help da poor deacon.

[deacon]

so I have three and a half weeks before I am supposed to build... However I have a couple of ideas to sneak around and work on. Before I do the trial and errror I usually do this time I have plenty of time to ask around. So here is the new trike for the mentally challenged. Er balance wise.

I am going to put the two wheels on the front. But I want to do the very minimum amount of work and as little as possible tools and talent required. I have a start and a design I think will do the trick.

Step one. .. Start with a 20" bmx type junker bike.

step two... remove the front wheel from the bike. be sure to save the drop out locks.

Step three... purchase a 3/8 fine thread rod about 18 inches long. (might have to go to automotive fasterns for this. If you know who sells one let me know please.

step four... purchase a 4" long inside diameter steel pipe (Plumbing dept)' work this between the front forks of the bike.

Step five... run the rod from step three through the forks and through the pipe between them.

step six... on each end of the threaded rod run a drop out lock from the original front wheel mounting.

step seven...At this point I will have to remove the axle and hardware from the front wheel. (good excuse to grease the bearings and inspect them. REASSEMBLE the wheel hardware on the outside end of the threaded rod attached to the front fork. Either side.

Step eight.... Do the same on the other side of the forkusing a spare wheel (I have lots of junker stuff.)

step nine... Attach a one foot piece of angle iron to the outside of each wheel to use as a support.

step ten.. Use an approximate 13" piece of angle iron drilled dead center and bolted to the brake hole of the front fork.

step eleven... Attach each of the outside support risers from the wheels to an end of the cross support bolted to the brake hole in the front fork.


Unless i have totally miscalculated this should be plenty strong enough and also be a secure mount. I could weld the pipe between the folks just to make a it a little more secure, but with the drop out locks I really dont think I need to do that..

So how about comments and advice before i waste my little bit of shop time on this project.

 

[deacon]

My doctor and my wife are going to kill me.

I mocked up a set of front wheels for my 24" ebike. I put two 20" wheels in a 26" fork so it should be pretty close to a replacement for a 24" front wheel. I will try to slip it on sometime tomorrow and roll down the driveway on it. Just to see what happens.

 

[bairdco]

it might be difficult (or impossible) to find a piece of allthread with the same thread as a bike axle. all i've ever seen
is coarse thread.

 

[silverbear]

it might be difficult (or impossible) to find a piece of allthread with the same thread as a bike axle. all i've ever seen
is coarse thread.

You could maybe have a machinist make up a threaded rod for you with the correct thread pitch to match what was there originally.

Take photos when you can.
SB

 

[deacon]

I used the axles on the wheels to hook to the outside of the fork for a trial run. I had no idea how it would handle it just sounded good. The wheels were tight and steady but they are too close together that way. If one hits a bump that the other one doesn't the bike shifts drastically. I can't get any speed because my wife and the doctor wont let me ride. I just kind of rolled it down the drive. I will try it again to see if maybe it needs a wider stance in front. Or if I need to move on to something else. I found one of those rods on line for fifty bucks lol not a chance in the heck.

The rods at the home depot ect bend too easy or I would just use their nuts for the thread pitch. and junk the axles I have now'

 

[cannonball2]

Deacon this sounds a little unstable at speed, thats just a gut feeling, but front end geometry is a real science. However Piaggio has a scooter with close wheels in the front, but I bet they are not bolted to the stock fork in some manner. Anyway, what might work for you is a section of 1" black iron pipe from Ace, width is your option/gamble, have both ends threaded. Get a mountain bike fork, the kind with the axle foward of the fork. Carefully form the bracket to fit the pipe. PLEASE have a welding shop weld the pipe to the fork! Get two CroMo rear MTB axles from the LBS. Center drill pipe caps to the axle size and bolt the axle to the caps with two nuts and plenty of red Loctite. Screw the caps to the pipe like you life depends on it, it does. Maybe use JB weld. Assemble your wheels to the axles and hope for the best.

 

[cannonball2]

Forgot to mention, be sure you put your lock nut and bearing cone on the inboard side of the axle before you bolt it to the pipe cap. Also 3/4" pipe might be sufficient if the wheel spacing is fairly close.

 

[deacon]

Im thinking what should be done to make it save is to weld (not my crappy welds) a solid axle into the stock fork with some spacers welded on as well to make the front side to side axles at least 18". then drill the cones slip them over the axle then the bearings and the wheels.more drilled cones and a lock of some kind. That might work but it defeats the purpose I had in mind. Something anyone could do if they found themselves in a similar situation. I'm going to leave it set the way it is and just let it stew in the back of my head for a while.

There is an interesting story I'm going to put in the tavern about the Ilfan engine from the bike that tossed me,

 

[concretepumper]

Got any pics? I just can't see it. Is this a reverse trike? I don't get it.....

 

[deacon]

I have the bike sitting in the shop with two front wheels. I really can't try it out since my wife has threatened to shoot me in my sleep if ride before the doctor says i can. I rolled it down the driveway and it seems pretty UNSTABLE so I don't have much hope for it. No I dont have a picture of it yet. I might take it apart since I really don't feel very confident that it will work out.

Since i built it I have read that there is an inherent problem with two wheels on the front of a bike. It is just basically unstable. I'n still looking for ways to make a bike more stable in my shop and am about to give up and buy a trike. Either that or just give up on motor biking all together.

 

[The_Aleman]

Nothing more track and a lower center of gravity can't solve

 

[deacon]

wider front end. Trick would be to use the least front end and still have stability. Actually I'm back working on the rear stability with the faux trike design that doesnt work either lol/

 

[Mannhouse51]

Trikes are cool ! One of your home made friction drives on the front and you'll be pretty stable. Plus room for a big ole trunk for shopping.

 

[deacon]

pretty much how its is going to work out I'm sure. If they ever let me ride again, I;m probably going to hitch a ride with the better half to wal-mart to order a trike from them. I keep looking on craigs list but those cost more than a new one from wallymart. I don't ride far enough, nor do I plan to ever ride more than 20 or so mph, so the Maridian should do fine or maybe the trifecta. Onething I have done is got the engine down so that I can mount it without damaging the bike and that makes me more comfortable doing it,

 

[Mannhouse51]

On a whole different subject. Whats the odds of a couple of close up pics of that bike engine mount up from you deacon. The black motor on your bike on your avator pic looks cool. I'd kinda like to build one and that front wheel drive looks great. I like the ummm.....adult wheels on the back too...super engineering!

 

[deacon]

I promise I will post pics in a new thread as soon as this rain stops. I think I will just do a play by play how I mounted the 31cc ryobi in case anyone wants to do it as well. I also have a 30cc craftsman sitting in the shop mounted and ready to go on as a replacement.