| Author | Message | ||
     Thumper74 |
After realizing that sidecars cost mucho dinero, I have decided to build one on my own. I'm planning on mocking the rear swingarm (for length, etc to cheat with using an existing shock for the proper spring rate) of a Buell in length as the automotive wheel/tire combo is the same (roughly) outer diameter. I'll be using a 1.5"x3", 0.120" wall, rectangular 'tubing' for the swingarm. At the wheel end, I'll be cutting a hole and welding in a trailer spindle to mount a trailer hub on it to use a common automotive bolt pattern. At the pivot point, I'll weld in the appropriate ID DOM tubing to facilitate a control arm bushing from a Mustang (used because I have one from a long ago project). The ends of the control arm will be capped. As for the actual frame, I'm stumped. I don't want/need cro-moly. Mild DOM should be more than enough, but I'm curious what size I should run for the sub-frame to keep weight reasonable, but be enough to be safe... Anyone? | ||
| Toona |
I believe the HD sidecar chassis are about 1" o.d.. Most use a half elliptical spring (half of a car style leaf spring), not sure if they use a shock or not. While you could use the coil over shock from a Buell, I'm thinking fabricating an upper mount stiff enough to not flex may be a little more complicated than you had planned and keep it "clean" looking. So what kind of MC you looking to mount this to? An XB Buell would be pretty tough to me. A Tuber might be a little easier. HD, piece of cake. The V-Twin shop behind me set up a hack for a customer that lost his leg from the knee down in an accident. He adapted a HD Touring hack to a Heritage Springer. | ||
| Thumper74 |
It's going on a kz750 tube frame. I'm not really caring too much about cleanliness as the hack is mainly for winter travel and dragging the dog around | ||
| Tq_freak |
Thump- I still got that KZ440 if you want a donor swingarm and shocks, might be easy to use the frame as the base and build the seating "box" off of that. | ||
| Thumper74 |
You really want to get rid of it, don't you? Got any pictures of that front end? I realize that constructing a rigid shock hoop may be a challenge, but I've got some talented friends at my disposal. I suppose a leaf spring setup wouldn't be too bad, but my concern with a leaf spring would be that the axle wouldn't have anything to support it beyond the single leaf spring. It would be a more compact package. I think I like the idea of a modern, adjustable suspension. (Message edited by Thumper74 on July 01, 2008) |
