88 Blazer Trike

[Fowler]

Got the neck tack welded in place. I may have to change the height and angle

My measurements are not correct though.

I'm off by 1/4 inch

I was figuring that out but had to stop to do a wheel bearing job on the front of my kids truck.

Hey just told me about it today, The outer bearing on 1 side was in bad shape

Then had to setup for Boxing night. (changed to Saturday this week)

Tomorrow if I do not have to bad of a hangover I will look at the alignment again.



I plan to connect to the top of the front plate and the bottom of the back plate

 

[Fowler]

Got my measurements all correct

Had to move it 1/8 inch to the left

 

[stacebg]

wondering if you may have a bind there with the stems not being parallel just thinking out loud

 

[vwbug72501]

Going to have a problem as long as the rotational axes are not parallel. That's what Heim and Ball Joints are for.

 

[stacebg]

Going to have a problem as long as the rotational axes are not parallel. That's what Heim and Ball Joints are for.

??

 

[LarryA]

I think I see what VWbug means.....the front bar will swing in a tilted arc, whereas the rear bar will be turning an angle more parallel to the ground.......would that make the bars act as they were different lengths even if they are the same dimensions between heims? understand the possible problem, confused about the solution? or is there even a problem?

 

[Fowler]

I understand what you are saying.

I just have it tack welded in place right now because I was not sure about the angles.

I was planning to use Heim joints

I will order the joints on payday and mock it all up just tack welded together

this way I can test the movement and change the angles if needed

 

[Fowler]

I just ordered my joints.

 

[Fowler]

I was drilling on the back plate pushing down on the drill and my tack welds broke

So I re-welded it back on but this time at the same angle as the front (as you all suggested)

It is just tack welded for now and I do not have any support braces yet. Once I get my joints in I will figure out the best working angles then weld it in place permanently

I may have to adjust the height of it also

Those will not be the handle bars I use. I stole them of a old bike just to have something there to work with. I plan to make my own handlebars

 

[vwbug72501]

Looks like it will work if you come off the bottom of the handlebar plate and the top of the fork plate. Possibly coming off a bottom plate (arm) on the handlebar pivot to the top plate of the fork plate would give better alignment.

Heim misalignment angle is what to watch out for (Angle in figure):

 

[Fowler]

Looks like it will work if you come off the bottom of the handlebar plate and the top of the fork plate. Possibly coming off a bottom plate (arm) on the handlebar pivot to the top plate of the fork plate would give better alignment.

This ia how i was planning to do it and I am still looking at doing it that way.

Once I get the joints in I will try different setups and stick with what works best.

 

[LarryA]

really like the side frame profile ...nicely triangulated, good angle for instrument panel under rear plate and down.

 

[Fowler]

I worked on my steering today.

Like it is now my forks turn the same amount as they do on my other trike and that is good with the other trike. It has a 8ft wheel base

This trike has a 10ft wheel base. So I am assuming the turning at low speeds with be wider

It seems to be binding up at the end of my steering travel but I do not know what is binding

I was hopping that the forks would turn more. But looking at some others online they seem to be about the same.

 

[LarryA]

I remember someone on this site saying the link rods should be parallel to each other for their entire travel. It may be the camera angle, but the rods seem wider at the front?

I'm thinking that both neck angles and both horn widths would have to be the same to make that happen.:xzqxz:

Unless, you can move hole locations to make rods more parallel at the extreme turning angle?

just thinking outloud here:xzqxz:

 

[grandpanystrom61]

I thought about that too Larry, but taking pic's a lot I learned how they can be distorted from the original.

I am sure you had your reason for mounting the rear neck tube so high, but my mind says ideally one should have them on the same plane, same height off the ground, run the control arms from top of top plate to top of top plate so all is parallel and at same horizontal plane. As far as I know they should be identical in every way if possible, but what do I know I am still trying to get mine fixed and running.

All does look good, and all might still work, as Larry mentioned it might be fine fitting the control arms to the top plates that is the issue. Are the bends identical ? where top plates at the exact same angle ?

If the rear top steering plate is a bit higher from the ground than the front end top plate, but it is how you want it, than what about just using longer mounting bolts coming down from the rear top plate so that the control arms are horizontal, and need to be parallel the entire distance.

WAIT, let a few other's look it over and see what they have to say...……….some times my mind takes a very long hard way to get things done....not always the best answer...……...but do love the look of your trike and work.

 

[vwbug72501]

Check out high misaligment spacers:

 

[vwbug72501]

Also: https://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/25209-Push-Pull-Steering

Also, if you move the handlebar plate to the bottom of its neck, the steering bars will be more parallel to their plates and the pivot angles will be reduced. The steering bars would be tucked in more inline with the top frame member and all you would have at the top of the handlebar neck would be a post and plate just big enough for the riser spread. That would give you a lot more clearance for design options for that area.

 

[Fowler]

I got it to turn like I want it to. It turns easy with no binding

I did not get a chance to read your post until now but you all got it right.

My back neck it to high.

The reason I it so high is I thought it was working correctly at first and I liked the way it looks so I welded it in place

Come to find out after I tightened everything up I had a bind.

Now everything is tight and it works great

I just made the rear mounting bolts lower.





I have not dressed anything up yet but will make it look better alter on.

 

[Fowler]

I still have some more work to do on the steering and front and but after that I think will I start on getting my Pinion angle, 4 link and shocks.

It will take some time on that. Need to do more research to learn more and save up some more money

 

[Fowler]

I hope I get snowed in this weekend so I will have time to work on the trike.

Before i move on I need to pull the front end off, flip it over weld everything underneath, Make some bearing guards, grease the bearings and primer the front for it will not rust.

Will do the dress up later on in the build. The last trike I did dress up as I went and ended up screwing a lot of it up having to go back and change things.

I was just told at work today they want to plan about 7 months of nights and weekend work (beside for normal work week). So I may not get a lot of time to work on it in the near future

 

[BillR]

I was just told at work today they want to plan about 7 months of nights and weekend work (beside for normal work week). So I may not get a lot of time to work on it in the near future

Hey Bob, that sounds like a personal trike "Go Fund Me" account.

 

[vwbug72501]

I was just told at work today they want to plan about 7 months of nights and weekend work (beside for normal work week). So I may not get a lot of time to work on it in the near future

Hopefully there is OT or Comp Time (ha ha) involved in the additional hours. That way you will be able to put some of the OT $$$$ towards the trike or you will have some time to work on the trike. If I remember correctly, you work in the IT field. Me too. So I know how management often "valuues" those extra hours. Good Luck!

 

[LarryA]

did a lot 12 hr days/weeks that ran into months 3pm to 3 am we were basically zombies, but nice xtra money...this at Bobcat Co. many yrs ago....



Bob, I can see a big bling account building up!! good luck to you!

 

[Fowler]

I wish you guys were right.

I am salary now. But I do not make much more than I did when I was hourly. They did not give me a choice, If I wanted to have a job it has to be salary now

SO no OT pay for me just the OT.

anyway.....

Hoping to get some work on the trike done later tomorrow after I do some molding in 1 room of the house, then again Sunday and hoping it snows enough to miss work on Monday and get some more done.

 

[Fowler]

just checking in..................

I really like how my steering came out. I can only test it standing still for now but I think it will work well (I hope)

I have the front end apart finishing up the welds and such.

I will paint it with primer just to protect it from rusting. The real finish work will come later

I am suppose to work this coming weekend but if I don't I will get it back together

 

[Fowler]

Got it put back together and did a quick spray pint on it for it would not rust



The bearings I used came with seals but I created "guards" at the top and bottom anyway.

I also added a spacer below the bottom plate. My bolt was to long and did not want to sped the money for a new one. A grade 8 1" X 13" bolt is not cheap (had to be long for the shank part is on the bearings not the threads) I will cut the extra threads off later



I also got some work done on my shotgun. I added a bayonet to it.

I did not post that because I was not sure how this site feels about posting weapon pictures

 

[peteg59]

Lookin good Bob:clapping: Hopefully you'll have it yard rideable soon?

Bye the bye, guns are always good/welcome in my book but Mods will have final say...:Shrug:

 

[vwbug72501]

How about The Gun Enthusiast forum?

 

[stacebg]

I also added a spacer below the bottom plate. My bolt was to long and did not want to sped the money for a new one. A grade 8 1" X 13" bolt is not cheap (had to be long for the shank part is on the bearings not the threads) I will cut the extra threads off later

about $16 for grade 8 1 x12

 

[Fowler]

I also added a spacer below the bottom plate. My bolt was to long and did not want to sped the money for a new one. A grade 8 1" X 13" bolt is not cheap (had to be long for the shank part is on the bearings not the threads) I will cut the extra threads off later

about $16 for grade 8 1 x12

I got ripped off then

I paid about $60 maybe more