A snowmobile is a very practical and useful thing that will definitely come in handy in snowy regions. A factory snowmobile costs a lot of money, but you can make it yourself.
This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age
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DIY snowmobile - it's real
As they say, if a person’s hands grow where they need to, then he can cope with any task. Give such a master an ordinary engine and soon he will build a boat, tractor, walk-behind tractor or snowmobile. Since in many cities and towns in Russia there is snow for several months, the creation of snowmobiles is a very pressing issue. Today we will tell you how to make a homemade snowmobile at home.
Only at first glance it seems that everything is too complicated, you just need to have skills and a lot of available materials. The main thing is to be prepared to spend several days on the work, but the result will definitely be worth it. Homemade snowmobiles are in no way inferior to factory models, they feel great in deep and loose snow, and do not break or wear out.
There are no specific rules for what a homemade snowmobile should be made of. You can find specific designs, dimensions, and diagrams online. This could be an ordinary simple snowmobile with one or two tracks, on wheels, and so on.
The guys who managed to make a miracle machine are happy to share their experience and impressions of the process of creating a snowmobile. But the secret is to use the materials you have on hand. You can take a motor from a walk-behind tractor, a headlight from something else, a hood from an old car, and so on.
If we are talking about a mini-snowmobile, which is a budget option, then you can easily make it in just two weekends. To do this, use a homemade caterpillar, which can be easily made from a conveyor belt. Any materials can be used as lugs, including plastic water pipes. Don’t worry, experts have already verified that plastic pipes feel normal in severe frosts.
1) Crawler snowmobile should be as light as possible, then it will be able to overcome even the loosest and deepest snow without problems. Since we started talking about this model of snowmobile, then we should clarify some details. Although the design is quite simple, it is reliable.
How to assemble such a stick snowmobile? First, we make four wheels inside the conveyor belt; they will roll directly along the belt, on which plastic lugs are also attached. In general, the movement pattern of this unique technique is clear. The engine can be taken from a walk-behind tractor, but this is only an option. Use what you have on hand.
Now a few words about how to properly make lugs from plastic pipes. First, the water pipe is cut into identical pieces. Their size depends on the dimensions of the future snowmobile. Use a circular saw to cut each piece into two equal parts. There is a special device that allows you to easily cut plastic pipes. It was thanks to him that we got smooth and beautiful “sticks” as lugs. They can be attached to the tape using special bolts.
It is very important that the distance between the lugs be as equal as possible. Otherwise, they will simply run into each other, thereby knocking down the caterpillar.
You need to drill the conveyor belt using a special jig. You can buy small rubber wheels, track sprockets and bearings at the store. Skis can be used from any children's snow scooter. This snowmobile is considered dismountable, because it takes no more than half an hour to assemble it. Therefore, it will be more profitable to disassemble the structure after the end of the winter season. A two-track snowmobile is a more complex model, but it can also be made by hand.
2) Wheeled snowmobile- a rather original structure, it is also called pneumatic. In other words, it's a tiny tractor with some very unusual wheels. You can make such a technique from a motorcycle or walk-behind tractor. The design safely overcomes loose deep snow because there is a large area for contact with the surface.
3) Electric snowmobile You can also do it yourself. But once you decide to make an electric snowmobile, then forget about lithium and polymer batteries. They are simply unreliable in freezing weather and will require constant replacement. It is best to opt for lead ones. You can make a cool electric snowmobile for a child. A voltage of 12 volts is normal. Surely everyone has seen or carefully studied the amphibious snowmobile model. Some ideas can be taken from this well-known design. Manufacturing time for a real homemade self-propelled gun: from two days to a week. It all depends on the availability of the necessary parts, as well as your free time. Try to calculate everything in advance down to the smallest detail, so that there are no problems during the work process.
Making a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor with your own hands
We have already said that you can make a snowmobile from almost any available materials from:
- chainsaws;
- motorcycle (IZH, Planeta 5, Jupiter 5, Dnepr, Minsk);
- snow scooter;
- scooter;
- bicycle;
- car (Niva, Zaporozhets);
- moped (from ant, alpha);
- saws;
- tires;
- motorized dogs;
- screwdriver;
- cultivator (motor cultivator, mole);
- trimmer (gasoline trimmer);
- lawnmowers;
- snowcatargamak;
- motorized towing vehicle.
This list can go on forever. But this does not mean that all the details or the basis are taken from one specific piece of equipment. Often the donor serves only a small purpose (frame, engine, skis).
We will not consider in detail the step-by-step instructions for making a snowmobile from various equipment. We will only disassemble the model from a walk-behind tractor on pneumatics (without using a caterpillar) with our own hands.
Since there is no caterpillar, repairing the structure will be much easier. You will need: pipes for the frame, a steel angle to strengthen the entire structure, we only take the power plant from the donor. To make wheels, you need to use chambers of impressive size. Perfect for any large agricultural machinery. You can take a gearbox and chassis parts from a VAZ (not necessarily 2106). Also don’t forget about a drill, an angle grinder and, of course, a welding machine.
All important elements of the snowmobile will be hidden inside the frame. We need the pipe in order to make a power frame. Calculate that the motor power is more or less suitable for wheels of a similar diameter.
A few words about how the transmission in snowmobiles is carried out from a walk-behind tractor. There are several options. The first (standard gearbox) is not the most optimal, because switching requires a complete stop of the structure. If possible, instead of the gearbox you can use a gearbox from an old car.
So, a snowmobile made from walk-behind tractors quickly became popular and somewhat resembles a primitive passenger car. After all, you can change gears without stopping; in first and second gears you can easily make your way along any roads. The third and fourth will allow you to slowly ride along an already knurled track.
For ease of movement in the dark, do not be lazy to install tractor headlights, as well as a car generator. In general, this transport will not be comfortable for more than two people. If you want to ride with a group, then take care of a trailer.
But you can’t even think about speed. After all, your vehicle is not equipped with elastic elements and shock absorbers. Pneumatics will make themselves felt at speed. In addition, there is no cabin for shelter, and strong winds will immediately make themselves felt when driving fast.
Some of the most famous models of snowmobiles, such as Buran, Lynx, Taiga, Tiksi, were equipped with a Lifan engine. You can borrow a good engine from OKI.
A snowmobile is a fairly easy-to-make type of transport that will help you move freely in snowy areas. This is a kind of SUV. Therefore, do not be lazy to make the equipment yourself if you are lucky enough to live in an area of frequent snow. Carefully draw up a plan of action and you will definitely succeed!
In the harsh Russian winter, it would be nice to have a snowmobile. Previously, such a car was a luxury and could only be bought abroad. Today, this vehicle can be found in almost any motorcycle dealership. You can buy a snowmobile just for fun (for winter fishing and hunting), and sometimes you can’t do without it at work (for rescuers, foresters, surveyors). The cost of a snowmobile depends on the manufacturer, modification, power and other factors. The simplest model can cost about 100,000 rubles, and the price of a more advanced snowmobile reaches 1,000,000 rubles. Of course, if this equipment is necessary for work, then there is no point in saving, because people’s lives may depend on the reliability of the snowmobile, especially if it is operated by rescuers. But for fun, you can assemble this miracle machine at home.
A homemade snowmobile can be built by anyone with a little knowledge of technology. Before you start making a snowmobile, you need to understand what benefits you will get from it.
Pros of self-assembly:
- Price. For some, this may be the biggest advantage. The price of a homemade snowmobile will be several times cheaper than if you buy it in a store.
- Characteristics. When making a snow machine, you control the entire process yourself, choosing the configuration, power and appearance.
- Reliability. When assembling the device yourself, you will use the best components and parts.
A well-made car with your own hands can be used not only in the city; it is quite safe to travel outside populated areas, to ski resorts and to travel off-road.
Where to begin?
It is best to start assembling the device with your own hands from the drawings. To create a drawing, engineering skills will not be superfluous. However, if you are not successful in this, then you should use the Internet and print out the finished diagram. On the World Wide Web you can find drawings of snowmobiles of various modifications, from the simplest and cheapest options to complex ones, which only an experienced mechanic can construct. The drawings are publicly available, and by printing them you can easily build your dream car.
When studying the drawings, pay attention to the weight of the unit; the lighter it is, the higher its maneuverability will be. The snowmobile will easily maneuver through loose and deep snow. However, not only the mass of the finished product affects cross-country ability; the supporting area of the track is no less important.
What does a snowmobile consist of?
Any snowmobile consists of basic parts that will not change regardless of the modification of the device, such as:
- Frame. You can use a frame from an old motorcycle or scooter; if you don’t have one, you can weld it to order. A turner can easily cope with such a task.
- Engine. You can use a motor from a walk-behind tractor, although it is worth saying that with its power, the resulting product would be better called a children’s snowmobile; it will not be possible to accelerate it to a decent speed. There is an alternative to using a motor from a motorcycle or scooter. The choice of engine also depends on the weight of the snowmobile.
- Caterpillars. The most important and at the same time complex part of a snowmobile.
- Drive unit. Connects the engine and the track. A chain from a motorcycle is perfect for the drive.
- Steering wheel. Here you need to build on personal preferences and convenience, but most often it is also taken from a scooter or motorcycle.
- Skis. Here we use a ready-made option, if available, or you can make skis from plywood. It is better to give preference to sheets of plywood with a thickness of at least 3 mm.
- Fuel tank. For this part, you should choose a container made of plastic or metal. The capacity of 15 liters is quite sufficient to cover long distances without taking up much space.
- Seat. It is best to make it to order, since a homemade snowmobile will be used in harsh conditions, preference should be given to durable, wear-resistant materials. Don't forget about convenience, you should feel comfortable on it.
Is it possible to make caterpillars yourself?
This is the most difficult element to make yourself. The tracks of the machine play a decisive role in what speed the unit will develop and what grip it will have on the ice surface. High-quality homemade caterpillars can last for quite a long time. Most often, car tires are used for tracks. First you need to free the tires from the beads, leaving only a flexible track. Now you need to make the lugs. To do this, use a plastic pipe with a diameter of 4 cm. It needs to be cut into pieces 50 cm long, and the resulting blanks should be sawed further along. These parts are attached to the tire with bolts. It is important to maintain the same lug mounting interval, otherwise the caterpillar will jump off the roller. It is optimal to mount them at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
Caterpillars are made using a similar method. To make them, you need to use a conveyor belt, which should be cut to the optimal length for a homemade unit. It is important to connect the cut tape correctly and securely. To do this, its ends overlap each other by 5 cm and are fixed with bolts.
Alternatively, you can use V-belts to make tracks. They are fastened with lugs, forming a track with ready-made recesses for the gear.
When making tracks with your own hands, you need to take into account the following nuance: the larger the track area, the better the device will pass through snowdrifts, but the control will be worse. In stores, finished products are most often presented in three versions, with standard tracks, wide tracks and extra-wide.
To make your task easier, instead of making it yourself, you can purchase tracks in a store. Thus, you will have the opportunity to purchase tracks suitable for the terrain and travel conditions.
Assembly Features
A finished frame, welded by yourself or borrowed from other equipment, must be equipped with a steering wheel using welding. The engine is installed strictly in accordance with the drawing. It is best for it to be located as close to the carburetor as possible. On the finished structure you need to install tracks that were made in advance.
When the main work is done, you can start connecting the tank, gas and brake cables, and installing the seat.
The easiest way to make a snowmobile
Taking a walk-behind tractor as a basis and modifying it into a snowmobile is probably the easiest way to create a unit for moving on snow. It can be used completely, you can only take some parts.
If the walk-behind tractor is used in its entirety, then a frame with a rear axle must be welded to it and the working shaft must be modified into a drive, which must transmit rotating movements from the engine to the track.
If you do not use the walk-behind tractor completely, then only the engine and steering fork should be taken from it. You will need to install tracks on the bottom of the fork.
In this case, you must also take into account that the power of the walk-behind tractor is designed for the weight and pressure of the wheels, which are smaller than the tracks. In order to avoid unnecessary waste of gasoline and depreciation of parts, snowmobile wheels should be of low pressure.
The mini homemade snowmobile is easy to operate. By the way, if a homemade snowmobile is not very powerful and reaches speeds of up to 15 km/h, then it is not necessary to equip it with brakes. To stop a homemade snowmobile, simply reduce the speed, and it will stop on its own.
Having approached the work seriously and studied all the available information, you will probably be proud of your unit assembled with your own hands!
A snowmobile is a unique vehicle for daily use in winter. It is used for movement across snowy terrain during scientific expeditions, excursions, hikes, hunting animals, and protecting the territory. Such a product can be purchased at a specialized store or made with your own hands. If ready-made structures have a fairly high price, and not every person is able to afford such a purchase, then homemade ones are a more affordable alternative, made from scrap materials and equipment.
You can make a homemade snowmobile with your own hands using available equipment. For these purposes, experts recommend using:
- chainsaws;
- walk-behind tractors;
- motorcycles.
Important! To make a portable snowmobile at home, you must have skills in working with plumbing tools.
Drawings, options for finished work
The design of a snowmobile must begin by creating a drawing of the desired product. He will help in the process of making practical and functional equipment that will serve for many years.
Finished work option If you can use ready-made drawings to create a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor or a motorcycle, they are not provided for a design from a chainsaw, since each tool has its own technical characteristics and features.
Chainsaw snowmobile
Advice. The snowmobile can be made as either a tracked vehicle or a ski vehicle.
Before you start making a snowmobile from a chainsaw, you need to choose equipment that will have all the necessary characteristics. The best option for this purpose is the Druzhba, Ural and Shtil chainsaw (the power of these tools is ideal for creating high-speed snowmobiles).
Important! The engine and gearbox are the main parts of the chainsaw that are used during operation.
The snowmobile design consists of four parts:
- Caterpillars.
- Transmissions.
- Engine.
Chainsaw Ural The assembly of a homemade snowmobile is carried out not according to some proposed scheme or standard drawing, but based on the materials and tools that the master has at his disposal.
Instructions for assembling a snowmobile from a chainsaw
Assembling a product is quite an interesting job. It consists of several successive steps that must be performed carefully and responsibly.
- The first stage is the assembly of the frame base of the future homemade snowmobile. For work you will need steel corners (size - 50 x 36 cm) or steel sheets (thickness - at least 2 mm). The middle part of the structure is made from the corners, and the front and back are made from sheets.
Advice. To give the necessary rigidity to the structure, the metal is bent at an angle of 90 degrees.
- Carefully make two through holes to accommodate the track shaft and track wheel guides (tensioners are installed on both sides of the side members).
Important! The front device is specifically designed to tension the second stage of the idler gear, and it also helps in adjusting the track itself.
- Special brackets are carefully welded to the bottom of the side members (they are attached at the same distance from each other), support rollers are installed in their open grooves.
- The rollers (in rubber covers) are placed on five axes, each of which is attached to the underside of the open grooves.
- Between each of the elements special bushings made of duralumin are installed (they are made from a suitable pipe).
Advice. In order not to waste time making rollers and axles for them, they can be borrowed from old equipment for digging up potatoes.
- The bracket axles themselves are secured using nuts and locknuts (they are designed to strengthen the snowmobile frame and hold the side members at a certain distance from each other).
- Three metal corners are used to make racks for attaching the prepared chainsaw gearbox, and install the intermediate shaft of the chain drive.
- A seat for the user is installed on the prepared frame (a suitable box or car seat is used for these purposes), it is fixed in the area between the middle and rear parts of the structure.
Chainsaw snowmobile - A hole is made in the front section of the frame to accommodate the steering wheel; it is made from a pipe with welded control handles.
- Metal gussets are installed in the places where the snowmobile racks are attached (they strengthen the structure, make it stronger and more reliable).
Important! In order for the future homemade snowmobile to have good maneuverability in snowy terrain, it is equipped with a caterpillar mechanism.
- A snowmobile drive shaft is made from a metal pipe, and a special round flange is inserted into it for attaching gears.
- To create the steering, equipment from old motorcycles or mopeds with three-lever control is used.
The finished snowmobile is light in weight and can easily be placed in the trunk of a car for transportation over long distances. Its controls are so simple and intuitive that even a child can easily use it.
Snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor
A walk-behind tractor is another option for equipment that is used in the process of making a snowmobile with your own hands. Its design practically does not need to be altered, since it is initially multifunctional.
There are three types of walk-behind snowmobiles:
- wheeled;
- on tracks;
- combined.
Walk-behind tractor Before you start working with a walk-behind tractor, you need to decide on the type of future design. The complexity of the master’s work, as well as the duration of the entire process, will depend on it.
Construction of a snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor
Important! To create a wheeled snowmobile, you do not need to redo the steering system; special attention needs to be paid only to the frame of the device and skis.
- The snowmobile frame is made of metal pipes or angles (it should be rectangular in shape).
- A box or chair is attached to the finished base to accommodate the driver.
- Skis are made separately from angles and sheet metal and welded to the frame.
- The finished structure is attached to the walk-behind tractor and used for its intended purpose.
Drawing: snowmobile made from a walk-behind tractor Snowmobile from a motorcycle: a guide for masters
Making a snowmobile from a motorcycle is not so easy. If the assembly of previous products did not cause any difficulties, then with this design you will have to suffer. The work will require not only tools, materials and equipment, but also skills in working with a welding machine and other equipment.
Important! Motorcycles "Ural", "Izh" and "Dnepr" are the most suitable models for making a snowmobile with your own hands.
Snowmobile design technology
- A suitable frame is made from metal pipes of different diameters and steel corners. Its base is made in the form of a rectangle (its dimensions are 150 x 43.2 cm).
- The steering beam is constructed from metal corners (its dimensions are 50 x 50 x 5 mm), its parts are sheathed with dense metal overlays. The finished structure is installed in a horizontal position on a drilling machine.
Motorcycle Izh - The frame and the finished beam are processed at the joints, special grooves are prepared for reliable fixation of the elements.
- The front crossbar of the frame is equipped with a strong corner.
- The seat is attached to the frame of the structure.
- Make holes in the side members.
- A channel is welded between the steering and middle sections.
- Select a suitable track sprocket and rubber band for further installation (suitable dimensions - 2200 x 300 mm, thickness - no more than 10 mm).
- The caterpillar itself is carefully sheathed with nylon so that the material does not delaminate during use.
Snowmobile from motorcycle - A transmission is installed, which consists of a front and rear axle. The front one is the drive one, it consists of a tubular shaft, a track sprocket and rollers (the sprockets themselves are fixed with through bolts). The rear axle structure consists of a track drum and a tubular shaft.
- The skis are welded to the structure of the snowmobile (sheets of steel and metal corners are used for their manufacture).
The control system of a homemade snowmobile from a motorcycle is quite complex to design. It consists of:
- longitudinal traction;
- lateral thrust.
From the information presented we can conclude: a homemade snowmobile from elements of a walk-behind tractor, chainsaw or motorcycle is a reality. Any craftsman can make it. For productive work you will only need certain skills, equipment, tools and materials.
Homemade snowmobile: video
In remote areas where it is necessary to travel long distances, fishermen and hunters need to have their own transport. Due to the high price, many today cannot purchase one and are trying to construct a homemade snowmobile with their own hands. It is not easy to build, but if you apply maximum patience and effort, this problem will not be difficult to cope with.
Frame construction
Before you begin building a snowmobile, you will first need to select a material. The easiest way is to make a homemade frame from wooden blocks. The result is a very light and fairly durable structure, which is considered the cheapest and easiest to manufacture. For this you will need:
- Wooden bars.
- Sheet iron.
- Metal scissors.
- Drill and drill bits.
- Hand saw.
- Bolts and nuts.
The advantages of building such a structure are undeniable. In the event of a breakdown, the wooden model will not be difficult to repair far from a populated area. In the forest it is easy to find scrap materials that can be used for repairs. But the main advantage is that this snowmobile rarely falls through the ice and does not sink in water.
Wooden structure
It is known that bars and boards made of wood do not have particular strength in their places
connections. Therefore, before starting construction, it is necessary to make additional metal corners. To do this, take sheet iron and cut square plates with scissors along the width of the bars. The places for the bolts are marked in them with a tape measure, and then four holes are drilled with a drill. After this, the plates are bent in half exactly 90 degrees. These will be excellent devices for firmly fastening wooden blocks in the corners of a homemade frame.
Usually they start construction after making a drawing with exact dimensions. And four bars are cut along them with a hacksaw, and holes for bolts are drilled in the corners with a drill. Then they are placed on a flat floor surface in the form of a regular rectangle. Metal corners are applied to the connection points, bolts are inserted and tightened tightly with nuts.
To mount the engine and track, two additional crossbars made of bars with holes for bolts at the ends are installed on the frame. But before that, the corners for fastening are first made. They are cut out of triangular-shaped iron sheets and holes are drilled in the corners.
It’s better to make eight pieces at once and place them on top and bottom. Then the fastenings will be more durable and reliable in operation.
When they are ready, the crossbars are inserted inside the frame and the triangles are placed on top. Holes are drilled into them exactly to size using a drill through the bars. Then long bolts are inserted there and tightened tightly with nuts. At this point, a strong wooden frame will be ready, which will serve for a long time on a homemade device.
It is much more difficult to build homemade metal products. This requires special tools and devices that not everyone may have. Significant costs will be required to purchase or rent them. However, this building will be much stronger and more durable than a wooden structure.. Here you will need:
In addition, to build a metal frame you will need more durable materials. You will definitely have to buy them in the store, since today they are not found anywhere else. And I don’t really want to build a new homemade snowmobile from old parts due to poor reliability. Therefore, only good materials will be used here:
- Metal pipes.
- Iron corner.
- Sheet steel.
- Channel.
As a rule, before you start building a frame, you need to make a simple drawing. Using a grinder, cut the pipes according to its parameters and use a welding machine to connect them into a rectangle. Inside the frame, insert a couple more partitions from the corner to install the engine and track. If you make them from channel bars, the structure will be much stronger and more reliable in operation.
After this, you just need to cut off two small bushings from the metal pipe.
And then weld them to the corners of the front part, where the swivel ski supports will be inserted. The metal frame is ready and you can begin construction, as well as installation of the main units and components.
Hanging equipment
To make a snowmobile fast and strong, you need to put a good engine on the frame. If you install a low-power motor, then such a structure will move poorly. You also need to correctly calculate the caterpillar. If the area is too small, it will drown in large snow and will not pull even on flat terrain. Particular attention should be paid to skis, which should create good stability and safety when moving at high speed.
DIY rubber caterpillar
To easily move through the snow, it is very important to give your homemade snowmobile a good rubber track. It is not easy to make such a device with your own hands and it is better to purchase it in a store completely with rollers. Installing a standard factory track on a homemade structure is not difficult. To do this, you just have to secure the drive shaft and rollers with bearings to the frame. If your financial situation does not allow you to buy the entire device, then the most expensive parts can be easily made yourself. For this you will need:
- Conveyer belt.
- Plastic pipe.
- Bolts, washers and nuts.
A cheap homemade snowmobile track is usually made using a thin conveyor belt. To do this, plastic pipe blanks are sawed off to fit the width of the rollers. Then they are cut lengthwise into two equal parts and holes are drilled for small bolts. After this, the halves of the plastic pipes are secured to the conveyor belt with bolts, washers and nuts. The caterpillar is ready and further construction needs to begin..
Homemade skis
It's no secret that in winter it is much more convenient to travel on deep snow on skis. They also serve well as a control device on a snowmobile. It is not difficult to make a wooden structure, but only strong boards made of birch or oak are suitable for this. They need to be well dried, planed, and then heated and the ends bent. It's no more difficult to make metal skis. To do this, you will need to cut two plates from sheet steel and weld a thin corner on the sides.
In order for the skis to turn freely, metal pipe stands are welded to them. In working order, they are held in the front bushings of the frame, where they rotate easily.
Washers or large nuts are welded to the top of the racks, into which rods are inserted to control the snowmobile.
The steering wheel itself is easy to make with your own hands, or it’s easier to remove it from an old motorcycle. Thus, all that remains is to install the motor, as well as the driver’s seat, and you can hit the road.
I made this snowmobile literally in a couple of weekends in the garage at the dacha. Although its design at first glance looks very simple, nevertheless, in terms of cross-country ability in deep loose or wet snow, it is not inferior to most industrially produced snowmobiles.
Several years ago, I built a snowmobile for my nine-year-old daughter with a homemade track made from conveyor belts and plastic water pipes as lugs. At first I had doubts about the reliability of such a track and how the plastic parts would behave in the cold. But during two years of winter operation, no breakdowns or severe wear of the pipes occurred. This inspired me to create a light snowmobile for myself with the same homemade track.
Understanding full well that the smaller the mass of the snowmobile and the larger the supporting area of the caterpillar, the better its cross-country ability in loose and deep snow, I tried to make the design as light as possible.
The operating principle of the snowmobile is very simple (Fig. 1). There are four wheels installed inside the caterpillar, which, when moving, roll along a conveyor belt on which lugs are attached. And the caterpillar drive from the motor is carried out by a chain through the driven shaft using special drive sprockets. I took them from the Buran snowmobile.”
With an engine from a conventional walk-behind tractor with an automatic clutch with a power of only 6 hp. you won't accelerate quickly. I planned to ride the snowmobile not on compacted paths, but on loose snow, so I abandoned the soft track suspension and skis to reduce the weight of the snowmobile and simplify the entire design.
First I made the caterpillar. A plastic water pipe with a diameter of 40 mm was cut into blanks for lugs 470 mm long. Then I sawed each piece lengthwise with a circular saw into two equal parts.
Using the device shown in Fig. 2, I used a wood circular saw to cut plastic pipes for lugs lengthwise.
I attached the lugs to the conveyor belt with two 6 mm diameter furniture bolts with a large semicircular head. When making a caterpillar, it is very important to maintain the same distance between the lugs, otherwise they will run into the teeth of the drive sprockets and the caterpillar will begin to slip and slide off the rollers.
To drill holes in the conveyor belt for mounting bolts with a diameter of 6 mm, I made a jig. The holes in the tape were drilled using a wood drill with a special sharpening.
Using such a jig, you can drill 6 holes in the conveyor belt at once to attach three caterpillar lugs.
At the store I purchased four inflatable rubber wheels from a garden cart, two drive sprockets from a Buran snowmobile and two sealed bearings No. 205 for the caterpillar drive shaft.
I asked a turner to make the drive shaft of the caterpillar and supports for the bearings. I made the snowmobile frame myself from 25x25 mm square pipes.
Since the axes of the ski and steering hinges are on the same line and in the same plane, you can use a continuous tie rod without ball ends.
Ski turning bushings are easy to make. I welded 3/4″ female plumbing couplers to the front cross member of the frame. I screwed pipes with external threads into them, to which I welded the bipod of the ski steering rack.
I recommend using skis from the Argomak children's snow scooter. They are lighter and more flexible, but they need to be equipped with corners for attaching to the snowmobile's rotating stand and a metal undercut at the bottom - for better control of the snowmobile when moving on crusty or compacted snow.
The chain tension is adjusted by moving the motor.
Driving a snowmobile is very easy. When you increase engine speed with the throttle handle located on the steering wheel, the automatic centrifugal clutch is activated and the snowmobile begins to move. Since the estimated speed of a snowmobile is low (only about 10-15 km/h) and depends on the density of the snow, the snowmobile is not equipped with brakes. It is enough to reduce the engine speed and the snowmobile stops.
I will share a few tips that may be useful when repeating this design.
1. I cut the pipe for the tracks lengthwise using a hand-held circular saw for wood, first on one side, then on the other. This makes it smoother than cutting both walls at once. It is more convenient to process small workpieces. If you immediately cut a long pipe lengthwise, then the plastic will melt and the saw blade will jam.
2. Caterpillars can be made of any width. And each designer has the right to choose what is more convenient for him: to make a wide but short track or a narrow and long one. Just remember that with a large caterpillar the snowmobile will be difficult to control and the engine will be more loaded, and with a small one it may fail in loose deep snow.
3. Some of my photos show that there are plastic “barrels” installed inside the caterpillar.” These are guide stops for the slide, which should prevent the caterpillar from sliding off the rollers. But during the operation of the snowmobile, the caterpillar did not slide off the rollers even without slipping, so “barrels” can not be installed, which will reduce the weight of the snowmobile.
4. At the end of winter, I completely disassembled the snowmobile to determine its weight. The weight of its individual components turned out to be as follows: caterpillar - 9 kg;
drive shaft assembly - 7 kg; two pairs of wheels with axles - 9 kg; engine and steering wheel - 25 kg;
pair of skis - 5 kg;
frame - 15 kg;
double seat with posts - 6 kg.
In total, everything together weighs 76 kg.
The weight of some parts can be further reduced. Nevertheless, the weight indicator for a snowmobile with a track of this size is quite satisfactory.
The geometric dimensions of my snowmobile are as follows: snowmobile frame length - 2 m; the distance between the axes of the support wheels (rollers) is 107 cm; The width of the caterpillar is 47 cm. The pitch of the caterpillar lugs depends on the thickness of the conveyor belt and it must be selected experimentally (I got 93 mm).
I do not provide exact dimensions and drawings of the snowmobile parts, since anyone who plans to repeat the design will be guided by those parts and components that they can purchase or manufacture on their own.
