Author Topic: progress....  (Read 12101 times)

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Offline 0rion

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progress....
« on: March 03, 2012, 10:13:49 pm »
With 2 kids I don't get a lot of time to work on it but I'm making a little progress. I know this ain't much compared to what you guys do but so far I'm happy with what I've got done. Got both pulleys off. I'm now at the point where I'll have to start taking a lot of pictures as I go or this thing might not ever get put back together using all the right pieces. I'm sure I'll have more than 1 bolt left over.  :lol: Next I'll probably tackle getting the motor off there.


start


current

was thinking a little bit ago.....is it possible to drill the stock rims for lugs and use those? I'm just looking for ways to save money and wheels/tires are one of the more expensive things. I'm thinking since they're not designed for that they would become weak. Just a thought.
Tim

Offline birdman_express

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Re: progress....
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2012, 10:28:47 pm »
]was thinking a little bit ago.....is it possible to drill the stock rims for lugs and use those? I'm just looking for ways to save money and wheels/tires are one of the more expensive things. I'm thinking since they're not designed for that they would become weak. Just a thought.

Just looking for trouble doing that. The ones that have a lug pattern already are
suitable for hubs, the others are too thin.
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Offline saltyAMF

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Re: progress....
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2012, 10:29:24 pm »
www.buggiesunlimited.com   score your self some 8x7 golf cart rims for 15 a piece
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Offline The Tank

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Re: progress....
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2012, 10:30:12 pm »
I wouldnt use the stock wheels. They could be made to work with some bracing but its also adding weight. Id definitely use some after front wheels. On the rear wheels, golf kart wheels work good for that and they can usually be bought cheap.
Frank "The Tank" Woods

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Offline Wheel Horse Man

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Re: progress....
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2012, 10:30:49 pm »
TAKE YOUR TIME, DO IT RIGHT, SPEND THE EXTRA CASH FOR THE BETTER PARTS IT WILL PAY OFF.
Zach Tyer
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Offline 0rion

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Re: progress....
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2012, 10:38:55 pm »
www.buggiesunlimited.com   score your self some 8x7 golf cart rims for 15 a piece


awesome...thanks for the link


I kinda figured trying to use the stockers was a bad idea.....just a thought. I was expecting $50-$60 a wheel.
Tim

Offline The Tank

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Re: progress....
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2012, 10:41:17 pm »
The kart wheels for the front can be gotten for about $30-$35 each.
Frank "The Tank" Woods

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Offline 0rion

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Re: progress....
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2012, 10:49:24 pm »
thanks guys....little ahead of myself there I think. I got a lot to do before that point but someone in an earlier thread said it would be a good idea to get the wheels/tires on there for ride height. Not sure with a transaxle that's much of an issue though because I won't have the adjustable cassettes. This will be a long long project so I may buy stuff as I can and start putting it in the garage. I have a few areas that worry me as far as being able to sneak the money past my wife. The steering, front end, front brakes, and figuring out the rear brakes on this transaxle with .75" axles. I'd really like to get those taken care of and then the rest will be much easier.
Tim

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Re: progress....
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2012, 12:18:55 am »
My advice? Strip it down to the bare frame.  You will find that there are LOTS of nuts and bolts that you won't use.  Also remove all unnecessary brackets for the deck and etc.  Once you get it down to the bare frame you can officially start your "build". You will want all that stuff out of your way when u start building.  Here's what I do.

1st: chassis

starting with nothing but the bare frame you will want to start bracing your chassis.  There are many build threads on this site that can help you with that part and the cost is just a few dollars in 3/4" tubing.  Box in your frame with this tubing however you choose but keep in mind that a chassis with too much flex will be harder to adjust.  Way too many variables to consider when your frame is twisting in the corners.  Some people may argue that but this is MY ADVICE!... To each their own.  I've had both.  My first chassis wasn't planned out as well and it wasn't as responsive to adjustments as my newer build. You will also want to build a new front end ang get rid of the stock spindle setup.  They WILL fail on you.  And finally you will want to get rid of the stock steering setup and replace it with a straight or solid steering shaft.  You don't want that stock steering setup to break over while your sliding through a corner.  It's a very scary feeling that usually ends in an even more painful feeling as you kiss th dirt and/or wall!

2nd: driveline

keep in mind while bracing your frame that you will have alot going on underneath your mowchine from pulleys to clutches as well as brakes.  You will want to mock up these systems before you brace so that you can consider the clearances for all these parts.  I will also throw in that the 700 series transmission to kart axle setup is alot less of a headache to use than the transaxles.  I know alot of people have luck with the 820 transaxles but I would rather change my sprockets to gear for each track than to start swapping pullies and belts before a race.  Whichever route you choose you will want to end up with an overall ratio of around 6:1 or so.  As for brakes I will recommend to look into kart or sled brakes.  I've also seen alot of atv brakes that work great too.  You can get all of these for pretty cheap at your local junkyard or even eBay.  I have 50 bucks in my rear brake setup.  8" rotor and wilwood caliper for a snowmobile (arctic cat I think) for 20 bucks on eBay. Wilwood master cylinder (new) 35 bucks on eBay.  I have a fully built vtwin and have NEVER found myself wishing I had more brake.  As for the front brakes I say if your on a budget then you could hold off on those until you have the funds to dedicate to them.  Either you will end up spending 400 dollars on a set made for a mower or you will have to do some creative fabricating with kart brakes.  While front brakes are great for both speed and safety, there are plenty of other things you'll need that money for in the initial build. (btw e.c. Distributing sells a brake hat that may work for your transaxle if you decide not to use the 700 series setup.)

3rd.  Engine

this is another category that can get pricy, however my advice again is to start small.  It's easy to upgrade  the engine once your chassis is complete and handling well.  It's exponentially harder to fix chassis problems
after everything is done.  Once you confident in your chassis and it's handling ability then start putting money into your engine.  As I and many other people have said before, a good chassis with a mild engine beats a good engine on bad chassis any day of the week.  Navigating your mowchine quickly through a corner is more helpful than blasting rpm's down the straights while having to almost stop completely just to make your front end turn.  When you are ready to put those final touches on your race engine there are ENDLESS threads on here with parts and how-to's to get you going mow faster!   
Cody Callantine.
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Offline 0rion

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Re: progress....
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2012, 02:25:17 am »
thanks for taking the time to type that out.....I appreciate the advice. I'm going next weekend to meet some somewhat local guys at a mall to check out their set ups and ask a lot of questions. I don't have any grand ideas of being the fastest thing on the planet or the greatest ever built. I just want something to have some fun on. To be completely honest this started out as just a play toy for the yard. I was going to swap pulleys and call it good to go. Then I found this site and read on the short comings and safety risks of the stock parts and decided to go a little further into it. Then it becomes just like everything else I've ever done....."You can't do x and not do y and z". Next thing you know I'm getting questioned by my wife on what I'm spending money on  :lol: When it was the car I could get by with it but it's hard to justify chunks of money on an old mower.....she just doesn't understand it. I'll do my best to save money where I can or at least spread it out so I can embezzle it a little easier. :lol: I've learned over the years it's definitely easier to beg forgiveness than ask for permission.
Tim

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Re: progress....
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2012, 03:33:53 am »
 :lol:  that is very true!  I started out with the same ideas you have.  And there is nothing wrong with building a quick little mower just to play on.  Even if you never race it.  But the safety aspects are by far the most important and honestly some of the cheapest things to do to your mowchine.  The front end can be built for around 50 bucks when you buy the metal and fabricate it yourself.  There are alot of threads on building your own front end out of a few pieces of scrap metal and simply bolting and/or welding it to the front of your frame.  If you dont plan on racing it then you can fab a front end for even less since you wont need the built in adjustability we use.  Then on to the steering.  Any solid shaft will do. just buy (or make) a cheap hub to bolt the steering wheel to and attach a piece of all thread to run from the bottom of the steering shaft to the left or right front spindle. As a matter of fact im pretty sure there is a thread on here where george herrin used a spindle mount front wheel to make his steering wheel hub out of.  Theres a freebie right there since you arent going to use those wheels.  Im glad you aren't using those by the way.  Ripped two of those wheels off in 2 days on an old stocker we used to play on before we knew better.  The wheels were even braced on the inside but they simply ripped out in a spiral starting where the spindle hub was originally welded on.  Scary ride when that happens.  If you can find 150 bucks and a few hrs of free time you could build a safe and reliable mowchine.  Remember...  these things were built to turn at 4 mph.  Even just swapping the pullies will easily get you 5 times that speed.  The mower cannot and will not handle that with the stock parts.  Just wont do it.  Which will make it waaaaaaaay less fun to drive on top of being dangerous to you and anyone unfortunate enough to be near you when it goes.  Plus... if you DO decide to race it someday then all you gotta do is put some money in your engine or even leave it stock and run a stock class.  Racing a lawnmower is fun at any speed.  And those stock classes REALLY put an emphasis on driving ability, which doesnt cost anything but experience!.... But i will end my safety rant with this... PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR MOWER AT STOCK HEIGHT!... it takes nothing but fabrication to get it lower and lower is safer hands down.  And finally DO NOT RIDE IT WITHOUT SAFETY GEAR.  I'm sorry for the caps but ive seen what happens when people were "just gonna test it out, no need to put on my gear."  I know it may seem silly that a little lawnmower can be dangerous.. but these things can cause SERIOUS harm to you if you dont prepare both it and yourself.  Now... after all my preaching I will make up for my nagging by posting a link to a video someone shot on their cell phone of me TOTALLY wiping out a couple of weeks ago at Flickerwood Arena in Missouri.  Thanks to my safety gear i walked away without a scratch nor bruise... well... except for maybe a bruised ego... hahaha   I dont know who shot the vid but the quality is grainy and the sound cuts out a few seconds in.  But you wont have to wait long to see me eat dirt.  Watch the mower on the outside line in the first row.  Thats me.  Pay close attention to turn 4 of the first lap.... this was the last feature race and I got waaaay to eager to pass the 1st place guy (my dad of all people)coming out of the turn.  You cant really see me hit the ground but u can see that the mower flipped completely. 

http://youtu.be/QxXDYUDnZEk
Cody Callantine.
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Offline 0rion

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Re: progress....
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2012, 03:56:11 am »
yeah....I've noticed there's not much padding between the driver and the ground.  ;) Glad you walked away from that one. When I was a kid I was riding a 3 wheeler (remember those?) and had my buddy on the back. We were zipping down a turn road between 2 fields. I guess the farmer had cut a ditch across the road for drainage of the fields. By the time I saw it there was no getting out of it. My buddy was on the back with me. I got beat up pretty good on the flip but it really messed him up....he broke some fingers and a leg. I learned a valuable lesson about safety that day. I also learned the degree of whipping you get for destroying your buddy's 3 wheeler and almost killing us both.
I have an 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter.....at some point in the future they'll want to ride it so you can bet it'll be safe before I let them on it. The main problem I have right now is just being ignorant about half this stuff so it's taking a lot of reading to see exactly what I have to do and then plan my approach. I appreciate this site and everyone's time helping me get it sorted out. I'm not new to the forum thing....been on LS1.com for over 10 years and was a supermod there for 6 years. You can't place a value on these forums and it's veteran members.
Tim

Offline ZZ Mowrider

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Re: progress....
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2012, 10:03:45 am »
Just looking for trouble doing that. The ones that have a lug pattern already are
suitable for hubs, the others are too thin.


I found out the hard way of using stock rims on the front end, they just can't handle the abuse that we give them in the corners. I guess I was lucky I didn't get hurt worse then  I did in that race, But ya can bet I will be running some kart rims this year for sure.
http://youtu.be/z3TShTZkCsY

Offline trbinrat

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Re: progress....
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2012, 10:10:27 am »
Very nice write up Cody.

6" wheels can be had for $28 @ Turk Brothers Racing and I found APS had the best prices for 8" wheels. Tires on the other hand are getting more and more expensive. I did some research and found a wholesaler in my area that would sell them to me. I do a lot of research to find the price I want to pay. I have found some great deals on ebay and craigs list and going out and talking to people.I think I have more time in searching for parts than building the mower. Some things you can only get at one place and have to pay there price, (like EC's quick change hub and sprockets) but most everything else is had at multiple places.
Mark
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Offline 0rion

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Re: progress....
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2012, 07:11:07 pm »
time to start cleaning and bracing the frame......supposed to be pretty cold the first couple days this week so it'll probably have to wait until about Wed. for me to get on it. I gotta go to the dealership and get my 5er tomorrow so I'll be gone most of the day tomorrow. It's coming along though.


Tim

 

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