Been wheeling my Attex for few weeks now and love it. But have had lot of issues, the lastest is the body cracking, breaking. I know its old plastic, so I'm looking at my options for keeping it going. my questions:
1 Can a 6x6 be run without a body? (I'll add roll cage, mount gas tank, seat, etc.)
I don't plan on swimming with it.
2 Can a 6x6 be converted to 8x8?
3 Use sheet metal for full underside skid plate?
Yep, All of it.
Hi Adam,
The ABS bodies can actually be welded back together using a couple different methods, if you want to go that route. You can weld them using a hot air welder, like the one Harbor Freight offers, or you can chemically weld them back together using a combination of scrap ABS plastic and acetone. A number of different members have had great success using both methods. Where is your body cracking? If it's a 295 Wild Wolf I'd bet there's a crack under the muffler going down the side of the lower body. A lot of bodies have been beat up by running into things with the front lower tub, too. You can form and rivet HDPE plastic to serve as a good, durable skid plate to the lower body, too. Sheet metal is an option too, but polyethylene is a better choice. It's abrasion resistant, pretty easy to form and it doesn't dent easily like metal (and it looks better...)
As far as your second question is concerned, are you interested in making your Attex longer? That's about the only way to make it into an 8x8, but it can absolutely be done. These things are made out of plastic, metal and rubber. They're still making all of those components, so if you have a vision and a whole lot of ingenuity and drive, it can be done. An Attex 8x8 is basically one axle-width longer than a six wheeler.
You'll need to find another upper body, another lower body and two additional short sections of the upper body to replicate an Attex 8x8. You'll also need to lengthen your frame by the aforementioned "1-axle length". It's not that difficult a task, though. I have all of the components to do the job, including an original 8x8 frame that I picked up with my eight wheeler. It's looking more and more like that's going to be something I tackle years from now.
Here are a few more pic's
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Matt O. also has brand new poly lower bodies he made for the Attex. That would eliminate the cracking and constant repair.
Keith.
ADAIR TRACKS, WITHOUT 'EM YOUR JUST SPINNING YOUR WHEELS
REMEMBER KIDS, THE FIRST "A" in AATV STANDS FOR AMPHIBIOUS
Thanks for the great repair info.
Any idea the price of the lower body?
Is frame strong enough to run with out body? I'd like to see some pics of any with out the bodies.
A new poly lower is about $500. The body protects the drive system from getting exposed to debris, mud, and such. Look through build threads to see pics of naked machines.
l like to buy stuff and no I don't do payments!
Originally Posted by amphibious drew
These aren't Attex machines, but they're just as ugly...
The body also protects the *operator* from getting exposed to debris, mud and such. The bodies do provide some extra rigidity to the frame, but even rigid frames tend to flex a bit when going over obstacles. I really wouldn't recommend running one without the body.
Ok I plan on making fenders, full skid pan, and full floor pan. Some type of cage, of course it wouldn't float again.
SOLD! Thanks for the great web site, lots of great info.
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