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Mini H�gglund

157K views 487 replies 74 participants last post by  Steinbruchsoldat 
#1 ·
Mini Hägglund

Hi guys,
every winter we do some trips to our house in austria. There`s about 5-8feet of snow, so it`s impossible to reach it with a 4x4 (at least with the ones we can built in germany). So i was looking for a snowmobile, but i didn`t like the prices and the fact that i only can use it in the snow...

Then i found this video:

Personal Tracked Vehicle - YouTube

I started looking for parts and decided that i want to build something like this. Then i saw this picture:



I soon decided that i have to built a smaller version of this...

The specs:

It needs to be small enough to fit in the back of my L300. Available space is about 120cm x 270cm. The width will be ok, but the length not. But this won`t be a problem, it`ll just stick out a bit. I think dimensions will be about 120cm x 340cm.

Drivetrain:
I`ll use everything out of a Subaru Justy. Engine, tranny, both axles, radiator, driveshaft, steering, just everything that`s needed. Should have a lot of power with the 75hp engine. :Wow1:

The first quick sketch:





Then i started with the first track, to get some ideas:









Mockup:

 
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#185 ·
Thanks guys. It`s an awesome feeling to have it running... :)

Here`s the missing update. First i finished the right hand side sheetmetal mount:



Then i plumbed the fuel pump and filter:



Welded the sprockets:





A long list to work:



Clutch pedal:



Windshield and gauge cluster:



Then the fun begins. All that electrical crap has to go in:

 
#186 ·
Everything plugged in. I`m going to clean that up tomorrow:





Then i could start it, as seen on the video. It runs fine, except of some leaking oil. I`ll have to take a look where it comes from tomorrow...

Then i started with the temporary brake steering:





The list looks a lot better now:



I`m going to test drive it tomorrow. Can`t wait to see what works and what not...
 
#192 ·
Here`s the Update about the last 3 days. First i finished the second drive sprocket :



Then i made the track tensioners:





And put on the first track:



Finished the second track:



And put it on:



Then it was time for the first drive. So i put it in gear, sat in the drivers seat, pressed down the clutch and started it. Unfortunately the clutch didn`t work, so it started driving and i was going in direction of our wintergarten. Luckily i could kill it just before i hit something...
So the next day i put the transmission apart und fixed the clutch:



Then i kept testing it, and shortened the tracks to the right size:



It wouldn`t work, so i put on some guides:



Then it really started to work. I could drive a bit and the tracks wouldn`t come off. Unfortunately one of the screws punctured a tire when we wanted to take some videos. But i got it on video when the tires was punctured and how i drove back into the shop:





So i`m going to buy some rubber wheels or try to put some foam or something in the ones i have. Any suggestions?
 
#197 ·
I think I would see about lowering the gear ratios in the chain drive to give it a much lower crawl ratio. That should smooth it out a bit and make it a lot less chaotic and jumpy to pull out it. As it is, you will probably never be able to take off without the drive sprockets slipping as is heard in the video and climbing anything will be a huge chore.

Like I said much earlier in the thread, I think the track system really needs a redesign. Using the bolts to drive the tracks was always a bad idea in my opinion. I wonder if you couldn't expand on the chain drive idea and use two heavy chains with welded crossbars as tracks with normal chain drive sprockets. That would be a lot more "tank-like" and probably a lot more reliable if the chain used were able to handle the stress. Just a thought.
 
#200 ·
If it makes that much noise hitting the bolts, I'd say that something isn't space quite right. If they hit that hard or have that much interference, there is a good chance something will break when it binds.
 
#201 ·
There`s metal on metal, there has to be some noise...

What i`m looking for now is something to pour into the tires to make them solid. I could buy some solid rubber wheels, but before i want to try it...
I thought about something like foam, but i think it`s not strong enough. I could even put some concrete into it, but i don`t like that idea... :shaking:
 
#202 ·
Either way I think you are still going to have a puncturing issue with the tires. Even if they were solid, they would still get chewed up badly since the wear surface is still going to be soft rubber.
 
#204 ·
Ok, so i started thinking about some real tracks today. My favorite would be the snowcat style. Some conveyor belt, u-stock and grousers on the inside. I could make the front ones a bit wider, and the rear ones almost as wide as the car. This would help to reduce ground pressure...

The only downside i see is that it`ll be a pain in the ass to make it, and that i can`t drive on the street with this style tracks...

Would be nice too hear some thoughts...
 
#205 ·
Would be nice too hear some thoughts...
Do you need to have rubber on the wheels? Why can't you just use a big rim or something similar?

I don't understand the need for rubber tires, inflated or not. The thing is going to be on snow, and mostly at relatively slow speeds too. It would be like dozers and other tracked vehicles.

I think it would be an easy solution to keep you going with what you have.

Am I missing something?
 
#206 ·
Rubber, polyurethane or something similar is sort of necessary as a wear surface and to give a little cushion. Metal to metal contact on the rollers would make a lot of noise, make the ride very rough and would wear the tracks and rollers very quickly. That can be acceptable in construction type machinery but I have a feeling the OP is going to want to go a bit faster than a typical track loader.
 
#209 ·
That`s an excavator rubber track. I looked into them, but they`re pretty expensive...

I think i`m sold on the snowcat style. I don`t really have to drive it on the street, i just would`ve been nice...

I like the Thiokol design, because the side guides and the grousers are one part, so that would save a lot of time. But i have no idea how to fabricate them...
 
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