Stretching the Wheelbase on a Garden Tractor Loader | Steering & Frame Mods

4 in 1 Welder Machine https://amzn.to/4rkkYcr Good cheap 0.035 flux core welding wire https://amzn.to/4rRbiY0 DEWALT Premium MIG/TIG Welding Gloves https://amzn.to/3OQBcN5 Cheap Winch https://amzn.to/4ubSKDp Klein Digital Level https://amzn.to/46ComIn 100% Cotton White Shirts https://amzn.to/4aBUUV9 Music by:    / @barrymoreinnovations   Welcome back to the OWP garage, where I fix the problems I just finished inventing. It turns out that building a DIY front-end loader on a garden tractor turns the whole machine into a giant teeter-totter. Three cinder blocks in the back weren't cutting it, and rather than fighting the physics, I decided to change the geometry. If the front axle is the fulcrum, the only logical "Bad Example" solution is to chop it off and weld it further forward. Sometimes you just have to look at your tractor, realize it’s a tip over hazard, and bust out the angle grinder. 🛠️ What You’ll See in This Episode: The Wheelbase Stretch: Cutting off the factory central pivot and moving the cast-iron front axle forward to keep the rear wheels on the ground. DIY Caster Angle: How I faked 10 degrees of caster using cut channel iron so this thing can actually turn. Steering Rod Surgery: Extending the steering linkages by welding square bar to round rods (because it's what I had laying around and the "square peg, round hole" method works if you weld it enough). Front Axle Reinforcement: The sheet metal was flexing under the new weight, so I welded in a massive 3-inch channel iron to stiffen it up. Dash-Mounted Controls: Wiring the bucket and arm winch switches straight into the dashboard for fingertip control while driving. ⚠️ The "Bad Example" Reality Check: Did everything go smoothly? Of course not. A turnbuckle sheared completely off, the winch cable kept jumping the guide (requiring more welded angle iron to fix), and my steering hits the arms on tight turns. But the welds are stuck, the geometry is better, and the bucket goes up and down without tipping over... What more do you expect from me? 👇 Support the Chaos: If you enjoyed watching me weld myself into a corner and grind my way out, hit that Like button and Subscribe to the channel! Clicking the affiliate links above helps me keep the garage lights on and the flux core wire spooled up. Question of the Day: What’s the best way to add liquid ballast (like antifreeze or washer fluid) to these tires without making a massive mess? any other counter weight tips? Drop your tips in the comments! Stay tuned—summer is coming, and I've got a massive pile of Jeep parts waiting in the corner of the shop. Have fun, stay safe, and know that you are appreciated! ⚠️ Disclaimer: I am not a professional. I am a bad example. If you do the wrong thing and your car starts talking to you in Korean, that’s on you! If you want to see more ways I almost break things, check out the channel page for Jeep, golf cart, welding, and random guy in a garage videos. Clicking on these links is part of the amazon associates program. It costs you nothing, but supports this channel whenever you buy something you were probably going to buy anyway. It doesn’t even have to be one of these items. Click then buy whatever you want, it helps support this channel. Thank you! #GardenTractor #TractorMods #FrontEndLoader #DIYFabrication #WeldingProjects #WheelbaseStretch #SteeringGeometry #OftenWrongParadigm #BadExample