Project Long Travel

I'm thinking it might be hard to turn. Guess we'll see. Been lookin forward to some more progress on this!

You might be right, I've never done anything steering wise like this. Everything will be bearing mounted so I'm hoping for the best. If it doesn't work I'll try something else..... Hope to know tomorrow   

BTW, I have that same year/model mower

thats awesome ! I gotta 2009 troybilt bronco that im gonna hopefully work on sometime

Things went slow in the shop today.... isn't that typical though... Parts fab and testing always leads to even more troubleshooting and work. Building a list of parts to order (new heims and stuff). So far I'd say that once sorted out this new steering is going to work.

Nice lathe! Good work, keep it up!

Thanks!

Smithy Max 3 in 1 with a DRO unit (digital readout) and a 1960 Atlas metal lathe with a quick change gearbox!

very cool id like to have one.

Can't tell by this vid but everthing so far moves smoothly and easily.

Very neat! looks pretty smooth

Lookin good so far... Btw, I learned machining on a 60's atlas lathe in the AF. I will admit to a slight case of shop envy though (comin to ya from my driveway)

i cant get over the sheer amount of badassery this build contains! well done man, keep it up!

hey you got a smithy combo... they any good? been looking at getting one to make pulleys

Thanks Lawren, I love that little Atlas, it works great but someday soon I'm going to give it a good going thru.

Willis923 "badassery" hehehe..... I love that.

Moose, I like the Smithy a lot. I've had it about 4 years now and it's never disappointed. I love the dc drive, variable speed and when I bought it the DRO unit was only a $600 option and works with both the mill and lathe. My eyes are to old to count dial lines plus you can program hole pattern layouts and it guides you to the next hole. I think the Smithy is the best 3 in 1 on the market.

waddya say? slap the ol' mower deck back on it, have the sickest, meanest, smoothest rider in all of everywhere

willis923 wrote:

waddya say? slap the ol' mower deck back on it, have the sickest, meanest, smoothest rider in all of everywhere

if only it was AWD..

Lets not jack the mans thread, it's too interesting

Lawren Wimberly wrote:

Lets not jack the mans thread, it's too interesting

Lol definitely haha!

I was in the buggy building hobby for a few years, still have plans on building one more 2 seater for the wife and me. I have a 2006 GSXR 600 engine sitting in my shed earmarked for that project. I'm going to follow the same strategy as with the buggies. I'll build this mower using and scrounging all I can to get it together. Once basically complete I will spend some time testing and making improvements and sorting out issues (shocks, gear sizes, bad engineering... whatever). Once that's done I'll tear it back down, replace old rusted heims and wore out stuff with new. I'll have everything painted, polished or chromed and then reassemble. Usually takes about a year with a buggy if you stay at it, I suspect it to be about the same with this but then I'm a newbie to the off road mower world. I looked all over this site and have learned a good bit before starting this project, lots of creativity on here. I've searched my laptop for buggy pics and not having much luck. All my buggy build pics were on another computer that crashed. I managed to get a bunch of pics off it but can't find any buggy pics.... sucks. I did find a couple from my 1st build. Independent front, swing-arm rear. 450 dirt bike motor. I'll keep looking for more..... got to be a million pics on my laptop...


I even fabricated the wing for it..... I'll keep looking for more pics...

Got a little time in the shop today and got the bars mounted. I lucked up and had a spline mount for a steering wheel that fit the Troy's steering shaft.... more shop time tomorrow...

what is the motor gonna be?

Currently it's the stock 17.5 hp Briggs. Kind of hoping to find someone to pump it up some. To be honest I'm not sure what kind of performance to expect. I've seen mowers with less hp run 50 mph but who knows. Depending on what happens during testing a motor upgrade may be in the offing. I do have that GSXR 600 motor   

I really think, with the extra capability inherent in the long travel sussy, that you'll want more power... "least that's whut Lawren's crystal ball says...

Lawren, we always want more power  
Got just a little mower time today, continued work on the steering. Seems to work good so far and with almost zero free play. I have to fab a support for the top of the steering shaft. I'm going to go ahead and order new high misalignment heims and SS hex rod and make up the new tie rods, can't get enough angle out of the heims I have. I'm heading out of state next weekend so no work will get done then but hoping to come home with the Peerless 700 I need.

BTW, did I mention that I have exactly the same model tractor with the same motor? LOL cant understand why this thread intrigues me so

You mentioned it, some don't like the body style of these Troy-bilts but I like em. I hope to get the "sorta" garden tractor version they made...... someday....