How to Build a Pedal Tractor Weight Sled

Tractor pulling is a spectator sport most commonly found at your local county fair 1. There are a number of variations of the traditional tractor pull, including truck pulls and horse pulls. All of these events utilize the same style of sled, a two-wheel sled with skis on the front. As the vehicle moves down the track, a weight is shifted from over the wheels to the skis, which significantly increases the weight of the sled and the difficulty of the pull. Building a child's toy sled can be accomplished with secondhand components.

Remove the front wheels from the toy wagon. If you pry off the red cap at the end of the wheel hub, you will see a retainer clip. After removing this retainer clip, the wheel will simply pull off of the wagon's axle.

Cut the skis to a length of approximately 16 inches. You need to use the curved front lip of the skis, but do not need the back of the skis. Therefore, cut off the back section of the skis. In addition, remove any foot bindings from the skis.

Cut two pieces of 2-by-4 lumber to a length of 8 inches. These will be used as the hubs for the skis. Use an electric drill and wood screws to mount the skis onto the lumber. When looking at the end of each ski, it should form a "T" shape.

Align the skis with the flat side down underneath the wagon. Position the wagon's axle 8 inches from the back of the skis. Hold the wagon approximately level, and then make a mark where the ends of the axle meet the 2-by-4 lumber.

Drill a hole in the lumber with the electric drill to accept the axle. Use a drill bit that is no larger than the axle itself. This will ensure a tight fit.

Insert the ends of the axles into the holes you just drilled, and then place the retaining clip on the end of the axle to hold the skis in place.