GasketCase's SEARS Swamper LT [2018 Build-Off Entry]

You are mixing your engine rotation being Up and down.  You are showing your belt in the drawing from the top, but showing your rotation of the engine from the bottom.  

This is what you show in your tractor pictures.  This is what people are seeing in your build.
RED CIRCLE is the engine.


Evidence:
Note the angle (From the Floor) and what side the pulleys are on.



Pulley, counter-clockwise; flywheel Clockwise

Wow i apologize fellas. Yeah i was definitely describing it totally opposite of eachother . Lol .

@MightyRaze let me steal your diagram for a second  start over and explain correctly . Haha

Looking down from the top of the tractor this is how it is.

Hmmm so you're drawing it with the opposite rotation that mighty has drawn it when viewing it from the seat.  I'm more confused.  So does your motor spin the other way?  How many forward and reverse gears do you have when you start it up and drive it around?

...... soo ...... i do sincerely apologize now , haha . Ive finally had actual time with the sears today and yeahhh.....i see where you guys are coming from . I was looking at the botrom while i was upside down haha. I blame the guy who put me in charge. Again i apologize on my behalf. i see now, that my tensioner is on the wrong side.


Now since im using a 4 inch pulley on the transaxle and the belt will be in the way of the transaxle shifter after i move the tensioner to the other side. Can i run a idler pulleyy on the pull side?

I don't see why not.

UPDATE:

Ok so , i have finally found time to redesign and rebuild the pulley system from my mess up before with the clutch being on the wrong side . I hated that i had to do this but , i went ahead and swapped the clutch pedal from the right to the left and customized the clutch pedal to face the correct way and not hit the side of the cylinder head.





Then i proceeded to design the belt routing so the belt would not interfere with the shift lever. I put the rear on jackstands and tested it out. Works perfectly .

Nice work!  That should work great!

Are you going to cut off the deck pulley or do anything with that?

Good thinking with the diagram under the foot board.

@Crazy_Carl im planning on cutting the deck pulley as sooon as i test the speed and torque and become satisfied with that the ill remove it but if i need it for it to go faster ill use it instead of destroying it.

@prancstaman yeah man . I got tired of getting confused on rotation everytime i climbed under there .

Got the whole day to make some progress. I had a issue with a starter brush lastnight . Replaced it with a spare and shes back to running condition.

Now i have two questions and need some advice. I want to finish the steering system and front axle between today and tomorrow and test this contraption out.

#1) should i leave the front axle articulating like stock or weld it solid ?

#2) should i build steering system to be in front of the front axle or behind? Im guessing behind would be more controlling and in front would result in a speed wobble? Correct me if im wrong.

I appreciate any advice . Thank you

I would put the steering behind the axle. Has to do with that triangle thing that I can't remember the name for it. Where the inside tire turns more then the outside tire because of the turn radius of both tires. This would put the tie rod ends away from the rims. The death wobble thing has to do with caster, or your tilting of the axle forward or backward. You want the the wheels pulled forward a little while the top of the axle (mount to the frame) is behind the spindle shafts of the wheel. I think of this part like a shopping cart wheel (a caster wheel), the one that wobbles while pushing it. The shopping cart wheel wobbles because the wheel center is behind the mount on the frame of the caster wheel. While on a bike, the wheel center is in front of the mount on the frame so the bike wants to naturally go straight.

I'm with Prancstaman, and he is thinking Ackermann angles where the steering linkage triangulates to the middle of the rear axle.

Front axle articulation is nice to have off road.

@MightyRaze @prancstaman @Crazy_Carl i appreciate advice!

Im still trying to figure out how im going to make the front axle width the same as the rear tires. Its sorta sitting like a bulldog. But the front is exactly where i need it to be for turning clearances.... ive locked the rear end as well so i see this front axle being too wide , i see possibilities of bad handling ... any ideas

Ok i may have an idea to run the stock spindles . But...also use these homemade hubs i got from a old go kart. Sadly i only have 0.68 IN inner diameter bearings  (a little under 3/4 IN)that fit the 4 lug hub itself. I have actual 0.75 inner diameter bearings but since my luck is no where to be found , the outer diamter is way to large to fit the hub itself. Anyways. Ive tried drilling the inner race of the bearing but lack a cobalt bit to drill through that high of hardened steel.

Im thinking take my spindle and grind it down as close to 0.68 IN diameter. Possibly 0.69 IN and slide or press the hub with bearings over it. The 4 lug rims i have with the tires that match the rear on the front. Im thinking should be able to knock down maybe 6 inches due to the 4 bolt rims having some positive offset.

. Plus ill be able to set how far the hub will go onto the spindle. Also for assurance im going to weld a threaded bolt on the end of spindle .








Picture above this , is the hub with the stock spindle "cup" that the back of the wheel use to be up against . Fits perfect .



Above is a spindle i had laying around to experiment with.

I don't think grinding that spindle down will work at all.  You want a precision fit between the spindle shaft and the inner race of the wheel bearing.  Bearings are pretty cheap.  I would measure up what you need and source is on ebay.com

Yah, probably a good idea getting the right bearings, only a couple dollars each.

Ive got a whole bag of bearings with correct O.D. but wrong I.D. even though when i bought the first set from advanced, online they listed as 0.75 and then napa ... well napa in my town dont carry squat, and a 2 week wait if ordered from them jokers. Tractor supply had correct I.D. but too big of a O.D. . I just got back from a trailer company that specialize in all bearings from what the sign says. But if you go in store , youll find nothing but tapered bearings or flay torrington bearings. Im gonna search online now. The bearing has to have groove in it so i can use existing snap ring to keep bearings from from floating through out the hub

What does the I.D. and O.D. need to be?

Typically 3/4 in. ID  (SHAFT SIZE) x 1-3/8 in. OD (wheel hole size)

The jackshaft bearings are the ones with the groove for the snap ring.

@Crazy_Carl the size that @MightyRaze has greatfully gave us would be correct 3/4 ID and  1 3/8 OD ( 0.75IN x 40mm x 12mm .

I found tons and sorta wary on which to order cause ive been through this before where the bearing is stated as a 3/4 or 0.75 but if you read the specifications. Youll fond it to be at 0.689 or around that.

@prancstaman they are like this reference picture below

Wouldnt the jackshaft bearings be the ones that are pillowblock bearing

I think you might want flanged wheel bearings.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-FLANGED-SEALED-BEARINGS-3-4-X-1-3-8-FOR-TORO-CASE-DIXI-SNAPPER-26693-11807/272030904762?hash=item3f564e31ba:g:3akAAOSwxH1UCkt1

@Crazy_Carl youve got my attention with those haha . Would having that flanged bearing style be more of an advantage?

I'd say so.  The flange holds the bearing in place in the hub.  These are very standard bearings for lawn tractors with 3/4" spindles.  I buy them all the time for various brands.

@MightyRaze I'd like to inform you that im trying to finish the Sears Swamper in time, but i seem to have less than 5 days left of the competition. I also had a little issue in the financial department , luckily ive found a new source of income rather fast during this past holiday week.


Im curious to know, if you guys (Mods,Admins) could grant me some type of time extension ?

Left to be done

* all steering components ARE built but needs to be installed
* build electrical system & accessories
* swap front tires to match rear
* install gauges
* install fuel tank and lines


Thank you,
GasketCase