Was looking for a golf cart...bought a Mule

[Industrial Toys]

There is only one drive mode. Both rear wheels are chain driven, each side. That arrangement is going to want to go straight. Or also, think of it as the wheels on a tandem trailer skidding around a corner. Not what they want to do.

In that "CLASSIC" Gator Family, it allowed them to keep things simple and have the non front drive, fronts of all three gator models to be the same.

 

[radios1]

there's some decent prices here for trucksters, though. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...man.TRS0&_nkw=cushman+truckster&_sacat=181476

 

[grsthegreat]

My mule has either 1 wheel drive (saves lawn) 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive with diff lock.have never gotten it stuck....but have winch in case i do

 

[BobG_in_VA]

We bought the Pro FX EPS a few months ago. Have about 13hrs on it now. the 815CC 3 cyl engine is quiet and strong. Will tow 2000 lbs. I like it. Shrps74

 

[dnw64]

There is only one drive mode. Both rear wheels are chain driven, each side. That arrangement is going to want to go straight. Or also, think of it as the wheels on a tandem trailer skidding around a corner. Not what they want to do.

In that "CLASSIC" Gator Family, it allowed them to keep things simple and have the non front drive, fronts of all three gator models to be the same.

I guess what I have is a differential lock. With the diff open it turns relatively normally. But with the diff locked it really wants to go straight. Boy I can tell you having it locked makes a HUGE difference in traction!

 

[Zebrafive]

Thanks! I was wondering about how the 4WD worked on those. Do you actually have 6 wheels pulling in 4WD?

The drive axle is the forward of the two rear axles. Inside the frame rails is chain drive from each forward axle to the axle behind it. So two loops of chain, 1 on each side. The rear most wheels are each side are on their own independent axle (sort of like a mower blade spindle, wheel/tire on the out side, sprocket on the inside). So when in 2wd, you have the 2 wheels on one side driving (chained together) . When in 4wd, the drive axle is locked, so all four rear wheels drive.


He is correct, they do not steer well when in 4wd, especially in snow, they just want to "plow", go straight.


In the drawing from JD parts, the left axle shown is the powered axle, the right, is chain driven from it. Left side of Gator shown, see direction of travel arrow at bottom

 

[Industrial Toys]

Makes you wonder how they steered with those half tracks in WW II. They had front steering but did they have steering brakes?

 

[dnw64]

So when in 2wd, you have the 2 wheels on one side driving (chained together) . When in 4wd, the drive axle is locked, so all four rear wheels drive.

Very interesting. So if I understand correctly, it IS a 2WD/4WD setup, but contrary to normal thinking, it's 2 on one side rather than 2 on one axle. Based on the nomenclature of the manual "differential lock" I was assuming a conventional differential, driving both sides, with the ability to lock it. I will need to do some observational testing

Makes you wonder how they steered with those half tracks in WW II. They had front steering but did they have steering brakes?

Split brakes would help with an open differential (and would be a good option). But if you have a locked differential split brakes will only halve your braking power.

 

[LouNY]

They have a conventional differential that drives the primary axle with a differential lock.

 

[dnw64]

OK, I just did a real life test.

Mine anyways (MY 2000), has full time 4WD, where L/R pairs have conventional open differential type power.

In "normal" mode all 4 rear wheels have power in the same way/sense that the two rear wheels of a conventional car/truck does. IOW, if one side loses traction you are pretty much dead in the water.

There is a Differential Lock, that, when activated, provides power equally to all 4 rear wheels. This provides a substantial increase in traction at the expense of steering ability.