Many residents of northern latitudes and places with poor traffic are engaged in the development and assembly of various vehicles with high traffic. All-terrain vehicles on crawler. There are a large number of different options for creating such a technique. But the most problematic issue for designers of all-terrain vehicles is the manufacture of tracks.
You can, of course, use their factory production, but having fully assembled the all-terrain vehicle with your own hands, you also want to have caterpillars of your own production. To date, there are several options for creating such propulsion devices that practically do not differ in their technical specifications from factory.
A simple version of caterpillars
The simplest option for snowmobiles is made from a conventional roller-bushing chain and a conveyor belt. At the same time, it does not require any special equipment and tools for its production. At the same time, work can be done almost in the middle of the living room.
In order for the conveyor belt to serve for a long time, it is necessary to sheathe its edges with fishing line with a distance between stitches of about one centimeter. This activity is very similar to overcasting fabric with seamstresses. In any case, such firmware will prevent the tape from unraveling while driving. You can fasten the ends together in any suitable way. A hinged joint resembling a piano loop may be suitable for this, or simply stitched, but it is unlikely to last long.
The thickness of the conveyor belt depends on the power power unit. If an engine from a Soviet-made motorcycle is installed in an all-terrain vehicle, then a tape 0.8–1 cm thick, used on conveyors in agriculture, has proven to be excellent. To stiffen the caterpillar, it is necessary to attach a bush-roller chain to its inner part. This can be done with bolts or hard steel wire. The main thing is that the chain fits snugly into the surface of the conveyor belt.
Caterpillars made in this way are distinguished by their long-term operation, although they are easy to manufacture. In addition, if necessary, repairs can be easily carried out, even in the field.
Tire propellers
Many owners of snowmobiles also use ordinary tires from a car as tracks for their equipment. For these purposes, truck tires are needed, and it is worth choosing them with the required pattern so as not to complicate your work in the future.
To make a caterpillar mover from a tire, it is necessary to cut off the sides from it, leaving only the part with the tread. This event takes a lot of effort and requires patience, since only a shoe knife with good sharpening is needed for work.
In order to simplify manufacturing a little, it is necessary to periodically wet the knife with soapy water, which will facilitate the process of cutting rubber. Some use specially designed devices for this purpose. You can also use an electric jigsaw, with a fine-toothed file fixed to it. It also needs to be watered with soapy water.
The first step is to cut the beads from the tire. Further, if necessary, it is required to remove several inner layers in the resulting caterpillar. This is done to give it softness. If the tread pattern does not suit you, then you should start cutting a new one, which is quite a painstaking task.
This type of caterpillar lugs has one indisputable advantage over the previous version. Since it is solid, without joints, its reliability is much higher. Of the negative points, a small track width can be noted, but to increase it, two or three tires can be spliced.
Belt tracks
The ease of manufacture of such caterpillar movers is increasingly attracting owners of all-terrain vehicles to use them on their vehicles. Belts with a profile in the form of a wedge are assembled into a single structure with the help of lugs, which are attached to the belts by riveting or screws.
As a result, it turns out that the caterpillar web already has holes for the sprocket. To do this, it is necessary to lay the belts at small intervals.
Making a caterpillar for an all-terrain vehicle
The name all-terrain vehicle is understood as a vehicle with increased cross-country ability. These include tractors, snowmobiles, SUVs and tanks. Since often from improvised vehicles. Conceived for this, motorcycles or scooters go, but in the end you get a vehicle that is not afraid of either off-road or dirt. Increased permeability an all-terrain vehicle mainly depends on its caterpillar movers, which are put on wheels.
In this version, the caterpillar will have four strips of 5 centimeters wide. They must be cut from a conventional conveyor belt. Then connect the sides using a profile in the shape of the letter P. Next, you need to make balancers. Using a stamp, you need to make parts from sheet steel into the floor of the wheel. After that, it is necessary to make the hubs of bronze. Half wheels should be connected with six bolts. Balancers are made.
The next step will be the production of shafts for the track drums. They should have holes for the bearings. Drums can be made from duralumin blanks. When connecting them together, it is necessary to insert a rubber asterisk. It turns out that the caterpillar is driven from the drive sprocket with a chain drive. It is installed on the rear fork.
After that, you should assemble the entire caterpillar into a single whole.
The vertical arc must be equipped with a steel sleeve through which the wheel axle passes. A mechanism is attached to the lug on this sleeve, which fixes the design of the rear fork. Caterpillar balancers are attached to the remaining ears of the all-terrain vehicle. The mover is ready for use.
As you can see, you can make a caterpillar different ways The main thing is to have patience and desire.
Many lovers homemade technology engaged in the development and manufacture of tracked all-terrain vehicles.
A variety of solutions are used to bring ideas to life, but the biggest problem for enthusiasts of this type of transport has been and remains caterpillars. Of course, no one forbids the use of factory-made propulsion devices in their samples, but I want a self-made all-terrain vehicle (or snowmobile) to also have home-made tracks. Let's look at some ways to make tracks that have shown fairly good performance.
The simplest option
A caterpillar mover for snowmobiles and light all-terrain vehicles can be made on the basis of an ordinary bush-roller chain and a conveyor belt. For the manufacture of such a caterpillar, there is no need to have special tools or equipment, everything is done “on the knee”.
Caterpillar from a conveyor belt
To prolong the life of the tape, it is advisable to sew its edges with a fishing line in increments of about a centimeter (just like seamstresses do overcasting the edges of the fabric), this will save the tape from fraying. The connection of the tape into a ring can be done in any available way, for example, using a hinge like a piano loop, or sewing the ends of the tape (a less reliable method).
The thickness of the tape should be selected based on the engine power. When using engines from domestic motorcycles, nice results shows a belt with a thickness of 8 - 10 millimeters, which is used on agricultural conveyors.
Despite the ease of manufacture, such a homemade caterpillar for a snowmobile has a decent resource and is also easy to repair if necessary.
Tire tracks
The manufacture of caterpillars from automobile tires is quite common among home-made people. For this purpose, tires are selected from trucks, preferably with a suitable tread pattern (there will be less work with the tire in the future).
Tire caterpillar
To make such a caterpillar, it is necessary to cut out the bead from the tire, leaving only the treadmill. This work is quite laborious and requires a lot of patience, since only a well-sharpened shoe knife is used from the tools.
To simplify the work, you can moisten the blade in soapy water from time to time, then the rubber is easier to cut. Alternatively, one can consider the use homemade devices for cutting, or use an electric jigsaw on which a file with a fine tooth is fixed (it is also better to moisten the file with soapy water).
First, the beads are cut off from the tire, then, if necessary, the extra layers are removed from the wrong side of the resulting ring (if the track is too hard). After that, if the tread pattern does not meet the designer's requirements, a new lug structure is cut.
A home-made tire caterpillar has an undoubted advantage over the above-described sample, since it has an initially closed loop, which means that its reliability will be many times higher. The downside is the limited width of the finished track, but if necessary, you can use a double and triple width option.
Belt tracks
Attractive because of its relative simplicity is the option of making a caterpillar with your own hands.
Belts with a wedge-shaped profile are connected into a single unit with the help of lugs attached to the belts with rivets or screws.
Thus, a track is obtained with already existing holes for the drive sprocket (for this, you only need to leave gaps between the belts).
There are many ways to make caterpillars - the main thing is to have the desire and patience, and then everything will work out.
As soon as winter begins in our country, given the climate, two-wheeler removed to the garage until spring. It may be impossible to use the car for transportation due to heavy snow. And here to the aid of all motorists who want to move around snow covered road, a snowmobile on tracks comes, which can be made from a walk-behind tractor with your own hands.
Not everyone has the opportunity to buy an additional vehicle for themselves, but everyone can independently design a home-made caterpillar snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor.
Advantages and features of a homemade snowmobile
- The vehicle has a mechanical drive and caterpillar walk-behind tractor, when riding on which, you will not get stuck in snowdrifts.
- Management is due to skis, and steering system is in front, so you can easily control it.
- Price when buying one or the other vehicle important. Therefore, if you calculate, the cost of manufacturing a snowmobile on your own will be five times lower than buying it from a manufacturer. And even cheaper, it will come out due to the available walk-behind tractor and other parts.
- Reliability - where a person will not pass and a car will not pass, a snowmobile will overcome all obstacles with ease.
- If the snowmobile is made by hand, then the designer approaches the choice of parts very carefully. By doing everything yourself, you are responsible for the quality of your design. In addition, paying great attention to the nodes of the mechanism, you make the snowmobile all-terrain.
The device of a homemade motor-block snowmobile
This is a sought-after invention that you can do yourself with quality parts. The walk-behind tractor is taken partially (individual parts) or used completely. If you decide to use it not in a complete set, it is necessary to weld on it supporting frame With rear axle, steering fork and wheels. The most difficult stage in this case is the transformation of the working shaft of the walk-behind tractor into a drive gear.
The most practical and versatile solution in the manufacture of self-propelled guns will be the use of parts from a walk-behind tractor. You only need to remove the steering fork and engine from the finished walk-behind tractor.
The motor can be located at the rear of the structure.
Before the beginning self-manufacturing design draw a drawing, assemble the whole necessary material, prepare the tool, and you can proceed. The design is quite simple and any person can handle it, technical education and some skills are not required for this.
If you did not graduate from the Faculty of Engineering and it is difficult for you to draw up a drawing, use ours.
Drawing a simple frame for a homemade snowmobile
The drawing shows the frame that you will need in the manufacture of the snowmobile.
Motoblock in a homemade tracked snowmobile- this is the main part due to which your transport will move.
If everything is done correctly according to the drawing, you will have a goose-based snowmobile.
Snowmobile frame drawing on tracks
Making a caterpillar snowmobile with your own hands
Before starting work, decide on the tool. You can say with 100% certainty what you need: various screwdrivers, a hammer, welding, a pipe bender (if there is no finished frame).
Before preparing a drawing for self-manufacturing a snowmobile, familiarize yourself with the standard configuration.
- Frame. Each snowmobile has a frame: the more complex the design, the more reliable and strong the frame must be. The best option- take from an ATV, scooter or motorcycle. If there is no such part, you can weld it yourself from pipes with a diameter of at least 40 mm.
- Seat. The seat on the snowmobile must be strong, as the structure itself is quite low.
Mandatory condition: the seat must be made of waterproof material.
- Engine. When choosing an engine, pay attention to its power. If you want a powerful snowmobile, then the engine should be like that.
- Tank. A container with a volume of 10-15 liters, made of metal, is perfect for a fuel tank.
- Skis. If you do not have ready-made skis that can be adapted for a snowmobile, you can make your own from wood. It is better if it is plywood of at least nine layers.
- Steering wheel. When choosing a steering wheel, think about your comfort. It is best if it is borrowed from a two-wheeled unit.
- Caterpillars. Making tracks is perhaps the most difficult part in the whole self-propelled.
- Drive unit. In order for the tracks to rotate, you will need a drive - it is best to use a chain from a motorcycle in this case.
Frame
If there is no finished frame available, then it is easy to weld it from a profile pipe, and give it a shape using a pipe bender.
If it is not possible to make calculations and draw up a drawing on your own, then for example, use the drawing from our website.
Once the frame is assembled, treat it with an anti-corrosion compound and cover it with a quality paint that will withstand both moisture and frost.
caterpillars
Everyone who previously independently designed a caterpillar walk-behind tractor notes: making caterpillars is the most difficult process in homemade work.
The easiest way to construct them is from tires from a car. This option is the most advantageous - high-quality and low-budget. The part is made in a closed circle, so tire break cannot occur.
Caterpillars for a snowmobile from a tire (tire)
Instructions for making caterpillars:
- From a car tire: take a tire and cut off the sides (it is better to do this with a sharp knife). You need to cut so that the flexible part with the tread remains.
For the movement of most walk-behind tractors, conventional wheels are used. The throughput capacity of the apparatus in such cases is extremely small. Fortunately, there are several good ways, allowing you to turn a walk-behind tractor into an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile. To do this, it is enough to make homemade caterpillars.
Manufacturing methods and materials
When choosing a material for a future caterpillar with your own hands, you should take into account the type of work for which they are intended. The product must be not only extremely durable, but also light for convenient work with the unit.
The first step is to install additional wheels on the walk-behind tractor so that there are a pair on each side. Future units will be attached to them, the length of which will be the circumference of each wheel plus the distance between their axles, multiplied by two. All wheels must be the same diameter.
To the most popular source materials for the manufacture of caterpillars with their own hands include:
- Conveyor belts and roller chain.
- Unused car tires.
- Chains and belts.
Each method implies its own course of action.
Conveyor belt and chain
The method of manufacturing a unit from these materials, according to most, is the simplest. It does not require a large number of tools and materials. It is recommended to consider the following tips:
Tire construction
In addition to the product from the conveyor belt, you can make a caterpillar from a tire with your own hands. There is no need to stitch and hook anything together, since the tire already has a closed structure with a special clutch protector.
Ordinary tires cars won't fit. You need to find products for trucks or tractors that have a pronounced tread relief.
The procedure for manufacturing such a unit can be divided into three main stages:
It is worth carefully studying the tread pattern. It should be clearly defined in order to maximize the throughput of the walk-behind tractor by increasing the adhesion of the track to the surface.
Belts and chains
This method uses standard V-belts. They are attached to each other with rivets that are placed on them. Such a caterpillar is made of two segments of the same chain and belts. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
Thus, you can get a durable and high-quality do-it-yourself caterpillar made of belts and chains. This method is the most time-consuming of all presented.
Tracks for caterpillars
Trucks are the main part of any caterpillar. Fortunately, it is not necessary to buy them in specialized stores. They are quite easy to make yourself from various materials. The main thing to consider is the level of load that is planned to be exerted on the walk-behind tractor. Tracks can be made from:
- plastic pipes;
- wooden bars;
- metal tracks.
For the manufacture of tracks from plastic pipes, you will need a water pipe No. 40. It is cut into segments, the length of which is equal to the width of the caterpillar. After that, each such segment is cut lengthwise into two halves. A circular saw with a wood cutting disc will help with this.
When all the tracks are ready, they can be hooked onto the main structure. For this, furniture bolts No. 6 and large hemispherical caps are used. With these bolts, each segment is attached to the structure itself.
Thus, it turns out an excellent relief caterpillar for a walk-behind tractor, which allows you to pass in difficult places even in winter.
A wooden block caterpillar is suitable for a small load, since the structural strength is not so great. To make a caterpillar from this material, birch blocks of the same size and length equal to the width of the caterpillars will be required.
The main advantage of the caterpillar with wooden blocks as tracks is the availability of materials, the ease of the whole structure, as well as the ability to quickly make repairs.
It is not surprising that metal tracks for caterpillars are the most common and reliable, because their level of strength is quite high. Most often, metal pipes or a profile are used, which are cut into pieces of a suitable length and attached to the caterpillar in the same way as was done in previous methods.
The main disadvantage of this design is the large mass and complexity of repair. If one of the tracks bends during operation, then you will have to spend a lot of effort to replace it.
It is not so difficult to make a caterpillar for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands, although it takes a sufficient amount of time. It is important to treat the process with the utmost care and correctly perform all calculations. Also, it is necessary to assess the degree of load with which the walk-behind tractor works, and choose the most suitable materials for the product.
To increase the throughput of the walk-behind tractor and use it as an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile, you can equip it with tracks. They can be purchased ready-made, but they are expensive, and it is not always possible to choose the right option for your walk-behind tractor. There are several ways to make a caterpillar on a walk-behind tractor with your own hands.
How to make a caterpillar on a walk-behind tractor with your own hands
If desired, you can independently modify your walk-behind tractor, turning it into caterpillar all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile. The main rule is that you should consider what kind of work caterpillars are intended for in order to choose the right material, because they must be not only durable, but also extremely light.
Having the materials at hand, having correctly calculated the length of the caterpillar, you can make it yourself using simple improvised means.
First of all, you need to equip your walk-behind tractor with an additional pair of wheels. A caterpillar track will be put on each side pair.
The length of each of the two gooses will be equal to the circumference of one wheel and the distance between the axles of each pair of wheels, multiplied by two.
Important: the wheels on the walk-behind tractor must be of the same diameter.
Material for homemade can serve as:
- conventional conveyor belt and roller chain;
- car tires;
- belts and chains.
So, we will consider several options for self-made goslings, depending on the material used.
From a conveyor belt
This method is the simplest, since it does not require a large number of special tools and auxiliary materials.
- When choosing a tape for a caterpillar, give preference to a strip with a thickness of at least 7 mm - after all, it has a fairly large load. The coupling with moving parts will be provided by a bush-roller chain.
- To give the tape strength and increase its service life, it is recommended to sew it along the edges with a fishing line with frequent stitches in increments of about 10 mm.
- It is also necessary to sew the tape along the ends in order to connect it into a ring of the desired diameter, or use hinges resembling a piano canopy for greater reliability.
- Make sure that the additional wheelset that you install on the walk-behind tractor frame is the same diameter as the main wheels on the walk-behind tractor.
From a tire
It is enough just to make a strong, reliable goose for a walk-behind tractor from a tire. The manufacturing process from a car tire does not take too long, since it does not need to be stitched and grouser built up - the tire itself is a closed structure with a tread for grip.
The best tires for the caterpillar are tires from wheels for trucks or tractors, which have a pronounced tread pattern.
The manufacturing process is divided into several stages:
- With a very sharp knife, dipped in a soapy solution to increase the cutting ability on rubber, cut a tape for a gosling of the required width.
- The sidewalls from the tire are cut with an electric jigsaw with a file with a fine tooth.
- hard parts on inside tires are also cut with a knife or jigsaw.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind here:
- The tread pattern should be clearly defined, since its reliefs are a kind of lugs that increase the adhesion of the moving mechanism to the surface.
- The length of such a caterpillar is limited by the diameter of the tire, therefore, before attaching an additional pair of wheels, this should be taken into account.
From belts and chains
In order to make a caterpillar all-terrain vehicle from a walk-behind tractor, you can use ordinary wedge-shaped belts. The belts are connected to each other by lugs attached to them on rivets or screws. Thus we get a belt caterpillar.
To make a goose from chains (chain caterpillars), you need to take two pieces of the same chain of the desired length.
- The end links of both segments are unclenched in order to connect them into two closed rings.
- The unclenched links are clamped again, and then the fasteners are welded for strength.
- Segments are cut from steel of the required thickness, which will serve as lugs.
- The lugs are bolted from both ends to the links of both closed chains, thus forming a relief caterpillar for a walk-behind tractor.
Homemade tracks for caterpillars
Tracks for a homemade goose can also be made independently from any suitable material. The main thing to consider is what kind of load you are going to give your walk-behind tractor.
From plastic pipes
As tracks for a goose for a snowmobile, you can use pieces of plastic pipe. To do this, cut the plastic water pipe No. 40 into segments equal in width to the caterpillar. By using circular saw cut each piece lengthwise into two equal halves, or use a wood saw for this.
The resulting tracks must be attached at regular intervals to the conveyor belt with furniture bolts No. 6 with large hemispherical caps.
From wooden blocks
Sometimes, if the load on the goose is not very large, you can use birch blocks as tracks. They are not particularly durable for heavy loads, but they are light, affordable, and a caterpillar with such tracks can be repaired in any convenient place.
iron tracks
The most reliable are metal tracks made of high-quality iron. For this purpose, metal pipes or a profile cut into segments of the desired length are suitable. The profile metal pipe is cut according to the same principle as the plastic one, and bolted to the conveyor belt.
However, metal tracks, despite their noticeable strength, also have their drawbacks: they are heavy compared to plastic and wooden ones, and can bend during operation. To straighten the track, you will need to remove it from the goose, and this is a laborious operation.
When choosing the material from which the tracks for your mini-all-terrain vehicle will be made, you should evaluate the degree of load and operating conditions. To overcome the snowy expanses, light polyethylene or wooden tracks are perfect, and to use a walk-behind tractor as a mini-tractor, it is still better to make a caterpillar with metal lugs.
Buy a hitch and trailer to a walk-behind tractor in online stores
Do-it-yourself caterpillar for a motorized towing vehicle
A motorized towing vehicle, popularly called a "motorized dog", is the best suited for use in northern latitudes with good snow cover. Using a walk-behind tractor, you can independently make an alternative to a dog sled, a high-speed tracked vehicle that can tow a sled with a person or a small load in the snow.
Making a caterpillar for a motorized dog with your own hands is not difficult at all.
You can use the old goose from the Buran snowmobile. To increase undercarriage, you should cut it in half and build it up with inserts. Carriages from the old Buran can serve as trucks. Three carriages with rollers are enough. They also need to be sawn and built up with inserts.
In the absence of old spare parts, a caterpillar for a motorized towing vehicle can be made from improvised means using one of the methods described above. For example, from a conveyor belt.
For manufacturing you will need:
- conveyor belt with a width of 22 cm;
- metal tires for reinforcement;
- wooden blocks made of hard wood for caterpillar tracks.
We bring to your attention a video that shows the process of making a caterpillar.
Making a caterpillar for a walk-behind tractor is a simple process, although it requires a sufficient amount of time. It is also necessary to make every effort and skill so that all links of the goose are located at an equal distance from each other. This will help to avoid distortions and slippage of the track from the bearing surfaces.