DIY Trike Conversion

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MarksA-C

MarksA-C

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Hello everyone.

I remember seeing a site where a guy had plans for DIY trike conversion pieces. I had the site saves but had to reinstall firefox...No I lost all my saved sites :?
It showed step by step instructions and all that. If anyone knows the link to that place please let me know! I am trying to search for it but can't seem to find it.

Thank you
Mark-
 
This might be what your looking for http://trikekit.blogspot.com/ Richie Rich came up with that a while ago.
..........Then it reared it's head up again recently with Sir Joey http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=2063. It appears to start on page #6 I think. It goes on a bit but it's something to look at. I made one but I'm still working it out.
GrannyAxle01a.jpg


Later...........

GL
 
How did you decide/what is your overall width? Did you use an actual store bought axle or just 5/8" round bar? I couldn't get those answers from the links provided. I'd love to do that for a project but why pay $200 from ChoppersUS when I can spend 100 hours making my own? :lol:
 
OCD said:
How did you decide/what is your overall width? Did you use an actual store bought axle or just 5/8" round bar? I couldn't get those answers from the links provided. I'd love to do that for a project but why pay $200 from ChoppersUS when I can spend 100 hours making my own? :lol:
Click to expand...

I thought the same, why buy when you can make your own for a fraction and it becomes your custom and not a store bought bolt on!
I bought 5/8 round bar at Ace @about $10 a unit I think. They were perfect in many ways because of their straightness. I hear not all are this lucky, some will have slight defects. I bought two just because they were good. Ace had the radial bearings in their Hillman stuff, which they ordered and came in a few days at $4 a unit. I had to slightly touch up the axle end to slip the bearings over. I have enough parts for two sets.
As far as I could tell I couldn't come up with a width on this unit from the link. I do know Richie Rich , Sir Joey , and the others through that link and I was going to ask them but never got to that. My trike axle was meant for a ladies Huffy that I have since cut up for a swingbike but may put it on a ladies Columbia I picked up from the Munson swap meet. It's still as you see it because I spent to much of my time building other bikes ,the Grunge Rudge and The Shadow were just a few.
I just measured and the unit from the outside bearings were 28". I think I made it that because it allowed the 36" axle room for the wheels and I could cut it down at any time.
As far as time to build I think I did in on weekend in 4 hours with beer. A set of racing drop bars plus bars off a little kids bike. Some conduit and a couple of inches of flat stock to mount it with. Everything was welded up and then I cut out the center section.
Bringing this up again makes me think I'd like to finish mine up for next summer but I have three other projects I'm thinking of doing also :( Winter here on the Cape is just around the corner and I will lose my garage to my wife to park her car in. SWMBO frowns on weld spatter and oversprays on her car.
Hope this helped........GL
 
I really dont understand why anyone has not used the differental from a riding lawn mower where it would pull on both wheels and go around corners without slipping one wheel like a straight axel would do. Those small rearends are really strong and would take any abuse a bike rider could dish out.I doubt if a person could leg muster 15 hp to tear one up. I am on the look out for one as we speak. They should be cheap /free off of a junk rider. :wink:
 
Hey guys, Uncle Stretch is right. I've seen more than a couple of trikes built using garden tractor difs or go kart difs. Both the FreakBikers and the Choppaderos have members using these set ups and I know that BR&K has had some posted in their galleries from time to time. I'm sure there's plenty of others out there.
Quick, easy and built like a tank! They do weigh a little more but you'll probably use a lot less energy in the long run! If you're doing snow drags down mainstreet go ahead and use the posi effect of a straight axel, but if you wanna turn the corner and head to the bar afterwards, go Dif Baby!
 
Uncle Stretch said:
I really dont understand why anyone has not used the differental from a riding lawn mower where it would pull on both wheels and go around corners without slipping one wheel like a straight axel would do. Those small rearends are really strong and would take any abuse a bike rider could dish out.I doubt if a person could leg muster 15 hp to tear one up. I am on the look out for one as we speak. They should be cheap /free off of a junk rider. :wink:
Click to expand...

I was going to use one myself but wnded up going with the ChoppersUS rear...peerles' diffs you will find suitable size for bicyles. The weight put me off.

The Peerless diffs are here http://farmex.now.tc/catalog/product_in ... ts_id=1259

Specialised diffs for trikes are also an alternative if you have the $$$$

http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura_history.html
http://www.samagaga.com/differential2.html

I find the ChoppersUS rear end style more than suitable, full blown diff on bicyle is a waste of time IMHO...checkout how the chopperUS
rear works on my trike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kJb_Y3YWPM


KiM
 
Thanks Kim, Chainy, GL: I've got a pair of motorcycle tires on OCC style 20" rims that I'd love to make a (albeit heavy) trike from, it'd look so fat! I really enjoy scratch buildding things even if they take way longer (I was kidding about 100 hours obviously) just to be able to stand back and say 'I built it myself'. A diff would be the ultimate but I wouldn't want to blow the entire budget on a single item. If you've ever seen Sic Nick's air-ride trike, he created posi by using a jackshaft turning double freewheels, one on each axle. I agree with Kim's comment in another post about how cool the 'net is for sharing ideas/gathering info rather than taking your chances down at the library like in the 'old days'.

Thanks again guys

Alan
 
Ok see Kim there is your problem. I watched the video....NO GRASS. If yall had the grass we have you would see there are lots of old riding lawnmowers around junked out for free. I dont think the normal person is going to try for a speed run on a pedal powered 3 wheeler. I'll find one and show you what we have. Sorry mark for stealing your post. :wink:
 
OCD said:
If you've ever seen Sic Nick's air-ride trike, he created posi by using a jackshaft turning double freewheels, one on each axle.

Alan
Click to expand...

I believe this is the trike your talking about (had it i my rather large database of trikes when i was researching before building mine)

http://members.ii.net/~aussiejester/ind ... e%20Trike/

Uncle Stretch...we have HEAPS of lawn here but we ain't fat & lazy like Americans, we PUSH our mowers not ride on them :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

KiM
 

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