Three Wheelers - Your opinions and expertise wanted!

[Steffan]

It is possible.

I know two Birmingham firms who can do it but there are difficulties with wind up and torque effects and excessive wear and breakages. But

I have seen it done, I have driven the cars, it does work.

[mrmaggit]

dmulally said:

Can somebody please explain in simple terms how having a car gearbox gets power transfered to the rear wheel?

Apparently the new Morgan has belt drive. Not sure how that works, I suspect one of the reasons that Grinnall went with the BMW engine & gearbox was the simplicity of bolting the entire drive-train in in one piece without having to faff about designing the final drive unit.

[thescamper]

dmulally said:

Can somebody please explain in simple terms how having a car gearbox gets power transfered to the rear wheel?

Two tried methods details below:

Shamelessly nicked from the Penguin Speedshop (Buckland) website.

Gearbox & Transmission:-Modified Escort. Propshaft modified Escort with metalastic rear coupling. Bevel Box purpose made housing C.W.P. (either 3.54:1 or 3.23:1) Final drive by chain and sprockets to rear wheel.

And also nicked but from the Ellipse website.

Rear Suspension starts with a Planet mono arm mounted to the chassis with 50mm adjustable taper roller bearings. Double row prop-shaft support bearings and internal drive to a BMW R90 bevel box drive with 200mm hydraulic drum brake. Hung on coil-over special-build Hagon single shock with adjustable pre-load and damping

Gearbox is a fully re-conditioned as new Ford Type 9 5-speed box.

Engine, gearbox and exhausts will all be fully rubber-mounted.

Propshaft is specially made for the vehicle. 30mm diameter with removable plunging CV-joints, giving 20mm plunge each end. Fully enclosed in transmission tunnel.

[Sam_68]

dmulally said:

Can somebody please explain in simple terms how having a car gearbox gets power transferred to the rear wheel?

If we're talking longitudinal engine/gearbox to a driven rear wheel, the two commonest and most obvious ways are:

• via a shaft drive/swing arm assembly from a shaft driven bike (Triking and JZR use this approach)
• via a bevel box mounted just in front of the rear wheel that takes the shaft drive and turns it through 90 degrees, with a sprocket/pulley on the output shaft that then drives the rear wheel via a belt or chain (the Buckland used/uses this approach, as did the original Morgan, though in the Morgan's case the bevel box was a 'transaxle' that incorporated the gearbox as well):

The former is most convenient, particularly if you are using a shaft driven bike as a donor, but limits rear suspension geometry and rear wheel width and the torque capacity of the shaft drive assembly can be a limitation with car engines.

The latter is more expensive (requiring more 'bespoke' engineering) and generally results in a longer wheelbase (witness the Buckland!), but gives greater design flexibility.

ETA: Like wot thescamper said, above, basically... my typing is too slow!

[fuoriserie]

An interesting three wheeler from the past, the Trihawk

http://www.designmassif.com/trihawk/trihawk_histor...

[slomax]

You guys might be interested in looking at this site too.

http://www.threewheelfactory.com

looks like some interesting projects. One is clearly just a copy of a T-Rex, but the others are new to me.

[vx220]

fuoriserie said:

An interesting three wheeler from the past, the Trihawk

http://www.designmassif.com/trihawk/trihawk_histor...

scroll down a little on this link and see the three-wheeled 2cv!

if someone held a gun to my head and said i had to drive a 2cv, it would be this one

[dmulally]

Thanks gents.

I can shirley see the merits of the BMW K100 setup there!

[Brisvegas]

vx220 said:

scroll down a little on this link and see the three-wheeled 2cv!

if someone held a gun to my head and said i had to drive a 2cv, it would be this one

I've got a 2CV 3 wheeler. Picked it up last year at an auction during the Pebble Beach Concours. Looks nothing like the one in the link you gave. It's looks virtually same as the new 3 wheel Morgan. Can't wait to take it for a spin once it's back from getting modified to meet Australian reg's.

[fuoriserie]

http://www.japrestwich.com/

If someone wanted a new J.A.P engine for their project ....

and the nice looking Ellipse:

http://www.planetltd.com/

[fuoriserie]

http://www.sidecar-news.de/gn---catalogues/threewh...
A website with some interesting three wheelers

[fuoriserie]

http://www.funwheel4you.de/Englisch/E_home.htm

Interesting designs....

[fuoriserie]

http://www.g2cycles.com./specifications_eng.html
The G2 inspired by the T-Rex Campagna

[fuoriserie]

http://forums.tobefast.com/tri-moto-venom-trike-ve...
another, the Vennom SS- Trike

[mikeveal]

I have a Malone Skunk. They're now calling it an F1000.
The sub 300Kg Skunk was based on a 900cc Fazer. It's spaceframe was made with tubing a couple of guages lighter than the production skunks. It was also clad in Dural rather than aluminium.
My car is currently tipping the scales at around 350Kg, with a 2003 Yamaha R1.

If you are considering driving, building or buying a trike, of any sort (1F2R can corner as well as 2F1R, it's just harder to get right) you really need to read and understand this document.
http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm

Finally, I don't know if anyone has responded to your question about IVA. Trikes under 450Kg are tested under the MSVA scheme - not as stringent as SVA or IVA.

[dave de roxby]

mikeveal said:

I have a Malone Skunk. They're now calling it an F1000.
The sub 300Kg Skunk was based on a 900cc Fazer. It's spaceframe was made with tubing a couple of guages lighter than the production skunks. It was also clad in Dural rather than aluminium.
My car is currently tipping the scales at around 350Kg, with a 2003 Yamaha R1.

If you are considering driving, building or buying a trike, of any sort (1F2R can corner as well as 2F1R, it's just harder to get right) you really need to read and understand this document.
http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm

Finally, I don't know if anyone has responded to your question about IVA. Trikes under 450Kg are tested under the MSVA scheme - not as stringent as SVA or IVA.

Thanks for this Mike - all good stuff. Your Skunk sounds awsome!

And thanks Italo for your links - the Venom inspires me most. Must admit, I'm looking at bike donors again.

Edited by dave de roxby on Friday 11th March 19:10

[slomax]

mikeveal said:

I have a Malone Skunk. They're now calling it an F1000.
The sub 300Kg Skunk was based on a 900cc Fazer. It's spaceframe was made with tubing a couple of guages lighter than the production skunks. It was also clad in Dural rather than aluminium.
My car is currently tipping the scales at around 350Kg, with a 2003 Yamaha R1.

If you are considering driving, building or buying a trike, of any sort (1F2R can corner as well as 2F1R, it's just harder to get right) you really need to read and understand this document.
http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm

Finally, I don't know if anyone has responded to your question about IVA. Trikes under 450Kg are tested under the MSVA scheme - not as stringent as SVA or IVA.

Mike- I have said it before and i will say it again. I want your car.

Also, i haven't had a proper close up look at a Malone yet. I presume they are front engined? there doesnt look enough room in the back, thats all. If so, is it shaft and final drive as per a BMW/guzzi set up?

[fuoriserie]

slomax said:

If so, is it shaft and final drive as per a BMW/guzzi set up?

It's a chain drive.

http://www.malonecar.eclipse.co.uk/Performance2.ht...

Edited by fuoriserie on Saturday 12th March 08:00

[mrmaggit]

fuoriserie said:

slomax said:

If so, is it shaft and final drive as per a BMW/guzzi set up?

It's a chain drive.

http://www.malonecar.eclipse.co.uk/Performance2.ht...

Edited by fuoriserie on Saturday 12th March 08:00

The link doesn't work for me, Italo. That Venom is brilliant! Just needs some watertight gull-wing doors and a windscreen wiper and I'm there. In fact I think I'll go and have a blast in the Scorpion just to get myself in the mood!

See you all later.

[slomax]

I didn't exactly know where to put this video. I knew some of you would be interested in it, but didn't think it was worth a new thread.

Anyway- a Lomax build from start to finish.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2...

note- it looks brake connections at the master cylinder are the wrong way round.