Tank Treads

We have a 16 year old Honda snowblower that doesn't blow snow, but the engine is still working like it was brand new. We are going to eventually make a go-cart out of it, but my friend had a great idea: get another engine for the other side, and use tank treads.

Any ideas on how to make tank treads? Keep in mind a grassroots (cheapass) budget.

seriously? it sounds like youve had too much to drink... or maybe not enough... hmmm....

In reply to mtn:

Used sno-mobile tracks/treads?

Conveyor belting. You can often times gets rolls of it free at the back of factories. It wears out but is still functional.

Chain link fence stretched over two rollers = off road?

Dan

Dont they make tracks that fit on Bobcats and the like?

RossD wrote: Dont they make tracks that fit on Bobcats and the like?

Yes, they do, but they fit over and around the tires. So, I don't see that working on a go-kart. Ingersoll Rand (Bobcat) and other manufacturers do make some equipment that only comes tracked, but for the idea of a go-kart tank I like the snowmobile suggestion.

look up "Raider twin track" and the resulting injurys then think again..

Tracks like you are talking about can snatch and munch fingers, hands, and all sorts of bodily parts. If its like i am envisioning it could be more of a hazard than you might want. Maybe if the tracks were completely under the vehicle but i would be a bit nervous about having something like that on either side of me in a go-cart sized vehicle.

I say go for it. If you're worried about catching something in the tracks, just build fenders over them so they're 50-80% covered.

If you do this, it so needs to have attached armament

mistanfo wrote: If you do this, it so needs to have attached armament

Ooo, Ooo, me, pick me!

Actually, Bobcat makes tracked skid-steers from the factory. I'd bet if you looked up a local dealer or outfit that sells replacement tracks, you could get a pair of used up tracks for cheap or free. The drive sprocket is what I'd worried about.

mtn wrote: Any ideas on how to make tank treads? Keep in mind a grassroots (cheapass) budget.

Get a sawzall with a metal-cutting blade, some Dawn dish soap, and some old tires. Cut away! Bolt the ends together.

But seriously, treads are used to prevent ground compaction, a real problem to farmers, and to distribute the heavy weight of the vehicle over a larger surface. They don't really offer better traction, and speed is compromised.

Kramer wrote:

mtn wrote: Any ideas on how to make tank treads? Keep in mind a grassroots (cheapass) budget.

Get a sawzall with a metal-cutting blade, some Dawn dish soap, and some old tires. Cut away! Bolt the ends together. But seriously, treads are used to prevent ground compaction, a real problem to farmers, and to distribute the heavy weight of the vehicle over a larger surface. They don't really offer better traction, and speed is compromised.

I operate a tracked skid steer daily, and I can assure you that they do offer better traction, and a better ride as well.

Kramer wrote: But seriously, treads are used to prevent ground compaction, a real problem to farmers, and to distribute the heavy weight of the vehicle over a larger surface. They don't really offer better traction, and speed is compromised.

They definately offer more traction on wet or loose surfaces. It's the main reason the military uses them. Wheeled vehicles for roads, tracks for cross-country.

You will never be able to obtain the same size contact patch from a wheel as a track. To do so would require multi-wheel drive and large tires, which would increase the size of the platform.

Appleseed wrote: I'd bet if you looked up a local dealer or outfit that sells replacement tracks, you could get a pair of used up tracks for cheap or free.

I highly doubt this. I looked at prices for rubber tracks for a mini excavator some time back (a smaller track) and they were very expensive. I imagine there are no "used" tracks out there for sale (practically speaking) because new ones are expensive enough that they run them 'til they break and then replace them as needed. I could be wrong though. It's happened a few times (or so my ex tells me).

Clem

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=78449&highlight=homemade+tracks

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tracklayinggardentractors/

done.

Appleseed wrote: Actually, Bobcat makes tracked skid-steers from the factory. I'd bet if you looked up a local dealer or outfit that sells replacement tracks, you could get a pair of used up tracks for cheap or free. The drive sprocket is what I'd worried about.

You know with four of those tracks you could build a Halo-style tank...

http://media.photobucket.com/image/halo%20scorpion%20tank/quag_04/scorpion1_big.png

you mean like what this company makes. I think they installed a similar setup back in the day on Trucks on TNN.

RossD wrote: you mean like what this company makes. I think they installed a similar setup back in the day on Trucks on TNN.

Thats exactly what we're looking for, the treads from the thing on the far right. But a grassroots or homemade version of it