Full hydraulic machine

[rcn11thacr]

This is a single speed Borg-Warner, can't recall the model# but its a low geared unit with a gear ratio around 16.3 to 1. There are similar units made by Spicer and other companies too. Nubs has the link for a similar 2 speed unit. These are very simple and inexpensive transmissions that can take a lot of power and abuse.
The machine this transmission is in will have no chains at all. It does have a drive belt between the clutches, but has a auxillary shaft coming off the transmission that will go thru a right angle gearbox then transmit power to the front axle via a drive shaft and differential. Currently working on a suspension for the middle (unpowered) axle.
This machine will have tracks, and a powered front and rear axle.

Im curious. What is your reasoning for dividing the power to the tracks with a front and rear sprocket? having two points to power means twice the parts and twice the chance of something breaking or going wrong. Not being judgemental here, i'm honestly curious why you chose this route. Either way, i am very interested in your build and it would be a very interesting thread if you were to start one just for this build...(hint)

[rcn11thacr]

Recently someone posted one for sale (if memory serves correctly) on this site. A member piped up and stated something about reliability issues and very slow speed. Granted, the machine for sale was an older model.

[amphibious drew]

Take a look at the Hydrotraxx website, nice machines but they are sooooooooo wide.

And pricey!!!

[Noel Woods]

Take a look at the Hydrotraxx website, nice machines but they are sooooooooo wide.

[kghills]

I have heard of Hydrotraxx but thought they were out of business. If they are making machines it is interesting no one on the forum mentions them. Must not have much market share.

Keith.

[akcrawler]

Are you guys familiar with Hydrotraxx AATV's? They are 6x6 and run a hydraulic motor on each wheel. Their standard engine setup is 35hp (gas)-44hp (Kubota turbo-diesel). I recently read a blog entry on another site by a guy who owns one. He is very happy with his. He compared the performance to an Argo, but he claimed maintenance is a breeze. The weights on the machines are higher than any of the machines with mechanical transmisstions, but not way out there.

In my mind that machine takes this discussion out of the dream phase and into reality. It might be worth checking their site to see if you can determine what they did.

[Noel Woods]

Yes, kind of like how an Argo steers, big disc brakes will be on each side of the tranny and front diff. I anticipate it will take a little getting used to.

Not to take away from the topic of full hydraulic machine, which has a lot of potential once the engineering is done with horse power, fluid dynamics, drive motors, cooling, etc., all taken into consideration. Hydraulic power has many followers. I don't think I would as a tinkerer of sorts, could surmount all that and build a machine.

I think the jist of how this thread started was a way to build a simple machine, that was reliable, and that could get away from chain drive.

[hydromike]

Is the plan to just use the differential built into the gear box(es) for steering Noel?

[Noel Woods]

Noel, what kind of Borg Warner transmission is that and what is it out of? I also think its a read end assy out of a gas golf cart.

This is a single speed Borg-Warner, can't recall the model# but its a low geared unit with a gear ratio around 16.3 to 1. There are similar units made by Spicer and other companies too. Nubs has the link for a similar 2 speed unit. These are very simple and inexpensive transmissions that can take a lot of power and abuse.
The machine this transmission is in will have no chains at all. It does have a drive belt between the clutches, but has a auxillary shaft coming off the transmission that will go thru a right angle gearbox then transmit power to the front axle via a drive shaft and differential. Currently working on a suspension for the middle (unpowered) axle.
This machine will have tracks, and a powered front and rear axle.

[Nubs]

There's a lot of different versions out there.

UTILITY ATV 4WD 2 SPEED TRANSAXLE 50062892

[john swenson]

with that trans and axle, it looks like a winner. many bigger homebuilt tracked machines i,ve seen on u tube use small car trannies and rear ends, braking one side of the rear end axle for turning. one even shows a guy with a setup like that and it looks like he only has a small 20 h.p. lawnmower type engine powering it. just a cog drive each side powering the tracks. it is a cool design. johnboy

[Nubs]

[Nubs]

I've used transaxles like this alot over the yrs

I just sold this one yesterday, I've had over 70hp on them with no problems

[rcn11thacr]

"Expense" to do it right just seems to cost at least twice as much as non-hydraulic options. That's what I'm seeing at least.
Keith.

Yes i know you were primarially talking about hydros here but i found my soap box again

Keith,
You have so much more experience with these amphibians than I do. With that said, when a supplier has provides a sellable item they gain market share and with that comes profit. If the companies that make these 6x6/8x8’s don’t produce a product that captures the imagination of the market they are selling to, then any part will cost too much. I’m sure you’ve noticed that many forms of atv’s are selling in the +20K range. When an amphib is built that can give reasonable ground speed, be modernized enough to provide reliability that does NOT require its owner to wrench on it every time you go play, it will sell MUCH better than the models available now. Currently most of the guys that buy these amphibians have enough knowledge to fix, modify, and repair these vehicles, we see proof of that every day here on 6x6 world. I’d lay money that the lions share of people that buy all of the “other” atv’s have little to no mechanical experience. They bought the atv that they could have fun with and not have to fix all of the time. I bet they wanted one of ours, but when they found out all of the “down side” to owning one, they took their cash to the dealer across town that sold an item that didn’t require the owner to be ASE certified or otherwise or have a mechanically inclined nature. Ask Polaris, Honda, etc… how they do it. I can tell you they did it by providing an item that appeals to the mass atv market with reliability, fun factor, and price. These companies know that fine line they walk (when they were a young company and still today) that provides enough profit to continually keep in front of their competitors through an R&D section/department that made parts that don’t wear out or require to be constantly maintained for it to perform as advertised. Has anyone making our atv's thought of hiring new blood to fill the chairs of their current R&D team? I think we all know that answer. Making an item like I’m talking about will require cash just as the ones being manufactured now do. If guys like us can figure out how to do it, so can they. In reality the cost of doing business the wrong way, cost just enough to never get you ahead of where you are today. Modernize or go the way of the dinosaur (or at minimum, do just enough to keep your nose above water). Oh, wait a minute! Amphibious manufactures already do that…




I guarantee every single one of us would want a vehicle as I’ve described above. So would those people that can’t go where we go without getting stuck. Just my 2 cents.

[rcn11thacr]

Noel, what kind of Borg Warner transmission is that and what is it out of? I also think its a read end assy out of a gas golf cart.