Hi Norm,
good on you for building one yourself and may I welcome you to the dark side..........
A 13hp engine is a great start to eliminate the problems I am experiencing. As for the motors I would try to get some wheelchair motors as they are built for heavy duty going and more importantly continues load. Your local disability scooter hire place is the way to go for these or you could try your luck on ebay like me.
I had considered using wiper motors but looking at the shaft sizes and lengths decided against it.
If you want a tank style control then a Dimension Sabertooth 25 x25 is a must as it is operated via one joystick only and childsplay to use .
The remote I use is a Fly Sky 6 channel model plane controller which comes complete with receiver and is directly compatible with the Dimension motor controller.
The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was the tracks which I am pleased to say was only solved 3 weeks ago.
These are front motocross tyres with the sides cut out using a sharp carpet knife.Motorbike shops give these away for free as it costs them money to dispose of them.
I manufactured little guide blocks (pyramids) out of harwood which are glued to the inside of the tyre with sikaflex and held in by a screw whilst they set.These hold the track in place under lateral load when crossing hills side to side and the sikaflex expands when the tracks are tightened.
The wheels are made from formply and turned to fit the little pyramids in a wood lathe. They are working at the moment but i am on the lookout for some plastic material that will be longer lasting.
As I will be working on it this weekend I will take some close ups of the tracks and other bits and bobs to help you out. The 24 volt alternator arrived today and is ready to be trialled on Saturday.
