All-terrain vehicles are a universal means of transportation that can take you to the right place in catastrophically bad weather conditions.
All-terrain vehicles are most often used in the northern and eastern parts of our large country, where frosts, heavy rains and terrain that cannot be passed by an ordinary car prevail.
It should be noted that all-terrain vehicles move using wheels and tracks. The latter just likes to break down often and cause its owners a lot of problems in repairing or completely replacing this component.
As you might have guessed, we will talk about how to make tracks for an all-terrain vehicle with your own hands.
All-terrain vehicle tracks
As a rule, tracks for homemade all-terrain vehicles are made from high-strength conveyor belt, which lends itself well to various types of deformation while driving. It does not require special care; all you need is to clean it from dirt from time to time.
So, let's now talk more about creating caterpillars. For work you will need the following materials:The tape contains professional pipes with a characteristic cross-section; it is with their help that the all-terrain vehicle can cover distances in the most unfavorable weather.
- Bolts and nuts of various shapes and sizes.
- Profiled pipe with cross-section.
- Massive fittings.
- Conveyer belt.
You should also have the following tools in your arsenal:
- Powerful drill.
- Welding machine.
- Big hammer.
- Universal set of wrenches.
- Track pressing machine.
Based on the size of the track, you need to prepare the appropriate bolts and nuts. Next, take the reinforcement and start shaping it into a rounded shape using a crimping machine. Then, using a welding machine, you need to weld the letter V at the top of the reinforcement.
For a more detailed understanding of the steps, we recommend watching a video on how to make caterpillars with your own hands.
After the work has been done, you will have a homemade track that needs to be attached to another track, etc. The result of the work will be a reliable track for an all-terrain vehicle.
Caterpillar for UAZ
Next we will tell you how to make tracks on an UAZ with your own hands.
For this model, a caterpillar made from ordinary car tires is suitable. Select a massive truck tire in advance. Be sure to pay attention to the characteristic tread pattern. If it has triangular cutouts, then the tire will fit.
To make it, you need to carefully cut out the sides and, most importantly, do not forget to leave space for the treadmill. Then start connecting the resulting tires using car belts.
The result of the work will be a ready-made caterpillar for operation by the UAZ all-terrain vehicle.
Necessary materials
As mentioned earlier, to transform the wheeled walk-behind tractors Sadko, Don, Huter, Profi, Plowman, Champion, Carver, Husqvarna into a tracked walk-behind tractor, you will need a fairly powerful engine with axial locking.
Power is important because such a walk-behind tractor will be used on a fairly complex surface, the maneuverability of which requires additional technical data.
Track materials
To summarize a little, we can highlight the main materials that we will need:
- The presence of the walk-behind tractor itself with a gearbox with a powerful 4-stroke engine with axle locking.
- A couple of extra wheels so you can pull the track on them.
- The homemade caterpillar itself, made from available materials.
- Depending on what material will be used in production, we may need two large car tires or transport tape.
Using these materials, you can make a fully functional crawler walk-behind tractor.
At the same time, you can make a full-fledged mini tractor on tracks if you add an additional cargo platform, or use it as an all-terrain vehicle in the snow by adding a platform on skids. In general, there is complete scope for imagination.
Making a tractor on tracks
A caterpillar tractor is an integral piece of equipment in a farmer’s work. With its help, you can plow tens of hectares of fertile soil, as well as transport various loads. Now you will learn how to make a tractor on tracks with your own hands.
First you need to make the tracks; read the detailed process of making them above. Next, using a welding machine, begin welding the structure, which will be the basis for the tractor. It can be made from metal plates, beams, slats and other metal elements.
We smoothly approach the cabin. It can also be made by welding metal structures and fixing them with construction bolts for greater strength.As for the engine, the most suitable option would be a diesel engine with at least 14 horsepower.
It is especially important to take care of cooling, because when operating a homemade tractor, there is a high probability of constant overheating of the engine.
Breakdowns and repair possibilities
The main failures of caterpillar tracks, made independently or in artisanal conditions, include breaking of the elastic base or bending of metal linings. To restore the functionality of the structure, it is necessary to disassemble the bolted connections and replace the failed parts. It is recommended to carry out a preventive inspection of the propulsion vehicle after each trip; storing an all-terrain vehicle with a contaminated chassis is not allowed.
If the alignment of the rollers is disrupted, the load on the chassis and belt increases. The cause of the defect is the destruction of the bearings or weak tightening of the bolts holding the axles to the frame of the all-terrain vehicle. Regular preventive inspection of the undercarriage of a homemade snow and swamp-going vehicle allows you to detect and eliminate faults before the caterpillar track is damaged.
Caterpillars for walk-behind tractor
Now it’s time to learn how to make tracks on a walk-behind tractor with your own hands. We say right away that the procedure is very similar to assembling conventional tracks for an all-terrain vehicle.
In the same way, you need to weld together professional pipes with a cross-section and give them the shape of an English letter V.
The only difference will be the fastening on the sides using bushing-roller chain screws.
Finally, measure the length of the caterpillar, and if it is slightly larger than necessary, then simply remove a few extra cm of the corrugated pipe.
The principle of movement of caterpillar vehicles
For a tracked vehicle of any purpose, be it a tank or a snowmobile, forward motion is provided by a tracked propulsion unit (CT).
It uses two motivating factors:
- torque Mk transmitted from the engine/power drive to the drive wheels;
- adhesion of tracks to the ground.
A caterpillar or caterpillar chain of a main engine is a link structure, which is a continuous continuous belt or chain.
For full traction with the ground surface, the caterpillar is equipped with raised protrusions that serve as active lugs.
The caterpillar principle is illustrated by the kinematic diagram of the main engine operation located below. The following positions are indicated on the diagram:
- pos. 1 – caterpillar;
- pos. 2 – support rollers that prevent the track belt from sagging;
- pos. 3 – drive sprocket (drive wheel), which converts torque from the engine into traction force necessary for the forward movement of the machine;
- pos. 4 – support rollers, ensuring full contact of the track belt with the surface of the ground support;
- pos. 5 – shock absorbers;
- pos. 6 – guide wheel, which serves to direct the forward movement of the machine and transfers part of its weight to the ground.
Movement according to the caterpillar principle is carried out as follows:
- Torque Mk is supplied to the drive sprocket (item 3).
- The rotating sprocket rewinds the continuous track belt/chain (item 2).
- The caterpillar (item 2) is in close adhesion to the support surface (soil, loose soil, etc.). It is affected by:
- force Rz – reaction of the supporting surface that the caterpillar transmits to the vehicle frame;
- weight load G;
- tangential reaction of the ground support Pk.
The rewindable track belt/chain is continuously laid in the direction of forward motion of the vehicle on the surface of the ground support under the road wheels, creating a path for the vehicle wheels with lower resistance to movement than on soft ground.
During movement, the caterpillar belt rises from the supporting surface and transfers the pushing force to the vehicle frame.
The specific pressure on the support (soil) along the length of the track is uneven - increased in the area of the drive sprockets, decreased in the front part in the area of the guide wheel (item 6). The maximum pressure on the ground from the main engine is in the area of the road wheels (item 4).
