Floating a four wheeler

Our Gift to You! 1yr Paid Subscription to Quad Off Road!


	[All Forums] [Most Popular] [HL Related] [OEM] [Swap Shop] [Scott's Pics]	Chat Inbox

Floating a four wheeler

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [Most Popular Discussions] >> Tech Questions >> Floating a four wheeler

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Floating a four wheeler - 8/31/2008 5:23:57 PM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

I have seen a couple of videos where 4 wheelers have floated across ponds and creeks that people had to swim across without sinking much past the fenders. I have seen some where the quad went 4 or 5 feet under with huge snorkels. I want mine to float without going under 4 or 5 feet. Does anyone know how this is done? Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks

Post #: 1

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 8/31/2008 5:52:51 PM

Creek_Rider

Posts: 34
Joined: 8/5/2008
Status: offline

It depends on how big your fourwheeler is. If the water is not too deep then we usually get off and Kinda hold it up and float it across.

_____________________________

^1990 Honda Fourtrax 4x4 (Blue)
HL Lift Kit
FO-4 Exhaust

Honda4Trax.com

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 2

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 8/31/2008 7:32:45 PM

eustismudder

Posts: 1268
Joined: 2/19/2005
From: Eustis, FL
Status: offline

Air up your tires. Just make sure you have more in the front then the rear if your running 12's in the rear cause they hold more volume.

_____________________________

2004 Foreman 450ES, lifted, bored and stroked, OEM 135, K&N,HMF,Clutch Kit,Tach,Temp Gauge,snorkel, 29.5 Outlaws, ITP SS 112's

2005 Brute with snorks,pipe and 27"laws

East Coast Dirty Boyz Mud Racing #42

http://www.youtube.com/eustismudder

http://www.myspace.com/EustisMudder

(in reply to Creek_Rider)

Post #: 3

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 8/31/2008 7:34:08 PM

eustismudder

Posts: 1268
Joined: 2/19/2005
From: Eustis, FL
Status: offline

Here is one of my vids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oihpWwv2g5w

_____________________________

2004 Foreman 450ES, lifted, bored and stroked, OEM 135, K&N,HMF,Clutch Kit,Tach,Temp Gauge,snorkel, 29.5 Outlaws, ITP SS 112's

2005 Brute with snorks,pipe and 27"laws

East Coast Dirty Boyz Mud Racing #42

http://www.youtube.com/eustismudder

http://www.myspace.com/EustisMudder

(in reply to eustismudder)

Post #: 4

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 8/31/2008 8:15:03 PM

lonegunman

Posts: 906
Joined: 12/2/2001
From: CADDO PARISH,LOUISIANA
Status: offline

one of the guys i ride with took a flat basketball, and shoved it into the frame above the front diff and re-inflated it. crazy as it sounds,it seems to work.

_____________________________

lonegunman

TEAM TOXIC MOTORSPORTS
WWW.TEXARKANAMUDHOS.BLOGSPOT.COM
www.myspace.com/lonegunman0717
2001 arctic cat 300 4x4
lift kit
26" dirt devils
rokstar wheels
snorkeled
jetted
ion halogen driving lights
2500 warn winch

2007 a/c 650 H1-RED
LE wheels
front brush guard
LE rear bumper
28 mudlites
warn winch

H.P.A.C.

It all seems hardpack when you ride a cat

(in reply to eustismudder)

Post #: 5

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 8/31/2008 9:09:56 PM

eustismudder

Posts: 1268
Joined: 2/19/2005
From: Eustis, FL
Status: offline

Yes it does work. Thats a trick from waayyyyy back.

_____________________________

2004 Foreman 450ES, lifted, bored and stroked, OEM 135, K&N,HMF,Clutch Kit,Tach,Temp Gauge,snorkel, 29.5 Outlaws, ITP SS 112's

2005 Brute with snorks,pipe and 27"laws

East Coast Dirty Boyz Mud Racing #42

http://www.youtube.com/eustismudder

http://www.myspace.com/EustisMudder

(in reply to lonegunman)

Post #: 6

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/7/2008 10:42:35 AM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

Eustismudder, How much air are you running in your tires? And what size are they? At this time I am trying to float a 01 wolverine. I have 26 outlaws on it. 10s on the front and 12s on the back. That brute ought to be alot heavier and harder to float than a wolverine wouldnt you think? Do you think 26s are large enough to do the job? Thanks

(in reply to eustismudder)

Post #: 7

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/7/2008 6:14:38 PM

Trail Dragon

Posts: 218
Joined: 1/28/2003
From: michigan
Status: offline

I found out the hard way that my quad will float with the mud lites on it, i just wish it was snorkeled when that happened lol

_____________________________

2001 Honda 450ESWarn 424 Select(was HL unlocker) HL bash plate Extra oil cooler, mud lites, c-series cast rims True HID center headlight. Hella DE Xenon HID main head lights other toy 96 SeaDoo XP Dragons love quads! and mud!

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 8

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/8/2008 2:37:13 PM

Butch

Posts: 503
Joined: 12/12/2006
From: Collierville, TN
Status: offline

The ole basketball trick does work, but it is still hard to balance without tumping over.

_____________________________

2007 Brute Force 750 Team Green 2" lift, 2" snorkel, 27" Tri claws, HMF Pipe and a bunch of stickers.

03 Rincon Sold!
Joins us for a ride! www.southernmudslingers.com

(in reply to Trail Dragon)

Post #: 9

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/8/2008 3:03:24 PM

JERSEY

Posts: 27
Joined: 5/8/2008
Status: offline

I HAD A 86 250 IN HIGHT SCHOOL AND I PUT REAR TIRES ON THR FRONT AND USED A
SET OF REARS ON THE BACK AND IT FLOATED ACROSS A POND.

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 10

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/8/2008 9:01:56 PM

bansheefan03

Posts: 1567
Joined: 11/11/2007
Status: offline

just put u a big snorkle on and go across the bottom thats what i do lol

_____________________________

2006 rhino 660
29.5 swamplites,lift,rear steer,snorkled

98 300
376 bbk,4.5mm stroked crank,ported head,ids2,snorkle,lift,body lift,locker,EDL/ ****s ,axle paddle,459 cam,gear reduction,clutch kit,warn 424,chrome XL2 wheels,katana oil cooler,400ex carb
soon to come ex head, disc brakes

98 300
not really sure how much lift, ape axles,gear reduction,xl2 wheels, axle paddle,and lots more to come

(in reply to JERSEY)

Post #: 11

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/11/2008 10:38:55 AM

ATL3128

Posts: 106
Joined: 10/13/2007
From: Jackson GA
Status: offline

Get some of those boat fender things the ones used to keep boats off of the docks and strap them on enough of them and it will float!

(in reply to bansheefan03)

Post #: 12

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/11/2008 11:42:50 AM

Black Redneck

Posts: 452
Joined: 7/30/2007
From: MONROE, LA
Status: offline

If you go to the hardware store and buy like 20 cans of that spray in foam and underline your plastics, I'm sure it would float REAL good then

_____________________________

2006 AC 700 EFI
Custom snorks
4 - 27x9x14 Swamp Lites on black SS 108's (trail tires)
4 - 29.5x10x12 Laws on LE wheels (mud tires)
HMF Utility
Optimizer
Outlaw clutch kit
LE Bumpers
Rad Reloc
XPatv 2" lift
Custom Tunes
Eqqis temp and volt gauges

TEAM YO MONEY
"FUN ON YO DIME"
"Keep talkin smack and I'll make ya famous"

(in reply to ATL3128)

Post #: 13

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/12/2008 1:19:18 AM

xtremeracer

Posts: 119
Joined: 10/2/2007
From: South,MS
Status: offline

I thought about taking some 4'' or 6'' pvc about 6' long with caps and some how straping them to the wheeler. and float away.

(in reply to Black Redneck)

Post #: 14

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/12/2008 2:54:20 PM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

Well, here is what I have done so far. I have pumped the 26 10 outlaws up to 30 psi in the front and the 12s in the back to 20 psi. then I took 3 inch pvc pipe and put a 2 foot piece across the front and back under the plastics and four 12 inch pieces under each of the fenders held up with zip ties. I pumped them all up to 100 psi. it still does not want to really float with me on it. Next I am going to see if there is room for a couple basketballs.......but I am interested in the spray foam idea. maybe I should spray the entire inside of the frame, except where air is needed for cooling. Yall think that would work? Any potential problems any of you see with that idea? Thanks for the ideas. keep em coming.....

(in reply to xtremeracer)

Post #: 15

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/12/2008 3:03:57 PM

GWC

Posts: 21255
Joined: 5/7/2004
From: Kansas
Status: offline

4 30/12/12 Mudlites will float it easy..

_____________________________

08 650H1 LE
Warn 3.0
Snorkeled,Rad relocated
Custom mounted gauges
muffler tweaked
Dynojet, slide mod, spring clipped
Custom clutch kit, 4.0 gears
2" lift, HL springs, HL spacers
"G" axles
29.5 Laws on custom LE wheels
30" MLs on Black Castle Roks
05 500m
Dynojet,slide mod spring clipped
muffler tweaked
Hidden snorkel
HL temp gauge
26" 589MTs on ITP type 6s
Hard.Pack.Arctic.Cat

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 16

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/12/2008 9:45:06 PM

Kodiak 450

Posts: 1833
Joined: 8/20/2002
From: Stillwater, OK
Status: offline

Dont worry about putting air in the PVC, all that will do is make the pipe heavier, not by much but it will make it heavier,
With the tires the reason your inflating them is to get more volume, with the PVC your not getting anymore volume.

_____________________________

Team Custom Splice

2008 Rhino 700
"The Rhino Wrecker"
Full boom, 3 Warn 4.0's Custom Aluminium Diamond Plate Bed, Dual Exaust, Snorkels
Yep it's a Tow Truck for ATV's
www.rhinowrecker.com

2009 Polaris 850 XP Rollin on HL XL Rims and 31" Outlaws, 3,500LB Warn Winch- 50' AmSteel Blue.
2007.5 GMC 2500HD Z71 - M12000 Warn Winch, 150' 3/8 AmSteel Blue

(in reply to GWC)

Post #: 17

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/14/2008 1:08:51 PM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

kodiak 450, that is exactly right. I wasnt sure about that when I first started. Now I am just putting a little air in them to make sure they are not leaking. It would be bad to have them fill with water.

GWC, that weak little 350 wont even turn the 26 outlaws very well. That would fix my problem but I think I will need a new powerplant hehe.

(in reply to Kodiak 450)

Post #: 18

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/16/2008 3:08:38 PM

got wake?

Posts: 970
Joined: 9/23/2007
From: daytona beach, fl
Status: offline

the flotation is dependent on air volume, not pressure. 1 cu ft of air will support 63-64 lbs of weight, according to what i've been able to find online. i'm going to play around with low pressure in my tires and some boat bumpers or PVC tubes or expanding foam up higher to stabilize everything. having the tires as the only flotation devices is a recipe for tipping, since all the weight is above them, and not very stable.

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 19

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/16/2008 9:16:56 PM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

Well, the pvc tubes i described above did NOTHING that i could tell. Not enough volume. Airing up the tires did alot more. Anyone else have any ideas? I am contemplating the foam. I am just a little worried about building up heat on the trail.

(in reply to got wake?)

Post #: 20

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/16/2008 9:44:28 PM

got wake?

Posts: 970
Joined: 9/23/2007
From: daytona beach, fl
Status: offline

you'd have to see if the weight of the PVC was more than the air's flotation ability. PVC isn't light, so i could see where it may not be beneficial. if you try expanding foam, get the 3 times expanding foam. i tried the great stuff from the hardware store that expands 2 times, and it'd take a lot to have enough to have much benefit. i found some 3 times expanding stuff at wally world for the same price.

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 21

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/17/2008 10:38:16 AM

Glen1978

Posts: 110
Joined: 7/8/2007
From: Palestine, Texas
Status: offline

Or you could just buy a boat.......................LOL!

(in reply to got wake?)

Post #: 22

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/18/2008 1:06:41 PM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

well, you cant show out if you have a boat in water.......

(in reply to Glen1978)

Post #: 23

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/18/2008 4:37:39 PM

futuredenied

Posts: 107
Joined: 9/24/2007
Status: offline

i got 2 sets of tires and rims for my rincona any easy way to strap them together??? should make it float easily.

(in reply to tgaisser)

Post #: 24

RE: Floating a four wheeler - 9/18/2008 6:53:34 PM

tgaisser

Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
Status: offline

I have seen guys take and weld or bolt additional axles on the outside of their wheels and then bolt another set to them. It actually looks pretty cool.....for water riding it might be just the thing. For trail riding it wouldnt be much good.

(in reply to futuredenied)

Post #: 25