HELP! Race mower progress thread

[Woodpecker]

I stayed at one last week, but it didn't help.

Clearly

 

[maulhead]

Clearly

It's almost a tragedy, you didn't pursue a career as a stand up comedian.

 

[Bill G]

I post this old commercial every once in awhile.........

 

[Woodpecker]

It's almost a tragedy, you didn't pursue a career as a stand up comedian.

Clearly

 

[Bill G]

Logan,

I truly do not want to go into a lecture. There are a lot of folks here with a lot of life experience. I doubt a single one of us will say they did not do something they wished they would not of. You were advised to use a tethered kill switch for a reason. I have a feeling you are forgetting that yes you may be thrown clear but what if your sister, mother, grandma is there watching you and a runaway mower hits them? That could be tragic.

As you age you will probably be exposed to a "here hold my beer and watch this" moment. Some end in harmless humor, Some do not and end in injury or worse yet death.

As I said I have raced many things on 3 and 4 wheels. One of the funniest was the Odyssey. When running those it is not if it is when you will roll one. They had wrist straps that tethered your wrists to the steering wheel. There were "cowboys" that refused to utilize them. Sadly some of those folks had to learn the hard way in a roll-over as an arm or two was flung out and crushed by the roll cage. As safety advanced window nets were installed but they sure were not in the early years.

Please take the advice of what folks tell you.

 

[redneckhillbilly]

reminds me of the old saying, "with age comes a roll cage"

 

[Bill G]

reminds me of the old saying, "with age comes a roll cage"

Well said

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

reminds me of the old saying, "with age comes a roll cage"

 

[Bill G]

That is the epitome of a.... "hey hold my beer and watch this" moment

 

[redline4]

I even won a few races..

And the view from my brother in laws go pro

 

[LAWN BOY]

I even won a few races..

And the view from my brother in laws go pro

Wow, cool.
Personally I don’t think I’m going to get that good/far into it.

 

[Bill G]

That is waaay to professional compared to the hillbillies here

 

[LAWN BOY]

That is waaay to professional compared to the hillbillies here

Ya, I’m just looking for a cheap unit to do 30-50 mph max on around our dirt roads and trails I made in the woods. Of course I’m not gonna go full speed in the woods and wrap me self around a tree.

 

[Bill G]

Ya, I’m just looking for a cheap unit to do 30-50 mph max on around our dirt roads and trails I made in the woods. Of course I’m not gonna go full speed in the woods and wrap me self around a tree.

I hate to be critical but 30-50 mph on a Wisconsin dirt road with a high center of gravity mower might sadly end in a real bad way.

I have driven many "paved" roads through southern Wisconsin and 30-50 in a truck sometimes makes your cheeks clench

 

[redline4]

Ya, I’m just looking for a cheap unit to do 30-50 mph max on around our dirt roads and trails I made in the woods. Of course I’m not gonna go full speed in the woods and wrap me self around a tree.

To put that in perspective, I was hitting about 43mph in those videos.
Fastest I went was 72mph at a banked clay kart track. That was taken with police radar.
If you think your going to go over 10mph on stock steering linkage, front axle and brakes you'll end up needing a cast on one limb or another in short order.

 

[LAWN BOY]

I hate to be critical but 30-50 mph on a Wisconsin dirt road with a high center of gravity mower might sadly end in a real bad way.

I have driven many "paved" roads through southern Wisconsin and 30-50 in a truck. It sometimes makes your cheeks clench

I also have access to a very remote paved road I’ll be using. Idk what’s different in southern, wi then, as I’m never really there, I have no problem doing 55 mph on paved roads here north, I mean they aren’t great, but they aren’t that bad. Our dirt road was recently redone and it’s really nice/smooth compared to most.

 

[Bill G]

To put that in perspective, I was hitting about 43mph in those videos.
Fastest I went was 72mph at a banked clay kart track. That was taken with police radar.
If you think your going to go over 10mph on stock steering linkage, front axle and brakes you'll end up needing a cast on one limb or another in short order.

Very well said!!

 

[redneckhillbilly]

55 on anything with no suspension is going to hurt, make sure you at least wear a helmet

 

[Agent Smith]

This is a craftsman mower i mounted a 300ex engine on and custom built the drivetrain, front axle, steering, etc. Even with a tight steering system and steering damper, it was still sketchy at a 53mph top speed on asphalt. Handlebars are gone and it has a steeing wheel on it now. Like others have said, if you think you're going to achieve high speeds safely with stock mower parts, get ready to biff the ground and feel some pain

 

[wcorey]

Some friends used to have a big cookout every fall and they happened to have a big sandpit on the property with a good sized flat oval the kids would rip up with the atv's. Well the 'theme' of the day was some very informal run-what-ya-brung 'tractor' racing.
Not many rules, had to look somewhat like a lawn/garden tractor, I think a size limit of 4'x5' wheelbase. Some crazy stuff showed up, guys upped the game every year, got pretty wild.
That JD had an 1100cc bike engine, was definitely a handful...



My entry started as an old kawi 440 sled with some wheelhorse bits added here and there. Don't even know what top speed was, didn't have the nerve to try it, lol. Track was fairly soft and understeer/holding the corners was my biggest issue, tried all sorts of various front tire combo's. Was a straight rear axel so that didn't help, was going to try a differential of some sort but eventually the races stopped happening and I never got that far.

Years later the thing is still sitting covered in the back yard, I pull it out and pull it over once in a while and check that it's not becoming too much of a mouse hotel...

Concept; donor sled behind...