[24] Brianator's "Silver Bullet" Super Stock Race Mower (Take 2)

#Buildoff2024

The Silver Bullet is back!



After having to drop out of last years Build Off this build is now back on! No work has been done to it so it's in the same state I left it in at the end of last January which is essentially just a roller with the chassis/body mostly sorted out and a decent layer of rust on the front axle I built.


Before I get into the meat of it, here's a brief history lesson on it but I do encourage you to check out PART 1 of the build so you can get familiar with it and see how it got to where it is now...

Back in October of 2021 I found it at a local scrapyard for $50 with the intention of using it as a parts machine (aka The Partshorse) for The Warhorse. As you can see it was missing the front spindles/wheels/tie rod, engine, most of the wiring and a rear wheel. The body was beat up pretty badly as well but other than that it was a pretty clean and strait machine!


In the spring of 2022 I bought a complete front axle from the same scrapyard and then installed it in June so it was at least a roller.


In July I used it to start mocking up and fitting a MST203 that was going in The Warhorse.

Then in January of 2023 I entered it into the Build Off and we all know how that ended up...


Never the less, I'm back on it and my goals are essentially the same with a couple of minor changes:

~ I still wanna go fast! (35MPH+)
~ Reinforce it while keeping weight savings in mind.
~ Build it to race specs in case I get a chance to actually race it.
~ Slam it to (or close to) the class limit of 4" from the frame to the ground. COMPLETE!
~ Build a custom front axle. COMPLETE!
~ Build direct steering from scratch.
~ Lower the bodywork and seat. COMPLETE!
~ No electronics aside from the ignition/kill - pull start only!
~ Install the 3 speed Peerless MST203.
~ Build the 10hp B&S scrapyard engine into a ripsnorter using some of the parts from the dead 11hp engine.
~ Shave weight wherever I can.
~ Give it a racecar appearance package!


Here's a few parts I had previously gathered before calling it quits but didn't show because they were going to be a surprise as the build went on. As part of the racecar appearance package (and for safety) I picked up this killer Grant 12" steering wheel for a great price and also I've been converting this small aluminum universal "washer fluid" tank into a fuel cell! Yes it's pretty small but it should be able to handle finishing a race, more on the conversation later when it actually gets finished and installed. I found the shifter handle pretty cheap and thought it would look great although it might not be used because I may go another route but I'm not quite sure yet.


This badge itself I found on the ground of the same scrapyard weeks or months later and figured it was for a golf cart or something...

...but a few weeks ago I came across this tractor for sale locally which makes me wonder IF it actually came from this machine or not?

Funny thing is I was already playing around with the name "Silver Bullet" so when I found it I took it as a sign! Upon further inspection I believe it WAS on it! I'm not sure how well it will show up in the picture because it's almost invisible to the naked eye but I can see evidence of paint fade forming the "S" to the left side and above/below it so it looks like it truly is the "Silver Bullet"!


As you can see, I have LOTS of work ahead of me! The engine is in pieces and incomplete, I need to build a clutch, the trans needs to be locked/installed/shifter fabbed up, I need to build steering linkages from scratch, gas/brake pedals and a bunch of other things need to be built and sorted out so this will not be a walk in park but I'm excited to build it! I'll also need to build a FNR for The Warhorse on the side so I can keep it in working order once I pull the MST203 for this machine.

Sorry for the extra long introduction but I hope you enjoy!

Let's make the 10th anniversary of the Build Off a great one with lots of entries making it to voting!

Best of luck to all of us and have a great 2024!



-Approved MightyRaze 12-30-24

[adm]Welcome @Brianator to the 2024 Build-Off![/adm]

That’s quite the entry post!

Ya... couldn't help myself! Lol.

I've been dickering around a bit here and there the last few days and built an important part of the steering so I can start moving ahead with it, a pivot for the steering bellcrank.

Here's some of the parts I used. I turned the steel roller into the main body that houses the bearings and gives me something solid to weld a bellcrank arm on to, I also cut off the threaded rod and modified it to be the main mounting shaft.

Here's all the parts layed out as they're installed, I've selected some washers to act as dirt shields to keep larger bits from getting to the bearings.

Here it is fully assembled and mocked up in the tractor.

Apparently the oil pan and motor plate are in the way to bolt it down so I'll have to trim them up but that's no big deal!

I notched the motor plate so the nut for the bellcrank barrel would clear, I'm not 100% happy with how the stud itself turned out as I'd like it to have a wider base to sit against the chassis for stability and also longer threads for the nut so I'll end up making one I feel better about.

I made a template for the steering arm that will go on the splindles, I figure once I've cut them out I can trim it back to the first bend and reuse it to make the pitman and idler arms, maybe even the plate for the tierods if I trace it double wide?

I'd really like to get the steering sorted out as that's the next big thing and will be the most time consuming to deal with, there's alot of messing around to do to get it right!

> I'd really like to get the steering sorted out

I ordered one of these:

Steering U-Joint With Shaft And Rubber Boot
item number: 1-2738

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Power-Transmission/PTO-Shafts-Jack-Shafts/U-Joints/Steering-U-Joint-With-Shaft-And-Rubber-Boot-1-2738.axd

I do not know if I need it, yet.

Someone suggested using a rack and pinion, so, I came down to this one as one of the shortest and maybe the lightest:

10L0L Steering Gear Box Assembly for Club Car Precedent 2004-up Golf Cart, Replace OEM 102288601

23.5" overall length.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982XJDLV/?coliid=I1OL4VHYNLL4LS&colid=1KGMF6HOG4DCQ&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

In case you do not go with direct steering.

Not sure if I am going to use it or not as I might go with a steering box because my build is the opposite of yours, slow and then slower..

I wonder if the Silver Bullet is referencing Coors?  It looks factory made it is a nice find for sure. "lawn mower Silver Bullet" pulls this topic up as second choice on a google search.

Brianator wrote:

~ Slam it to (or close to) the class limit of 4" from the frame to the ground. COMPLETE!
~ Build a custom front axle. COMPLETE!

Man, that looks good. Makes me want to make one like it.
Im looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

@JB_4x4 I'm definitely going with direct steering, I have all the parts already and have the steering shaft set up in the original location at the original angle as per the rulebook for the class I'm designing it for.

It's belly up right now with string running from the kingpins to the centerline of the rear axle and I've been working on the design/length/angle of the steering arms, it took a few tries of making templates until I was happy with something and have finally started cutting the spindle arms. Once they're done and tacked in place I can notch the chassis, start figuring out the bellcrank arm then make the tierods. This will be a long, slow process for me, it's my first hurrah into building direct steering so I'll be taking my time and hopefully getting it good the first time!



I've been playing around with the visuals and started designing a appearance package for it but because I don't have the ability to strait up virtually design it I've actually made full size mockups out of vinyl, taken pictures of them on the tractor (parts) then photoshopped them on a picture. It's taking alot of time and thought because I'm trying to incorporate some of the original design elements while paying homage to my friends Super Stock race car I helped him build and race, I'm also trying to incorporate a little ATLTF into the scheme as well. It's just a start but I think it's coming along nicely and before you even think it.... NO the # 18 has nothing to do with Kyle Busch! Lol. I'll do an in depth post on the visuals in the future when it's all said and done.


@TheBeal Thanks man me too and do it! Lol. You probably have a better chance at actually racing than I do seeing as how it's way more popular down south,  IF I'm lucky I'll get a couple chances to race other people but there's no clubs near me so really I'm just building it for myself. That's not stopping me from building it with class rules in mind though.

For those just stumbling into here and aren't aware of how it got to this point I encourage you to check out Part 1 from last year!

Brianator wrote:

@TheBeal Thanks man me too and do it! Lol. You probably have a better chance at actually racing than I do seeing as how it's way more popular down south,  IF I'm lucky I'll get a couple chances to race other people but there's no clubs near me so really I'm just building it for myself. That's not stopping me from building it with class rules in mind though.

For those just stumbling into here and aren't aware of how it got to this point I encourage you to check out Part 1 from last year!

Well, I wouldnt be too sure... I have this bad habbit of starting projects and not making any sort of progress for years, or loosing interest not finishing them.





But hey, I did just buy a few hundred bucks worth of various locking collars, gaskets, hubs, rotors and whatnot... who knows whatlle happen.

I've been facing some trials and tribulations in life recently but I'm hoping to pick up some steam on this build in the next couple of weeks, there's lots to do that's for sure!

Last night I was working on the steering arms, a couple of weeks ago I desgined the templates (based on popular designs) in the studio for my Silhouette and cut them out of cardstock. Here's a little insight into my design and fabrication process, the steel I'm using is "scrap" 3/16" 2x6 tubing.

Being able to cut rounded inside corners with a grinder is impossible but a little trick I use is to cut most of way then snap it off so I have a little material to work with to grind it down and create a smooth curve (grinded/smoothed not pictured).

I picked a good height for the bellcrank-to-spindle arm tab and tacked it in place, then I had to figure out a way to lock the spindle in the strait ahead postion so I could decide on placement for the spindle arm to tack it on. Some wood, washers, a clamp and a electrical connector kit did the trick! Rate my setup! Lol.

I still need to make the tierods and notch the frame for them plus make a pitman arm for the steering shaft but I'm hoping to have at the very least both spindle arms connected to the bellcrank by the end of the night so I can start testing that out. I am building it with the Ackerman efffect in mind and have chosen the lengths of all the arms and tabs based on averages of what the pros say works best for them while trying to account for a bit of extra adjustability (hence all the extra holes).

I hope I get this pretty close first try so I don't have to dicker around with it mulitple times, wish me luck!

Great job on the fabrication!

@Brianator I love the metal fab tips in this latest update. I like that template. It's something cheap and affordable vs a plasma table and you still get the satisfaction of doing the cutting and drilling by hand!

Thanks guys I appreciate it!

I got the spindle arms tacked in place but then ran into a little problem when I was getting an idea of how much throw the steering would have and it's not looking great, might be fine on a track with long sweeping turns but I need the ability to steer excessively when I put it in drift mode... the problem is 2 fold:

- The holes in the bellcrank tab are too far apart/too far off center which diminishes the amount of travel.
- The bellcrank tab itself is too short to give me the throw I'm after, in order to make it longer I need to relocate the bellcrank barrel itself...


... and that presents yet another problem, there's not enough space to just drill a hole and bolt it down!

To solve the clearance issue I need to remove what's left of the pivot for the original axle, reduce the diameter of the barrel and drill a hole for it. I did reduce the diameter and test fit it (in a factory hole), I'll need to drill a hole off center to fully clear the frame but because it's going to be spaced up a little it should easily clear that hump, I also made a patch to weld in once I remove the axle pivot.  

So it's not exactly going to plan but if it was easy then everyone would do it right!? Lol

I like the brackets! When I quickly looked through the thread, at first I thought they were plasma cut.

> but if it was easy then everyone would do it right!? Lol

What I have tried to tell my kids more then once.

At least it was just tacked.  I know you'll get it just right the way you want.  Oh and have one of these for tomorrow.

Thanks @MightyRaze that's nice!


So I cut out some metal and welded the patch in (front and back).


Then I drilled a new hole for the bellcrank barrel, cut out some space for the tie rods (still needs finishing and reinforcement but good enough for now) and made a mock tie rod from 5/16" bolts and 1/4" rod. It's only purpose is so I can get a measurement for the tierod tab and also to see if I need more clearance in the frame.

When the spindle arm is maxed out and touching the axle the inside tire does have decent angulation so I'm hoping to get at least that much, having to clearance the arms for more would be even better (if possible).

Now I need to design a new tierod tab and will probably make a temporary one out of some 1/8" scrap for testing purposes to make sure I'm on the right track, this some tricky stuff I'm into here!

So I'm not happy with the steering arms, they're a good design but they're just not suitable for my build so I set the strings back up and eyeballed the angle I need. Wouldn't you know that the second steering arm template I had made was perfect so I got to work! As a bonus they will allow the inside spindle to turn in a bit futher before hitting the axle.


After cutting them out I bolted them together so I could grind them down together so they're the same, considering only 1 of 4 bolts didn't slide right through I think I did pretty good! After they were done I tacked them in place and moved on to the next step.


I made a new templete for the bellcrank tab and checked it against 2 different sets of rod ends to make sure they'll have some, but not too much clearance. Then I made another one that's way longer than I'll ever need it to be just so I can play around with all the different holes and see how different positions effect the geometry, then I set it up and tacked it in place. Here's proof that you shouldn't throw away those old flywheel magnets that come loose, they come in handy sometimes! Lol


Next up was to make some temporary, adjustble tie rods which just happen to be able to be connected to make them able to reach from one spindle arm to the other as well. I used some thick walled tubing to drill/tap holes on one side and welded bolts on the other side, not only will they allow me to make quick adjustments but they'll help me figure out the min/max length of the actual tie rods I'll need to build.

With it all mocked up I could tell that with them in what I'll call their "strait up" position (Zero toe and in the 3rd holes) that the inside tire does turn in a couple more degrees than the outer tire so I'm definitely on the right track!


I'm scrapping the pitman arm I made and starting over from scratch, might as well right? I also need to make an idler arm that goes on the bellcrank barrel, because it's right up against the frame now I'll need to make it stick out and make a 90 degree turn but that shouldn't be too big a deal. It's going to be alot of work just to remake all these arms once I feel good about the geometry but I just don't think I can trust the 1/8" steel to not bend under use...

Well that's it's for now but I should be back soon enough with more updates, I have to keep picking away at this steering!

I went and messed with it for a couple of hours so I have a quick update. (previous post is from last nights session)

It's neat to see how the geometry changes as I move the location of the "tie rods" but I still need to expand the slots in the frame some more. I also need to face the fact that I can't know for sure if the bellcrank tab is in a good spot until I mock up a engine with a pulley, I think it's going to be a little tight in there so I cut off the ring on the frame that sticks up for extra clearance, welded it to the motor plate and hit it with some leftover silver paint for fun. I also cut up a steering arm templete to design one for the idler arm.


I think I'll finish off this evening by designing and making templates for it and the drag link (goes on the steering shaft) so I can keep moving ahead.

***Edit*** I did make the templates and hopefully they're good, part of me wonders if the idler arm will move at a different rate because it's perched off the bellcrank?
I'll find out I guess! Lol. I have to say that having and using my Silhouette Cameo for making templates is great! One of the reasons I got it in the first place was so I didn't have to cut my own gaskets by hand anymore, I can either draw them up from scratch or take a picture of one and load it into the program which is pretty awesome.

I have some bad news fellas... The Silver Bullet racing program is officially on hold. At least for the time being...

2023 ended in a trainwreck for me and unfortunately 2024 is off to a pretty rocky start so I don't feel I can move ahead with this build at this time, I thought about outright scrapping it but perhaps that's a little hasty.

I feel like I'm letting you all down and I appologize for that, hopefully I can turn things around before it's too late.

Sorry to hear it.

> I thought about outright scrapping it but perhaps that's a little hasty.

If you hang it from a rafter and-or lean it against a wall upright or sideways, it will not take much room and it does not eat much. At the very worse, if you have a terminal disease or something, I would sell it locally to someone for maybe $50-100 to discourage THEM from scrapping it.

Otherwise stick it in a corner, in a year or two you might wake up one night and suddenly decide you miss working on it or want to work on it.

@JB_4x4 No health issues I just keep getting kicked harder and harder while I'm already down and it's really hard to recover, it's going to take a long time and everything I got to do it! I don't have alot of space to store stuff but I'm sure I can tuck it away somewhere especially once I selling stuff, I have and don't need 10 freaking tractors when 5 is more than enough! Lol

Man, I hate hearing about being kicked even while you are down. I noticed you trailed off the past few months. I was about to send you a message to see if you were OK. Don't let the kickers win. I'm in you corner.

Lol. Unfortunately the kickers aren't people it's more like the universe itself being relentless in trying to break me! I appreciate the sentiment!

> it's more like the universe itself being relentless in trying to break me!

Maybe you are suppose to be doing something else far more important then what you are doing and you are being pricked into a certain direction for your own benefit.

I hate to see you drop it so early. I was looking forward to building a lowered mower along side someone in the competition.

I hope everything works out and maybe find the time to get some work done on it.

I hope things get better soon. Focus on you!