Reverse Trike

[Nitrotate]

The only issue I have is the ground clearance is a bit less than expected so I’m going to have to raise the rear suspension up an inch or two. So if any of you have any good cheap tricks to raise the rear end of an FJR, PLEASE SHARE!!!!

Meissner dogbones, or Hyperpro raising kit. Both make lowering and raising kits. All they are is different lengths of the dogbones in the rear suspension. Easy enough to fabricate too. Shorter dogbones = higher rear ride height. Typically 5/8 to 3/4" translates to an inch of ride height change from what the lowering folks have said. Search on lowering+links+how to and you should get some hits.

Also check out the Darkside FAQ in the FJR FAQ section for info about running a car tire on the rear. Certainly applicable to your project.

Awesome thanks for the info! Yeah I've absolutely planned to install a car tire on the rear and I've see that thread to it's a good one for information. I go the size tire I needed from that thread and the fact that I'll have to fabricate a new brake caliper brace bar for the tire clearance.

So I see that I can fabricate new link bars for the rear suspension but how difficult is the dogbone to fab?

 

[user 213]

So I see that I can fabricate new link bars for the rear suspension but how difficult is the dogbone to fab?

Take the stock parts off and you'll have a pretty good idea. They are at the lower end of the shock. The term "dogbones" will be self explanatory when you see them. Easy to fabricate new ones. How much shorter to make them, to increase the ground clearance you want, may be more of a challenge. Searching the Missiner info should give you some idea of what lengths give what changes.

 

[Nitrotate]

Good deal, I'll take a look, thanks

 

[Nitrotate]

Here's the latest update on the trike; I got all the supports totally done and adjusted the rear suspension to the right height by cutting and shortening the dogbones and welding them back together.

I got my wheels in and tires on!!! So now I've been able to start creating the suspension mounts.

Here is where I'm at right now, I just tack welded the upper control arm in it's final position so that I could fab up the mounting point. I have about 5 degrees of positive caster with the wheel straight and 6 degrees of anti-dive.

And here is the whole thing so far:

 

[El Toro Joe]

Hey Nitro...could ya PM me your info...I'd like to take out a $1,000,000.00 life insurance policy on ya. Looking forward to some video

 

[Nitrotate]

Here is my latest progress. She's standing up all by herself now!

I found out the water pump cover is busted and I need a new one and the radiator is damaged, hopefully I can repair it but that seems to be the only damage I need to deal with.

 

[Gary]

NOW I see. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why you were extending it so far forward. I thought you were doing something along the lines of a Can-Am Spyder.

How are you going to get air to the radiator?

 

[Nitrotate]

NOW I see. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why you were extending it so far forward. I thought you were doing something along the lines of a Can-Am Spyder.
How are you going to get air to the radiator?

I'm going to mount it up high behind the driver and the body will have an air scoop to direct the air to it.

Yeah it has a 122 inch wheel base so it should handle like a sportscar!

 

[nofreeride]

Looking good! Any more details you can provide on that front suspension? Did you copy the geometry from the donor car or design it yourself?

 

[Nitrotate]

Looking good! Any more details you can provide on that front suspension? Did you copy the geometry from the donor car or design it yourself?

Thanks! Well I made it pretty close to the doner... I put the upper and lower control arms the same distance (virtically) from each other as they were on the doner.

I added a little more anti-dive to the upper control arm by about 3 degrees compared to the doner.

I put caster at +5 degrees

I put camber at 0 degrees with the wheels straight

So I'm hoping with these settings that it will be about right.

Now in the next few days I'm going to get the steering set up...

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Yeah it has a 122 inch wheel base so it should handle like a sportscar!

Yeah, a really, really, long sportscar...!

• '09 Honda S2000: 94.5" WB
• '10 Corvette: 105.7" WB
• '10 Lincoln Town Car: 117.7" WB

Good on 'ya, anyway, for the imagination and effort...

 

[Nitrotate]

Ok, got the steering all done except for the steering wheel and shaft, I’m waiting on a couple parts. I’m thinking I’m going to put in a U-joint as more of a safety feature than anything in case of an accident I don’t want the steering shaft to become a spear, hopefully the U-joint will allow it to fold instead.

I also got the seats mounted this weekend so now all I need to do is get the steering wheel positioned and then I can begin with the floorboard. Once the floorboard is done I can mount the pedal assembly that is on it’s way right now and start my favorite part, routing cables, lines, and electrical!

 

[sin_loki]

Ok, got the steering all done except for the steering wheel and shaft, I’m waiting on a couple parts. I’m thinking I’m going to put in a U-joint as more of a safety feature than anything in case of an accident I don’t want the steering shaft to become a spear, hopefully the U-joint will allow it to fold instead.

if safety in the u-joint is what your looking for, then you will still have a "spear" your hands

what you need to find is a collapsing steering wheel shaft that will compress when you hit something so you don't end up having a steering wheel for a head

Edit: look at any car in your garage, they ALL have them.(except for really old cars)

 

[Nitrotate]

Ok, got the steering all done except for the steering wheel and shaft, I’m waiting on a couple parts. I’m thinking I’m going to put in a U-joint as more of a safety feature than anything in case of an accident I don’t want the steering shaft to become a spear, hopefully the U-joint will allow it to fold instead.

if safety in the u-joint is what your looking for, then you will still have a "spear" your hands

what you need to find is a collapsing steering wheel shaft that will compress when you hit something so you don't end up having a steering wheel for a head

Edit: look at any car in your garage, they ALL have them.(except for really old cars)

Yeah, good point. I can't seem to find a collapsible match for this steering box though. If I get the money I might just change to a rack and pinion and then go with a collapsible...

 

[wfooshee]

I would assume you'd have a 5-point harness in this thing, making spearage by steering column much less likely.

What's that steering box going to give you in turns lock to lock, do ya think? I'd want a racing-type rack on this thing myself, less than a turn to either side.

 

[Leskid]

Yeah it has a 122 inch wheel base so it should handle like a sportscar!

Yeah, a really, really, long sportscar...!

• '09 Honda S2000: 94.5" WB
• '10 Corvette: 105.7" WB
• '10 Lincoln Town Car: 117.7" WB

Good on 'ya, anyway, for the imagination and effort...

party-pooper

Even if it doesn't come out beating a T-Rex on the track or looking quite as sharp, I give you two huge thumbs-up. This is gradually turning into one of the main threads* I look forward to hearing more about on this forum. The bodywork, ducting etc.. should make for interesting updates. You're a more courageous backyard engineeer than I am, to be sure.

Keep it up!

* speaking of which, whatever happened to that guy who was increasing his tank size? (a few extra gallons) I can't even find that post searching the site using google anymore

 

[Nitrotate]

I would assume you'd have a 5-point harness in this thing, making spearage by steering column much less likely.
What's that steering box going to give you in turns lock to lock, do ya think? I'd want a racing-type rack on this thing myself, less than a turn to either side.

Yes I will have 5-point harnesses for sure. Unfortunately the steering does turn quite a bit, it's about 3 turns each direction so unfortunately it's not as nice as I'd like but it will have to do for this build.

 

[ionbeam]

* speaking of which, whatever happened to that guy who was increasing his tank size? (a few extra gallons) I can't even find that post searching the site using google anymore

Last update by thread starter Alex on 12/17.

It doesn't bode well when you see:

I keep looking at this thread hoping to see an update with some pictures of the finished product....

--and--

I'll just bet his balls fell off.. That's what happens when you mess with ****.
:jester:

 

[GunMD]

This is turing into something VERY interesting. I can't wait to see the final product.

:good:

 

[Nitrotate]

Yeah it has a 122 inch wheel base so it should handle like a sportscar!

Yeah, a really, really, long sportscar...!

• '09 Honda S2000: 94.5" WB
• '10 Corvette: 105.7" WB
• '10 Lincoln Town Car: 117.7" WB

Good on 'ya, anyway, for the imagination and effort...

party-pooper

Even if it doesn't come out beating a T-Rex on the track or looking quite as sharp, I give you two huge thumbs-up. This is gradually turning into one of the main threads* I look forward to hearing more about on this forum. The bodywork, ducting etc.. should make for interesting updates. You're a more courageous backyard engineeer than I am, to be sure.

Keep it up!

* speaking of which, whatever happened to that guy who was increasing his tank size? (a few extra gallons) I can't even find that post searching the site using google anymore

Actually now that it's all said and done I think my wheelbase is a bit shorter than I anticipated, not by much but I'll try to measure it one of these nights and post it up.