scootz
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 03:33 PM |
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Suspension Design Consultants
I have some alternative ideas for the front end of the reverse-trike, but I'd like to run them past someone who knows their suspension
engineering onions!
I'd put it up on here for general discussion, but I'm really struggling to articulate my thoughts and I can't draw for buttons!
Therefore, does anyone know of any experts who can help take a fluffy idea through to a working idea and a set of machining drawings for a reasonable
fee?
Cheers
Scotty
It's Evolution Baby!
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TimC
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 04:10 PM |
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Sure do - Dave at Track Developments should be able to help.
He'll also be able to do the fabrication should you want him to - he's done all the design and fabrication on my Gemini front end.
Tell him Tim sent you!
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scootz
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 04:30 PM |
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Thanks Tim! 
It's Evolution Baby!
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 04:53 PM |
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suspension's not my thing, but drawings are - give us a shout if you need anything
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scootz
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 06:17 PM |
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Cheers Robert. Will give you a shout!
How competitive are your rates? 
It's Evolution Baby!
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 07:56 PM |
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I work for beer
(or a new steering rack for a focus...)
[Edited on 16/8/2011 by mcerd1]
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CNHSS1
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| posted on 16/8/11 at 09:11 PM |
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Ian Dayson at Force Racing cars also
shame Allan 'Mr Suspension' Stanniforth is no longer with us RIP, as that was his passion and sideline. Always happy to chat trackside at
a hillclimb too, a true gent.
"Racing is life, everything else, before or after, is just waiting"---Steve McQueen
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Sam_68
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| posted on 17/8/11 at 04:59 PM |
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Both CAD and suspension design are very much my thing, but unfortunately time can be a problem these days. 
If you're not in a desperate rush and/or don't find what you're looking for amongst the contacts above, though, give me a shout.
On something like this, I'd work for beer, too... there ain't enough money in it to bother charging, to be honest, which is why I design
houses these days!
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scootz
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| posted on 17/8/11 at 05:48 PM |
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Thank you Sam!
It's Evolution Baby!
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scootz
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| posted on 20/8/11 at 11:42 AM |
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I’ve had a few U2U’s offering assistance on this. Thanks all
I want to avoid wasting anyone’s time, so I think it’s best that I try and explain what I want to achieve on an open-forum and hopefully establish if
it’s worth taking the idea forward with anyone.
So here goes (and please bear with me)…
If you’ve been keeping up with the trike build thread , then you’ll already know that I’m using a carbon fibre monocoque. It’s fab, but it has one
compromised… it was intended for the Formula Vee series (was banned early doors) and is therefore designed to use the antiquated VW Bug front
beam-axle and trailing-arms. ☹
Now I’m sure that the bug system would be more than adequate for my (lack of) driving skills and the fact that the trike will only be used as a
road-toy. I could also cut a lot of weight down by using an ali torsion beam that I got from the States, but ultimately… IT’S NOT WHAT I WANT!
I have to accept that I’m stuck with a front-end trailing arm set-up due to the construction of the chassis. The front-end suspension mounting
hard-points are integrated into the front-face of the footwell bulkhead. It’s ali-honeycomb sheet bonded in between the carbon sheets.
This drawing shows the ali-honeycomb inserts outlined in purple.
I’ve been fiddling about on Word and come up with the following drawings of what I think could be an alternative... PLEASE IGNORE THE PROPORTIONS!
They are just a VERY rough interpretation!
What's going on here you ask I'll try and explain!
I'm viewing the front bulkhead from the front of the car. The mount follows the shape of the ali-honeycomb panels in the bulkhead and is cut
from billet something-or-other. The grey blobs are bolts which go through the plate and bulkhead to hold it in place.
The horizontal pieces are where the Ti has been machined to a round-bar finish. The grey diagonals are machined threads.
Got that!?
This is a top view of it showing the bolts going through the mount.
This is a side profile of it.
The trailing arms will also be cut from billet. My intention would be to use rose-joints (in grey). The bottom arm will take the spherical-jointed
shock-absorber which will bridge at 45-ish degree to the chassis.
Comments please!!!! Workable? Waste of time? Suggestions? Material choice? Dimensions?
Not sure how relevant it is, but the finished project weight WILL be under 275kg.
Over to you!
It's Evolution Baby!
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Fred W B
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| posted on 20/8/11 at 12:45 PM |
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Would it not be easier to fabricate a steel subframe that would bolt to the front of the tub that carried conventional wishbones? Or would that make
the wheelbase too long?
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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scootz
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| posted on 20/8/11 at 01:05 PM |
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Your not the first to mention that today Fred! 
The more I think of it, some sort of front-suspension sub-frame assembly makes more sense!
I'll need to have the chassis physically in front of me before I can work out any alternatives.
[Edited on 20/8/11 by scootz]
It's Evolution Baby!
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Sam_68
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| posted on 20/8/11 at 08:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by scootz...I have to accept that I’m stuck with a front-end trailing arm set-up due to the construction of the
chassis.
This is not the case at all.
As I mentioned in response to your query on the roll bar mount, over on the three wheelers forum, it is by no means impossible to provide additional
'hard points' to the tub, pretty much wherever you want them, if you know what you're doing. You just have to be careful
about how you design them and how you feed the loads into the skin of the tub.
Your best bet is to get full CAD drawings of the tub worked up, then decide what you actually want from your suspension design and see where it places
the pickup points; you can work it out from there, but I suspect that it won't be as big a compromise as you think. It's perfectly
possible to provide pick-ups for double wishbone front suspension, if that's what you want!
You referred to 'ali honeycomb inserts' on the roll bar thread, too... you can't possibly mean it? You must mean
solidaluminium inserts? Ali honeycomb is literally expanded foil and has negligible strength - it's just there as a core material to
stabilise the thin carbon (or whatever) skins to prevent them from buckling.
[Edited on 20/8/11 by Sam_68]
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scootz
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| posted on 20/8/11 at 08:59 PM |
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Thanks Sam.
I've just been reading through the email trail from the guy who designed the chassis and it appears I've been getting mixed up with his
references to the ali panels used in the chassis and the ali honeycomb sandwich panel he recommends for using as the floor! Oops!
It's Evolution Baby!
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