who makes 8x8's?

[Beeman]

You could even use just one hydraulic pump possibly making it even cheaper and more simple.

If you did go with a motor at each wheel, it would make it less complicated to add suspension.

[boncrshr]

Me and a buddy have been discussing this topic lately....

Here's my plans for my eventual, someday homemade beast.

Find a donor geo metro, use the motor and the transaxle to drive the rear wheels in 8x8 configuration. Steering would be accomplished with disc brakes on each axle. Eliminating belt slippage, plus the potential for fairly high speed appeals to me. Also, no pushing on laterals, the laterals would just have your brake levers on them with a foot pedal for the throttle.

Make homemade tracks similar to the escargo ones.

To save weight on the front six wheels, build something similar to what Whipper did that goes on the outside of the tub and use trailer type wheel hubs to attach to that. This eliminates axles and holes in the body, and offsets the weight of the tracks. Build an aluminum tub like Overkill's crazy 6x6....

And that's my someday project...maybe in the next couple of years when I get tired of the Hustler.

[Robio_8x8]

If you go hydraulic why use chains ?

why would you use hydraulic motor on each wheel?? all you would need is two variable displacment pumps and two hyd motors to the chains(plus all the lines &controls I simplified but i am sure you get the point) .

The triton is that way as are as are Bobcats skidsteer loaders why would you put a motor on each wheel? all your doing is adding more weight ,increasing hydraulics demand for no good reason and the cost would be considerably more as a result of useing larger variable displacment pumps and needing more fluid volume and plumbing 4 to 6 more hyd motors.

not sure how much simpler you could get? Take a look at an air cooled bobcat or something like a case 1816 skid steer loader and you will see how simple it is. alot of the aircooled are belt drive to the Variable displacement pumps so it is even simpler to set up.

I have seen damaged skidsteers for well under a thousand that would work well as a doner as all the hydraulics were intact and on some of them the engine were working just structural damage to the frame etc.

Beeman beat me to this; if you put a motor on each wheel you can get amazing travel from your suspension without mechanical drive shaft restriction. The traction you would get from having independent hydraulic motors would be awesome. If you compromise it you may as well go back to non hydraulic system. I was not aware the triton was only part hydraulic now it really does not justify its cost.

[pepper]

not really feasable unless the suspension moved very slowly.

there is way to much unsprung weight in relation to the overall weight of the vehicle that the suspension would have to deal with unless it is a slow application, There are some machines that are as you desribe but they are very slow moveing.

the most effective way to go would be simply one hydraulic motor on each side and one variable displacement pump for each side . You would have a fully hydraulic drive system ,the variable displacment pumps are like haveing variable ratio drives for each side in forward and reverse just like a bobcat or other skidsteer loader ( they dont normally have one hydraulic motor for each wheel its one per side)

and then have a double wishbone suspension like whippers


not sure why a hydraulic drive going to each side but distributed by chains to each axle wouldnt be considered full hydraulic drive ?

[mudbug3]

not really feasable unless the suspension moved very slowly.

there is way to much unsprung weight in relation to the overall weight of the vehicle that the suspension would have to deal with unless it is a slow application, There are some machines that are as you desribe but they are very slow moveing.

the most effective way to go would be simply one hydraulic motor on each side and one variable displacement pump for each side . You would have a fully hydraulic drive system ,the variable displacment pumps are like haveing variable ratio drives for each side in forward and reverse just like a bobcat or other skidsteer loader ( they dont normally have one hydraulic motor for each wheel its one per side)

not sure why a hydraulic drive going to each side but distributed by chains to each axle wouldnt be considered full hydraulic drive ?

I think the Mud Ox that Matt built is this way ? Maybe Roger can comment on this ?

[Roger S]

I don't have anything intelligent to add to your discussion..

When I think about suspension, that military, remote driven, electric motor in each wheel, Crusher vehicle comes to mind.