MTD trail build

Can you get a picture of the bottom part with the tabs to go into the frame and what not? I don't have the seat for mine, I'd like to know what they look like so i can make one.

As soon as I get home, out spending the day alone with the wife, she needed a break from the kids & granddaughter, lol

Thanks. Looks a bit different than i thought it would. I might not copy that design, actually

It really isn't that bad, quite comfortable

I don't doubt that. But it'd be kind of hard to copy that design, especially since i dont have any spring steel lol.

What about short leaf springs?

I don't have any lol.

Was gonna work on the alternator upgrade mock-up for the winch, lights and whatnot since I can't do any welding do to the weather. Then I found this

Soaked it down with penetrating oil, hopefully won't have any issues getting it off

Yours looks a bit better off than mine did.


I ended up hammering a smaller size socket on it and getting it off with an impact wrench. Didnt come off too hard, i didn't even use oil.

Yup, I would say it looks to be in better shape than yours did, hopefully it'll come off just as easily.

I hope you have a 1/2 impact and let it soak for a week.

Definite impact otherwise you have a fight on your hands.  I had one like Rich as well, I was able to get it off dry also with an impact.  I was shocked.

The crankshafts are hardened so they don't corrode so badly, the nut really just rusts i think. Also maybe the fine thread helps keep water out. Anyways, I doubt it will be too much trouble.

What material do y'all recommend for reinforcing this area


don't know if y'all can see the welds in the pics but the frame rails have been repaired at some point, I was thinking 1x3x1/8-3/16 or 2x2x1/8-3/16 tubing, gonna have to rebuild the entire front suspension as well as it appears that the axle may also be bent

Yeah I would think some tube/box steel crossmembers up by the front area would stiffen things up a bit.

Would the 1x3x1/8 hold up for the axle or should I use 1x3x3/16. Was thinking that the 3/16 walled tubing may be a bit of an overkill, not to mention a bit on the heavy side

3/16" might seems like overkill, but really a front axle on a tractor takes a ton of stress in off-road situations. I wouldn't think 3/16" would be too bad, It'd be nice to know that'll you'll basically never break it, haha.

I'd use 3/16". I think i used 1/8" for my front axle on mutt and it still flexes a bit if I'm against something really solid lol.

Can only get tubing in 20 to 24 foot lengths around here so gonna have to use it for everything. So guess I'll be building an all terrain mower tank, lol

Nothing wrong with extra weight on the front end. Sometimes i wish Mutt had extra weight on the front, she's a wheelie machine lol

If you have to buy that much I'd get 1/8 wall.  1x3 tube has quite a bit of cross section there and it will be very strong.  You could order a shorter chunk of 3/16 wall on on line from speedy metals or online metals and buy the other stuff locally.

OK thank-you, what tubing would you suggest for the exhaust?

Just took the old girl for her first test run, must say that it went pretty good considering the shape it was in when I got her. No noises from the transaxle, brake locks up solid with very little effort, steerings a little loose but at least she steers both directions now. She loves to pop wheelies when taking off but she's slow as molasses, I would say probably 10mph in hi gear.

I hope mine gets at least 15 lol. Won't keep up with mutt but will at least keep up with one of the big tractors lol