RACE MOWER TEST DRIVE - WRENCHLIFE - THUNDER BASTARD UPDATE MAY

We knew the best opportunity to test the speed and handling of the Thunder Bastard would be straight after silage when the grass is cut and the fields are dry..
What we didn't expect was just how fast it was :O a garmin test is to follow, but it definitely feels quicker than the little bastard once its past about 15mph and can start to accelerate. Whether or not it is is something we will have to test with a head to head...
Does this mean the little bastard will have to get that turbo after all? Certainly A SHOWDOWN is on the cards.

[@UkWheelHorseBloke]

I'm looking forward to the showdown :-D I'd say you all had a fun time thrashing the TB about the place :-)

[@WrenchLife]

me too lol, be a couple of weeks, we have some more field that will be cut then so we'll get the 2 wee yokes down to find out, i've just to find a good wingman for the test now haha

[@JSDJoeSzpara]

Loving the progress... Our mower has just about finished now and we have a 6 hour race on Sunday!!

[@WrenchLife]

good job guys! 6hr race will be a good shakedown for the mower, the fine tuning that follows a race is always where the speed is found, so get ready for your mower to go even quicker lol ;)

[@bamamowersgarage8937]

We would love to see some new video

[@WrenchLife]

Doug I can't hide forever lol, I have 2 new projects, a new racer and a new working mower-sized-tractor for the farm. The racer will probably feature next, I have it in getting some pretty mad upgrades here so may get filming this July holiday, thanks, Jon

[@Andrew91B]

where can I get a kart axle with a key way from end to end not just the ends all the way down the axle? anybody can answer plz help not finding anything I need.

[@WrenchLife]

Hi Andy, the one we used in this mower was from kart components in England, I would recommend looking through either lawnmower racing or diy go kart shops/companies, they tend to buy in, (or cut) their axles with a full length keyway, some places will cut the keyway to suit your needs. Where are you building at Andy?

[@Andrew91B]

cool thanks for the reply.

[@Andrew91B]

Michigan USA

[@WrenchLife]

Have you tried a place called 'ec carbs', they do all kinds of stuff for race mowers including rear axle bits! good luck with your build man! Jon

[@Andrew91B]

I'll check into that site what is the name of that transmission you're using? I have a peerless 700 but I don't know if I wanna use it yet.

[@ianbuilds7712]

it would be so much more fun with gears... usually when racers go with those 1:1 rag boxes it's to reduce the whine and handle more hp. mine whines less than yours which is wierd... a well braced (input support) and prepped peerless 700 will handle twice the power u have.. u can have up to 5 gears and while I totally bang gears with mine, u don't have to shift in motion it's just to have a gear for every track without having to change pulleys or if u don't have the proper ratio u gna burn thru belts FAST

[@WrenchLife]

You've seen the other tractor tho right? ;) kzbin.info/aero/PL_EBY4jHzT4QoU5ad1IiNIlYDESlehoyC Ive a 700 for one of the new projects, I'm looking forward to using it. For the machine in this video the regulations for where i race specced that i could only use the stock transaxle or if i went to a go kart rear it had to be a ragb, it is still geared a bit high tbh, but the belt system is taking it since the redesign :)

[@ianbuilds7712]

+WrenchLife that's an interesting rule.. although my current beater/ race tractor has a 14 hp 7":3" into 6spd spicer transaxle and it takes a beating every day and we dont go easy on her either.. I used the spicer because I have 3 of them and the early 90s models seem to be very solid especially when u run a solid ¾ shaft thru them. but yeah ive seen L.B. if that's what u referring to.

[@WrenchLife]

I.C. karting Yeah, its scary fast with the gears. For the green tractor we used British group 4 rules as our guideline, the actual rule is that the tractor must retain its original gearbox or go ragb and kart axle, the tractor had a 800 series peerless transaxle in it, but i wanted a kart axle because it allowed me to go lower. I do like that method of locking them axles however, i seen Doc Sprocket do it a while back, and may get it done on one of our farm tractors, we took our beater tractor for a bit of off roading today, i think it needs locked immediately lol

[@FilipMunk]

what is the max speed?

[@WrenchLife]

We forgot the speedo that day so never got it properly clocked, in its older trim it clocked 30mph with no issue, this run was after the refit and was between 40-50mph by our best estimates - actually quicker than the white tractor! the elements were playing in our favour that day however, the field was dry and firm and the tractor had a new belt; so minimal transmission losses and minimal rolling resistance from the field which allows for max speed! i clocked 40 mph a few days later on a wet field, which was far from its full performance but not bad for an old 12hp briggs with stock internals ;)

[@FilipMunk]

Oohh Nice:-)