Articulated "Truck" Made From Old Jeep

Articulated "Truck" Made From Old Jeep TRUCKS Miscellaneous 33-5-29 Sheldon Culham taught high school welding classes in Huntsville, Ontario. He recently sent FARM SHOW photos of a Jeep conversion made by the students in one of his classes. "They converted a CJ Willys Jeep into an articulated vehicle to be used for hauling firewood out of the woods," says Culham. The students stripped the Jeep down to the frame and made an articulation point just behind the transfer case. A pair of hydraulic cylinders, connected to a power steering pump, were used for the articulated steering system. The center pivot was made in the shape of a horizontal "T", allowing the front and back halves of the vehicle to articulate but also allowing the two sections to rotate up or down as they pass over uneven terrain, thereby keeping all four wheels in contact with the ground at all times. The rear driveshaft had to be replaced with square slip tubing and a farm-type universal joint at the transfer case. The original steering wheel was moved to the center by hooking the steering column up to two universal joints. In the woods the steering wheel is locked, and the vehicle steered by articulation. On the highway the rig is steered with the front wheels. In tight situations both steering systems can be used. "The articulation works great in the woods, because the back end can walk right around trees," says Culham. "The hydraulic dump box's sides can be let down so I can reach over and throw wood in. "The box measures 5 ft. long by 4 ft. wide. The cylinders that raise and lower it are operated by a power steering pump." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sheldon Culham, 234 Mica Mine Road, Huntsville, Ontario, Canada P1H 1R3 (ph 705 789-5259; culhamfs@vianet.ca).