MOTHER'S MINI-TRACTOR (PART I)

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The steering system is straightforward and designed to last indefinitely if given proper maintenance. Clarence formed the canted spindle housings from 5-1/4" sections of 21/2"-diameter Schedule 160 pipe which he welded to the ends of the axle, and the spindles themselves are 13" pieces of 3/4" cold-rolled steel rod bent to shape and threaded at the ends. Rather than use spindle bushings—as some manufacturers of economy-priced tractors do—we chose to utilize tapered roller bearings for additional reliability and smoother performance.

The two spindle arms were cut from 1/4" flat plate and tied together with automotive steering linkage ball joints threaded onto a 7/16" steel rod. The drag link is of a similar design and fastens directly to the pitman arm of a standard Volkswagen steering assembly. (Suggestion: If you're able to buy a wrecked, junked, or engineless VW beetle for a reasonable price, the car will—assuming its running and steering gear are in good shape—probably provide you with many of the parts you'll need for this project at a lower cost than the same items would set you back if bought separately.)

Moving to the rear end of the tractor-to-be, we made some modifications to the VW transaxle to allow it to rest comfortably on the frame rails. Since the world's most popular car has undergone a few changes in its multidecade life span, your junker might not have exactly the same dimensions or gear ratios as did ours . . . but all that really matters is that the axle shafts be sectioned, or cut, and rejoined . . . making the component's total width such that the hubs' mounting flanges meet the outer edge of the frame.

To strengthen the individual axle shafts, we cut a 5" length of pipe (having about the same diameter as the axles) for each one, then split both pieces lengthwise. By hammering the halves over the axles' curved surfaces at the weld joints (to shape the pipe), then welding each half-collar separately to the joints, to the shaft material on either side of them, and to its other half, you'll have two tubular reinforcing collars . . . each of which is secured to the joint and the shaft.

In keeping with its projected use as a real working garden tractor, Goosen's brainchild features fairly large agricultural-style wheels and tires all around. The front rubber is 16 X 6.50 X 8 mounted on rims purchased from the Martin Wheel Company (Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 157, Tallmadge, Ohio 44278). To equip the rear, we had to combine two different manufacturers' rims. Each wheel comprises the center portion of a VW rim and the outer ring of an 8.50 X 15 truck unit. Since, in their original form, all the wheels were riveted at their joints, it was a simple matter to grind and punch out the fasteners, weld the centers of the VW components to the outer portion of the truck wheels, and fill the rivet holes in the rims' inner faces.

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