nick205
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| posted on 27/10/10 at 10:56 AM |
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Quad bike engine and transmissions...?
Pondering (as you do) over different engine and transmission options and layouts I started thinking about 4WD quad bikes.
Not knowing anything about them...
What orietation are the engines?
How does the gearbox distribute drive front and rear?
Do the axles have diffs?
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cosmick
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| posted on 27/10/10 at 11:06 AM |
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Most quad bikes are single cylinder. there are a couple of twin cylinder types. they all employ automatic clutches on the utility type. Manual
transmission will have a High/Low ratio and 5 speed, Automatics use the CVT type transmission.The 4wd engines usually have a shaft running out the
front and back of the engine. Rear axles are usually non differential just driving througha crown wheel. front axles usually are selectable for 4wd
and will have a diff in them for steering.
NOT a good choice though for a kit car. Low horsepower single cylinder etc etc.
If it can't be fixed with a hammer then its probably an electrical problem.
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 27/10/10 at 03:53 PM |
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i can sell you a diff for a honda and quacker 4by4 quad bikes
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hillbillyracer
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| posted on 27/10/10 at 06:34 PM |
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I work with quads a lot at work, only the utility side but that's what you'll find in big numbers with just about every livestock farmer
in the country running at least one quad. Cosmick has it pretty much summed up. But if you want more info:
Old stuff has the engine with the crank laid east-west across the frame & many still do, Honda started to mount the engines with the crank
north-south about 15 or so years ago & Polaris do on their bigger models now too, this does away with the need for two 90deg drives to take the
shafts front & rear. Old Suzukis were a step further head years before with the engine & box mounted so far back the rear shafts came out
either side of the crank/gearcase direct to the rear wheels & so needing no 90deg drives at all, but then still needing two to take the drive to
the front on a 4wd. Later Suzukis revert to the conventional layout also still used by Kawasaki & Yamaha.
Polaris are all CVT belt drive with a seperate gearbox from the engine, everyone else uses a gearbox in the crankcase.
About half the quads sold now could be automatic with a belt CVT drive.
Most quads have high & low range, but the Hondas have a very low first gear & just the one range.
Older 4wds are usually permament 4wd (Suzukis being the exception) with selectable coming in on most over the past 8-10 years or so.
I'd also agree that they're not much use for a kit car, a Polaris 850 twin has about 70hp & is one of the highest powered quads
around. They're tuned for more torque. I'd also doubt the strength of the diffs & driveshafts for the job.
If you wanted to build an off-road buggy then yes there may be something of use.
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nick205
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| posted on 27/10/10 at 08:57 PM |
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Excellent info guys - thanks!
I didn't really have any particular application in mind, more of a curiosity as to how engine/transmission/axles etc were configured. One
aspect I hadn't really considered was the low gearing and low down grunt requirement for typical quad use.
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