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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > General Build Chat

General Build Chat Area for general build chat, questions, tips, tricks and progress

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  #1  
Old 22nd April 2011, 00:42
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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Default Electric Reverse Trike

I have been slowly scratch building my electric reverse trike, mainly from scrap. I have managed to source some parts and bits and pieces to get a layout that I am happy with.

I started with this sort of layout.


Then someone suggested I should have a 'honey seat' and so it started to look a little like this.


I am still in two minds as to 1+1 seating or side by side seating.


I picked up an MGB wire wheel front axle and that set the wire wheel theme.


And I was playing about with a BMW K100 gearbox and swing arm with an MGA wire wheel and motor bike tyre.


But it wouldn't be stong enough nor give the right ratios with the 12" motor that I had.


So then decided to try a Honda VFR750 single sided swing arm as I could use a duplex chain.


But the guys machining the shaft of the motor messed it up. It was a favour but a costly one that left the motor as good as scrap.
I then found an 11" motor but it came with 300kg of forklift truck axle.


They soon parted company but it meant the motor didn't have a DE (drive end) cap.


I made an MDF one to test the motor with.


The swing arm was also too long and mounted in the wrong place for the motor so I removed it with a view to making a new one. I also got a bigger wire wheel, 15x6" instead of the 15x41/2".


I had some bits made up that I then modified with a wood router.





It runs well so I took some video.


I picked up a used tyre for the bigger wire wheel, 225 60 15.


The wheel and motor can now sit like this with 600mm centres.


A very nice chap in the USA sent me a pair of 72V Curtis controllers to use. He had finished with them and didn't need them any more.


I wil use one to get the trike running and legal with six lead acid batteries before investing in 144v of LiFeP04 and a bigger controller.

The other controller will go as an upgrade in my scratch built electric tractor that was my 'learning curve'. I can post pictures of this build if anyone is interested.
More video.


I now need to build a chassis but first I need to decide on the seating layout.
99% of the time I will commuting to work solo so the 1+1 layout would be best as it keeps the (my) weight central but make the chassis longer. Side by side keeps SWMBO happier and the chassis shorter but means a lot of weight is on one side 99% of the time.


Anyway, that is where I am up to.
I'd like to make the track wider then the standard MGB but can't find a wider steering rack.
I also want a windscreen but don't know the best way to get one that fits and would be legal.
I am also working to a zero budget using gifts, scrap and whatever I can find, beg or borrow.
Maybe I will have a rolling chassis by the end of summer. Then I can move it out of the basement and assemble it outside on the drive, or leave it inside until next summer.
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  #2  
Old 22nd April 2011, 11:03
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MartinClan MartinClan is online now
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I admire your ingenuity!

I am at the early stages of building a Pembleton (still stripping the donor - a 2cv) and, being an electrical engineer, I thought about converting it to electric power. But in the end the practicalities of it meant I dismissed that idea and am sticking to petrol power at the moment...

Don't forget if you are to use it on UK roads it will have to pass the MSVA test. You should make sure you have a copy of the VOSA manual before you start building. The MSVA is much less restrictive that the SVA for 4 wheeled vehicles, but still has to be taken into account!

Good luck and please keep the forum up to date on progress.

Robin
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  #3  
Old 23rd April 2011, 22:42
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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Yes, I have a draft copy of the MSVA guidelines to work to initially but most of it is common sense so I can varify the details as I build. I will get hold of the proper book soonish.

It is a bit of a mad build as I am aiming to keep it under 350kg plus batteries but the motor alone is 110kg! I could use a much, much smaller motor but we all want bigger power plants!

The wire wheels weigh a bit too so I am doing to have to keep the chassis weight really low.
Any thoughs about MSVA restrictions on a laminated wood veneer body shell?

I am also thinking about the side by side seating but having the steering column moveable sideways, in the same way as height adjustment but keeping the wheel angle the same, and then being able to sit on the right when there is two of us or in the middle when solo. I would have to move the seat belt, 4 point harness, to different mounts.
Mounting a mini digital dash on the column would make sure all the instruments and switches move with the steeringh column.
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  #4  
Old 25th April 2011, 18:20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by woodsmith View Post
Any thoughs about MSVA restrictions on a laminated wood veneer body shell?
I saw a Seven lookalike once built by a boatbuilder. The hull (sorry body) was made from wood using cold moulding (laminating). It looked amazing. That was over 10 years ago but I guess it must have been through the SVA. (In those days I was building boats not cars as a hobby...)

Robin
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  #5  
Old 19th August 2011, 00:59
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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Not done much recently, been ill, brain scanned, checked for a stroke and signed off sick for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, I have been working very slowly, on days where I am fit enough, and made a small amount of progress.

I did some work to the motor to make it foot mounted. It will cantilever off the back of the chassis between the swing arm pivots so the foot will be sideways. As the motor will be visible I wanted it to look good so, as pictures tell a thousand words and typing is not easy anymore...

The nuts are M16x1.5 Land Rover wheel nuts tack welded into place.







As the nuts look ugly and protrude from the foot I covered them.






All the welds have been ground smooth so only a wipe of filler will be needed to get a smooth look.
The motor is currently with a friend who will spray it metalic red. I took advantage of him doing another spraying job for me to use the same paint colour.

I made a chain guard, from the steel from the back of an old tumble dryer, for my partner's vintage Raleigh Jeep bike and it will be sprayed to match the mudguards.
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  #6  
Old 19th August 2011, 01:14
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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I also got on with the rear suspension swing arm.

A housing to take the Honda VFR750 rear hub.



Building up the swing arm.







I then worked on the brake fitting.




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  #7  
Old 4th September 2011, 06:34
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Woodsmith, I'm one of the Sammio builders now got a dickie ticker and off work, good and bad days to, slowed up progress but getting there. Nice welding all your own work?........Pat (Skippy)
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  #8  
Old 4th September 2011, 20:43
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Hi Patton, Cheers, I've had about three good weeks were I almost felt back to normal but then had another bad turn yesterday. I am working on the basis that the good days out number the bad at the moment so can't complain.

I do all my own welding and have both mig and stick welders to hand. Unfortunately I used a lot of gas doing a bit of welding about 5 months ago for a chap who hasn't paid and is out of touch. Now I am both nearly out of gas and out of pocket.

Still working slowly on the project though but also been rebuilding my electric tractor as a bit of therapy as that project doesn't need much money nor as much fine work.
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  #9  
Old 7th September 2011, 22:46
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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A friend was supposed to do some work on my motor casing to clean and smooth out the welds and then spray in candy apple red on metallic gold.
Unfortunately he has had a 'domestic' issue and I have been asked to collect my parts unfinished.

Hopefully he will get sorted and can do the spraying but in the meantime I have got on with sculpting the motor barrel. Careful use of files, abrasives and a bit of Isopon P38 over a couple of days got the welds nicely clean and tidy and with the profiles that I wanted.



A brushed coat of red oxide primer went on this evening to fill any small pin holes and allow me to sand down to highlight any defects.



It will need a few days to fully cure before wet sanding.

The barrel has a weld seem on it too, it has been ground down in manufacture but it has left a ripple on a visible surface so I will file that down next and make it a smoother cylinder.

At least now I have the motor back I can set it all up and get the swing arm dimensions right before I finish making that.

As an aside, has any one got an MGB front right hand splined hub knocking about they don't need?
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  #10  
Old 26th January 2012, 13:46
garyh garyh is offline
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Default Great Work, Woodsmith

I can see its been a while since your last post, hope you are doing ok?
GaryH
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  #11  
Old 26th January 2012, 19:38
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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Cheers Gary.

I have been on and off coping with the changes to life. Since my last post I haven't been able to do anything constructive and have just spent the time adjusting life to suit my circumstances.

I have mainly been cycling to keep a level of fitness and have just been accepted onto an Arts on Prescription project to try and regain some of my creativity and dexterity again.

I have, though, just started to put some ideas down on paper for the chassis build to work out a ball park on the materials required. Can't buy any though as benefits don't cover the bills never mind projects.

On the good days I wish I was able to do some paid work but as I am on sickness benefit I am not allowed. I am finding that if I am active on the good days it wears me out for a week or so, so I guess working isn't really a good idea anyway.

The overall shape of the chassis is coming together though and so I may one day be able to start working on it again. I might make a 1/5 scale model though.
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  #12  
Old 12th February 2012, 08:54
chrislandy chrislandy is offline
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Hi, I'm a bit late in on the thread but I would suggest trying to get hold of "Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design" by Michael Costin and David Phipps, it's an oldy and out of print but I got mine off ebay a year or so ago, so you can still get hold of them.

There is some very good and practical info on how to build a space frame, materials, alignments etc... the info is actually useful unlike a lot of the new chassis books which are rather wooly when it comes to specifics.
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  #13  
Old 12th February 2012, 15:06
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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That looks a very interesting book. Not at all cheap on Amazon!
I will keep an eye out for one though.
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  #14  
Old 19th February 2012, 17:59
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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As I am not able to progress the trike much I have got back onto my other project.
Today I brought the electric tractor into the house to make it easier to work on.


Since the transaxle broke I have fitted a stronger one and a bigger motor and lengthened the wheelbase about 10".
I now have to sort out the motor wiring, seating and relocate the gearstick from behind my left knee! The I can get some bodywork done on it and maybe some lights and then look at getting it road legal.
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  #15  
Old 25th February 2012, 22:04
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Thanks for the towing advice. Just a thought for your trike. Check out 'Race and Rally Car Source Book' it's a few years old, maybe a lot now. as I can't find my copy. That had a section on building a single seater with an alluminium and balsa sandwich body chassis. I think it was called The Mono(or Mini)pin Also sections on suspension design. Good luck
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  #16  
Old 26th February 2012, 17:27
Dpaz Dpaz is offline
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Race and Rally Car Source Book by Alan Staniforth . Foulis Haynes. mine is 1983. The car was a Monopin. It may be out of date but there is a lot of good stuff in it.
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  #17  
Old 10th May 2013, 09:28
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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OK, it has been a long time since I posted on this thread, illness, lack of income and needing to renovate my house for my wedding took a little bit of the priority.


The Project became an expensive toy that couldn't justify itself so I had a rethink.

When I start working again I will need a van, though more like a mobile tool box crossed with a board trolley from a DIY shed to be honest. I will only be working locally so maybe 15-20 miles a day on electric.

I decided to look at my trike and re-purpose it.
The photos show the design sketch idea, the mock up in the work shop and a 1/10th scale model. The model also shows it carrying 8'x4' sheets on the back for scale and to check it can carry my maximum payload size.
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  #18  
Old 10th May 2013, 09:36
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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I then managed to get some more parts together and started to build the chassis.

I notched the MGB cross member so that it sits over the chassis rails and then re-located the MGB steering rack so that it pointed forwards to a VW T25 steering bevel box.

I have finally solved, I think, the windscreen issue and bought a Leyland Lynx bus windscreen that is the right size and electrically heated. It was cheap, but I don't know about replacements so I'd better not break it!
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Last edited by woodsmith; 10th May 2013 at 09:54..
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  #19  
Old 10th May 2013, 09:54
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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The project also developed a new name, EVan-Tricycle, as a nice play on words.

The main build thread is here, on my other forum where I will be getting the help on the electric drive stuff.
However, I will be looking for advice from here about getting it road legal and insured.
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  #20  
Old 4th June 2013, 11:26
woodsmith woodsmith is offline
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Having been busy planning on getting back into paid work I have started the progress of being self employed again. Along with all the paperwork I had to do I also decided to phone up Adrian Flux to see if they would consider insuring my trike for business use.

Their simple answer was 'Yes!' and I got a provisional 'Ball park' quote of just under £400, fully comp and with business use.

That was the final hurdle I was concerned about. Everything else, like the MSVA, is only following rules and not messing about but insurance would make or break the viability of the project.

Right, that means I can crack on with the build, and setting up in business will make it easier to get another big bottle of MIG gas from BOC.
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