Ride-on Tracked Vehicle Is A Stout Metal Build

When we think of tracked vehicles, we normally think of tanks, or perhaps heavy construction machinery. Meanwhile the average member of the public is left out of the fun. [Bob] of [Making Stuff] won’t be one of them, however, having put together a ride-on tracked vehicle for his own enjoyment.

The machine is welded together from plenty of steel, making it more than tough enough to soak up the punishment of off-road duty. The design features four suspended buggy wheels on either side running inside rubber tracks, with a cogged drive wheel at the front. Propulsion is thanks to a 440 cc DuroMax engine good for a full 18 horsepower and 26 ft-lbs of torque, driving the tracks through a differential mounted up front.

The design has one major issue at the moment. The heavy engine is mounted ahead of the front wheel inside the tracks, which means the vehicle wants to nosedive at the slightest provocation. Such an event would be highly uncomfortable for the rider, so mods are needed, either by scooching the engine back a little or pushing the wheels forward.

We look forward to seeing [Bob] fix the issues and get the machine driving soon. We’ve seen other tracked builds before, too – often on the smaller scale. Video after the break.

17 thoughts on “Ride-on Tracked Vehicle Is A Stout Metal Build

  1. Switch to using some electric motors and ditch the engine. You can get plenty of torque from electric but it will naturally need a battery pack. I don’t think it should be an issue unless you plan on going for a long drive.

  2. Seeing a small “for fun” vehicle like this being made with an ICE, in 2021,feels super weird.
    If you need something with fuel range or something I could understand. But why deal with the noise, exhaust, maintenance, and all the other things that come with an ICE when salvaged motors and a lead-acid are so easy to find?
    Wouldn’t an electric build have been so much mo simple?
    Was the ICE, and the complication it brings, part of the initial goal?

    1. I can go down to the local Horror Freight and buy a small engine and quickly throw it on a frame. Can you say the same thing about an electric motor and batteries? No, you can’t. Sometimes simpler works when you’re building a concept.

  3. Great build Bob! One of my clients is a distributor for track “wheelchairs” (for lack of a better term). I was really excited to see these vehicles. They allow people with mobility limitations to literally go just about anywhere. The beach, the woods, snow, etc. They have a bunch of options too – tilt, stand-up, transfer mechanics, really good stuff. https://tssactiontrackchair.com/

  4. neat build but he should have learned from those before him and products that are already on the market that the engine needs to be in the middle. It shows that you do need to do some research before just welding stuff together. It should not be that bad to fix. Go look up a snowdog that is just one maker of these types of tracked vehicle there are a bunch.

  5. Great proof of concept and excellent
    workmanship!

    But, I think it’s time to start on Version II.

    This machine is inherently dangerous and unstable no matter how you distribute the weight fore and aft because the center of mass is too high for the footprint. It needs to be longer and wider.

    I suggest that you place the engine lower and possibly between the tracks and use longer tracks.
    Consider also placing the operator in a seated position with rollover protection and a harness, or a lap belt at least.

    I suggest that you use hydrostatic drive to enable “zero radius” turning and reverse direction, which will give you better control and eliminate the need for individual brakes. You may still want to consider an emergency – parking brake however.

    You can probably salvage the hydro pumps and motors from an old ZTR mower at reasonable cost.

    With appropriate refinement, you may have a commercially viable concept.

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