Nathanielperz 150 #1 Posted February 8, 2015 (edited) So my friend and I want to take a garden tractor and turn it into a bulldozer to go crawling around in the woods and stuff... We have most of the design planned out but no matter how many times I try to think of a different way... I cant figure out the bulldozer steering so independent track control with out 2 transmissions but I have been watching YT videos and it seems like everyone is only using one. How do they do this? And yes I have seen the plans for sale on ubuilditplans.com but I don't want plans I want to be able to say it was completely our design... Ya know? Thanks in advance, Nate Edited February 8, 2015 by Nathanielperz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodgemike 52 #2 Posted February 8, 2015 Nate, just an idea. One hydro Pump with two variable displace- Ment wheel motors. Might find Someone scrapping an old Hustler Mower. The early Struck dozers Were all belt drive. The track Levers had idlers that tensioned The belt. You may have been Down this road. I would like to Know what you do come up with. Mike Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathanielperz 150 #3 Posted February 8, 2015 We were also thinking trying to get our hands on a zero turn mower transmission... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,022 #4 Posted February 8, 2015 If your interested I can save you a lot of time and effort and sell you my mini dozer. It's a Lennon Kittytrack 600. Really rare. Needs a little work but it's all there and complete. I have the complete manual with parts break down. It's not cheap but would save you a ton of time and work. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
312Hydro 474 #5 Posted February 8, 2015 Fireman, Have you done a separate post on your dozer? That's an interesting machine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericj 1,578 #6 Posted February 8, 2015 i seen a guy use 2 small brake assemblies don't remember what tractor he pulled them off might have been a bolens but not sure he fitted them to the wheel horse trans. maybe somebody else will know what for brakes might work eric j Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 17,085 #7 Posted February 8, 2015 I can tell you how to do it but then it will be MY design... ya know I don't really see a problem with buying a proven design and modifying the build to fit your needs. The differential "slips" and power is supplied to the one wheel on the outside of the turn, to aid in tighter turning. A vehicle which has both rear wheels locked with power will want to go straight. Ever notice when you're stuck in the mud or on ice, the wheel with less traction is the wheel which is turning. Instead of thinking of a way to supply power, think brake one wheel and the other will turn. Maybe one stick for forward and reverse power, 2 foot pedals for braking each side to turn. Look for the thread Massy did on his dozer build. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigian 1,234 #8 Posted February 8, 2015 Hi Nate, I used 2 hydro trans on my 6x6 wheel horse which would work on a tracked machine... This should give you inspiration.... Massey's amazing tracked Wheel Horse Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathanielperz 150 #9 Posted February 8, 2015 How did you do it Ian? Fireman how much are you asking for it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,022 #10 Posted February 9, 2015 Sent you a PM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathanielperz 150 #11 Posted February 9, 2015 I can tell you how to do it but then it will be MY design... ya know I don't really see a problem with buying a proven design and modifying the build to fit your needs. The differential "slips" and power is supplied to the one wheel on the outside of the turn, to aid in tighter turning. A vehicle which has both rear wheels locked with power will want to go straight. Ever notice when you're stuck in the mud or on ice, the wheel with less traction is the wheel which is turning. Instead of thinking of a way to supply power, think brake one wheel and the other will turn. Maybe one stick for forward and reverse power, 2 foot pedals for braking each side to turn. Look for the thread Massy did on his dozer build. What I meant was I don't want to pay for someone else's design! Lol :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigian 1,234 #12 Posted February 15, 2015 How did you do it Ian? Hi Nathan, I could be cruel here and just post a link to my 6x6 build thread.. But it's so long it would take you days to find the bit you need If you crack open a trans and turn all the pinion gears in the diff the same way round, you will only get drive out of one side of the trans.. Which side depends on the direction you turn the pinion gears. So if you have two trans'sss with the pinion gears turned the opposite way round to each other you get independent drive each side.. This wouldn't work using two 4 or 8 speed trans'ss, but it works very well using two hydro's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathanielperz 150 #13 Posted February 15, 2015 My thought was to get 2 transmissions and open them up (now it might get a little hard to follow but maybe not I'm not sure) and remove all the drive gears from one side of one transmission and the opposite side on the other... So if on the back tranny you removed the drive gears on the right side then on the front tranny you would remove the drive gears on the left side.... I'm not sure if that makes sense but it does in my mind! -Nate Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wheel-mule 46 #14 Posted February 15, 2015 I thought if you put all the pinion gears the same way it would lock the rearead. What makes it work on the hydro and not the gear drive? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigian 1,234 #15 Posted February 21, 2015 I thought if you put all the pinion gears the same way it would lock the rearead. What makes it work on the hydro and not the gear drive? Nope, putting them the same way around will give you drive out of one side only.. Which way around you put them determines which side gets the drive. The reason this would only work using two hydros is you can speed up or slow down each hydro independent of the other.. So if you slow down the hydro that drives say the left side, and speed up the right side the machine will turn left.. Here's a link about turning the pinion gears around.. And here's a link to the start of me installing two hydros on my 6x6 including Scott's handy tip about turning the pinion gears.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites