Steering SteeringThe thing that has made me to waste more time in the planning phase has been the steering.
Hubs and geometry, sometime, have keep me awake during the night in order to find a solution, therefore in case you want to realize a “trike” some details can be a useful line of departure.
Here some
ideas and who wants information or the drawings can contact
me.
Remember that
they are only ideas and, even if I had no problems till now, I
do
not assume responsibility about dimensions.
For the
angles I have given 4° of negative camber, in order to improve
the road-holding in curve and to reduce the overall width.
The axis of the steering, that passes for the center of the spherical
joints, has 18° regarding wheel “kingpin”
and
22° on the vertical line (for having a negative
5 millimeters of steering offset ) and an inclination
“caster” of 12° plus an
advance of steering of 16 millimeter (so we have 35 millimeters at
ground). In
order to make this I have used two iron blocks
with the dimensions that you found later. It is the only
thing that I
have not made (thank you Matteo) because drill and males of exaggerated
dimensions are used! If you want, also aluminum
can be
used, I think that
is not a problem and with a beautiful
saving of weight.
The blocks have two sides cut to 18° thus can be pierced
with a
column bottoming drill.
Remember
to make them symmetrical and not equal.
For
spherical joints I
have used 12 millimeter self-lubricating ones, to be precise SKF SA
12 C.
The wheels hubs (in my case Pazzaz for down hill, 110
millimeter and 36 holes) have a 20 millimeter hole and therefore a
standard bolts 160 millimeter long and threaded M20 for
52 millimeter goes very well, eventually, if you are of the refined
ones, lighten them piercing with a 10 millimeter drill and one lathe.
The M20 nut has been turned to a diameter of 24 millimeter
for 5 millimeter to be able to enter in the pierced block (25/26
millimeter for 6 millimeter). If you do not want
turn nut, and
pierce the block, lowers it by 5 millimeter.
This
is
important because otherwise, protruding,
they, during the curves, would touch against the irons ( C 30x20x2
millimeter) that support the spherical joints.
For
the same reason it is extremely important that these irons supports are
not in
axis regarding the wheels but at 40°.
A
greater inclination, steering in other
direction,
would make to touch the disc brake!
Connecting
road of the steering is mild steel of 6 millimeter threaded
M6 to the
extremities with spherical
joints
self-lubricating (in my case SKF SIKB 6 F).
Do
not use absolutely threaded bars or soft iron, they are loaded at the
tip
and would be folded!
Since the two connecting road cross them, since disc brakes, not being
build
left and rights, are up and down mounted and since steering
arm are mounted at different heights, calculation it’s a
complicate job!
Here some designs.
Luciano De
Lorenzi