Another FWD Delta trike.

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Dan

Clamp it up to the rear and have a look.

Paul
 
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Clamped it up as best I could.
Keel is too long and interferes with the front tyre; pivot spar is a bit long too, so you cannot get a really good feel for how straight/true it is. ;)
Pivot axle is likely to be just forwards of my navel.
The handlebar mounting "horns" WILL need to be cut shorter.
When viewed up close it looks like it will have all the stability of a reliant 3-wheeler.
BUT! This is in the minimum track setting. I can widen the rear by about 8" to 32" if I want to.



Seat height looks to be 24". :eek:
Wheelbase is 39".
 
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Well it has been a while. :(
I have been struggling with a few things and so not doing much on the trike-building front.
Today, after an abortive "car-fixing" session I decided to have a little bit of trike-building R&R. :)
All I managed to do was tack the front & rear halves of the frame together so that the thing stood up on its own without props and clamps.




I did sit on it (very gingerly as there's only 4 tacks holding the front spar on to the keel). It felt a bit "wrong" so I did a check of the seat-frame to BB-Axle distance on the Tadpole to compare.

Loki (tadpole) has the following distance 33 &1/2" from the back of the seat to the BB-Axle.



This trike has a distance of 31" (measured between the same points), AND the BB is much higher compared to LOKI. Oops! 😱



So I need to resolve this somehow. Move the front spar further forwards along the main keel (increases the wheelbase), OR, cut the existing seat mount off and make a moveable/adjustable one.

Also, the frame looks a bit twisted to me. 😩 It might be angry-grinder skip time.



 
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Dan

have you searched the workshop ? maybe the missing 2" rolled under the work bench ?

sorry yes it looks a little wonky , still your butchery gives you a chance to correct that ?

Maybe an opportunity to loose some seat height ? I am hoping 15" will feel much safer than the current 18" ?

Is an increase in length bad ? I seem to have a w/b between 38" and 40" ?

Paul
 
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Dan

have you searched the workshop ? maybe the missing 2" rolled under the work bench ?

sorry yes it looks a little wonky , still your butchery gives you a chance to correct that ?

Maybe an opportunity to loose some seat height ? I am hoping 15" will feel much safer than the current 18" ?

Is an increase in length bad ? I seem to have a w/b between 38" and 40" ?

Paul
Hi Paul,
Not sure where the "wonk" is coming from yet. But I tried very hard to clamp the front spar fully in line with the keel by bolting both to the bench very firmly.
One other source of "skew" might be the mounting of the bolted on pivot carrier. Changing one of the bolt holes to a "slot" might allow me to straighten her up.
Workshop is getting difficult to move in now with 3 trikes in there. :(
 
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Workshop is getting difficult to move in now with 3 trikes in there. :(
Why I keep my trike numbers <3 :giggle:👍 [ 2.5 to be accurate ! ]

Paul
 
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Why I keep my trike numbers <3 :giggle:👍 [ 2.5 to be accurate ! ]

Paul
Hi Paul,
Not sure where the "wonk" is coming from yet. But I tried very hard to clamp the front spar fully in line with the keel by bolting both to the bench very firmly.
One other source of "skew" might be the mounting of the bolted on pivot carrier. Changing one of the bolt holes to a "slot" might allow me to straighten her up.
Workshop is getting difficult to move in now with 3 trikes in there. :(
 
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Hi Tom, what were you trying to say here? :)
 
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As Winter approaches (and because some health issues are getting in the way at the moment) I put LOKI in the back-garden bike shed and now I have more room to work on the new Python delta.
This will mean I have 2 Python's to compare with each-other for fit/feel and ride-ability as the build progresses.

 
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Dan

As we currently have a surplus of height and nothing is properly welded yet ?

Why not cut the rear axle free and turn it upside down ? that will lower the rear end quite simply ?

Then you can cut your tacks and cut the same amount out of the front bit and re-tack it ?

It maybe less scary then ?

Seems a bit odd you are carrying on with the build when you find it scary just sitting on it on the drive , that feeling will not go away when you are riding it :whistle:

Paul
 
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Dan

As we currently have a surplus of height and nothing is properly welded yet ?

Why not cut the rear axle free and turn it upside down ? that will lower the rear end quite simply ?

Then you can cut your tacks and cut the same amount out of the front bit and re-tack it ?

It maybe less scary then ?

Seems a bit odd you are carrying on with the build when you find it scary just sitting on it on the drive , that feeling will not go away when you are riding it :whistle:

Paul
Additional problem is that if I change the rear-end the whole thing has to be cut up and re-started because the recently finished front-end (with a BB where I can reach it now) will then be 12" or more above my hips.
I shall think on my options.
 
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Additional problem is that if I change the rear-end the whole thing has to be cut up and re-started because the recently finished front-end (with a BB where I can reach it now) will then be 12" or more above my hips.
I shall think on my options.
This sounds like the posts in my thread ?

About 1 early mistakes being compounded and limiting future developments , instead of being fixed it corrupts all decisions made after it ?

As you keep telling me ' why continue altering that when you have loads of new steel '

Having taken your advice I am re-configuring Tilt#4 to become Tilt#6 :whistle: so that's working then ?

Like you I may have BB height problems, only time will tell and it may not be easy to fix ?

Paul

ps Popshot can't decide if I am very stubborn or extremely persistent ? [ the results are similar , however one has less swearing ! ]
 
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This sounds like the posts in my thread ?

About 1 early mistakes being compounded and limiting future developments , instead of being fixed it corrupts all decisions made after it ?

As you keep telling me ' why continue altering that when you have loads of new steel '

Having taken your advice I am re-configuring Tilt#4 to become Tilt#6 :whistle: so that's working then ?

Like you I may have BB height problems, only time will tell and it may not be easy to fix ?

Paul

ps Popshot can't decide if I am very stubborn or extremely persistent ? [ the results are similar , however one has less swearing ! ]
I know what you mean :)
It is all fixable given enough angry-pixies, time, gas & steel.
And let's face it... we ain't working anymore and the government is now buying all our "whimsical" purchases before we snuff it. So its is all good! :ROFLMAO:
 
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Ok so you have cut it into 4 [ or more pieces ? ] now what ...

Paul

pa notice how it takes up less space :LOL: I'll get my coat ...
 
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The pieces will go back together, but not necessarily in the same order or correct order.
 
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OK, some frame re-assembly was undertaken today by Dr. Clarke and his mate "Sparky Wand".

The cranked section of the rear swing arm was removed and a section was joined to it via 7 plug-welds and 4 seam-welds.
It came out quite well (I think).


Cleaned up with a wire brush they don't look bad at all. But I no longer have room for the suspension spring (is it elastomer time Paul?).


By the way, I did a little £6.99 upgrade to my welding helmet and added a CREE LED headlamp. It works well and the pool of brightness is just where I want it as I look down at the workpiece before sparking up.

 
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OK, some frame re-assembly was undertaken today by Dr. Clarke and his mate "Sparky Wand".

The cranked section of the rear swing arm was removed and a section was joined to it via 7 plug-welds and 4 seam-welds.
It came out quite well (I think).
7 ? my OCD would not be happy with a odd number ....

Cleaned up with a wire brush they don't look bad at all. But I no longer have room for the suspension spring (is it elastomer time Paul?).
Is there even room for it to pivot ?

By the way, I did a little £6.99 upgrade to my welding helmet and added a CREE LED headlamp. It works well and the pool of brightness is just where I want it as I look down at the workpiece before sparking up.

Ebay and double sided tape I presume ?

Paul
 
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& ? my OCD would not be happy with a odd number ....
It's "Lucky Number 7", put your OCD away. 4 on one inserted section 3 on the other because you can't weld in the space between the spring-supports.
Is there even room for it to pivot ?
This was "why" it was originally cranked. ;) I can probably bodge it make it work. 🤐
Ebay and double sided tape I presume ?
e-bay yes, but small holes in the welding helmet and 2 cable-ties. :)
 
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Suspension pivot removed Sir (as suspected, barely any travel).
New pivot inbound, should be here by 2022. :)
Old one came off pretty easily with a zip-disc through the edge welds and some gentle persuasion.
I need to find a good alternative position and method that preserves the "fold-flat" feature.
I think I will make a strong stub to mount the bearing sleeve in/on and weld the stub to the existing frame when it is all lined up properly.
It is all experience and fun. :)
 
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