He Tractorized A Jeep Wagoneer

He Tractorized A Jeep Wagoneeer TRACTORS Conversions 33-4-34 Here's how you make a tractor out of a Jeep Wagoneer: shorten the Jeep by 40 in., add wheels from a center pivot, and install a transfer case from a motorized ammo carrier. Then slip in a 3:1 chain reduction drive and you'll have a handy tractor with plenty of clearance for mid-season cultivating. "I have a 3/4-acre garden to provide vegetables for my neighbors, ourselves, and for church outreach," says Jesse James, Goldendale, Wash. "I started out with a little garden tractor, but it took me three weeks to till the garden. With my modified Jeep, I can do it all in an afternoon." The price on the rig was right too. A neighbor gave him the 1967 Jeep Wagoneer after he helped her with some house repairs. Another friend had a 6-wheel drive ammo carrier. "The Jeep had a cracked block, so I first had to rebuild the engine," says James. "After I shortened the frame, I mounted the axles solid so it wouldn't bounce when pulling an implement." James also added a cross beam on the frame to support the transfer case. The transfer case allowed him to direct power to both the front and rear axles as well as a rear pto shaft. Initially he used a double chain sprocket to drive the transfer case, but the small chain on it kept breaking so James made a 3:1 gear reduction drive between the Jeep's three-speed transmission and the transfer case. For added strength, he fabricated a bearing case out of steel and used a Timkin double bearing to hold the input shaft that goes into the transfer case. "I haven't had any problems with it since," says James. "With the gear reduction and the 120-hp motor, it has no lack of power. I can pull a two bottom trip plow and a 10-ft. tandem disc." To mount the center pivot wheels on the pickup and Jeep axles, James cut out the centers of both sets of wheels. He then welded the 42-in. pivot wheels to the centers of the Jeep's original 24-in. wheels. The larger wheels required added spacers on the front axles to facilitate turning. The Jeep tractor's cab consists of 2 1/2-in. galvanized pipe with a sunshade top made from the shell of a clothes dryer. The windshield was salvaged from a 1974 motor home, as was the operator's seat. The hood over the motor is the shell of an old refrigerator, hinging forward over the radiator. The large radiator was salvaged from a Dodge pickup truck. With the help of a 24-in. fan from a big diesel engine, the radiator has kept the rig cool even when plowing in 100 degree temperatures. For added traction, James has two wheel weights filled with concrete mounted over the rear end. He also mounted half a 55-gal. barrel over the rear end and filled it with rock. Even the gas tank is a simple 5-gal. can that sets inside an old milk jug case. "The exhaust is the only thing that looks impressive," jokes James. "I ran a chrome pipe up from the muffler." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jesse R. James, P.O. Box 1347, Goldendale, Wash. 98620 (ph 509 773-6066; shirleyj@gorge.net).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.