What cars have a rear end in the 40" to 45" wide range - non-IRS, open differential, light weight, and cheap? Preferably ones that would have been imported into the US.

My son wants to make my '80 Yamaha SR250 thumper into a trike, I think by bolting a sprocket on where the ring gear should be, replacing the inner axle bearings with sealed ones, and poking holes in the diff case for the chain to go in and out.

He says somebody named Reliantman has a web site about it, but it's a Geocities site that's shut down temporarily from overuse.

i know a lot of trikes (bike type, engine ect) built over here have used reliant regal and reliant robin axles, i doubt they ever made it to the states though...

why not get find something unbreakable
and get the diff shortened

PHULL -

Weight and cost. This is a single cylinder 250cc bike that only puts out 20hp.

So far, the best thing I've found isn't a car part at all - it's called a Hoffo Comet SCD-1:
http://www.staton-inc.com/Edit%20Pictures/1ac..JPG
Takes 1" axles.

Not much sure of american cars, but wasn't there something called a chevy nova that was similar to the vauxhall chevette?? be about the right size
(ducks under the table and hides, just in case a chevy nova's one of those big whale thingies).

We've got a couple of farty little vans around the place suzuki, daihatsu and vauxhall rascall - they all seem to have live rear axles and they're pretty narrow (tip: drive SLOW around corners). Don't know if they've made it there.

Someone was saying the other day that seafreight wasn't that expensive on parts... mind you, importing a diff sounds a bit over the top.

Cheers,
Greg H

I was thinking about this, and i decided on one of the narrow vans. Owt like them in the States?

Kiwirex - There was a Chevy Chevette econobox some time back, but the later Nova's are what we call "compact" (you'd call it a limo).

JoelP - All vans here seem to be required by law to be 6' wide or wider!

I found a small diff on eBay that I think might work, but I'll need to have custom axles fabricated and use pillowblock bearings to support it:
http://www.carcentric.com/YamahaSR250Trike.htm

The rear wheels, btw, are from a Spitfire!

[Edited on 3/9/03 by carcentric]

Bedford Rascal van has a narrow rear live axle methinks. Worth having a gander under the back of one.

Steve

Not many in the states I wouldn't have thought

Cheers

Chris

Nash Metropolitan/AH Bugeye Sprite had a track of 47". Close enough?

Pete

Fiat Panda 4x4? Offset diff, but very light and narrow. I thing it was made by Puch Daimler Ster.

i was following a brand new daihatsu mini van the other day, it had a live axle.

i think in the uk we're sorted for small axles, americans dont know the meaning of the word small!