Forks

[NerkTrikeGuy]

I have a home made trike. It has a 3.8L Buick V6 with complete front-wheel drive unit. I am using a Yamaha FJ1200 front end, and it’s not nearly strong enough. I want to upgrade. What’s best?

Also: she turns like a mack truck! Do l need to increase or decrease the amount of rake?

 

[LarryA]

Welcome to Trike Talk Rod!.....you have found the right place to learn about rake and trail.....just search for leading link and front end wobble type of threads here on homebuilt and the VW forum. Be sure to check out the VW forum ..... Rex's vw tech tech tech thread and don,t miss his mid engine build, lots of links and articles there regarding front ends and forks. there is an front end rebuild going on right now, I believe called, My trike. Also 88 Blazer trike....lot of fork info there. Hope you like to read! good luck! Larry

 

[LarryA]

Forgot to mention... look at posts and pictures by Stacebg who has built several leading link fronts that look good and are strong. getting trail cut down near 2 inches will make like power steering, the leading link will give sideways rigidity to the fork.

Post some pictures when you can.

 

[Fowler]

Welcome aboard,

You will find a lot of good info here.

The guys here have helped me greatly with my current build (V6) and with my last (VW)

My advice is take it all in and then decide for yourself what you want to do.

Im getting ready to build a leading link front end.

I am mocking it up in wood first

Hopefully I will have it all mocked up by this weekend and be building it in steel real soon

I will post pics in under 88 blazer trike

 

[grandpanystrom61]

From what I have been gathering from research is that the more you do investigate it, the better you will be about your choice of what to do.

If you have an idea, run it out and see if it works or will not, and is it cost effective compared to the other choice.

I already screwed up on a few of them, but Do Not forget the mock up.......the best thing you can do for yourself... at least that is what I have proven to myself.

Do it on paper all you want, it changes a bit on the trike, so a mock up allows you to see first hand how it all works, or will not work, and you get to adjust and redesign stuff with out it costing a arm and a leg.

A few builders attach doing things differently, so you have to keep them seperated, do not mix them up in your mind as you find yourself chasing your tail looking for why it is wrong, okay that was me, LOL

Thought I had it, than was looking at the disc brake calipar mounting, hummmmmmm, yep could be another error in choice, but more research has got me moving forward again..

Hope you the best Rod, welcome to the site, try to keep use updated as to how all is going for you and the final decision and how it turns out.

What we do now can help many others later, and each thread posted helps build a much better data base and site for others to enjoy.

 

[rrunner]

I would go with a leading link front end. I am currently running a Harley front with extra springs on my v8 trike. Am going to convert to leading link very soon.

 

[Fowler]

I am currently running a Harley front with extra springs on my v8 trike. .

That is what I did on my first trike. V6

 

[stacebg]

we need to be careful about suggesting adding rake...

if you add rake to the frame steering is worse

add rake to the trees steering better

 

[grandpanystrom61]

https://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/35579-Tech-Tech-Tech-or-So-you-want-to-build-a-trike/page3

Some starts on page two, links that is, but most about rake and trail carries on from page 3. I started here.

I good be wrong, but it seems to me there are a few takes and thoughts about rake and trail, kinda got me confused reading replies.

Before changing things, read up and study what it is about, apply it to your trike and understand why it steers like a Mac truck right now. Now you will be able to see how and why you are going to do things to help your front end to get the control you want.

IF you had a set of trees and forks with zero offset to them, and changed front ends with a set of offset trees, well it will not handle the same, you changed the style of trees used and caused a change in your trail distance, (if it is not to early for the mind to work) this decreases the trail distance, but did not change the rake, unless you used wrong sized tube length and lifted the frame up, those changing the position of how the neck sets in relation to the previous rake angle, so as you see it is not just change the rake and call it good.

Change a little here, and a lot can be effected else where. Changing rake angle will also change fork tube length if you wanted to maintain the same ride height as you had before.

So much to consider, plus just changing the rim diameter changes things up, or going to a taller tire on the same set up can change things, not by a lot, but there is still a "cause and effect" factor happening.

Can a fresh new mind get a handle on it, yes, I did it, but it takes time and research to understand it, than the different designs and styles to choose from. Each has their limits and purpose, but still another choice to be made.

Or you pay the big bucks and take it to a shop and have them work it out for you, or you can figure it out all for yourself and have a shop build the front end you want if you can not do it your self.

I say find why it does not perform as you want, and see what can be done to correct it, this may lead to other things or maybe something simple that will get you the control you want.

We all want to ride safely and comfortably.