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Showing results for tags 'Grapple Skidder'.
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Hi all, I've started another project, despite being only half way through the half track (no pun intended). This is the start of what will hopefully end up being a grapple skidder. (A forestry machine with an articulated chassis). I put in this forum as it covers 'heavy plant' I started off with a REVO diff I had left over from an aborted tractor build, and added some short custom outdrives I made in steel for each side. I then made four axles (8mm steel) with 16mm drive cups on the ends, loctited on. After that, four adapters were machined to attach square steel box section to the sides of the diff. These slip over the bearing holders on the diff housing and are held in place by the 4 bolts that hold the diff together. Then 4 bearing holders were made to press into the other end of the box section: Pressed into box section: Axles part way through completion: Wheel hubs fit Jugg2 wheels and are secured to the axles with grub screws. The wheels are held on by bolts rather than nuts: Wheel bolts are unobtrusive: Completed axles: Although the axles don't look very strong where they attach to the diff, the rear axle is directly attached to the chassis with no suspension, so the chassis will provide good support and rigidity, and it will be necessary to add a frame to the front axle to attach the suspension pivot, so that will give the front axle the rigidity it requires. I think the 1.5mm thick steel box section and heavy duty 8mm drive shaft will guarantee me no broken axles. My future ideas for this at the moment are to power it with an RS850 motor and an 11.1 LiPo, suitably geared down to provide lots of pulling power, and a motor and screwjack to operate the steering for the articulated chassis.