Hi Guys,
In buying the Champion Independent suspension kit I thought it would be a much softer ride that the traditional solid axle. Wrong move. Problems arose on the early IRS with the negative camber being designed incorrectly which so call upgrade to the zero degree knuckle in 2009/2010. I purchased my kit in 2013 and believe it or not, my kit still had the old style knuckle on it. Maybe because I live in South Africa and would be very difficult to communicate directly with the service manager at Champion.
I have repeatedly asked for an explanation why, after the new zero degree knuckles was replaced, my kit was still supplied with the old knuckles on. I was forced to pay for the new ones. All my questions was repeatably ignored. They did not even want to discussed it further nor give me the contact email of the owner. Now that is what I called back up.
Nerveless, still going forward. After stripping my trike and fitted local manufactured poly bushes, it was time to re assemble everything back to normal. I found that my so call "anti roll bar" a bit stiff and decided to take it apart for cleaning. Here I discovered the whole anti roll bar is a gimmick and can never ever work properly. In a motor vehicle they use a 15mm springsteel rod that act as a anti roll bar based on being flexible to some sort of a degree. The anti roll bar in the Champion kit is a solid piece of pipe, which connects the left bottom control arm directly to the right bottom control arm. You do not have to be an engineer to figure out it acts as a direct coupler to the both wheels, that NOT making it a Independent suspension.
Having both type of suspension trikes, I hardly could feel the difference between the two. So if the one wheel goes through a bad patch, so does the other wheel follow. So your suspension both sides work directly coupled together, same as a solid axle. Wonder it it was the same engineers that designed the original knuckle that also designed the Anti Roll Bar. Well, I took it off and NOW I HAVE AN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION trike. However, the stock shocks supplied with the kit has not enough oomph when doing sharp turns, and it tends to have a roll over, however, the ride is very very soft. I am planning to fit an additional automotive damping shock on each side. Will keep you posted.
I am very disappointed in the backup I received from Champion Sidecars and for surely will not recommend them any further. They are very quick to answer you when you want to place an order but after that you are on your own.
Like in South Africa, if you are registered as a manufacturer in automotive products, R&D forms part of your manufacturing process. I presume the same standards are followed in the USA. The original knuckle was a design fault which results in a safety concern being that your tires wears off unevenly and also stuff up your bushes and handling. There should be, like all other automotive manufacturers, irrespective if it was out of warranty, be replaced free of charge. Champion is duck and diving and does not want to compensate. Hope you can that side can look into this and give feedback to the group.
Here we tell as it is, no holding back to ensure no-one else falls in the pit. Take care and safe triking
In buying the Champion Independent suspension kit I thought it would be a much softer ride that the traditional solid axle. Wrong move. Problems arose on the early IRS with the negative camber being designed incorrectly which so call upgrade to the zero degree knuckle in 2009/2010. I purchased my kit in 2013 and believe it or not, my kit still had the old style knuckle on it. Maybe because I live in South Africa and would be very difficult to communicate directly with the service manager at Champion.
I have repeatedly asked for an explanation why, after the new zero degree knuckles was replaced, my kit was still supplied with the old knuckles on. I was forced to pay for the new ones. All my questions was repeatably ignored. They did not even want to discussed it further nor give me the contact email of the owner. Now that is what I called back up.
Nerveless, still going forward. After stripping my trike and fitted local manufactured poly bushes, it was time to re assemble everything back to normal. I found that my so call "anti roll bar" a bit stiff and decided to take it apart for cleaning. Here I discovered the whole anti roll bar is a gimmick and can never ever work properly. In a motor vehicle they use a 15mm springsteel rod that act as a anti roll bar based on being flexible to some sort of a degree. The anti roll bar in the Champion kit is a solid piece of pipe, which connects the left bottom control arm directly to the right bottom control arm. You do not have to be an engineer to figure out it acts as a direct coupler to the both wheels, that NOT making it a Independent suspension.
Having both type of suspension trikes, I hardly could feel the difference between the two. So if the one wheel goes through a bad patch, so does the other wheel follow. So your suspension both sides work directly coupled together, same as a solid axle. Wonder it it was the same engineers that designed the original knuckle that also designed the Anti Roll Bar. Well, I took it off and NOW I HAVE AN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION trike. However, the stock shocks supplied with the kit has not enough oomph when doing sharp turns, and it tends to have a roll over, however, the ride is very very soft. I am planning to fit an additional automotive damping shock on each side. Will keep you posted.
I am very disappointed in the backup I received from Champion Sidecars and for surely will not recommend them any further. They are very quick to answer you when you want to place an order but after that you are on your own.
Like in South Africa, if you are registered as a manufacturer in automotive products, R&D forms part of your manufacturing process. I presume the same standards are followed in the USA. The original knuckle was a design fault which results in a safety concern being that your tires wears off unevenly and also stuff up your bushes and handling. There should be, like all other automotive manufacturers, irrespective if it was out of warranty, be replaced free of charge. Champion is duck and diving and does not want to compensate. Hope you can that side can look into this and give feedback to the group.
Here we tell as it is, no holding back to ensure no-one else falls in the pit. Take care and safe triking
