Utility MX

Thanks. Some progress. I used road car parts to make the steering axle. I welded the sprocket first to the hub axle "bolt" and then welded the steerin axle directly to the sprocket and just hope that this will be strong enough design. Some wobbling might occur but this is rotating only few rounds so hopefully it does not matter.

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I also welded two more tubes. One short tube between subframe and that hub where bigger sprocket is. Other to the cap at front between the trianlge plate and subframe. Now I can drill holes through subframe and main frame. After that I can take front end in pieces and weld all seams. I have front axle skid plate in paper so that will be also next on the working list. Finally it seems that the list is getting shorter.

Now I managed to weld all in place so that I am able to take front axle in pieces. I made the chain tensioner system also. One part of that is missing from the photo. I have used and will use welded nuts in all possible places.

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I started to work also with the front axle skid plate. That needs more supports. I will take the front axle off so I am able to make supports more easily on table

Next I will finish all work with front axle and after that start to work with steering collum, seat and pedals. I have desided to use Honda + yardman rear axle combo. With those I might have this ready until next spring otherwice my motivation might end before this is ready.

Other reason is that my son keeps asking when I am going to work with JEEP project. I have desided to use the original plan with that and just make modifications afterwards if needed.

Front skip plate 95% ready.

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I will cut the plate from the sides because the steering arm is moving up and down during steering and there is too little space. Later I might make some bolted bracket on the upper side. Because it seems that there is some kind hole inside my head after I get to drivers seat. This must be "bullet" proof. If I can not drive through somewhere slowly I go faster. I do not have detour in my glossary

This is looking pretty serious. I'm diggin' it!

Pretty cool looking skid plate.

Thanks a lot. I am satisfied so far about the build. I am posting quite often but soon there will be break.

Skid plate 100% and front axle almost ready. Some grinding and steering stoppers and thats it. At the beginnig I wrote that I will use as much as possible Yardman original parts. There is little parts made from YardMan on this front axle. During the build my ideas changes sometimes ( everytime is more true) and this front axle is totally different than I first thinked about.

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Next I will remove more parts from the axle so that I can grind and make the rest of the supports.

Here is photo where you can see how the front axle settles inside of the car rim. Whit this design I have hopefully light streering.

]http://aijaa.com/E6S317]


]http://aijaa.com/gcM9iU]



Front axle 100% and those hubs / knuckles almost ready. Steering stoppers are welded to front axle. I welded more supports to knuckles. Knuckles needs a bit grinding because the rim attaches after all to the seams. After grinding I will weld the rim bolts and it done.

]http://aijaa.com/Tr2NKP]

New year new ideas. I desided to drill sort of sideways to the rim to be able to get air indise of the inner tube. I drilled directly at the same place as the original car tubeles valve was. Not the nicest one but easy to make and this gives space for the inner tube valve.

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I have started to make frame a bit more.

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Next I will weld small round tube so that I do not get sharp edges and plate to get the side closed at the same hight as the original frame is.

Here is the round tube + plate design for the frame. Not ready but an starting point at least.

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Because I have been working with the front so long time I wanted to change to rear. I welded the rim plates in place with bolts. After some welding this rear axle is ready. I used small mertic standard bolts and use road car wheel nuts as washers to get the rim in place. Some wobling was left after welding those rim plates but I am sure that it will not affect the driving.

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Another reason for welding the rear plates is that I would like to install temperarily all in place to get better feeling about how this is going to look. At this moment I only have pile of parts but no idea about the look or dimensions. Seat and steering wheel place would be nice get figured out.

Slowly progress with seat and streering parts. I started with original seat mounting parts and bolted all seat related parts to frame. After that tryed to figure out where should I put the steeering wheel. I figured out that it is easier to handle the tractor if the steering wheel is in front of me

I used this design and start welding. Here is photos about the steering collumn. This is only an layout.

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I used road car streering collumn with lenght adjust. Now I can adjust the streering wheel closer when my kids are driving. I will use the modified chain hoist to change the direction and ratio. I have modified the chain hoist so that streering wheel can be bolted on. I have modified the car streering collumn so that there is some steel where I can weld the chain hoist. Next I need to figure out how I can connect the axles together. IMG 2818 has red marks on the axles. I will use some round bar and lot of good luck

After all is rotating and strong enough I will make some protection around the hoist and stuff so that there is not an hole where to put finger between gearings for example. Also this should give more cleaner look.

Steering collumn is working and it is beautiful

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Main idea was to get slower ratio and change the direction and both of these works with this. Steering wheel lenght adjustment is stil working after all that weldings. All parts are taken from my almost endles pile of junk  

Next I will make some kind of protection around the moving parts and focus on mounting this to tractor frame. At the same time I will mount the seat at correct place.

Rims are now welded. Next I will work with grinder and drill hole for inner tube valves => sandblasting => painting => tire mounting => enjoying the result of hard work

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Finally rim issue solved. Here is to do list from my post earlier:
- work with grinder => done
- drill hole for inner tube valves => Done
- sandblasting => I kind of skip this
- painting => done
- enjoying the result of hard work => done
- tire mounting => this is the next job
- enjoying the result of hard work => definitely will be done again  

Here is one photo about the painted rim. This is acceptable result. These are covered by mud anyway.

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Three ready and air in. Almost like putting tire to MX rim so center groove and all other dimension works.

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Next I really would like to see how this tractor is looking so I will bolt on axles, seat and steering collumn. I think that this is going to look bit different than other machines that I have

Sometimes I keed thinking that would it be possible to buy something ready to go from some shop. Maybe not then you have similar than others  and the feeling is great when you get something ownmade ready

I'm really digging those wheels! Now I'm thinking how I could make a set and use them on my machine.

Thanks now all wheels are ready. This project will continue next week.

I have already different machine in my design table for these tires

Bolt on and some photos

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Steering collumn need some modification. There is just room to sit and even turn the wheel but I will move treering wheel a bit to front.

This might need some ladders

Wow! This is pretty sweet, sweet to see it together as a hole (for the most part). The tire/rim combo it pretty rad, and looks pretty comfortable for driving. I love how beef that front is, should be able to really beat it up, i think im going to steal that tie rod protector for mine...

Thanks my motivation got an boost after bolting some parts together

Right now I really would like to go for an drive

Feel free to copy. I try to make this as heavy duty as possible but off course weight can not be too high. I do not drive nicely and this frame most likely has more horse power some day.

Today I got the steering wheel at better place. Next week I will try to get wheels turned from that black round thing which is in front of seat.

It seems that there is even room for pedals

Streering collumn is now quite solid and there is just the space for me to sit. If needed I will move the seat litlle bit to rear. I do not like this idea because then my weight is going more to rear also. Maybe 5hp is not so wild for wheelies    = steering collumn ready.

Wheels turns from center to left or right about 1,5 streering wheel turns= streering ready

Some photos about the custom streering and front axle.

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Moving and rotating parts needs some guard and at the same time it will be some kind of rain protection for joints and chain.

Soon I can proceed to engine mounting with varidrive system. After that I can more easily figure out how the pedals are the easiest to make. After these are solved I can proceed with the rear skid plate. I have some parts and main design ready.

I am still trying to make rear fenders from the original engine guard.

Very impressive, I really like this setup. Looks like you won't have to worry about breaking. It's like my steering, bunch if moving parts but makes one killer setup.

My Stallion tractor came stock with a sprocket setup quite similar to that. That's a nice setup and I planned on doing that for mine since I seen it on the Stallion. Ill have to take a picture of it when the weather calms done.

Wow, really neat idea with the sprockets, looks pretty tough.

Thanks about the positive comments. I am surprised how light the steering is. I accidentally notice that bicycle has same pitch as industry 1/2" chain. I will definately use this compination at some other design also. I have biiiG bicylce warehouse and bicylce has lot of different size of sprockets.

I hope that this tractor will be ready some day and then I will lift this and "silver thingy" to trailer and go offroading with my kids. I try to make this so tough that we can drive not repair. Hopefully this will also have some offroad capacity because my offroad car friends have asked me to take this at the same safaries. Depending about the capacity maybe some other offroad fanatic will like idea of tractor offroading and they will modify own tractors

Still moving from front to rear. Now both sides of the frame are ready. I welded tubes also diagonally. Before painting I will weld more between tubes and original frame. Frame is now strong enough so next project please.

http://aijaa.com/zYWtkU


This morning I started to modify the pulley and notice that original Honda engine pylley is missing. My idea is to use Honda pulley and some industrial pylley compination welded together. Maybe I need to use some time to organize the chaos inside my garage

Change of plans again. Engine cover went accidentally to front. It will be better at "hood" that rear fender. I might need to stretch a little bit because I think it will look better if the hood is bit more at front. After I have decided the hood place I will check again the front agle. At this moment I would like the hood front end be a bit agle like this photo. But everything can change

http://aijaa.com/irLASt


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This machine needs rear fenders and those will be made from some else.

This thing is looking pretty neat. Don't know if I missed seeing those custom rims before or what, but they really worked out good. Nice to have the tools to make straight cuts and line that stuff up so you can do things like that.