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Cat trax axle diameter7/30/2023 I have seen postings on craigslist in the past year where people are trying to get rid of these as well. The drums were free for me and came from a bakery and were for propylene glycol, food grade. Most expensive parts for me were the U-bolts and the 2" steel pipe. The whole setup also fits nicely on the hobie trailer under the trampoline! Cat axle parts deliver power to the wheels & provide excellent driving performance capabilities. Trickiest part is getting the boat balanced but once you figure that out it becomes pretty easy. The large surface area of the "wheels" floats the boat on top of loose sand. A shorter axle model Cat Trax for the Wave is also available, if specified. I have one set that I made 15 years ago and have used them 100's of times at the beaches here in North Carolina. The longer 8’6, 2 outside diameter, anodized aluminum axle is double-drilled to accommodate either 8 or 8’6 wide cats. I have since added some closed cell foam on top of the boards for cushioning. I drill an extra set of holes in the board and string some 3/8" line through the holes so I can secure the pontoons to the axle and the board. I use axle u-bolts (also from the hardware store) to attach the boards to the conduit at the spacing required to line up with the width of the pontoons. ![]() You then mount some 1"圆" boards to the outside of the barrels to provide a place to attach the pontoons to the wheels. I now have a long continuous "wheel" that fits nicely between the pontoons of either a Hobie 14 or H16. I thread the 2" diameter conduit through the holes that I have cut in the two barrels. I use a piece of galvanized electrical conduit (also from the hardware store) that extends about 2 feet wider than my catamaran. I take two of these drums and drill a 2" diameter hole using a hole saw from the hardware store into the top and bottom of each drum along the central axis of the drum. Typically they were used to ship bulk quantities of food grade substances like molasses, canola oil, olive oil, propylene glycol, glycerine, etc. It takes some calling around to locate the drums but you can usually get them for free. These are readily available from producers in the food and cosmetic industries. I have made a couple of sets of home-made cat tracks for myself and friends over the years using 2 plastic 55-gallon drums. Just to compare, the "real" CatTrax have tires that are 21 x 10. How much does a 10 foot 3/4 inch steel rod weigh? Maybe a design with four of these (inside and outside of each hull) with a 3/4 inch stainless or galvanized steel axle would work. These wheels are the same price but 15 inches tall and 6 inches wide. I've never seen a set that could handle real soft sand like on the Gulf Coast, but lots of people launch from concrete or hard dirt where lesser wheels can do the job. Lots of people have attempted home-made beach wheels and some "recipes" work for a specific purpose. The small diameter would mean you wouldn't have much ground clearance. Nacra: 6.0, 6.They are only 14.5 inches tall and 3 inches wide, so you would need to be moving over a hard smooth surface. All boats between 8′ and 8’6″ need the 8′ axle. **Please note Cat Trax are built to order and can take 5-7 days to build prior to shipping**Ĭhoosing Axel Width: The best way to know which axle you need is to measure the width of your boat. Use the same tie down ropes to secure to your trailer tongue when transporting on the road. ![]() Just pull the CatTrax under the boat using the tie down ropes and, when balanced, secure the ropes to the stays. Tough and durable ABS molded and padded end caps center the boat and hold it in line. Twenty super hard and super slick delrin roller bearings per wheel provide smooth rolling.Ĭat Trax provide no-hassle, maintenance-free operation with no lubrication required, plus they cannot rust. Roller bearings give low-friction wheeling. Air pressure can be changed to accommodate the conditions. The Cat Trax feature strong aluminum wheel rims with two-ply pneumatic rubber tires that disperse weight and do not dig in. This lightweight, yet sturdy rustproof beach dolly will carry your catamaran easily over sand, rocks, mud or pavement.
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