Homemade Four Wheel Wagon

[tcbusch]

I started on my four wheel wagon today. I am using an extra front axle I bought last year at plow day. I am using 2 angle iron pieces to wrap the pivot mount around the axle. That way I will have a place for the hitch pivot. The littler angle iron piece bolts to the bigger piece with four bolts.

Here is a picture of the hitch pivot from underneath.

The side plates are for the 4x4's I am using as the frame.

I made a temporary hitch pole from a 2x4. I plan on using a green treated 2x4.

Here is the hitch and the linkage assembled. This picture is from underneath.

Fully assembled bracket.

Front axle ready to go.

 

[rchristensen]

Terry
Keep the pictures coming, I like seeing new ideas. Looks like it is going to be pretty stout.

 

[kweaver]

Here's the frame (roughly) that we use to buy to build 20 foot hay wagons on. We would add the red and blue parts and the planking. Some had the steering tie rods in front of the axle , some behind the axle. I prefer them behind the axle so as not to bend them if the trailer gets away and hits a stump or rock. None had a center pivot on the axle as a rock / roll over to one side could dump a load of hay. I've had 18 layers stacked on them before.

EDIT: I guess I should have said some had to have the blue section added.

 

[kweaver]

Terry - Looking at yer pic again ... your bed is going to lay on the tires un less you go up another 4" at least.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Terry, I like it! More photos please!!!

 

[stanner]

Excellent work!!

If ya wanted to really get creative, you could link the front and rear axles to pivot opposite each other, then that wagon will turn on a dime!! We have flatbeds here where i work that'll turn real sharp behind the towmotor...

 

[tcbusch]

I am not sure how you are "suppose to" build a hay rack but I am running the decking front to back. When I was a kid my grandmas hay racks had the boards going from the left to the right. On the other hand my car trailer has the boards running from the from to the back. Anyways, I did test the wheel clearance and they will not touch the deck. Here is a picture of how I am building the deck. I am going to fasten 2x4's to the 4x4's. I am showing them in blue. Then I will be attaching some 5/4 decking on top of that.

 

[kweaver]

Treated lumber (if that's what your 5/4 is) shouldn't be to bad. We use to run it (rough oak) length ways and it'd try to curl up the ends or raise a nail up to trip yer foot. Cross ways seemed to curl up the ends too and there was a lot of ends. I've seen them 50/50 on the orientation so it's whatever you prefer.

 

[kmcconaughey]

The hay racks up here that my uncles built were usually made of fir. I remember watching one of my uncles build the last one that they built before they switched to a bale thrower and bought the hayracks. He used a handsaw, a bit and brace, NO power tools. That would have been in the late 60's. He even put a bevel on the edges of all the deck boards with a hand plane. They don't make them like that anymore! I recall asking lots of questions about the various aspects of the construction. I didn't learn much because the typical answer was "To make kids like you ask questions."

I seem to recall that the main deck boards were 5/4x6 and the outer boards were full 2" thick x 8" wide and there may have been a full 2" thick x 8" wide board across the front and rear of the deck. I believe the boards were all held on with carriage bolts. Sure wish I had had a digital camera back then....... Hmmmm, that hay rack might just still exist, I may have to stop by and see......

 

[lbuttke]

Terry.

Looks very well built. You are defently better at fabing up parts than I am.

 

[tcbusch]

Worked on the trailer again tonight. I decided to redesign the tie rod mounts. This is the before picture.

In the picture below you can see the goofy angle of one of the tires when I turn the hitch.

I changed it to a center mounted tie rod with double heim joints. Now the wheels don't kick to the side.

I also started on the rear axle. I need to cut off some more metal then weld it up tomorrow.

 

[eford]

Cool Terry! You give me new ideas for draining the ole wallet,lol. I got parts aroud here from a dozen this that and the other, If I look hard enough I might be able to come up with something.

 

[jegstad]

Terry,

You didn't show the wheels turned with your new setup. That "goofy angle" looks about right, the inside wheel (in a turn)needs to turn tighter than the outside wheel. Try running the chassis around in a circle to see if one tire drags. It makes it real hard to pull when you are loaded if it doesn't track right in a turn.

 

[lbuttke]

Terry,

When you get all the bugs worked out on the steering bracket/mount, would you, could you please, please make up one for me.

 

[tcbusch]

Here is a picture of the new angle.

I made the rear axle tonight but didn't get a chance to mount it to the 4x4's. When I weld I need to bevel the edges so my weld will penetrate all of the way through the 1/2" steel.

Here is the finished product. I got a torch for christmas so I decided to fancy it up a bit with angles. I am getting good at cutting with the torch. I use a 3/8 inch thick piece of steel as a straight edge to keep the cut straight.

 

[lbuttke]

Terry.

Thanks for sharing your build with all of us.
I will now have a much better idea as to how to go about building one for myself.

 

[tcbusch]

The steel I am using looks beefy because I bought it all as scrap steel from Garelick Steel. They are on the Mississippi river just west of Minneapolis. I think I bought it all for around 40 cents or so a pound. I got 18' of 3x1/2" bar stock, 10' of 4x1/4" bar stock, 16' of 2x3/8, assorted lengths and sizes of angle iron, etc. All that stuff was on the scrap rack. It was almost like steeling....... get it?

 

[kweaver]

Terry - Let's see how steady you are with that torch after 4 eye surgeries and breathing welding fumes for 34 years. I shake like a dog poopin peach pits but I use to be steady as your guided cuts. A fresh air supply into the back of your hood or at least a dust mask wouldn't be a bad idea I've come to learn...now.
I see you're using flux core. I hate that nasty crap! If you have a true MIG and want to get better looking welds get a bottle of CO2 and bare wire. If you want an even stronger weld use the flux core with the CO2 (and windy outside welds the flux core has to be used).
The design is looking pretty good so far, have you decided on the board direction?

 

[tcbusch]

Ken,
I am not that steady either. I cheat and use a guide. Makes a nice straight cut. Here is a picture showing the setup. The giude is just a flat piece of 3/8 stock.

I found my welder welds deeper and hotter with flux core. I use gas and solid core when I weld 16 ga or smaller. One thing I found interesting is that you have to reverse the polarity when changing between gas and flux core. The first time I tried to weld with flux core and no gas it didn't weld worth a crap. It splattered and through arc all around. I then notice I was suppose to reverse the polarity. I have preferred flux core ever since.

 

[kweaver]

I was laying in bed around 2:30am and I remembered that I forgot to mention reversing polarity I still don't like that little skin of slag. I'd much rather watch a thick slag from a 7018 curl up.

I used a 300 amp 100% duty cycle MIG with flux core and CO2 to rebuild a big Euclid endloader bucket / cutting edge / new bushings but I still prefer arc for heavy welding.
I did some pretty heavy welding (1"+) with my Century 225 MIG when I had to but there's just something about flicking off the 7018 slag and seeing that pretty weld... gets my rocks off. My 225 stopped feeding wire so I bought a Lincoln 175 last summer. I need to get the 225 running again. I'd say the 175 is putting out more like 140 from the looks of the welds.