Four-Wheel-Steer Header Cart Allows Sharp Turns

Four-Wheel-Steer Header Cart Allows Sharp Turns COMBINES Accessories 23-3-8 One big problem with commercial header carts is that they have a wide turning radius, which means that when you turn the rear wheels can easily end up in the ditch. Chris Fikan, Rosamond, Ill., solved the problem by having a four-wheel-steer header cart built for him that follows exactly behind his pickup, allowing the cart to turn in the same tracks as the pickup. "Because both ends of the cart steer, I can pull it anywhere my pickup can go," says Fikan. The first-of-its-kind cart was built by Royal Weber, who operates a welding shop in Nokomis, Ill. Weber has built several of the carts for other area farmers as well. Farmers supply Weber with the front wheels and axles from two used wagon running gears and he does the rest. He mounts the cart's front set of wheels and axles normally, but mounts the rear axle in reverse so that the two axles face in opposite directions. An L-shaped steel bracket mounts under each axle. The two brackets serve as connections for a 1 1/2-in. dia. steel pipe that runs the length of the cart and connects the left tie rod on the front axle to the right tie rod on the rear axle. Turning the tongue in one direction causes the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction. A 3-in. dia. steel pipe connects the two axles together, with each end of the pipe bolted to the axle. To switch to a different size header the pipe is removed and replaced with a longer or shorter one. "If the customer supplies both running gears the average cost to build a cart for a 25-ft. header is about $700," says Weber, who notes that his son-in-law Dave Durbin of nearby Oconee, Ill., also makes the conversions. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Royal Weber, 19234 E. 28th Rd., Nokomis, Ill. 62075 (ph 217 563-8504) or Dave Durbin, Box 176, Oconee, Ill. 62553 (ph 217 539-4517).

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