints on the ends ( 3 - one for each side and a pan hard bar or 4- 2 on each side) - to keep the trans lined up under the tractor.

If a right angle gear box was mounted to the trans ( with correct angles for drivelines set) - then a driveshaft could be hooked up. Alot of work and probably a good amount of money.

I thought about this on mine because it have a peerless 4 speed horizontal shaft transaxle.

It can be done with belts. but it woud take a serious ( very serious) amount of hacking/modding/engineering/fabbing.

the great thing about belt is that they flex, in all axis.

for a top pulley, vertical drive transaxle, all it would take is a set of idlers in line with the trans pully, and a set of idlers for the engine pulley. there would have to be a seperate idler with a heavy spring to adjust for the extra slack that would show up in suspension travel.

they use factory idler setups to make 90 degree corners for snow blowers and mower decks all the time. all it takes is a set of idlers on each end of the pivot point(s)

Marines2621 wrote:

I thought about this on mine because it have a peerless 4 speed horizontal shaft transaxle.

If its horizontal like on my old Agway it would be fairly easy to put a leaf spring suspension, a little more fab work for coil. Then you just have to worry about your shift linkage.

Why not have regular shocks on it? With custom bars attached to the front of the transaxle to keep it from falling out and have the shocks mounted behind the transaxle on both sides.

Marines2621 wrote:

Why not have regular shocks on it? With custom bars attached to the front of the transaxle to keep it from falling out and have the shocks mounted behind the transaxle on both sides.

Theres a lot more to suspension than just shocks. For the front, if its not locked, its not a problem since it pivots in the middle. However, for rear suspension, you actually will need leaves or coils to hold the body off the transaxle. Otherwise, when you sit on it, the shocks would just depress and not do much of anything.

Shocks just slow movement. In a car, the springs hold the body off the wheels, the shocks just keep your vehicle from bouncing after hitting a hole. Same principle on a tractor, the front shocks on a pivot just slow the pivot down.

Im just use to Dirt Oval Racing. U could use coilovers make spring buckets on the transaxle and the mower itself and have springs plus shock. and 2 arms for each side to keep from the rearend shifting out from under the tractor. Leaf springs are also a good concept to have instead of all this racing stuff i know. Lol

Marines2621 wrote:

Im just use to Dirt Oval Racing. U could use coilovers make spring buckets on the transaxle and the mower itself and have springs plus shock. and 2 arms for each side to keep from the rearend shifting out from under the tractor. Leaf springs are also a good concept to have instead of all this racing stuff i know. Lol

It doesnt really matter what you put on for suspension, as long as it springs and you have shocks to absorb it. Just plain shocks on the rear is pointless.

True about that

It was a idea. My front pivits . It's just rough riding in the rear. I would be useing coilover shocks and use links to tie the front of axle to body. Thought about a panhard bar also. I don't really need it to flex much, just soften the ride alittle. Thanks for the input. I wish I could post a pic. I pulled the axle out and inspeced it.Added more grease. It was replaced before I got the mower. Turns out it has a Spicer 4 speed not a 5. It was free by the way. It pays being a Mobile Smalll Engine Mechanic & having your own business. The customer had two mowers he diddn't want. I got both running.

Only way to soften the ride with out alot of mods is to let some air out of the tires or get tires with a better flexing sidewall - they wernt designed for offroad, just mowing.

I ran my old agway thru a ton of rough stuff , swamps, thru the woods, over trees - i think i took more of a beating then it did - but it was fun.

Only way to see what would work is get a cheep old tractor and experement on it with different setups till something works ( specially if youre hacking stuff up on it).

dangeroustoys56 wrote:

Only way to soften the ride with out alot of mods is to let some air out of the tires or get tires with a better flexing sidewall - they wernt designed for offroad, just mowing.

I ran my old agway thru a ton of rough stuff , swamps, thru the woods, over trees - i think i took more of a beating then it did - but it was fun.

Only way to see what would work is get a cheep old tractor and experement on it with different setups till something works ( specially if youre hacking stuff up on it).

Yup. Or get softer seat springs to make your ride a little more enjoyable. Not much you can do.

No this is possible. It takes a little work but when you get done, it is definitely worth it. What you do is get a couple A arms (homemade or whatever you got) and a smaller universal joint and put the universal joint in and cut you input shaft on your transaxle but not to low and weld that universal joint on there and then connect the other end of the universal to the input pulley. But keep in mind you will have to get a bearing of some sort and run the top of your universal joint through to keep your pulley in one spot while allowing your transaxle to move. This definitely works it just requires a little work. Good luck man.

Well fella's, I'm GONNA do this... with an old MTD single speed transaxle and the stock varidrive pulley ( I'm keeping it 2 belt, though I'll have to rearrange stuff. I'm new to the forum, but not to fabrication or farmyard engineering. I'm planning a 4 wheel sprung "Tructor" from an old mtd

Seat springs, Tire PSI, Engine mounts (optional but like the ones on a pressure washer), Seat (mtd makes the best seats), Quiet it down.
The ranch king road like a cadillac on 2-ply stock 4 wheeler tires. My pony however road like a brick lol. Hopefully this mini gt i got will ride better with its old school Leaf spring sorta spring. Like a U but sideways.
Here is the Fat man chair as i Call it, its an MTD High back seat.