Fishermen, hunters and winter sports enthusiasts use snowmobiles to travel to the best vacation spots. Even inexpensive models of such equipment cost about a hundred thousand rubles, often more. Those who want to save money can assemble a homemade snowmobile on tracks in a regular garage workshop. The cost of parts for construction does not exceed 40 thousand rubles.
Snowmobile device
Homemade snowmobiles are built on caterpillar tracks. The tracks are driven by an internal combustion engine mounted on a rigid metal frame. They are supported in working position by wheels and special rollers. Main options:
- With a solid or fracture frame.
- With rigid or shock-absorbed suspension.
- With an engine from a walk-behind tractor or from a stroller.
Short skis are used for steering. Light snowmobiles (weighing up to 100 kg), designed to travel at a maximum speed of up to 15 km/h, do not necessarily require a braking system. They stop easily when engine speed drops. make a homemade snowmobile on tracks using the following algorithm:
- Selection of engine, calculation of frame and chassis.
- Frame assembly by spot welding.
- Steering device.
- Installing the engine in the design position on a temporary mount.
- Checking the structure for resistance to capsizing.
- If the test is successful, the frame is completely welded and the engine is installed.
- Installation of drive system, axles.
- Assembly and installation of tracks.
- Installation of body parts.
After this, final tests are carried out. If the snowmobile drives normally and does not tip over, then it is driven into the garage and disassembled. The frame is cleaned of rust, painted in 2 layers, the remaining elements are finished, and then a homemade snowmobile on tracks is assembled with your own hands.
Design Features
A snowmobile is a highly efficient means of transportation that allows you to move through shallow snow and snowdrifts in winter. The main elements of transport design are:
- engine;
- caterpillars;
- skis;
- transmission.
By type of construction, a snowmobile can be two-track (two tracks, one ski) or single-track (one track, two skis). Single-track vehicles are considered more manageable.
Among the advantages of this technology is the ability to move through fairly deep snow at high speed. No other type of transport can compare with the efficiency of even a homemade snowmobile. Finished structures are divided into sports, work and mountain. Before moving on to creating a product, you need to decide on the necessary parameters.
Formation of the drawing is one of the most important stages in the creation of this vehicle. If a person has not previously engaged in design, then it is better to make a preference in favor of ready-made plans.
Two-track
Single track
Engine selection
Gasoline engines are used for walk-behind tractors or strollers. Engine speed is controlled by a throttle handle located on the steering wheel. To make a homemade tracked snowmobile with your own hands, the easiest way is to use ready-made small-volume engines for walk-behind tractors with pre-installed:
- Fuel tank.
- Ignition system.
- Reduction gearbox with a ratio of 1:2.
- Centrifugal clutch, automatically activated when the speed increases.
The power of these engines does not exceed 10 horsepower, but they are easy to install: the technician does not need to separately assemble the ignition system, connect fuel pipes, adjust the clutch, etc. There are different options on the market:
| Brand | Model | Power, l. With. | Volume, cm3 | Weight, kg | Approximate price, thousand rubles. |
| Kipor | KG160S | 4,1 | 163 | 15,5 | 20−25 |
| Sadko | GE-200R | 6,5 | 196 | 15,7 | 15−20 |
| Lifan | 168 FD-R | 5,5 | 196 | 18,0 | 15−20 |
| Zongshen | ZS168FB4 | 6,5 | 196 | 16,0 | 10−15 |
| Nomad | NT200R | 6,5 | 196 | 20,1 | 10−15 |
| Brait | BR-177F-2R | 9,0 | 270 | 30,0 | 10−15 |
| Honda | GX - 270 | 9,0 | 270 | 25,0 | 45−50 |
If it is not possible to purchase a ready-made engine from a walk-behind tractor, then you can use an engine from a stroller. Such engines are 10-15 horsepower more powerful, but require self-assembly. The system includes:
- Engine.
- Clutch.
- Gearbox.
- Gas tank (volume 5-10 liters).
- Muffler.
- Generator.
- Electronic ignition switch and coil.
Some of the elements will come from old motorcycles (“Minsk”, “Vostok”, “Java”, “Ural”). The gas tank is located as close as possible to the carburetor to reduce the length of the pipes.
Utilitarian
Utility is the most popular type of snowmobile. Often in the description of such models it is indicated that these are “workhorses” capable of performing various tasks in everyday life. Transporting passengers and cargo, moving along difficult snow-covered trails, leisurely riding - this is what utilitarian snowmobiles are designed for. The equipment looks good and is equipped with all the necessary equipment for a comfortable ride. Features of utilitarians:
- The towbar provides the ability to attach a loaded sled or trolley to the equipment;
- motor with excellent traction capabilities;
- reduction gear;
- long and wide caterpillar tracks;
- two seats: for driver and passenger.
Utility snowmobiles are very durable. They combine excellent performance properties, reliability, have a long service life, and rarely break down. The equipment overcomes difficult forest routes without problems and does not weigh down in deep snow. Utility trucks are often used to pull a sports or mountain snowmobile out of the snow. Also, the scope of application of the models includes agriculture, winter fishing and hunting.
The disadvantages of utilitarian cars include low speed of movement. Otherwise, the equipment is excellent, capable of withstanding heavy loads, and copes well with the assigned tasks. High-quality, reliable utilitarian snowmobiles are produced by the Sharmax company. The line includes the following models: SN-210 Forester, SN-420, SN-550, etc.
Frame and body
Before work, it is recommended to draw up a drawing of the frame. The structure is welded from a square pipe 25 x 25 mm with a wall thickness of 2 mm. For a payload of over 150 kg, the section size is increased to 30 x 25 mm. The loading area and body elements are covered with plywood. The seats are selected with a hydrophobic coating.
In the center of the fracture frame there is a hinge that allows rotation around a vertical axis. The maximum rotation angle is limited by welding metal plates. The front half is used for steering, and the engine is placed on the rear half frame.
The solid frame is welded in the form of a rectangle, inside of which axles and tracks are located. The engine is placed in front on a special platform, rigidly welded to the rest of the frame. In both cases, the motor is installed in the transverse direction (the shaft faces the end).
Children's
And the last type of snowmobiles is for children. Models of this type are designed for teenage children aged 9-12 years. Single-seat models attract with their compact size and well-thought-out design. An effective security system is implemented here. This is an ideal solution for those cases when you want to teach your child to ride a snowmobile. The features of children's snowmobiles include low weight, ergonomic design, and excellent functionality.
Drive system
A small diameter drive sprocket is installed on the engine output shaft. From it, torque is transmitted through a chain to the driven shaft, located under the engine seat. On the driven shaft there are:
- Large diameter driven sprocket.
- Gear wheels that drive the tracks.
- Guides for tracks.
The driven shaft is mounted on the frame using bearings. Gear wheels push the tracks, causing the tracks to move. The chain and sprockets are removed from one device. Old motorcycles and snowmobiles (Buran) are suitable donors. Gear wheels for tracks can only be removed from other tracked vehicles.
The guide rollers rotate with the shaft, are attached next to the gears and serve to tension the belt. They are made of wood or plastic and have a layer of soft rubber at the ends. Rubber prevents damage to the track. It is easy to make such rollers yourself by securing the edging with a furniture stapler.
Algorithm for completing parts
There are several proven ways to make a caterpillar with your own hands. They have proven themselves to be the most reliable.
Application of conveyor belt
It is considered one of the simplest methods. In addition to the transport belt, you will need a bushing roller chain. The simplicity in this case lies in the fact that manufacturing does not require a large number of auxiliary materials and tools. To extend the life of the transport belt in the device, you need to circle its edges with fishing line
It is important to ensure a step of 10 mm. To connect the tapes, in this case you need a ring, you need to stitch it along the ends or use hinges
Particular attention is paid to the thickness of the transport tape. The level of load on the unit directly depends on this
The optimal choice would be to select a tape with a minimum thickness of 7 mm. Among other things, you will have to take care of an additional wheel on each side
You can remove it from an old car, but it is important that its diameter matches the same parameter as the wheel on the walk-behind tractor
Using a tire
For walk-behind tractors, tracks are often taken from tires. Craftsmen claim that the design is highly reliable when the specified element is included in it. In order for the resulting walk-behind tractor to be practical, you must take care of the quality of the car tires. They must have the correct tread pattern. In this regard, tires from large cars and tractors are preferable. The tread pattern is of key importance, as it acts as a lug.
The manufacturing process can be divided into several stages. Here they are:
- After finding suitable tires, a track for the tracks is cut out of them. This is labor-intensive work that will take a lot of time.
- Use a well-sharpened knife for cutting. It's better to take the one that shoemakers use. From time to time it must be moistened in a soap solution. This will make the rubber easier to cut.
- Both sidewalls are cut off the tires. To make the process easier, you can use a fine-tooth jigsaw for this. Remove excess fragments inside the tire if necessary. If the track turns out to be too hard inside, this manipulation can be repeated.
Thanks to this, it is possible to improve the reliability of the tracks, which is especially important under heavy load conditions. And yet such caterpillars are of rather limited length.
It corresponds to a similar parameter for a car tire.
From chains and belts
All-terrain vehicles with tracks are often manufactured using conventional V-belts. They are connected to each other by means of lugs. The straps are attached with screws or rivets.
An additional method is to use chains of the same size. This material is often found in large quantities in gardeners' garages. The manufacturing process boils down to the following points:
- Take 2 chains of the same size. The last links are broken, after which they are combined into a closed ring. The links are clamped and welded.
- The lugs connect the chains to each other and provide reliable fastening. These devices can be made from simple steel plates of suitable thickness. They are connected using bolts.
If you don’t want to make tracks yourself, you can take such products from old equipment. For example, a walk-behind tractor on Buran tracks demonstrates good efficiency. It makes sense to use old parts, since new Buranovsky tracks are quite expensive.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=TRCcf646ahQ
Calculation and assembly of caterpillars
The caterpillar is a tape, on the outer surface of which tracks are attached. Tracks are rigid lugs installed along the entire length of the tracks. Track options:
- Made from 3mm thick transport tape.
- From a car tire.
- From V-belts.
- Ready-made factory-made tracks.
The conveyor belt must be looped. Its strength is only sufficient for light snowmobiles with engines no more powerful than 10 liters. With. Car tires are stronger than tape and are suitable for powerful engines. Solid tires do not need to be looped, so the likelihood of a rupture is minimal. It is more difficult to choose a tire of the required length than a tape.
Finished tracks are removed from other similar equipment (snowmobiles “Buran”, “Sherkhan”). They are equipped with lugs from the factory. The products are not suitable for use with low-power motors from walk-behind tractors. Homemade snowmobiles made from Buranovsky tracks must have gears from the same “donor”.
The size of the caterpillar is selected according to the required driving characteristics: the larger the width, the lower the handling, but the higher the maneuverability. The minimum area of the contact patch from the snowmobile (skis and tracks) must be such that the pressure from the equipped vehicle does not exceed 0.4 kg/cm2 of surface. Light snowmobiles use a 300 mm wide conveyor belt, cut lengthwise into 2 strips of 150 mm each.
Preparing the Tape
The tracks are attached to homemade tracks with M6 bolts with a wide head. The bolts are fixed with a nut, a washer and a groover are used. Before fastening, leading holes with a diameter of 6 mm are drilled in the tape and tracks. When drilling, use a jig and wood drills with special sharpening.
The conveyor belt is also looped with M6 bolts. To do this, the edges of the tapes are overlapped with an overlap of 3-5 cm, the connection contains 1-2 rows of bolts. For a 150 mm wide track, the following distances are maintained:
- From the edge of the tape 15-20 mm.
- Between bolts on tracks 100-120 mm.
- Between the bolts when banding 25-30 mm.
In total, one track requires 2 bolts, and one belt connection requires 5-10 bolts, depending on the number of rows. When using car tires, only the tread is left, and the sidewalls are removed with a shoe knife.
Homemade lugs
The tracks are made of polyethylene pipe with a diameter of 40 mm with a wall thickness of 5 mm, sawn in half in the longitudinal direction. The entire section of the lug is adjacent to the tape. In light snowmobiles, one track connects the tracked pair. With a track width of 150 mm, the track length is 450-500 mm.
The lugs are cut using a wood circular saw. They use a special machine with two guides (metal and wood), rigidly fixed on a fixed tabletop. The walls of the pipes are sawed one by one.
The distance between the tracks depends on the parameters of the gears on the drive shaft. Typically 5−7 cm. The specified distance is maintained with an error of no more than 3 mm. Otherwise, the operation of the drive is disrupted: the lugs “run” onto the teeth of the drive wheels, the caterpillar begins to slip and fly off the rollers.
How to choose equipment for creating an all-terrain vehicle
As for the type of all-terrain vehicle that may be suitable for creating an all-terrain vehicle, almost any option can be chosen.
But not all equipment of this type is easy to modernize. Specialists most often use the Neva to create all-terrain vehicles, since these motor cultivators are the most versatile. The main thing in a walk-behind tractor is the presence of a cooling system
If you plan to transport cargo or people on an all-terrain vehicle, you should pay attention to models with a powerful engine. To create a snowmobile, it is better to take equipment that is equipped with a four-stroke engine.
The thing is that such engines start much better in any weather. Moreover, the four-stroke power unit will not cause problems even in sub-zero weather, which is exactly when the snowmobile is planned to be used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7wodD8pAfw
It is impossible to say with certainty what exactly the engine should be like. Both gasoline and diesel power units are suitable for working on an all-terrain vehicle. Each case has its own pros and cons. The thing is that gasoline is more expensive. But diesel fuel freezes at sub-zero temperatures, so it is not suitable for a snowmobile.
Models of equipment for moving on snow or off-road also do not play a big role. Now they sell both reliable Belarusian options and good Chinese equipment, which is distinguished by an affordable price and quite acceptable quality. The main thing is to choose those models that are popular. In this case, if repairs are necessary, you will not have to spend a lot of time searching for spare parts.
If you plan to create a tracked all-terrain vehicle, it is best to pay attention to a one-piece frame. The team will have to work hard to achieve the desired result.
On caterpillar tracks
Track supports are used more often than others, simultaneously performing the function of propulsion. The reason is high efficiency and reliability. This design allows you to reach high speeds while maintaining stability and maneuverability. There are several options for how to make tracks for a snowmobile with your own hands:
- from a conveyor belt;
- from truck tires;
- from driving V-belts.
Plastic or PVC tubes no larger than an inch in diameter, sawn along the axis, must be bolted across the conveyor belt.
Even a child can handle such a lightweight device.
Old truck tires with winter tread can also be used as tracks if you cut off the sidewalls. They don’t need crossbars, but you will have to sweep the edges with fishing line in centimeter increments, otherwise the tire will quickly become frayed.
Drive belts, just like the conveyor belt, must be equipped with lugs. Several parallel belts, 2 or more, are connected to each other by transverse strong lugs, attaching them to the belts with rivets or with screws. The distance between adjacent hooks should be equal to the pitch of the drive sprocket.
Tracks made from conveyor belts or belts are often reinforced with chains
, which increases the reliability and durability of the propulsion unit.
These snowmobiles combine lightness with a reliable drive.
One of the varieties of tracked snowmobiles is a motorized dog, which was named after its resemblance to a sled dog. At the expense of maneuverability, the design was lightened, and the traction force also increased. But this is the most effective towing mechanism in the snow.
To change direction, you need to make significant efforts to shift the center of gravity of the motorized dog.
The basic dimensions for assembling a two-seater snowmobile, indicated in the drawing, will help make the ride comfortable. Other sizes will depend on the availability of spare parts and assembly diagram.
When driving, discomfort from headwinds is alleviated by installing motorcycle glass and mudguards for the feet. But it is impossible to completely protect yourself from the cold wind on such transport. For comfort, you need a completely enclosed cabin, which means the weight will increase and a more powerful engine will be required.
A snowmobile with a car engine is designed for long trips over long distances. With heat-insulating body material, the ride is comparable to the comfort of a passenger car.
And the easiest way to achieve comfort is to simply place a rear-wheel drive vehicle on wide supports such as skis, tracks or pneumatic wheel tubes, and also drive the standard wheels to the snowmobile propulsors and attach the front ski to the steering bipod.
During manufacturing, it would be useful to provide a replaceable scheme for replacing wheels with skis and back, if you use spare parts for the conversion.
