My Senior design project - a "Swamp Thing" tracked vehicle clone

[dougtrr2]

Not until after I clean it.

So does that mean never?

Doug in SW IA

 

[Garauld]

OK, I cleaned it up a bit...



JK... :ashamed:

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Garauld]

I had some brake lines made up and installed them. I will fill them, bleed them and try them out soon. Working on the tracks and front bumper next.

 

[PILOON]

From what I have seen your project is not 'thing' but rather a work of art.
Very nice!

 

[ArlyA]

Garauld is doing a nice job on it. Same as I'd be doing if it was my project...

 

[Garauld]

Now this is what they call a bumper: :dance1:



I also made up some track bars:

 

[carbon]

Hi Garauld, great build you have going here. I signed up to this forum just to follow along!

I am curious about your brake steering system, especially since there was some mention of welding your differential spider gears.

Great work!

 

[Garauld]

I am curious about your brake steering system, especially since there was some mention of welding your differential spider gears.

Hi Carbon - thanks for the kudos. It's a fun build. In reference to your curiosity there is a discussion about this subject early in the thread. Another reader noted that spider gears are not designed to handle this duty (which I agree with) and should be welded up. There are two ramifications of this: 1) I don't have to lock the other axle somehow (a good thing) as the Echo uses an open differential in the transmission, 2) the overall speed of the vehicle is reduced by 2 (not so good). I now calculate the top speed to be about 18 mph at 6000 rpm.

 

[carbon]

Ok so there are two differentials in your drivetrain; the one in the echo transmission which would have driven the front wheels since its a transversely mounted engine, and then you are connecting that transmission to a driveshaft to power your Rav-4 differential with the brake-steer system, right?

So the transmission differential is the one you are welding up then?