LifeTrac Genealogy

1. LifeTrac I - Articultated steering, 4 wheel drive, wheel chains, dedicated 55 hp diesel engine
2. LifeTrac_II - Skid steering with tracks on rubber tires, 4 wheel drive, 2 modular engine units (Power Cubes), 54 hp total, front- and rear-end loaders included. 32 cu in hydraulic motors.
3. LifeTrac III - Same as II but one single (front-end) loader arm. 32 cu in hydraulic motors. Quick attach valves added. Issues with hydraulic motor to wheel couplers, where 6-spline agricultural shaft was used on each wheel.
4. LifeTrac IV - Larger hydraulic motors (45 cu in) were used, and Modular Wheel Units were added. Quick connects added to hydraulic controls. Wheel shaft coupling issues solved. Entry is from the side.
5. LifeTrac V - Began using LifeTrac Construction Set - 4"x4" square tubing, and increased modularity of construction. Modular Wheel Units continued. Returned to articulated steering and rear ground-higging pivot to separate 2 pivots for ease of fabrication. Introduced Bobcat Standard quick attach. Driver enters cab from front. Foot pedals + joystick valves were used for driving.
6. LifeTrac VI - Continued LifeTrac Construction Set. Same design, but fixed the loader arm geometry. Used a single curl cylinder, but found that it makes it difficult to enter the cab. Issues with curl geometry. Need to simplify forearms. Reached 75 hp with 3 Power Cubes, such as 25 hp for wheel drive and 50 hp for 6' trencher.