Cub Cadet Pickup Projects:

[rchristensen]

Several people have built pickups from Cub Cadets and I see others are thinking about building them. I have thought about it for years and getting close to starting one. I thought if we started a thread dedicated to that subject we could discuss what has worked for some and what others plan to do. The more discussion we have the better.

Some of my thoughts are:

1. I want the finished project to be functional and not look like a pile of junk. I don't want to destroy a Cub Cadet for nothing.

2. To build a pickup I will need to extend the frame, do I extend the front or the back, or do I build a complete new frame? Do I widen the wheel base?

3. I plan to use a hydro so it will easy to operate and I can use hydraulic for the box or any attachments I add.

4. Do I make it just a pickup or do I make it multipurpose? Examples (still operate a mower deck and vacuum system) or (front blade) or (belly blade).

I'm not very good at drawing up plans, I just start building and design as I go. I do have some very crude drawings which I already don't like but will post them later when I get them scanned in.

Would like to hear suggestions or comments from all.

Also any pictures would be good.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Richard, excellent idea! I'll post some photos that I have been collecting of other's creations. Some of the photos I know who the builder was, some of the photos have been saved from ebay and elsewhere and I have no idea who built them. Watch for them soon.

As to your thoughts.

1. I whole heartedly agree!

2. The design that I have in mind I plan to extend the back and widen the track. I bought some wheel spacers from Travis S. a few years ago that he had custom made (by Dan Hoefler no less!) for a project that he had in mind. His loss my gain.

I hope to make mine with side-by-side seating with an offset operators station, i.e., steering wheel and controls offset to the left. I also plan to move the operators station forward to prevent the overall length of the vehicle from becoming too long. I also intend to replace the solid pivoting axle with two A-frames to allow for a basic suspension and so that I can make the front width the same as the back and I plan to have larger front tires.

3. Hydro, no other option IMO.

4. Multipurpose, it should at least be able to accept a front blade.

I have a 149 parts chassis that I plan to use as the starting point. This will allow me to use a larger engine then a narrow frame chassis. I have several narrow frame parts tractors around, one will supply the steel for extending the frame.

Ever notice that a 1x6/7 series through the later 82 series fenders look a LOT like reversed Jeep CJ fenders? Will make for a nice look if they are turned into front fenders!

Time to go look in my archives for photos.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Here are a couple photos of one built by Kelley Birkey.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Found another one of Kelley Birkey's.

 

[kmcconaughey]

This one is not a pickup or utility vehicle, it does however have some valuable design ideas. I have no idea who built this.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Here's one that was on ebay. Waaaaay too long IMO. I have a few more photos of this one but you get the idea.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Here is one that James Bowen built. This is one of the nicer ones I've seen. Still a tad long for my taste but nicely done.

 

[kmcconaughey]

I believe that this one was also built by Kelley Birkey. I think that's Kelley in the red shirt.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Here's one that Paul Funk was working on.

Paul, have you made any progress on this?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Some of my concept drawings (cut and paste).

 

[mhomrighausen]

Kraig M. I was hoping that you still had those pictures of the Carroll County Club Cadet. I took those either in 2001 or two when on a trip to Oskaloosa. I used to have the gentleman's name and address however sad to say I lost that along with the pictures that you posted. The fella was stopped at Colfax Salvage at the time. He lives fairly close to Steve Blunier and family. If I recall the poject used two Cub Cadets to make this little creation. It was done somewhat as a "see what the finished results would be" and as a pratical way to go around while at tractor shows.

 

[rchristensen]

Last summer I spent a month on my brothers ranch in Montana. He has a John Deere Gator which we used all the time. It has independent suspension, automatic, a dump box and very easy to step in and out of. It has 4x4 but my brother says he has never had to use it. We used it for fencing, chasing cattle, pulling antique tractors, hauling junk. We seldom used a pickup except to go to town. Some of the Ranchers had purchased 6 wheel Gators but didn't like them and went back to 4 wheel ones.

I would like to build my pickup with some of the same ideas, just wish I could get some fiberglass fenders and hood to use. I don't like using the Cub hood and dash, especially with it sitting in the center with two seats.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Marlin, I'm glad you said something because I couldn't recall who took the photos of that.

Richard, I plan to move the steering column and hydro controls to the left so I can have comfortable side-by-side seating. I'm planning on grafting two hoods, two grills and two dashes together to make them wider. The hoods, grills and dashes will be from 1x4/5 series parts tractors. Partly because I have a bunch of parts 1x4/5 series Cubs and partly because I like them best, which likely accounts for me having so many of them as parts tractors...... As I mentioned I'd like a front suspension, I'm toying with the idea of using narrow frame axles as lower A-arms. Again I have a bunch of narrow frame parts Cubs which means I have a bunch of axles. I figure cut one off just to the left of the pivot cut a second one off just to the right of the pivot. With a bunch of parts tractors I have a bunch of the front axle saddles to use for mounting the A-arms, only two needed though. Next I'll have to drill each resulting A-arm through the web to mount a coil over shock or perhaps two per side if needed to support the weight. No need for an upper A-arm, sure it'll have a bit of bump steer but with the slow top speed of a Cub I doubt it'll matter. Besides, the Cub Cadet Grizzly like Rich Patton posted the other day only has a lower A-arm.

Note also the use of a chain to allow the offset steering, not ideal as used in the Grizzly but it does give ideas for a workable hydro control design using the narrow frame through a 1x9 series Hydro control setup(though a foot control hydro would be nice). For the steering I'm thinking rotate the steering column 90° clockwise and use a shortened drag link to a center pivot which has two short tie rods. The center pivot would be similar to the design on an Arctic Cat snowmobile with independent front suspension.

Cub Cadet Grizzly. You can search the Parts Lookup for Grizzly or 4016 for other parts drawings.

 

[jegstad]

Kraig,

If you're widening the front end and moving the steering over, why not just use a rack and pinion steering assy from a small car? It would get rid of a lot of jury-rigging, chains, etc and would be easy to mount. It could be power or not and if it's a little bit too wide you could easily cut and re-weld the tie rods. I've been looking at these and think it can be done. I tried looking at them in a scrap yard but they are always underneath and hard to get at. I need to find a place that has a pile of them extracted for the rebuilders to buy.

Also, how about using some sort of torsion bars for the springing instead of having coil-over towers sprouting in the air and catching on everything?

JimE

 

[kmcconaughey]

Jim, good ideas.

A couple of things I should have mentioned in my first post:

1. I want to use as many Cub Cadet sourced parts as possible. I want to use the axles as A-arms and the Cub Cadet steering column. If the Cub Cadet axles don't work out as A-arms I might use snowmobile or ATV suspension parts. I especially like the front suspension setup first used on the 1985 Arctic Cat Cougar and El Tigre snowmobiles. They used coil over shocks inboard mounted, the upper A-arm was mounted so that it pivoted on it's lower corner and it's top corner pushed on the shock. I'll have to find a drawing or make a quick sketch of this setup. I can easily get the parts for this.

2. I want to keep the cost down, I have a bunch of Cub Cadet parts tractors and hope to use them up.

3. All I have available is basic tools, no lathe or machining capability.

In any case, I especially like your suggestion of the torsion bars that would be perfect for this application. Trouble is where on earth would I find them with the proper spring rates and how much would they cost?

Hmmm, my Isuzu Rodeo has torsion bar front suspension..... Naw, the spring rate would be too stiff. Could I just use some bar stock? Now you have me thinking, could the separate piece rubber torsion axles from a trailer be adapted?

I may have to head back to the drawing board..... As for the steering I was not suggesting using the chain for that. I was just pointing it out on the Grizzly, and that it might be a usable setup for the hydro control.

 

[jegstad]

Kraig,

A flat piece of spring steel is the simplest torsion bar, mainly because it is easy to mount and to play with various cross-section sizes and lengths. One end goes to the frame and the other end to the axle. If done right the axle end also just bolts to the a-frame and you don't need any fancy levers. Hint: you can build in a static twist to make this happen easier. Try looking for old trailer springs or get some steel that can be brought to the right temper. If there is a spring shop in your area they can do one-offs pretty cheaply.

BTW a coil spring is technically just a torsion bar formed into the coil shape when you analyze how the steel twists.

JimE

 

[kide]

Kraig:
How about using two Cub front axles in the old Ford "Twin I beam" configuration? Heat the opposite end of each one and bend to offset one to the back and the other to the front to get your spindles lined up... Use a torsion bar at the pivot end, or a coil over on the wheel end of each axle..

 

[kmcconaughey]

Kendell, I had previously thought of that Ford twin I beam setup for a few seconds then I regained my wits.

 

[kide]

Actually, two axles, each cut just past the center pivot and then set outboard more with separate pivots would work with no bending. Are ya building a pickup or a hot-rod quad ??? Maybe you should start with a jacked up EZ-GO, and put Cub sheet metal on it if you're looking for a lot of suspension travel

 

[bmoore]

Kraig,
Just some points to consider...
Regarding your "A-arms", they really aren't, if you just cut a standard CC axle. Notice on your parts drawing how wide the arms are? That's to have the force spread out when you hit something while moving forward or backward so they don't bend the vehicle frame mounting points. Take a look at the old Pinto/Mustang II lower control arms, and the additional piece bolted to it which has a rubber-bushed frame mount attached to the frame to keep them from bending back. Something like that could be made to work as the Pinto part and as a suspension mounting bracket with a couple of bolts through the web.

If you're going to use a R&P steering, watch when you narrow it. The pivots at the end of the rack need to allow the tie rods to follow the same arc as the moving suspension, or you'll get some really wacky steering motions when you hit bumps.