A do-it-yourself snowmobile with an engine from a walk-behind tractor

Preparing to make a snowmobile

To make a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor with your own hands, you will need to prepare materials and equipment in advance.

• Welding machine;
• Pipe bender;
• angle grinder;
• Drill;
• Wrenches and screwdrivers;
• Set of fasteners;
• Pipes with a diameter of 1 cm;
• Steel sheets, 5mm thick;
• Clamps;
• Vice;
• Lathe;
• Wheels.

In addition to preparing equipment and materials, it is extremely important to carefully study the drawings. They will tell you how and in what order to mount the elements of the snowmobile.

It is best to assemble a snowmobile based on a walk-behind tractor in a warm, dry place, for example, in a garage. In such conditions, the sealant and paint that you will use to decorate the unit will dry faster.

How to choose a snowmobile engine?

Before you make a snowmobile out of a walk-behind tractor yourself, you need to choose an engine for the unit. The best option would be to use a motor equipped with a towing device and a manual control mechanism. These components are possessed by the engines of the Neva MB-1 and MB-2 motoblocks. They are quite reliable, withstand high loads in severe weather conditions, do not fail at extremely low temperatures.

In addition to motors from Russian motoblocks, you can also use engines of Japanese-made units. It is best if you choose an air-cooled, 4-stroke, single-cylinder engine. Such an engine also shows excellent performance, practically does not overheat, and its parts do not corrode.

The third option is the use of a 2-stroke engine for a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor. It is distinguished by its simple design and low weight. Such a motor from a walk-behind tractor is very easy to repair, having only wrenches and a screwdriver at hand.

Snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor: how to do it yourself

A snowmobile is a fairly useful unit that is able to overcome high snowdrifts, having on board not only the driver, but also small luggage. The high cost of some models of snowmobiles makes them virtually inaccessible to the majority of the population. Because of this, many residents of the northern and central regions prefer to make snowmobiles from improvised means. Very often, a single-axle tractor is used for these purposes. a snowmobile based on this unit turns out to be quite powerful and durable.

How to make a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor. step-by-step assembly

Half of the result depends on compliance with the algorithm for making a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor. Therefore, perform all actions strictly in the order indicated below. A homemade snowmobile is made in the following sequence:

• First, weld the frame. For this you need to use steel sheets and pipes. Using a pipe bender, shape the parts into the desired shape, preheating the metal with a gas burner. Connect the parts exclusively by welding. After making the frame, paint it so that the metal does not corrode for as long as possible;
• After the paint has completely dried, it is necessary to close all existing joints with an inseparable seam, and then weld a strong metal bracket to the supporting part of the frame, which will hold the snowmobile engine. Alternatively, you can weld a cast iron bracket, but this is allowed only if your snowmobile is large and heavy;
• At the next stage, in the lower part of the snowmobile from the walk-behind tractor, you need to weld the skis. To do this, take steel strips, heat them, and bend the front parts of the parts at an angle of 45 °. Be sure to harden the metal so that later it does not return to its original position;
• Next, install the motor, clutch and ignition system from the walk-behind tractor on the bracket. At the rear of the snowmobile, install and secure the fuel and oil tank;
• Then weld the seat and handles to the structure. Move the throttle control switches, start button and hand brake levers removed from the walk-behind tractor to the right handle. Connect the vertical axis of the handles with the skis so that they turn when the steering mechanism is turned.

Making a tracked snowmobile

This method is suitable if you want to get a more passable unit that can easily overcome not only snow drifts, but also swampy areas. It should be borne in mind that the tracked unit will be heavier, which will negatively affect its speed and maneuverability. In addition, for such a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor, a sufficiently powerful engine is required, producing at least 9-10 liters. from.

Do not forget that, as in the first case, in addition to the engine from the walk-behind tractor, the snowmobile will need to be equipped with an ignition system, a clutch, throttle position switches, a starting device, hand brake levers, and, if possible, a headlight. This creates a risk that the wires and hoses may become wrapped around the tracks when the snowmobile is in motion. To avoid this, secure all hoses and wires to the frame securely with clamps. Better yet, if you first equip them with rubber or silicone tubes that protect the wiring from moisture.

The procedure for manufacturing a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor in this case will be almost identical. Particular attention should be paid to the manufacture of tracks. For this, it is best to use a shipping tape of sufficient thickness. Before starting the manufacture of tracks, be sure to study the diagram, which indicates the place and procedure for installing the main parts of the mechanism. The procedure for manufacturing a tracked mechanism for a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor is as follows:

• First, take a plastic water pipe, 470 in length and 40 mm in diameter, and cut it into pieces. they will serve as blanks for future lugs;
• Saw each of the blanks lengthwise using a circular pipe;
• The finished lugs must be attached to the shipping tape with furniture bolts. In this case, be sure to maintain the same distance between them. Otherwise, when the mechanism moves, the teeth of the drive sprocket will run over each other, which will lead to the track slipping and sliding off the rollers;
• Next, drill holes for the bolts in the tracks using a drill and a wood drill with a special sharpening;
• Then make the track drive shaft and bearing support using steel parts;
• After that, it remains to install the tracked mechanism on a homemade snowmobile.

If you do not have a sufficiently powerful motor from a walk-behind tractor, but you want to get a snowmobile that can move in swampy terrain, then you can equip the unit with combined movement elements.

To do this, mount the track at the rear of the snowmobile and the skis at the front under the steering wheel of the machine. In this case, the tracked mechanism will act as a driven element.

Stages of assembling a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor

The most common option is light “karakats”, which are characterized by good cross-country ability, provided by large cameras. Such machines are created in several stages:

• The choice of the basis for the all-terrain vehicle. Usually, a frame from a Ural or Izh motorcycle is chosen as the basis. It is worth noting that the cars created on the basis of the Izh motorcycle are more maneuverable. Machines created using such frames are distinguished by good maneuverability on various types of soil, as well as on deep snow.
• Creation of suspension and rear axle of a snowmobile. In order to make an independent rear and front suspension, it is necessary to connect the side members with a strut and a steering bush. This suspension ensures a smooth ride.
• Installation of wheels. ATVs usually use cameras from a truck. They are attached to the suspension through the hub. Such wheels provide ease of control of the all-terrain vehicle and safety of its use.
• Installing the engine. After the suspension with wheels is installed, you can start securing the engine. After complete assembly, the car should be tested at low speed.

Skids and engine

Wide skis are used as runners, which are attached to the steering column using a swivel joint. For the front suspension, use motorcycle shock absorbers.

The engine is mounted on the leading part of a homemade snowmobile. In this case, before installing the engine, you must decide what exactly to use. wheels or tracks. Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages.

If wheels are installed, the all-terrain vehicle from the walk-behind tractor will be more maneuverable. If you make tracks, the cross-country ability of the snowmobile increases, but at the same time it becomes heavier.

DIY snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor

The best vehicle for driving on snowy roads or fields is a snowmobile. But many of these structures have a high cost, so you can often see a snowmobile that is created from a walk-behind tractor. It is worth remembering that such a design can be made only with certain skills.

Caterpillars

Snowmobile tracks can be made with your own hands using the following materials:

• conveyor belts;
• motorcycle chains;
• water pipes.

The speed of a homemade snowmobile can be about 60 km / h, so safety precautions must be observed while driving.

For light snowmobiles, tracks from a conveyor belt and roller chain are usually created from a walk-behind tractor. To create such tracks, you do not need to have any skills or have specialized equipment.

To extend the life of the tape, its edges are stitched with fishing line. In this case, the step between the stitches should be equal to 1 cm. This will prevent the tape from loosening. To form a ring, the tape is sewn from the ends.

The choice of the thickness of the tape used depends on the capacity of the unit being created. The higher it is, the thicker the tape should be.

How a single axle tractor turns into a snowmobile

It is the uniaxial tractor that is taken as the basis of the snowmobile, since many site owners have this unit. At the same time, walk-behind tractors are usually not used in winter. Having built a simple snowmobile, you can install an engine from a walk-behind tractor on it, which can be returned back after the end of winter.

Created snowmobiles usually have a power of about 7 hp, which allows you to carry two people with a small load.

In order to assemble an all-terrain vehicle from a walk-behind tractor with your own hands, you must have the following main parts and tools:

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• welding machine;
• engine;
• pipe bender.

You will also need additional details, which you can learn about in a more detailed examination of the design of the snowmobile. Before making a snowmobile, it is worth drawing up a detailed drawing.

Snowmobile design

To correctly assemble an all-terrain vehicle from a walk-behind tractor, you first need to depict it in the diagram. Typically, a structure consists of two parts: driven and driven. The first named part consists of the following elements:

• shock absorbers
• steering column;
• runners.

The leading part consists of a power unit, drive and frame. After creating the drawing, you can start welding the frame. For greater strength, it is worth using pipes that are used to create frames for motorcycles. But you can also use products that are used for the construction of a water supply system. You can give the pipes the desired shape using a pipe bender.

To avoid mistakes when creating a frame, you should first fix the system elements by spot welding. Only then can the joints be welded with a continuous seam.

After creating the frame, brackets are welded to it, which are necessary to secure the engine, runners and seat.

What powertrain is required to create a snowmobile

Most often, craftsmen use a unit that is installed on Neva walk-behind tractors. It is a four-stroke engine that runs on gasoline and has one cylinder. This device has air cooling. Such a motor is lightweight and has a manual start system. Repair of such a device can be carried out even by a person who has minimal knowledge of engine operation.

Using the described motor, you can make a good working snowmobile that can be used for driving on snowy ground. If you decide to purchase a single-axle tractor, including for creating an all-terrain vehicle, you should think about the type of engine. Gasoline and diesel units have their own advantages and disadvantages.

For all-terrain vehicles, motors from Chinese motoblocks are usually used, since they are low cost and at the same time easy to maintain. Before starting to create an all-terrain vehicle, it is worth remembering that the chassis is best done with independent wheel suspension. This will ensure the comfort of movement.

If a tracked all-terrain vehicle is being created, the frame must be solid, and when designing a wheeled version, it is necessary to create an articulated structure.

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Benefits of homemade snowmobiles

• Low cost. It is because of the price that many refuse to buy ready-made models and create a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor with their own hands. If we compare the cost of finished devices, then it is worth noting that they can be 5-10 times more expensive than the assembled structure. To make a snowmobile out of a walk-behind tractor, it is enough to have a small amount of materials. In most cases, you don’t even have to buy spare parts for the future design.
• Choice of parameters. A homemade vehicle can have a different appearance as well as power. Some craft-made designs are more powerful than popular off-the-shelf snowmobiles. It is also worth noting that when creating your own car, you can choose the type of chassis.
• Reliability of construction. Snowmobiles even from well-known manufacturers often break down during use. When creating your own all-terrain vehicle, a person chooses only high-quality materials. At the same time, a self-made structure is usually designed for heavy loads, while finished models may not be designed for use in all conditions.

It is worth noting that when creating your snowmobile, you can use parts from other devices, which reduces the cost of the unit being created. Homemade snowmobiles are used in almost any conditions, so many refuse to buy ready-made structures. The video shows the work of the structure, which is most often created from a walk-behind tractor.