Tracked ZTR Vehicle From Mower Chassis

This is a new tractor project.
A tracked vehicle from a ZTR mower chassis shown here.

Base is a Troy-Bilt Colt XP with a Kohler Champion 22 HP engine. All in good running condition. It came to me with a dead battery and bad starter solenoid and missing the mower deck. I would be removing any deck anyway so this saves time.

Bogey Wheels. Two sets of four solid rubber 6" sheels

This will be a toy and a work tool around my place. Long range plans will include a plow blade and an alternator driven by the PTO clutch that used to drive the mower deck.
I also have one of those truck bed cranes I may mount up front ahead of the foot rest area to be used to pick up and move heavy items.

The images are from drawings in Inkscape and Gimp as I explore my options for the modification.

So are no actual mods have begun as I will first tend to the electrics which will include a reqire to a nice control box to provide additional switches and indicaters for head and tail lights and a raise/lower switch for the future plow. I will be looking for a good high capacity alternator and inverter to provide 120VAC to power tools etc. around the property.

Alternativly I may obtain a hydrolic pump and drive that from the PTO and use it to lift the plow. Have not decided yet.

The major portion of the project will be making tracks. I plan to use the existing rear wheels for drive but replace the caster wheels with an axle and two more wheels to match the existing rear tires.

For bogey wheels I am considering 4 (each side) 8" solid tires on steel hubs from Harbour Freight. They are only about $7 each so affordable. (see drawings)

So far my ideas for the actual tracks are either the steel plate tracks in my drawings, with optional sections of tire tred on them or the old stand by of a pair of tractor tires with side walls cut out. Im not really fond of the second idea because they just don't look cool enough !

My starting point here is to ask others for some feed back or ideas on the track construction methods. I don't want any suggestions that involve machine or welding a lot of small parts. Simple but strong is where I am heading.

Send me some suggestions !

Tracks. Version one. Use welded link chains, two loops per side with u shape plates for track segments between each side. Bolts welded from inside of plates. Washer and nut and perhaps tie wire on outside where they can't harm tires.

Suggestions welcome on track construction.