• Recycled swing bench
  • Mountain bike tires
  • Removing bike tire beads
  • Drum attached to cable
  • Tightening the wheel spokes
  • Drum steering assembly
  • Hammock frame
  • Transfer axle
  • Finished Hennepin Crawler
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Making of the Hennepin Crawler (photos)

Recycled swing bench

Crave inaugurates its DIY Weekend series with a look at the Hennepin Crawler, a funky (and functional) four-wheel art car that took six months to build.

Here, a recycled swing bench seat sits atop the giant rear wheels awaiting its padding base.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Mountain bike tires

Members of Krank-Boom-Clank, a kinetic industrial arts collective in Santa Rosa, Calif., cut knobby 26-inch mountain bike tires and attached them to the outside of the Crawler's big wheels.

Read more in our related article: DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Removing bike tire beads

Krank-Boom-Clank member Clifford Hill removes the "beads" from bike tires so they can be stretched over the big wheels.

Read more in our related article: DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Drum attached to cable

As with an antique boat, a drum is attached to cable to steer the front tires. Krank-Boom-Clank used about 90 percent found parts to make its contraption.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Tightening the wheel spokes

Tightening the wheel spokes evenly required many turns. The Hennepin Crawler can handle both street and limited railroad-track cruising.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Drum steering assembly

David Farish, one of four creators of the Crawler, messes with the drum steering assembly.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Hammock frame

A rear view of the discarded free-standing yard hammock frame that was used as the frame for the Hennepin Crawler.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Transfer axle

A shot of the transfer axle, starting with the pillow block and stretching down the axle that transfers pedal power from four riders to a single motorcycle chain for driving the main axle.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Clifford Hill/Sassy Monkey Media

Finished Hennepin Crawler

Crawler creators (clockwise, from top left) Dan Kirby, Clifford Hill, David Farish, and Skye Barnett pose with their completed creation.

Read more in our related article: "DIY Weekend: Mutant four-wheeler for road, rail"

Photo by: Scott Hess

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