The Mudding Craftsman

Finally! Uploaded some pictures!

It looks good with the black paint on it.

looks like you got some good tires. the flat black was a good choise. lifting it or keeping it stock like me?

nice paint job keep them pics coming

I'm putting those 25"tires on the front, 30" super swamper blems on back so I'm lifting it.

The 30" tires are TSL SX Super Swampers.

I can't afford to buy the Super Swampers, so I'm still lifting it a foot and it's gunna have 24" AT489s on the back, and 23" AT489s on the front, they were on a Polaris four- wheeler.

I don't know and post some dang pictures! I'm gonna start putting my build on here too!

That's great, I'm always looking for another topic to watch.

Not lifting this one, got a 98 GT 5000 that will be easier to lift, has a sideways clutch. I'm gunna go engine through clutch to a strait axle. I'm still putting the at489's all the way around the other Craftsman.

Im gunna start working on the Craftsman now that i broke the Bolens

Recap, im putting 24" at489s in the back with a 820 and drilling out then welding on splined 5 lug hubs. Putting 23" front at489 tires on front, 6"-6" ratio, 23HP Kohler Courage Pro or Comand Pro of a 98 craftsman GT 3000, Gt fenders with gas tank in back gt side panels orininal late 80's hood and dash, rewired will go bout 20-25 with 1-1 ratio on an 820

New pictures.


Still need engine on, bull horns, weld on the hubs, bumper, and lock the 820.
The Bull has no front axle on it for the moment, had to wire wheel spindels.

That looks awesome, what did you use to get those 5-lugs fit the 820? is it just another cut out?

5 lug, 1 in hubs, are pretty common on the bigger mowers.

Yeah I got it of my Craftsman GT 3000, they were splined so I had to drill them out now im gunna weld them on.

what do you guys think of lifting like this?

Mine

Do it! Don't think it'll be all easy but if you can get it right you will love it Couple things to remember/consider:

Gear ratios really come into play with that big of tires. I say this because I've been toying with a full-suspension variation of this idea for a long time and well, big tires make tons of speed on non-stock gearing. As part of an experiment I put 31x10.5-15 on the back of an LT1000 craftsman and the thing pulled almost 60 with a 5" pulley rear and a 6" front. A great example of this issue :



Now he mentions it'll do 40 or so with an opposed twin. That's with a 10 or 12" rear pulley on the thing and a stock size up front. Needless to say, it'll be really hard to keep the thing upright going that fast, no matter how you engineer it... unless it's REALLY wide.

Wheelies are a distinct possibility as well, but another "oh sh**" scenario.

On the other hand, it'd be a lot of fun and get many looks and questions from all types of people. Me, I say build it

Thx for info EDI, im not lifting it that much, eventaly gunna put 27" exicutioners on it, heres how im doing it 4wd

craftsmancole wrote:

Thx for info EDI, im not lifting it that much, eventaly gunna put 27" exicutioners on it, heres how im doing it 4wd

How will you steer it?

Put steering knuckles on it

Or I'll put belts down in stead of chain and weld pulleys to the rims...

thats going to b a lot of stress on the tranny tho. pushing 4 tires