Mr.Modified's Simplicity Adventure Edition [2016 Build-Off Finalist]

not even time for a video! have to wait after haspin... what a tease

Thanks, I started filming a little. After haspin I'll edit it all together. Test rode a real short loop in the woods before loading up. Over all it seems to run pretty good. Main issue is it doesn't like to shift too well at speed. I think the jackshaft pulley has a lot of momentum and keeps spinning after you push the clutch in. Later I might need to make some sort of brake that activates when you step on the clutch. I think that would take care of it.

well dang she looks good, with all that orange you need a 01 or rebal flag painted on there

WOW good job love the color too !

I got the chance to see this build in person at haspin, I have to say its an awesome machine, with great attention to detail. the front suspension works great too

Thanks guys, I took a lot of video at haspin and some pictures. Should have them up in a couple weeks I hope. The problem is my computer exploded when I finally got home, so now I'm working on getting the new one set up. Simplicity worked out pretty good for being an untested machine. Had a slight issue with the jackshaft having too much weight which causes it to want to keep spinning when the clutch is pushed in. This made it tough to shift on the move. Gearing is almost perfect, even though the 7-8hp briggs is slightly underpowered. It's still a pretty usable machine over all. Suspension worked nice and everything seemed to hold up good. I tried hitting as many ditches and ruts as I could. Both the simplicity and the baja sears ended up on their sides at least once, but no serious damage. More on the trip later when I get everything organized.

Creepycrawler wrote:

I got the chance to see this build in person at haspin, I have to say its an awesome machine, with great attention to detail. the front suspension works great too

Thanks. I meant to say something to you guys before we took off, but I think you guys went out with the van while we were loading up Saturday morning. I have some decent clips of trying a couple mud holes and in that stream bed.

I forgot to say something, but think the clutch jumping is from your large pulley on the jack shaft, it looked pretty wobbly. Glad to have you guys there!

No big deal, I didn't think you guys were up and about when we took off. The clutch jumping I think is due (mostly) to the jackshaft's momentum and the engine's pulses being out of tune. The big pulley on the jackshaft is off maybe an 8th inch, but that only effects the rear belt. I think if I make a new jackshaft with the largest pulley aluminum to save weight, it would help the clutch jumping a lot. Also a slightly stiffer clutch spring might dampen some of it too. My plan is to get a keyed 3/4" shaft and put the pulleys on that way with the addition of a band brake operated by the clutch pedal. When you want to shift up to the next gear on the fly, the jackshaft needs to be moving much slower for a higher gear, but with all the weight and momentum, it keeps turning at the same speed for way too long. Hence all the gear grinding. When I slowed the jackshaft down on the move with a stick, I could shift pretty good.

Pics from Haspin! There are some more but these are the main pics relating to the simplicity. Suspension held up good, I tried hitting as many erosion ditches as I could at speed. Seemed to soak things up pretty good. Air filter foam got sucked forward in the box but didn't seem to lose it's seal so I left it. Needs a screen to keep the foam in one place. Used the winch to haul firewood by wrapping the cable around the wood then snugging it against the bumper. Worked well until I was headed back to camp once alone and needed to winch up a hill. Had to drop the wood, winch out, then put the wood back on. Serpentine belt brakes worked much better than I expected. Wear didn't seem to be an issue, even with all the dust and later...mud. The simplicity could use a bit more power, but even another 3hp would be a help. I towed Moose's john deere in muddy conditions and it got the job done (barely, needed to be in 1st gear low). Used the winch a few times to get out myself and also to winch out the baja sears and the rainbowboxer's machine once. It's a huge help if your alone. I tipped the simplicity off the edge of a bank once, which only resulted in some mud being packed in the top of the snorkel and a broken throttle cable adjuster, which I just left broke the rest of the trip. No serious running issues, a couple times I noticed fuel running out of the carb vent tube, but it didn't seem to effect running. The pic of the bridge in the background is just out the driveway at haspin, then a short run down a back road brings you to a rail road bridge. Haspin property is right close by, but it's all fenced in, so you still need to go back in the driveway. In high gear the simplicity rolls along pretty nice if you want to cover some distance on flat ground. Need to GPS it later and get some exact specs.

Looks like it got a pretty rigorous testing! Any future plans for this during the build off?

Like ive said during the hold build, i like how it turned out. i almost want to build that hood rack for mine, i might. I just like the look even, lol.

I don't think I'll be making any serious changes, besides fixing the jackshaft/shifting issues. I'm still thinking of making an off road trailer, but I don't know how soon I would do that. The low hp factor will make towing even a small trailer through rough terrain sort of tough.

My plan was to have a square open top box (no tail gate) on a square tube frame. There would be a lid either hinged or pined on to cover the top of the box. Same tires as front of the simplicity. Possibly have the axle on snowmobile leaf springs. Springs or not is something I've been thinking about. Is the added weight really worth it? I originally thought suspension on the trailer would keep it from flipping better at speed. But with the low power of the simplicity, I doubt you'd be pounding over rough ground with the trailer anyway. Maybe make the box square tube and skin it with aluminum panels or thin ply wood. Small and simple would probably be best at this point since your not really going to use it that much, if at all. Trailer would probably have a tail light and rear bumper too.

Hood rack looks like it works good. Pretty surprised at how those brakes worked, gotta remember that one. Did the battery take much soaking sitting there beside the tyre?

Hi Mr.Modified, just wondering what the lengths of the suspension tubes were on your front end?

Thanks mattD, battery got mud on it, but didn't bother it any. I went out and measured the tubes. If you mean the tubes from the axle to the center joint, it's about 16-16.5 inches give or take. Status with this thing is that it still sits in the garage hooked up to the cart I used to haul some brush the last time I had it out. Spots where paint got knocked off the foot rests at haspin rusted up a little but not bad. Still didn't replace the alternator belt yet. Been fairly busy with other stuff and can't get back to it yet. I'm in the process of selling some junk and trying to free up some space. Baja sears is still for sale. I still want to make a matching trailer for this thing, but I don't know if it will be before the end of the build off or not. Basicly I'm trying to get cleaned up for my next big project which is going to take up a crap load of space.

Thanks man! Yeah, I'm clearing my junk out too, space isn't at a premium in my garage. My kind of thinking though is if I will even remotely need it, I'll keep it! So I end up selling nothing lol.

Have you had any issues with your locked transaxle? Taken it apart to examine it by chance?

TheBeal wrote:

Have you had any issues with your locked transaxle? Taken it apart to examine it by chance?

I didn't have any problems so far. The baja sears has been locked with flipped gears for longer than this one without any problems yet. I think the simplicity with the 8hp engine won't have much trouble. If it we're to break anything, I do have a spare 633 to use. Haven't removed the trans though.

Not sure if you know this or not but I discovered that these style of Simplicites were made by Allis Chamlers.

I knew they had ones that looked the same with their name on it but I didn't know who made what.

Yeah according to some blog a guy had two that were identical, one made by Allis Chamlers and the other one by Simplicity. They both had an 8hp Briggs (I think).

If I'm not mistaken, Simplicity made Allis Chalmers' garden tractors because Allis bought them in 1965. Simplicity still made there own tractors, but Allis-Chalmers owned their company and they manufactured Allis' garden tractors for them.

Oh right. It could have been the other way round. Thanks for the info!

No problemo! I just love Allis Chalmers is all, hahahaha!

another great build! this ones gonna be a tough one to beat!

Thanks redzz. I have the simplicity in the shop at the moment with the front bumper and running boards re-touched gloss black. Just realized I don't have too many close up pics of this thing completed. I'll take a couple before the end of the build off.