Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Modern day doodlebug tractor?

Got another waaaaayyyyyy off the wall idea today! How about building a doodlebug using somewhat modern technology? I've got a 51 GMC 1/2 ton frame and suspension sitting around doing nothing, an old vacuum shift 2-speed rear axle from the mid-1950's, and a 1-liter 3 cylinder GEO Metro engine and 3-speed automatic transmission, all just taking up space, plus various torque tube 3 speed transmissions. How about if I chop a couple of feet out of the frame, rigid-mount the big rear axle, and figure out how to couple up the GEO engine/trans assembly to it, with maybe a 3 speed manual box somewhere in the middle? The thing would probably climb trees!
Jerry

Built a bunch of them when I was a kid. If you got a use for it, go for it.
Start at the front. Put a radiator on, then mount the GEO engine and trans. Then close couple the 3 speed on to it and finally slide the rear axle up and close couple it to the trans. U-bolt the axle to the frame and cut off everything that hangs over the back.
Note: with dual trans, Reverse, reverse is the lowest gear usually.

what do you do with these things?

Have fun building them and then using them to pull a plow.

Don

Plow the garden, tow stuff, climb hills to the deer stand, pull a trailer back to the barn to process the deer, even mount a gin pole and a cable winch to lift heavy stuff to second-story level like the bar joists for my new shop addition. There's a lot of things an off-road low speed crawler can do! With a weight box full of scrap iron over military lug tires on dual 20" wheels, it will outpull a medium-sized farm tractor.
Jerry

Friend used one for years at his starter/generator shop to push dead ones up into his shop. Had a big wrecker size front bumper of redwood to prevent scratching. He remarked one day that as soon as he got them fixed to where the doodle bug wasn't needed the customers always took them away from him.

I'm also thinking about submitting a sealed bid on a M35 military truck and 2-wheel trailer a nearby city is auctioning. It's the old 6X6 10-wheeler with a 6 cylinder Continental multifuel Diesel and a big flatbed with stake sides and a good tarp. Handy to have on the farm, but a real fuel hog out on the road!
Jerry

Someday when I've worked my project list down to a sensible length, I want to get one of those big Military trucks. My neighbor, an Anesthesiologist during the day, has a deuce and half that he pulls out every couple weeks. During all the flooding we had this year, he was rescuing folks that couldn't get out of their subdivision. It's cool as heck. So my vote is for the M35. You can give the Mrs. a ride on all your local parades.

I think the challenge of making a doodlebug exclusively from residue and junk on hand would be a fun project.

Be careful with collecting big green trucks...it is an addiction worse then meth. Building my second one now...

Maybe I'd better check to see if that tarp cover doesn't leak- - - - -I might have to live in it if I buy it! I've already got a 61 GMC fire truck sitting out in the pasture!
Jerry