CraftsmanQuad Mark II

Ok guys, I’ve been collecting parts for awhile and finally got ahold of the frame I’ve been after. This is gonna be a good one.

Parts list that I’ve accumulated:
18 horse vanguard vtwin ($50)
16 horse vanguard parts engine (needs rings, might rebuild)(free*)
Peerless 820 ($50)
18x9.5-8 Kenda pathfinders on 4 bolt rims (free*)
Front half of a 110cc Chinese mini quad (free*)
Cub cadet GT steering box (free*)
Hydraulic brakes off a moped (free)
Larger AYP fuel tank (free, off my old weedeater mower)
Lots and lots of angle iron (also free)
*trade deal for a repair

The frame is a 1993 craftsman II that I traded a Murray pan frame for. I got the Murray for free too.

Plans are to apply everything I’ve learned building past tractors, as well as what I’ve learned at haspin to build a much more trail capable machine than the original CQ ever was.

The CQ is in Kentucky at our hunting farm, that way I have a machine to play with there whenever I go so we don’t have to always take the truck.

Anyway, locked 820 with aftermarket final drive will go in, Kenda pathfinders on the rear, mini quad front suspension grafted on (stock quad front tires), 18 horse vanguard on, larger fuel tank so I don’t end up like @stretch_44875 on day 1 of haspin (funny story), and to lower the center of gravity anywhere I possibly can. This will be a loose clone of a mowron rig, but not a complete copy. Also, the frame will be beefed up with angle iron wherever I can.

Steering I am undecided on. Should I use the cub steering box or run direct steering with handlebars? Handlebars make throttle and brakes easy, but I’m not completely sold on the look or the direct steering.

The hood I am also undecided on. Should I keep the stock craftsman II hood, swap a squarebody hood on, or swap on a grille and hood like @mightyraze’s kal/lil red?

Enough words, here are all the pics I have of the parts and tractor (not many)




Sorry I don’t have more pics, but can get more upon request. Let me know what you guys think!!

The steering box must be one of those little Ross units is it? I'd definitely use that, especially over direct steering. Sounds like some nice parts going into this one, looking forward to seeing some progress!

Nice collection of parts! I would like to see more pics if you can get them. That Craftsman seems like a good base to start on. Personally, I don't like that style of hood on the Craftsman so I'd say look around and see what kind of nice hoods you can get your hands on. A squarebody one would be nice but might end up looking too similar to the Mowrons mowers. The steering box would be cool, but the ratio might be too low for your application? Overall, it's a great project and I can't wait to see more progress.

Nice selection of parts! I actually like that style hood. LOL
Wish I could get my hands on a couple vanguard engines.

I’ve been wanting a square body for a long time. Before I ever saw the mowron tractors. It just so happens theirs are square bodies lol. Same frame though so most of the mods should transfer over

I vote square body hood or hood thats like Kal's.

I'd go with the direct steering since your using the atv front end and save that steering box for a different project.  However, I'd use a steering wheel because I don't think handlesbars look right on a mower.

The only reason I would do direct steering is for the bars. Thumb throttle and I can use the master cylinder I have rather than build a gas pedal and buy a new master cylinder for foot usage. Got a really cool exhaust today too off a Yamaha 300 atv. I’ll get pics of it tomorrow when it’s light out. It’s an aftermarket pipe

Seems like I’ve heard opinions on all three hoods. I’ll get some better pics of the ones I have, plus the square fronts that I have access to whenever I go back to the junkyard (fairly soon)

Here are more pics as promised. My exhaust I got, the current hood, as well as the Murray hood. The issues I have with the Murray hood are that it has the hole for the gas cap, but isn’t centered, and the hole for the exhaust (had a briggs single) in the side of the grille.











Sorry about the image dump lol

Why the atv suspension swap? That's a reeeaaaallllyyyy stale concept, it's been done so many friggin times. Do something interesting, why don't you?

Besides that, sounds like a cool plan. Good luck.

Atv suspension because it’s easy, and it will be roughly the same width as stock, and parts are easy to find, front brakes, etc. just so many benefits and will be better than anything I can build completely from scratch

Just put the hubs on a monolink setup buddy.

Eh, I could. But I can’t fabricate that well lol. The a arm setup makes it better

Don't tell yourself that. You definitely can.

You overestimate my measuring and eyeballing ability lol. Nothing I build is EVER symmetrical

OK, i changed my mind. I like the murray hood. It's similar to what I have on Lil Red. Just not the OPPY version.

I’ll worry about getting the frame strengthened, 820 built and installed, and suspension/steering worked out first. Whatever hood fits best with my suspension setup will be the one I use, because I think they’re all pretty good looking

I like the style of the Murray hood better

Seems like the Murray hood is getting the most favorites

sounds like it will be a cool build, I vote keep the atv suspension as long as you can keep it same width as the rear, only ones Ive seen done were really wide and looked like spoiled ass

Lol yeah, I have access to really beefy full scale quads, but the mini atv is much narrower with the shorter A arms, so it should be ROUGHLY the same. Maybe an inch or two wider on each side

Went to the junkyard today and got a couple parts. Also cut my knuckle all the way down to the tendon while pulling an engine for @TheGreenHornet...

Anyway, just got some fenders from another craftsman that had the shifter between the legs. That way it doesn’t have the hole in the one side for the shifter. No actual progress has been made on this build yet as I’m still collecting a few parts and working on tractors that will actually make me money lol. Hoping to start on this one sometime around November. Any later and I’ll probably just wait till the buildoff because might as well

Right now I think I’m gonna keep the factory craftsman hood and tuck a light bar in the factory location kinda like “Dinky” but I’ll tuck it in a little farther I think.

Hopefully gonna be done for haspin next year. I’d like to bring this and my 110cc Chinese atv

Like that double barrel muffler. With the end cap bolted in, probably is tuneable, where you can make it quieter or louder.

That would be very cool. I’ll have to look it up and see if I can. Because I want this vtwin so scream, but not be so loud that I can’t drive it without ear protection

I did a little reading on that double barrel exhaust I found. It seems they haven’t made that pipe since before 2000, so that’s kind of cool. I think the pipe coming off the muffler is stainless steel, and I don’t think my flux core mig will weld stainless. So I think I’m going to make the rest of the exhaust out of mild steel exhaust tubing from auto zone, and have it slide into the pipe and clamp together. That should make removal and future changes easier

Yes, you can weld stainless steel with your flux core mig with the mild steel wire. They are the same metal, only stainless steel has nickle added to the mix to make it stainless steel. Stainless steel exhaust pipe, when made, they add only a little nickle to the steel, so not that resistant to rust. When they make stainless steel, it is done by a certain percentage of nickle added to the steel. So, like silverware (spoons and forks) has the highest amount of nickle (20% nickle) then the rest is steel. Exhaust pipe that is stainless steel has I think 5% nickle mixed in the steel so it doesn't rust too bad or quick. Welding stainless steel exhaust pipe would be, the welds will rust and the pipe would stay little to no rust on it. The welds will rust real bad first (being raw mild steel) so painting the welds would be ideal to combat the rust.

If you want to ever test stainless steel to see how much nickle is in it, You use a magnet. Compare how strong the magnet sticks to mild steel first, then put the magnet on the stainless steel and see how strong the magnet sticks to it. A light percentage of nickle means the magnet will have almost the same grip pull off compared to pulling it off mild steel, being there is alot of steel in the mix. Then test a fork or spoon which is the highest grade of stainless steel and the magnet will not even stick to it, you would feel the magnet very lightly try to stick to the silverware, since there is a very high nickle content.