Vehicle drive and control system

A track drive control lever comprising:

• an arm having a horizontally extending journal near a lower end thereof, and a handle near the upper end;
• a bearing bracket receiving said journal therein for pivoting of said arm about a horizontal axis from an arm home position forward to stop at a full forward position and rearward to stop at a full reverse position;
• and
• detent means in said bracket and journal and constantly urging said arm toward a home position from every possible position of said arm between full forward position and full reverse position,
• said detent means including a bolt adjustable, spring loaded detent ball in the bracket;
• and
• detent ball pocket in the journal, said pocket having a wall curved up both ways from the bottom of the pocket toward opposite edges of the pocket at the surface of the journal, said pocket receiving the detent ball therein, the size of the ball and extent of the pocket being established to maintain the ball in contact with at least a portion of the pocket at all pivoted positions of said arm between said full forward position and said full reverse position, whereby as the ball rides up the wall toward one of said edges as said arm is pivoted toward one of said full positions, the spring loaded ball urged downwardly against the wall urges said arm toward home position.