Building a 6x6

[Baloo]

l wanted to share my skid steer project with you guys, only just started really and not too sure which way l am headed, will explain in a while
here is my inspiration the supacat powered by a vw turbo diesel engine and autobox





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okay l have to do this a bit at a time as l keep loosing what l type, must be timing out or something and logging me out, this is the third time l have typed this

right l already have some components around so l am keen to use those to keep the costs down

tryes are 31"x15x15.5 and look like this


wheels are suzuki stud patten

[JoeMeg]

okay l have to do this a bit at a time as l keep loosing what l type, must be timing out or something and logging me out, this is the third time l have typed this

Try clicking the "Remember Me?" box under the user name & password boxes. Used to happen to me also,lol.

Joe.

[Baloo]

ok layout next l sort of lost myself and went round in circles a bit with this, started with no suspension, just brake one side and skid steer round, l recently stripped 3 suzuki vitaras, sidekicks over there l guess ?
anyway they have the right stud patten for the wheels so l was thinking about mounting the three back axles in a line with a drive shaft above that ran in bearing that were bolted to the diff where the a arm used to bolt, then chain drive down to each diff,
l was thinking about using a small car engine and box mounted side ways and drive the common shaft off both gearbox outputs effectively locking the gearbox diff

bit like this, please excuse the poor cad drawing

Try clicking the "Remember Me?" box under the user name & password boxes. Used to happen to me also,lol.

Joe.

ok thanks will give that a try

anyway that was/is plan A nice and simple, cheap, robust ? easy to fix, downside l can see is weight ??, l can use the axle casing as part of the chassis and mount everything off them,

anyone else used this layout ? did it work ok or do you think it will work well enough

[thebuggyman1]

Wow, you are not kidding about the weight. What does each axle assy weigh? Now you will need to brake each wheel on a side, so 3x the weight of brakes too.
A MaxII weighs in at about 600#(272kg), A MaxIV about 800#(362kg), Argo Avenger 1300#(590kg), just to list a few.

[Baloo]

hi Jim
not sure about the weight but l can walk about carrying one, will get one on the scales tomorrow, but if l end up under a ton for the finished vehicle l will be doing well l reckon, thats still about half a supacat

its the principle of the drive train that interests me really. will it work ?

anyway moving on from there my thoughts turned to suspension next, l guess it must be better with suspension ??

[Beeman]

look like it'll work

[rodp]

Where you from Baloo

[Noel Woods]

The Russians have unusual geography and terrain that they cope with. I've seen about a dozen purpose made machines, it just depends on what you want to build, the SUPACAT is a fine machine, but I would look to the LANDTAMER design due to simplicity, ruggedness, and durability.

[Baloo]

Where you from Baloo

Redditch just south of birmingham

Andy

[Baloo]

The Russians have unusual geography and terrain that they cope wit
h. I've seen about a dozen purpose made machines, it just depends on what you want to build, the SUPACAT is a fine machine, but I would look to the LANDTAMER design due to simplicity, ruggedness, and durability.

ok off to investigate the land tamer

thanks Andy

[rodp]

Redditch just south of birmingham

Andy

Thought the way you spoke was local, I'm Brierley Hill.

[Baloo]

Thought the way you spoke was local, I'm Brierley Hill.

yikes my accent is showing through is it lol

what toys have you got ? when l have something driving perhaps we should meet up l have access to some fields to play on

cheers Andy

[rodp]

yikes my accent is showing through is it lol

what toys have you got ? when l have something driving perhaps we should meet up l have access to some fields to play on

cheers Andy

Funny how you recognise a way of speaking, even when it's written
I'm all for a meet up mate, what have you got to play in at the moment (now you've ripped the axles off your sooty) We've got an Argo 8x8, a Disco based off roader of my sons that's about a few months away from finish (this is a serious motor), 2A that's just going back on the road (can't damage that though). Got my eye on another couple of items, have to wait and see.

Rod

[Adondo]

In the photo of the drive shaft mockup, I certainly hope that bent pipe was just a lens effect!

When hammering away on the Chiclets to make a post, what I do is hit control+A every 30 seconds or so, followed by an immediate control+C. (Control key is usually marked CTRL or Ctrl) That copies all your typed text into the clipboard buffer. When all done, do it one last time, and if the site has logged you out and/or bombed in some other way when you hit the submit reply button, just re-log-in and get back to the post page again, then hit control+V to paste your text back in again.

Are you going to add a single brake lever such as from a dune buggy? They also make double lever types for individual braking. (Hydraulic) That way, if your differentials lose traction, pull a brake for the spinning side to move onwards again. That setup would also make for FAST turns!

[Baloo]

hi

l think it was just the camera making the shaft look bent but l have drifted away from that layout a little now,
l was thinking that a little suspension travel might be a good thing, having a few suzuki vitara's ( side kick over there ? ) about the place
l was thinking they would make good doners for the drive shafts, wishbones hubs etc, as well as being the right stud patten for the wheels l already have, plus l can use the free wheeling hubs to drop drive to any wheel should l need to,
l folded up some sheet steel after lazer cutting mounting holes for bearing blocks to form 2 main channels that will house the sprockets for the chain drive,
not sure if l am going to power each side with a hydraulic motor so l can drive each side in different directions or if l am going to use a honda vtec engine and triptronic gearbox with each drive shaft driving a side each with a 3 to 1 reduction with fiddle brakes operated by individual master cylinders on levers like this