2021 ᐈ

Tools and materials

In the vast majority of cases, snowmobile tracks are formed from a conveyor belt or tires. But making tires is complex, time-consuming and too painstaking. In some cases, the propeller of a snowmobile is made from V-belts. In various versions, tracks are also made from chains and plastic pipes.

To work you will need:

large knives with a well-sharpened blade;
electric jigsaw with fine teeth;
bolts;
nuts;
wrenches;
fishing line (helps strengthen the edges);
cable or similar material that helps strengthen the track;
hammer and sharp tool for preparing holes;
rectangular profile pipe;
Grover;
washers;
fittings

Track tracks

Tracks are the main part of any track. Fortunately, you don't have to buy them in specialty stores. They are quite easy to make yourself from various materials. The main thing that needs to be taken into account is the level of load that is planned to be placed on the walk-behind tractor. Tracks can be made from:

plastic pipes;
wooden blocks;
metal tracks.

To make tracks from plastic pipes, you will need water pipe No. 40. It is cut into pieces the length of which is equal to the width of the track.
After this, each such segment is cut lengthwise into two halves. A circular saw with a wood cutting disc will help with this. When all the tracks are ready, they can be attached to the main structure. For this, furniture bolts No. 6 and large hemispherical heads are used. With these bolts, each segment is attached to the structure itself.

Thus, we get an excellent relief track for a walk-behind tractor, allowing it to pass through difficult places even in winter.

A caterpillar made of wooden blocks is suitable for light loads, since the structural strength is not so great. To make a track from this material, you will need birch blocks of the same size and length equal to the width of the tracks.

The main advantage of a caterpillar with wooden blocks as tracks is the availability of materials, the lightness of the entire structure, and the ability to quickly make repairs.

It is not surprising that the most common and reliable are metal tracks for tracks, because their level of strength is quite high. Most often, metal pipes or a profile are used, which is cut into pieces of suitable length and attached to the track in the same way as was done in previous methods.

Manufacturing options

The photo below shows a possible scheme for creating a track for a snowmobile. The length of the main section is 5.8 m. In this case, rollers measuring 0.07 m are used. The center-to-center distance is taken to be 0.9 m.

Advanced people may not limit themselves to this drawing and study another version of the kinematic diagram of the snowmobile as a whole.

Making a snowmobile track with your own hands if you have the drawings is very simple. But if you take even the best conveyor belt in its pure form, it will quickly wear out during operation. Stitching along the edges with thick fishing line helps correct the situation. There is no need to come up with anything original here - you just have to act in the same way as when sewing, you overcast the edges of the fabric.

It is the perimeter that is the most vulnerable link, and it does not matter whether the caterpillar is made 1 meter, 2 meters or some other length.

The rubber strip must be looped. Some people simply sew the ends together, but this technique is not reliable enough. It would be much better to use a hinge that is matched to a piano hinge.

Important: the thickness of the tape must be selected according to the engine power. In most cases, a thickness of 1 cm is sufficient, as on agricultural machines.

But some people note that tires removed from an old motorcycle (manufactured before 1990) are also suitable for a snowmobile track. True, such a resource is, for obvious reasons, rare. An alternative solution is to make a track propulsion system based on belts. Grousers of their own design are added to the wedge-shaped blade. Most often, rivets or a nut-bolt combination are used for clutch.

The belts are equipped with holes at the factory, which can easily be adjusted to the main sprocket of the snowmobile. You just need to leave a certain gap between the stripes. Fastening of such a structure is done using a cable of small diameters and other durable materials.

Important: do not rush. Otherwise, there is a high risk that the entire assembly will fall apart while moving.

It is useful to consider alternative solutions (of which, in fact, there are a lot). One of the schemes also involves the use of a conveyor belt. Additionally, you will need a profile pipe of rectangular cross-section. Nuts, bolts, engravers and washers are used for fastening. They begin work with a homemade propulsion unit, forming track blanks.

They are simply cut exactly to the width of the track using an angle grinder. When the rough blanks are made, they need to be given a special shape by pressing on a machine.

Recommendation: the edges of the tracks should be lubricated with used oil.

After this, limiting fangs and fittings resembling the letter Y are welded on. The resulting specimens are checked and adjusted to the place where they should fit.

Assembling the caterpillar yourself, once the tracks are made, is no longer difficult. You just need to make holes in the tape using a tube sharpened at the end. The side of the tube is also equipped with a hole, which helps remove crumb rubber and dust. The tracks are drilled with an electric drill; there should be two holes on each edge. Assembly with such blanks is not difficult.

But there are a few more subtleties that need to be taken into account in any case. If increased cross-country ability is in the foreground, then you need to make a two-track snowmobile, which is also more stable than one with one support. There is no practical difference in the work, unless you have to make one more caterpillar additionally.

The movers themselves sometimes have to be modified by tenoning with self-tapping screws. This procedure is designed to increase the vehicle’s cross-country ability to the maximum.

On a snowmobile without studs, as practice shows, it is very difficult to drive onto icy shores and slippery serpentines. If the procedure is performed correctly, you can forget about this problem for at least one season. However, it is worth considering that studded tracks turn worse, especially on asphalt. But safety in difficult conditions is worth it. It is also necessary to pay attention to the rear suspension, which must work well in conjunction with the tracks.

Linked suspensions are used in sports and cargo models. But in deep snow and when using long tracks, unlinked suspensions are better. This design enhances traction and perfectly distributes the weight load.

Important: shock absorbers must also match the tracks. In addition to the main points, it is advisable to take into account several additional nuances.

From toothed conveyor belt

DIY subwoofer box drawings, diagrams, photos and
The easiest way to remake your equipment is using a toothed conveyor belt. In this case, no special skills or abilities are needed, the material is easy to use

Please note that the thickness should be from 7 to 10 millimeters; a thinner tape will simply break during operation. So, using fishing line and an awl or thick needle, sew a strip along the edge to protect it from fraying

The bushing-roller chain is installed in the internal part of the structure; it provides adhesion to the driving parts. The stitched tape is sewn into a ring that tightly covers the wheelbase. This tracked module for a walk-behind tractor is the most versatile - it can be made to any size. To manufacture the unit, you can use a universal track design on a four-wheel base.

Making tracks from tires

This option for constructing rubber tracks has a number of advantages. There is plenty of material to be found. In case of urgent need, it will not be difficult to carry out repair work in a very short time. To make rubber tracks, you should choose truck tires. In addition, the tread must be identical in pattern to the rest of the tires - this will significantly simplify further work.

Manufacturing process:

Initially, a tire is taken. A transverse cut is made to create a strip. The sides are cut out of it - a kind of treadmill should be formed. The procedure requires a lot of patience, because cutting out excess parts of the tire is quite labor-intensive. The tools used are a large knife with a good sharp blade.
Rubber is easy to cut if the knife is soaked in warm, soapy water. Wetting needs to be done periodically. To achieve greater ease of operation, you should use an electric jigsaw with a fine tooth blade. The blade is also soaked in soapy liquid from time to time.
If the tire hardness is high, it is recommended to remove a couple of layers of rubber from the inside - this is very difficult, so it is easier to find a tire with a soft structure. In case of dissatisfaction with the tread pattern, new cutting of the lugs is allowed at your discretion.
A rubber track made by yourself has a huge advantage - it is a closed loop. With this advantage, reliability and strength are significantly increased. The only thing you need to pay attention to is securing the individual elements of the tire when creating a track for a snowmobile. Often, some tire options are not suitable in width. In this case, you should find material for specific parameters or tighten individual pieces with a small cable.

Accordion paper caterpillar with tube

You can make a fun caterpillar toy from cocktail straws.

For this you will need:

Piece of corrugated cardboard
Cocktail straw hot glue
Scissors

We cut out leaves from cardboard and paint them green.

In the tube you need to cut out the part below the accordion and bite out a small piece on top

The part with the accordion on the tube needs to be processed with scissors - make cuts along the accordion and cut out the middle.

Decorate the caterpillar with a felt-tip pen

We insert the narrow part of the tube into the uncut part and attach it to a cardboard piece.

Transport belt for caterpillar

This material is very common. Therefore, it will not be particularly difficult to find a transport tape. You can purchase it in used condition or, if possible, simply ask your friends.

Manufacturing process:

The conveyor belt may soon deteriorate during operation, so it is necessary to stitch the sides of the material using thick fishing line. You need to do it the way seamstresses sew the edges of fabric using the overcasting method. If you do not do the work, then after some time the edges will turn into rags, therefore, the tape cannot be avoided. To give the rubber strip the appearance of a ring, stitching the ends is used, but the method is not very reliable. It is easier to use a hinge based on the type of piano hinge.

The thickness of the conveyor belt depends on the power of the motor. A strip 1 cm thick shows excellent results. It is used in agricultural machinery. It is allowed to use tape from old Soviet motorcycles.

The advantages lie in the abundance of resources. If a homemade track breaks down, it can be restored in a short time without professional tools. Before purchasing a full-fledged track, you can use the belt version for quite a long time.

Making tracks for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands step by step

The caterpillar belt is put on two wheels located on one side of the walk-behind tractor. As a rule, mini-equipment of this type has only one wheel pair. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to install an additional pair of wheels. Usually additional wheels are made removable. This makes it possible to quickly transform equipment as required by operating conditions.

You also need to decide on the parameters of the caterpillar track. The fact is that if the caterpillar is made very high, the center of gravity of the walk-behind tractor may shift, which will lead to difficulties when maneuvering, as it will fall to one side.

To avoid this, it is necessary to widen the wheelbase. To do this, the second (additional) axis is increased by several centimeters, and a special bushing (sold in specialized stores) is installed on the drive shaft.

The thickness of the future caterpillar directly depends on the power of the walk-behind tractor. The optimal option is from 7 to 15 mm.

Tracks can be made from the following materials:

conveyer belt;
tires from trucks or tractors;
belts;
chains.

Regardless of the type of track material chosen, it should be taken into account that:

the mass of the caterpillar unit must correspond to the power of the walk-behind tractor engine;
As a rule, tracks are installed on a four-wheeled structure, so two-wheeled walk-behind tractors will require significant modification.

Let's take a closer look at these options for creating caterpillar tracks.

Track belts

This option is very easy to manufacture and does not require any skills. The material is quite common. There will be no difficulties in purchasing it.

Manufacturing process:

The belts are wedge-shaped, therefore, creating a single piece of fabric is very simple. And the lugs can be made at your own request. Bolts and nuts or rivets are used as coupling.
The belts are convenient because they have holes that can easily be adjusted to the snowmobile's drive sprocket. For these purposes, a gap is left between the strips during operation.
For fastening, it is allowed to use any durable material, for example, a small diameter cable. It is important that the work is done efficiently, otherwise the entire structure will fall apart when driving.

There are actually many more methods for making DIY tracks. It also doesn’t hurt to use your imagination and come up with something better and replace the tires and rubber with a more practical material. But, nevertheless, tire tracks are considered the best solution. They are simple to manufacture, and the time spent on work will be minimal.

Design and its main features

Making a car lift for a garage with your own hands

From the very beginning, Metelitsa was a snow and swamp-going vehicle intended exclusively for cars of Russian origin. But practice has shown that, in principle, any brands, including those from foreign manufacturers, can get along with this Russian invention. However, currently adaptation is only possible for rear- and all-wheel drive vehicles. In a year, it is planned to release a unit that will also fit front-wheel drive vehicles. The first videos have already appeared.

Serial production of this model began in 2010. So far, Chelyabinsk enterprises are set up to produce only about a thousand modules per year. The Metelitsa all-terrain vehicle will cost between 200 and 400 thousand rubles. The module is perfect for any car weighing from 1 to 4 tons, with a power of up to 90-250 horses.

This equipment never requires complex maintenance. Snow, swamp and water - this type of transport is able to overcome any obstacles. And you won't have to worry about purchasing a separate all-terrain vehicle. The videos show that buying such tracks will cost much less, you just need to attach them to the car.

Recommendations

The thickness of the tape is selected according to the engine power. On a snowmobile where a motorcycle engine is installed, there is also enough belt like that used in agricultural conveyors. If truck tires are used as a basis, then you need to select them according to the tread pattern to simplify the work. The beads are cut out of the tires, but areas are left for treadmills.

Important: the knife must be extremely sharp for such work; Wetting the blade in a soap solution helps reduce the complexity of manipulations, although it is better to use an electric jigsaw.

Whatever option is chosen, one must strive to make the entire structure as light as possible. Then traveling on loose virgin snow will not be difficult. To drive homemade tracks from the engine, some enthusiasts take drive sprockets from old Burans. The lugs can be attached to furniture bolts with a diameter of 6 mm; the same distance must be maintained between them. Cutting pipes will work better if you work alternately on both sides and do not try to cut through.

Installation of “barrels” (slides) is optional. Snowmobiles without such an element do not ride much worse. Any drawing or diagram must be adapted to the available consumables. It is advisable to take longer bolts so as not to experience inconvenience. There is also the most radical way to make a caterpillar for a snowmobile with your own hands - cut the standard propeller from the Buran in half.

Features of the tracked attachment device

The tracked module on a walk-behind tractor is a special part that allows the device to easily move and transport loads off-road. High cross-country ability of the tracks is ensured by a large coverage area, due to which the mass of the object being moved is distributed evenly over the surface. In essence, a tracked device is insured against the risk of getting stuck in a viscous and hot surface. A small agricultural implement with a caterpillar drive shows continued relevance in a wide variety of conditions:

for carrying out work on viscous and marshy soils;
for snow removal (especially in conditions of heavy snowfall);
for transporting cargo off-road;
as an all-terrain vehicle for winter fishing.

In addition to increased cross-country ability, such units also have increased stability. In addition, if necessary, the track drive can be easily transformed into a wheel drive and back.

In this video you will learn more about the caterpillar track:

Taking into account the demand for tracked attachments, manufacturers produce various modifications of caterpillar tracks. However, many owners successfully cope with assembling tracks for a walk-behind tractor with their own hands.

Making caterpillars from car tires

You can make your own caterpillar using car tires. To carry out the work, you need to select tires borrowed from trucks; it is recommended to use a suitable tread pattern, and you will spend less effort when working with the tire. The manufacture of such a caterpillar must be done by cutting out the sides from the tire, while leaving space for a treadmill.

It is worth considering that this work is quite labor-intensive and requires the application of a lot of patience and effort; in this case, it is necessary to use only a well-sharpened shoe knife.

In order to spend less effort when making a caterpillar for a car with your own hands, you can wet the blade from time to time using a soap solution. As an alternative solution, you can use a device designed for cutting; it is also possible to use an electric jigsaw. On the latter you first need to attach a file with small teeth, the file must also be pre-moistened with water, during the work such manipulations must be done periodically.

Structural differences

The tracks for the Neva walk-behind tractor greatly simplify the transportation of cargo and the movement of the equipment itself. The tracked module covers a significant surface, the walk-behind tractor drives more smoothly, provides the least pressure on the road and does not slip on difficult soils. The tracked vehicle can operate even in bad weather, and in sunny weather it has excellent maneuverability.

It is not difficult to care for and use the module on tracks, and you can build it yourself. The main thing to understand is that when a walk-behind tractor is equipped with tracks, its speed limit will be lower, but not significantly.

Note! The ability of equipment to move through difficult soils, transport significant weights, and even clear roads of snow is increasing.

In other respects, walk-behind walk-behind tractors are absolutely no different from standard walk-behind tractors:

The engine is a 4-stroke engine with the ability to automatically lock the axis so that the technical device can turn around without turning around in a circle.
There is also a requirement for mandatory water cooling, which can cope with overloads due to which the engine heats up excessively.
This type of tracked module is more efficient than an air-cooled one.
The coupling system, gearbox and gearbox are similar to the design of the standard model. It must be controlled by using the handle.

Work technology

Do-it-yourself tracks for a car must be made using a technology that involves the initial removal of the tire beads, then, if necessary, you need to remove the excess layers that are located on the wrong side of the formed ring; this is necessary if the track has increased hardness.

If the tread pattern is not suitable, then you need to cut a new structure, which will be necessary so that the structure can cling to the soil.

A snowmobile track made with your own hands according to the scheme described above will have many advantages, even if compared with the option described above. This is due to the fact that it has a closed loop, which indicates reliability. But there are also disadvantages, one of which is expressed in the limited width of the track, but if there is a need, then a double width can be used.

Caterpillar applique

A garden caterpillar in the form of an applique will be an easy project for novice creators. To do this you will need:

Velvet paper of different colors;
White thick paper;
Glue, pencils, paints, scissors;
Fluff or cotton wool.

The procedure for creating a caterpillar:

Cut circles of the same size from velvet paper of different colors. Using the pattern, cut out a head with antennae from white paper. Decorate the head with pencils and paints, drawing a face.
Place the circles on a velvet base, forming a caterpillar. Place fluff or cotton wool under the mugs so that the material sticks out from under the mugs, creating fluff. Check the entire composition.
Glue the cotton wool or fluff to the paper using drops of glue. Place the mugs overlapping on top. Secure the head.

The volumetric and textured applique is ready.

Instead of circles of paper and fluff, you can also use corrugated paper from which to roll into balls.

Manufacturing of structural elements

Before starting to manufacture structural elements, prepare a drawing, required materials and tools. You can take ready-made drawings based on the Bullfinch or Vepr snowmobiles. Tools you will need:

welding machine;
pipe bender or finished frame;
hammer;
screwdrivers.

Since the design of the mini snowmobile is low, the seat is made of durable waterproof material. The fuel tank is made of metal. Its volume should be from 10 to 15 liters. You can use a motorcycle chain as a drive.

From chestnuts

You can make an original craft from chestnut fruits. To do this you will need:

Ripe chestnuts 5-8 pieces;
Plasticine;
Cardboard for the base;
Natural material for decoration.

The procedure for creating crafts:

Roll plasticine into balls according to the number of chestnuts. Flatten the balls.
Use plasticine to create the face of a caterpillar on one chestnut tree.
Use plasticine pancakes to connect the chestnuts together. Attach the caterpillar to the base and decorate it with leaves and dry grass.
Another option for creating a caterpillar is to pierce each chestnut with an awl and use a large needle to collect the fruit on a string. Then you will get a movable craft.

Using the same methods, you can create crafts from acorns, small apples or other fruits. You can even create a whole family of caterpillars. Children in kindergarten or elementary school will be interested in working with different materials during the lesson.

How to make a snowmobile track

A snowmobile track is created from tires or conveyor belt. The work will be difficult and time-consuming if tires are used as the basis. The sides are cut out of them, so the work requires a sharp shoe knife or an electric jigsaw. To facilitate the process, tires are selected with a suitable tread pattern. Making a homemade caterpillar:

The sides of the tire are cut out with a knife. If the knife blade is periodically moistened in a soapy solution, the cutting process will become easier. When using an electric jigsaw, install a blade with small teeth and moisten it with water.

If, when cutting, the track turns out to be hard or extra layers have formed on the wrong side, they are also cut off.

Cutting a new structure is done when there is a mismatch in the tread pattern. The structure made must cling to the soil, so the structure of the pattern must be correct.

A caterpillar made according to this design is quite reliable due to the fact that it has a closed loop. Its disadvantage is its narrow width. To make a larger size, it is doubled. If the caterpillar is made from a conveyor belt, then it is combined into a single ring.

This can be done in 2 ways:

like a piano hinge (with a hinge);
ribbon stripes.

You need to choose the appropriate thickness of the tape if it is sewn on. Its thickness should be suitable for the engine power. A homemade snowmobile from an IZH motorcycle requires the use of a 10 mm thick tape. To increase the service life of the snowmobile, the edges of the conveyor belt are stitched with fishing line. The seams are made according to the method of overcasting the edges with an interval of 1 cm.

Paper caterpillar for children: how to make it yourself

You can make a beautiful caterpillar from colored double-sided paper. Cut part of a green sheet of paper into strips. Let's attach each strip

A paper caterpillar template can be drawn or printed.

Assemble the caterpillar by attaching the head on both sides.

Tackles

A trolley is a movable platform that protects the chassis of equipment from unnecessary mechanical loads. The platform is used when it is necessary to drive a snowmobile into a garage. For its manufacture, a metal pipe of medium diameter (6×6 mm), rollers and a bearing system are used. The wheels are installed with rubber coating and metal discs. Their diameter must correspond to the weight of the equipment.

Snowmobile skis consist of a base, a shock-absorbing part, a rod, a fork and bipod, and a link leg.

Skis can be made in different designs from different materials. If plastic linings are used for the base, they are supplemented with expanders. The extensions are mounted with fastenings to the snowmobile chassis. The plastic design is suitable for small equipment. For large and medium-sized snowmobiles, you will need metal skis.

To give the skis a shape, cut out the base from a cardboard stencil. At the same time, a bend is formed in front. The amount of bending is done at your own discretion. A ski track with a large bend glides poorly and collects snow. And this creates unnecessary braking. Therefore, you should not make it too large. The approximate size of the ski track is 2.5 cm wide and 100 cm long.
A pipe is welded along the edges of each part. This gives additional rigidity to the product and protects it from stones that come along the way.
Where the bend passes, the pipe is welded along the contour.
Shock-absorbing parts are fixed to the skis. Bolts are used as fastening elements.
The platform and the nose of the skis are connected by a hydraulic pipe. The top part is ready.
For the lower part, the hydraulic pipe is fixed at 4 points and compressed.
Then the polyethylene pipe is attached with self-tapping screws, having previously cut it. Instead of a polyethylene pipe, you can use polypropylene.

From a sock

An old sock or golf ball will make a wonderful toy. To do this you will need any 2 socks or long socks, thread, scissors, a needle and filler.

Operating procedure:

Stuff filler into the end of the sock. Tie it with threads to make a ball.
Stuff foam or cotton wool into the next compartment again and tie another ball again. In this way, create several balls until the golf runs out.
If you use two socks, you need to make them into balls separately. Then the socks need to be sewn in the middle.
Using beads, black thick threads and colored fabric or leather, make a face. You can form a tongue from leather or fabric, and eyes from beads.
The funny toy is ready. You can also put old baby rattles inside one or three balls, then the toy will also become musical.

Another option for making a caterpillar

Before you make a caterpillar with your own hands, you need to choose a technology for carrying out the work. It is also possible to use the method presented below. The propulsion frame can be welded using pipes that have a rectangular cross-section. It is recommended to connect them using a frame, this will make the structure collapsible. The splined part can be borrowed from the Buran, this will make it possible to make drive shafts; the splined part of the shafts, which are borrowed from the Oka, must be welded to them. It will also be necessary to use brake discs. When working on the front shafts, you need to install brake mechanisms on them. Some part of the gearbox housing needs to be cut off.

Making a caterpillar with your own hands will allow you not only to save money, but also to move through snowy areas without any problems. This design can be used for a long time without the need for repairs.

Development of Chelyabinsk engineers

Engineers from Chelyabinsk offer an alternative design, thanks to which the vehicle will be able to conquer not only off-road conditions, but also water. Movement on water is ensured by quick-detachable pontoons fixed to the chassis.

When not needed, they can be stored on a wheeled ski trailer or trunk. Installation of tracks in this case is somewhat more labor-intensive when compared with classic track mechanisms, the installation of which does not take more than an hour. You will have to follow the step-by-step instructions:

At the first stage, the car should be placed on the tracked module, get rid of the wheels and lower the suspension onto the catchers.
Next, the car is attached to the frame, and the module bridge is connected to the cardan.
At the final stage, the control unit is installed and the hydraulic system is pumped.

It takes at least 2 hours for such an all-terrain mechanism to be installed, after which control is available via the steering wheel. After the next off-road raid, the car is put back on the platform, and the tracked modules replace the usual wheels. The asking price is 100 thousand rubles. and higher.

Design features

The caterpillar has a chain structure consisting of individual links. The mechanism consists of two metal frames on which rollers and sprockets are attached. The latter are covered with a rubber strip with a relief coating. The caterpillar structure is connected by a removable frame.

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Wheels for homemade tracks are attached to the axle of the unit. Another wheel is attached to each side of a conventional walk-behind tractor. You can attach tracks to ready-made four-wheeled vehicles. Since the latter weigh more than the wheels, such a device needs a higher-power engine. To be able to return the walk-behind tractor to its previous state, it is better to make the additional wheels for the tracks removable.

To create homemade tracked vehicles you will need a four-stroke piston engine. To ensure its full operation, a differential locking mechanism is needed, due to which the equipment can turn freely.

The transmission of the device consists of a gearbox, a track clutch system and a mechanical gearbox. The handle is equipped with levers, switches, emergency units and other control elements.

Installing a caterpillar mechanism on farm equipment will facilitate the process of working with this device. Such a walk-behind tractor will be able to move freely off-road, in snowdrifts and be used in the rain. It is used for snow removal, work in swamps, and cargo transportation in difficult terrain.