# I'm about to start building a 3 wheel EV



## cjbfabricating (Sep 27, 2007)

I have wanted to start a new project for a while. I initially was going to build another motorcycle but I ran onto this site by accident a while back. 85% of my trips are solo so it will probably be a recumbent single seater with the single wheel in the rear.
I had some parts put back for another project. the rear wheel/sprocket/disc brake, swingarm,5 speed transmission, clutch and primary drive from a Harley FXR will be repurposed for my rear drive. A reasonably large DC motor will sit where the V-twin previously sat powered up with lead/acid batteries. We will fabricate the front section from scratch using rectangular and square mild steel tubing. The front tires and alloy wheels will probably come from a motorcycle as well as the used parts are light, cheap and available.
I'll try to get something jigged up on a welding table and put a picture here to get opinions on whether I am crazy or not.


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

Brilliant!!!


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

I sat in a 3 wheel EV a buddy of mine is doing. Click on the picture to see his photo album.


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

Mannyman said:


> I sat in a 3 wheel EV a buddy of mine is doing. Click on the picture to see his photo album.


Wow, Very cool, I am building a very similar car, with the only real difference being that mine is a two seater. Looks like he is really coming along! Nice work!!!


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

Have you seen my electric T-Rex pix and videos (2 seat reverse trike)? 
Part1
Part2
Part3
Once they start selling an enclosed version, and cut the price in half, I'm there.


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## cjbfabricating (Sep 27, 2007)

I did have some concerns about the overall stability of a 3 wheel vehicle. Your T-Rex presentation removed those. What an awesome machine.


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

You need to look up some You Tube videos of three wheelers, and trikes! Some will remove any doubt of the stability of these. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYbrSJG01-Y 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38TFetQAe2o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjE4x0T6Ioc&feature=related 
These are all gas versions, but you get the idea. Eric


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## MitchJi (Dec 14, 2007)

Hi,

I think a three wheeler with two wheels in front (tilting or not) can handle better than a two wheeler. 

I think a tilting three wheeler with one wheel in front can also handle very well:
http://www.flytheroad.com/

I would not build one with two wheels in back unless you build it so it tilts. I drove an old Harley three wheeler (two wheels in back) owned by a friend and it was the worst handling vehicle I ever drove.

I considered building a three wheel EV based on the Piaggio MP3, because based on reviews it has great handling but the way it is configured it would be difficult to put in enough batteries.
Piaggio MP3: tilting three-wheeled scooter from the Italian manufacturer Piaggio. It was first brought to market in 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_MP3
http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic7574.html

I considered building a three wheel EV using this kit because I think it probably handles very well but the kit will sell for $7k or $8k. Looks like great technology but (ouch!):
http://www.tiltingmotorworks.com/default.asp

Here is a link to a T-Rex test drive (gas version but there is a little info on the electric version):
http://www.nextgearshow.com/1845/evs-23-big-kid-toys

Best Wishes,

Mitch


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## cjbfabricating (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks,...a lot of good info. I learned early that the 3 wheel configuration with the single wheel in front most often cornered with the rear inside wheel off the ground which immediately changes the steering geometry. Lately I have seen that some of the new reverse trike designs are much more stable. 
I think that I have adequate design experience to tackle the mechanical part of the project. I am concerned that designing a body to cover the rolling chassis may show my lack of artistic ability. Although I have Solidworks 3D design software on one of the office computers I haven't learned to use it. Most of the design will be done using AutoCad 2D software.
I am open to recommendations on steering components. I have a Jegs catalog, Champions book on building a Lotus 7 knock off and a chassis book by a Mr Adams who specializes in Nascar fab. I doubt that studying these will make me an instant expert but will provide me with a good starting point


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## xrotaryguy (Jul 26, 2007)

Mannyman said:


> I sat in a 3 wheel EV a buddy of mine is doing. Click on the picture to see his photo album.


The dual brake master cylinders look like the clutch master cylinders from a Triumph car.


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

I've asked my pal Minh to join up, so he can discuss his vehicle.
He's some kind of engineer, so I don't understand most of what he says, but you might.


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## cjbfabricating (Sep 27, 2007)

Hey Manny,
I went to his website to check out the pictures. I picked up some ideas on the frame/swingarm connection and was amazed at the complexity of the body construction. Did he design all the bulkhead patterns in Solidworks and have them waterjetted?. 
I think that I will probably use a single master cylinder with a proportionong valve to adjust the back/front line pressure.


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## mpduong (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, My name is Minh. I designed and built the 3-wheeler in the photo album. And yes, I pay Manny to be my buddy.

The body for the three wheeler was designed in Solidworks. The body was models to be 1" thick throughout because I want to build a foam core body. This is a much quicker way to build one body. Full scale cross section drawings (12" apart) of the body were created then plotted at Staples. Using the plots as a pattern, 1/2" plywood was cut with a jigsaw and screwed together to create the buck of the body surface. I had considered using water jet, but did not pursue that route due to cost concerns. For sure, the water jet parts would have create a much more accurate buck.

As for brake proportioning, I think it is very important to have an adjustable front/rear brake bias, regardless of whether it is a balance bar or proportional valve. This allows adjustability to enable maximum braking performance without going back backward.

I agree with MitchJi regarding the recommendation to go with a 2 front/ 1 rear arrangement. Tilting is unnecessarily complicated for a three wheeler if your design have sufficient track width and low center of gravity. The tilting mechanisms have to work against the centrifugal force during a turn because the centrifugal force will want to tilt the vehicle to the outside of the turn. I am sure there are a lot of interesting discussions around tilting three wheeler. I prefer to KIS (keep it simple).

For a 2 front 1 rear vehicle, I think it makes the most sense to set the roll stiffness of the front suspension very high to minimize camber change to the rear tire. This allow me to use a car tire in the rear wheel to increase tire contact area. I do not have real test data with this suspension set-up yet, so this set-up is just my inexperienced theory of how I should set-up my car. There are many aspects to consider. Please keep in mind that you want to keep your tire contact area large and consistent in all conditions to maintain predictable handling. A vehicle which handles unpredictably does not inspire driver confidence. Please note that many of the 2 front/1rear 3-wheeler videos on you tube can spin and break the rear tire loose very easily. Although this is fun in a parking lot, it is outright nasty on the road. Expect to have plenty of oversteer with the 2 front 1 rear layout. In my opinion, it is still more stable then the 1 front 2 rear arrangement. Particularly in braking and turns.

Sorry for the long rant. I hope this helps some of you who plans to build your own 3-wheeler. 

Minh


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

That stinks! I've been sending Manny a check a month for a long time, He still has not admitted to being my friend, I guess I need to send bigger checks!
Where did you get the skinny 17in. rear car tire? I just sold my motorcycle wheels, and bought car wheels, as I could not find tires. 
My car/motorcycle will have a very similar shape, have you worked out any aerodynamics for the shape, or just like the style? I have been trying to find some good sources for aerodynamics to work out the rear shape for best "closure" but have had little luck. 
Keep crankin, the "car' looks great, Eric


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## TexomaEV (Jul 26, 2007)

CJBFabricating, come by and meet with the North Texas Electric Auto Association during the next meeting. We meet on the 2nd Saturday of every month. This month we're meeting at a member's home, to help build his battery cables. We're also going to setup a lithium battery module build in order to do a photo/video shoot of the process.

Check us out at: www.nteaa.org


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

Minh,
Your last check bounced, so you are now demoted to "acquaintance."

Eric,
I'm setting up a paypal site as I get charged for out state checks...

Speaking of invites, If you all come to Electric Dragin in January, I'll find space for all of you.


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## mpduong (Dec 29, 2007)

Eric

For my 3 wheeler, I used a 2005 Yamaha R1 rear wheel. You can install 195/40/17 or 205/40/17 auto tires on the wheel. I purchased the Tire from the Tirerack and had it installed at a Yamaha dealer. 

As for aero, I took a swag at it. I kept the shape smooth and airfoil like. Then chopped the back off abruptly - similar to the Kamm back design to prevent flow separation in the back. The floor as flat. The passenger compartment is going to be a pretty high drag area, but I did not want to fully enclosed the compartment at this time. I have not found any affordable CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software yet. 
Your project sounds interesting. Would you mind sharing some images? What are the specs on your car? voltage? motor? battery?


Minh


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## MitchJi (Dec 14, 2007)

Hi,

These links might be of interest:
http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm
Three Wheel Cars
Primary Factors that Determine
Handling & Rollover Characteristics

Sells Plans for at least three three wheel reverse trike designs:
http://www.rqriley.com/tri-mag.html
This motorcycle-based three-wheeler outperforms most production sports cars, and still delivers fuel economy roughly equivalent to that of the original motorcycle. The key constant is the power-to-weight ratio. With 80 hp and a 1,200-pound curb weight, Tri-Magnum has a power-to-weight ratio of 15 pounds per horsepower, which equates to a 3,500-pound car with a 233-hp engine.

The original Tri-Magnum was built around a Kawasaki KZ900 motorcycle. However, the Honda Gold Wing, especially the model with the electric reverse, is an even better choice. The Gold Wing's 6-cylinder opposed engine is smooth-running, it develops maximum torque at a comparatively low rpm (better for automotive application), and is more fuel-efficient that the KZ900 engine. The chassis consists of a stripped motorcycle, minus the fork and front wheel, which is then attached to a VW Beetle front suspension assembly using a simple framework. The motorcycle drive train is used as is, including its lightweight and efficient 5-speed transmission.

http://www.rqriley.com/xr3.htm
At just 1300 pounds, this high-performance design combines lightening-fast acceleration, a maximum speed of 85 mph, and fuel economy of 125- to over 200-mpg.
Its clam-shell canopy and three-wheel platform boldly differentiates the XR-3 from conventional passenger cars. The vehicle’s hybrid power system, diesel engine, and low curb weight are the main ingredients of its super-high fuel economy and excellent performance. Acceleration equal to that of a conventional car and a maximum speed of 85 mph make the XR-3 Hybrid equally at home on freeways and surface streets.

http://www.rqriley.com/doran.html
Designer, Rick G. Doran, conceived this state-of-the-art three wheel sports car, then spent the next six years developing, refining and testing the design. It's one of the most thoroughly tested plans-built cars around. The Doran is a front-wheel-drive (FWD) design that uses the entire drivetrain from a 1980-89 Subaru Hatchback. Leave the stock 1800 cc Subaru gasoline engine in place for the gas-powered version, or replace the IC-engine with an electric motor for the electric-powered version. Either way, the engine or motor supplies power through Subaru's 5-speed manual-shift transmission to the two front wheels. And with much of the vehicle's total weight concentrated on the front wheels, Doran has extra road-grabbing power where it counts. 
Doran's double wishbone front suspension, and a center of gravity that places about 70 percent of its weight on the front wheels (74 percent on the electric and 69 percent on the gas version), gives the vehicle its surefooted cornering capability. Overturn resistance is equal to that of a Honda Civic. During skidpad tests, the Doran turned in 0.8-g cornering capability. 

Best Wishes,

Mitch


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

Minh, I don't know why it did not make sense to me before, You put 190/55/17 tires on an R-1 stock, of course a 195 or so car tire would fit! I looked at them, and decided they would not work, and bought car wheels, Oh well...
I don't have any photos yet, I am just about to start tacking the frame together, so I should have something to show in the next week or two.

Mitch, Thanks for the links! I really should put together a website devoted to only three wheelers, and put every one I can find on it, with lots of links it could be a good resource. Thanks again, Eric


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

Minh, Looking at your solid drawings This is almost exactly the shape I am looking to use, I will seat two, slightly more forward, and enclose the rear wheel, Not as good looking, but perhaps more aero


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## mpduong (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks Mitch for the links on the Riley cars. There are many interesting points made on the handling characteristics of three wheeler. 
Is there a mistake on the website (http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm) regarding the handling characteristics of the layouts:
>> The single front wheel layout naturally oversteers and the single rear wheel layout naturally understeers.

I expect the opposite to be true because of the tire contact is larger at the front if you have a 2f1r layout. Additionally, most of the weight is loaded on the front axle - so there is more grip at the front due to the higher loads on the front tire. Does anyone have first hand experience with this? Please correct me if I am wrong here.

Has anyone built a Riley XR-3? It looks like it will do quite well in the X-prize competition.


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

You have it right, the two front tire layout will over steer, and the single front tire will under steer, Eric


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## MitchJi (Dec 14, 2007)

Hi,

I'm not sure about the over/understeer issue.

You might want to look at this three wheeler:
http://www.fuelvaporcar.com/html/the_car.html
"The “alé” features a unique 3-wheeled configuration: 2 in the front, and one in the rear. The front wheels drive and steer the vehicle. This design enables the car to perform at a superb level, particularly in cornering, with the car easily pulling 1.7 g’s in corners during track testing on street tires. The three-wheeled automotive platform also aid in improving fuel efficiency and aerodynamics."

This is the suspension:
*Front Suspension - *Honda CRX with fully adjustable coil over​*Rear Suspension* -- Single sided swing arm with fully adjustable coil over

I think using a Honda CRX suspension with front wheel drive is a great idea!

Mitch


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

I guess 1st hand experence would be best. If anyone builds a Doran, let me know and I'll drop by to try it out. 
Also would be cool if someone were to convert a fireaero...


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## mpduong (Dec 29, 2007)

The Vapor looks cool. The shape is beautiful.

I sincerely hope the lateral load capability spec listed is true. To me, it sounds very much like marketing hype. I once talked with a 3-wheel builder about his vehicle's handling characteristics. He claimed to get 1.2g, but when I started to question his measurement methods - he admitted to making the measurements at very low speed on a small circle. The owner of the three wheeler I spoke to said he can not keep up with sport cars in the mountains. 1.7g on one 8" street tires without down force is highly suspect. Like I say, I hope it is true! I would be very happy if my 3-wheeler can stay on the road at .8 g. I realize I must sound like a negative person. One of my pet peeve is outrageous claim.

Minh


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## houseoffubar (Nov 18, 2007)

Minh, You and me both! Outrageous claims are irritating enough, but credibility when discussing EV's is especially important. 
I honestly do not think 1.7 is possible without down force. 1.1-1.2 OK, but 1.7 DOUBT IT!


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

Pix of Minh's 3 wheeler @ Electric Dragin' 2008


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## xrotaryguy (Jul 26, 2007)

Wow... simply wow. That looks really nice.


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

I plan on making something like this before the year is over:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q2Okmyw8sw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP41a54IUyo

http://www.zwheelz.com

Mine will be 1/2 the weight.

Manny


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## coil_nine (Apr 22, 2008)

MitchJi said:


> I think a three wheeler with two wheels in front (tilting or not) can handle better than a two wheeler.


Recumbent pedal cyclists have been investigating trike stability for years. I like 'bent trikes so I have followed their development. A design with two steering wheels in front is called a "tadpole" trike, while two wheels in back is called a "delta" trike. Google for recumbent trikes and you will finds lots of design info.

There is a general consensus from theory and experience that a well-designed tadpole can be more stable than a well-designed delta. For both, moving the CG closer to the two wheels tends to improve lateral stability. Of course if no weight is on the remaining wheel then braking and steering become exciting.

More recent designs of tadpole suspension and tilting are starting to reveal that good suspension improves stability more than simply tilting the tadpole or the front steering wheels. If the suspension with CG is poorly designed, then any wheel configuration will not help.

Also, the power train components for a single rear wheel drive bicycle are more readily available. This is also true of motorcycles.

Thanks for the T-rex links. Looks like a fun tadpole!


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

Depending on who is speaking and what part of the world you live in, this style trike may sometimes be referred to as a 2F1R trike (2 front 1 rear), Tadpole style trike, Backwards trike, Y-Factor trike, Y-Design trike, Y-Configuration trike, T2F - Trike 2 Front Wheels, Cycle Car, Cabin Scooter, Scooter trike, Tricar, and maybe other things I haven't heard of yet.

I like "Reverse Trike" as it sounds least wimpy.


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## xrotaryguy (Jul 26, 2007)

That last vid was pretty neat. I wonder if that is his final ride height though? I wouldn't want to drive that on city streets. I suppose it could be raised if necessary. I really like how the batteries are all under the floor. This really makes sense with lead acid batteries.


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

I agree, but the website says it will be raised. 

Need to raise the front end of my EV as well as I scrape my battery box every once and awhile...


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## John (Sep 11, 2007)

For perfect weight distribution in a 2F1R configuration the centre of gravity should be 1/3 of the wheel base behind the front axle. This would become 2/3 for the 1F2R configuration. In order for a shape to be aerodynamically stable the centre of gravity must be ahead of the centre of pressure. This is much easier to arrange with the 2F1R configuration with its forward centre of gravity and rearward biased body shape. It is also desirable to place your variable masses (occupants) at that same 1/3 wheel base location so that the CG position doesn't change. The rear wheel essentially has a ground level roll centre and zero roll stiffness. If the front suspension is also designed with a ground level roll centre and identical tires to the rear wheel any body roll will produce equal degradation of grip on all tires. This coupled with perfect weight distribution would result in consistent handling balance due to the front and rear tires behaving identically.


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## mattW (Sep 14, 2007)

Hmmm sounds like someone should write a wiki topic about reverse trike weigh distribution...=P EVs and reverse trikes seem to compliment each other nicely and it would be good information to have on board.


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## Hemon Dey (Jul 31, 2008)

Hi all,

I too am considering building my own 3-wheeler, but I'm a bit spoilt for choice in terms of plans. I note that some of you say that oversteering is a problem with 3 wheelers ... does this have anything to do with the back wheel being driven?

I'm thinking the Doran would be a good starter car for me, but more to the point a lot of its weight is already designed to be up at the front and is driven by the front two wheels and not the rear. Can I have some of your opinions in regard to how it would/should handle? 

I will be doing an EV version with a Warp 9" and Zilla 1K controller with at 12x12V (probably 50AHr) packs. 

Your words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Hemon


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## John (Sep 11, 2007)

With a trike the single wheel will lean with the body of the trike as it rolls in corners. On the axle with the two wheels (which provides the vehicles entire roll resistance) the geometry can be designed to keep the wheels more or less square to the road as the vehicle body rolls while cornering (such as with unequal length A arms). So the grip on the axle with two wheels is more easily maintained while the vehicle is cornering. If you didn't use such a geometry but instead went for something with a ground level roll centre like equal length A arms the two wheels would lean the same amount as the single with body roll meaning if the tyres were similar the grip would deteriorate an equal amount especially if the tyre loads were balanced. The draw back is that a ground level roll centre doesn't provide a lot of resistance to body roll when compared to a high roll centre. Some tyres (wide) are going to be more sensitive to camber than others. Also a roll bar could be used to provide extra roll resistance.


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## mpduong (Dec 29, 2007)

In my opinion, the three wheel drive (2 front and 1 rear) has a tendency to oversteer because there is only one tire in the back and two in the front. You can compensate for this imbalance a bit by using wider tires in the rear then in the front. In addition to using wider tire in the rear, you should also pay attention to the camber changes in the rear wheel as the car turn. As you enter a turn, weight is transferred from the inside wheel to the outside wheel in the front. As that happens, the car will want to lean (or roll) to the outside. The roll in the vehicle will change the contact patch of the single rear wheel. This will cause the rear wheel to reduce grip which will induce oversteer. If a stiff anti-roll bar is used in the front, then body roll will be reduce. The compromise with stiff anti-roll bar is less ride comfort.
With a rear wheel drive, it give the driver the ability to induce oversteer. But it does not cause oversteer if the driver leave the throttle alone during the turn.
Front wheel drive inherently understeer due to the high loads on the front tires. Maybe the use of an FWD set-up is a more stable set-up for a three wheeler. I don't know much about the Doran, but it seems like a well thought out platform.
I don't want to scare you. I designed my car with very stiff springs out front to reduce body roll. I also used a wider rear tire. I am happy with the way my car handle when I drive my car around the neighborhood. I have not pushed the car very hard, but it does go through corners well. I won't make outrageous claims about great handling. Lets just say that the three wheel layout is stable. If you want to see more details of car's layout, look at the album below. I decided to use a car tire in the rear also to obtain a wider rear contact patch.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mpduong/

Also, some of you may enjoy reading the website below about 3-wheelers.

http://www.clevislauzon.qc.ca/Professeurs/Mecanique/ethierp/3-wheels/class3.htm


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

Hi Minh,
Nice to see your trike making the enthusiast sites.
What's the story on your rear sprocket? 
Who made it and for how much?
What is your gear ratio?

Manny
PS. Drop by for a beer.


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## Hemon Dey (Jul 31, 2008)

Thanks John and Minh ... sorry it has taken me a while to reply.

Seems like the common theme is to reduce body roll to minimise the effect of camber on the rear wheel, irrespective if it is the driving wheel or not - correct? But John, you indicate that the sensitivie to camber is a function on tyre width, this makes sense - however would it not then be more prudent to have a narrower (motorcycle type) tyre at the rear? (such as in the case of the trimagnum?)

John, I'm not sure I understand what you mean here:


John said:


> If you didn't use such a geometry but instead went for something with a ground level roll centre like equal length A arms the two wheels would lean the same amount as the single with body roll meaning if the tyres were similar the grip would deteriorate an equal amount especially if the tyre loads were balanced.


... I'm a bit new to this and not very familiar with what you are describing, are you able to expand on it to give me a link to read up on?

From this link:
"Worse, the vehicle may have to accelerate strongly and turn at the same time, for instance at a road crossing like to the right. In this case, weight is transferred to the rear due to the acceleration, which increases the weight on the rear wheel. With all this weight on the rear wheel, the acceleration may be even stronger so that the interior front wheel can lift off the ground and cause a rollover in front of the incoming traffic as illustrated:"

... it would appear that having the rear wheel driven too much could lead to a rollover condition, which is perhaps an even more dangerous situation. Perhaps this is also another reason why a FWD version might be a safer candidate?




mpduong said:


> Front wheel drive inherently understeer due to the high loads on the front tires. Maybe the use of an FWD set-up is a more stable set-up for a three wheeler. I don't know much about the Doran, but it seems like a well thought out platform.


Wel, I'm hoping it is seeing that it is as mature as it is. However I can't find that many sites/people who have done Dorans, more of them have done the trimagnum instead - which admittedly just looks more futuristic.




mpduong said:


> I don't want to scare you. I designed my car with very stiff springs out front to reduce body roll. I also used a wider rear tire.


But is a wider rear tyre actually better? ... I suppose the requirement is different for FWD as oppose to RWD. The latter might need a wider tyre to get enough grip as it is driven, compared to a FWD where it is only following.




mpduong said:


> I am happy with the way my car handle when I drive my car around the neighborhood. I have not pushed the car very hard, but it does go through corners well. I won't make outrageous claims about great handling. Lets just say that the three wheel layout is stable. If you want to see more details of car's layout, look at the album below.


Let me say that you've done an outstanding job with the car Minh, I'm very impressed - especially the body work. I'm only a mere electronics engineer, I have great respect to those who are mechanically oriented such as yourself.

I look forward to all your comments.

Best regards,
Hemon


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## mpduong (Dec 29, 2007)

I think the wider rear tire will give better overall tire grip in the rear in most conditions. Wider tires could cause a weird transition effect from large contact patch (read high grip) to small contact patch if there is excessive body roll. Imagine tipping a block up 2-3 degree. My strategy for minimizing changes to the contact patch from body roll is to over inflate the tire a bit (40-45 psi). I think it is still much better then a motorcycle tire which gives you a small contact patch in the first place. The other advantage to using a car tire is life. You get about 30kmi instead of 3 kmi per tire.

Manny - a beer sounds good. I have to show you the latest electric hot rod. As for the sprocket question, I used a 68T sprocket purchased from Electric Motorsport. I think they buy the sprocket from Sprocket specialist. Gear ratio will vary with drivetrain set-up. I designed my car to work between 5.25:1 ratio (no transmission).
Please note that chains are noisy. I wish I had used a belt to drive the rear wheel on mine.

Minh


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## Hemon Dey (Jul 31, 2008)

Thanks Minh, I will no doubt have more questions as I progress.

I wonder if you have the back axle attached to the main chasis via a strong spring if that would allow the back tyre to stay horizontal to the ground rather than changing the camber according to body roll.

I suppose we are getting into leaning machines territory  (eg. carver - though this is a 1F2R vehicle)

Hemon


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## john818 (Aug 1, 2008)

Hi Minh! I saw your reverse trike at Electric Draggin'. It was hard for me to get a good look with the people hanging all over it taking pictures. I was hoping to come back and talk to you on Sunday, but of course, it was rained out. I've been considering building a 2F1R for a long time, but I'd never actually seen one before. Well, maybe Jay Leno's Morgan cruising up I405 a couple of lanes away, but that's not the same thing.

I flipped through your Flikr album and was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing some additional details. Do you have a website or build log somewhere? I saw in this thread that you went direct drive at 5.25:1, but I was wondering what motor and batteries you used, what kind of acceleration and top speed you ended up getting, and what your total weight was?

Any info would be appreciated. I'm having trouble deciding what to build. I may end up just going with 4 wheels.

Thanks!
John


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## dan140465 (Jun 20, 2008)

Hi, i`m new to the forum, interesting thread guys, lookin at a reverse trike myself, pretty much akin to an ev t-rex, but with out the body work, does anyone know what motor / battery combo they use, as i`m after building somthing with similar performance.
cheers
Danny


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## tnkcarclnr (Aug 17, 2008)

cjbfabricating said:


> I have wanted to start a new project for a while. I initially was going to build another motorcycle but I ran onto this site by accident a while back. 85% of my trips are solo so it will probably be a recumbent single seater with the single wheel in the rear.
> I had some parts put back for another project. the rear wheel/sprocket/disc brake, swingarm,5 speed transmission, clutch and primary drive from a Harley FXR will be repurposed for my rear drive. A reasonably large DC motor will sit where the V-twin previously sat powered up with lead/acid batteries. We will fabricate the front section from scratch using rectangular and square mild steel tubing. The front tires and alloy wheels will probably come from a motorcycle as well as the used parts are light, cheap and available.
> I'll try to get something jigged up on a welding table and put a picture here to get opinions on whether I am crazy or not.


I am considering a trike project myself Have you seen rq rileys urbatrike


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## todayican (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey Dan, unless I am mistaken, the e-trex uses the ac propulsion unit (same as the tesla)


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## dan140465 (Jun 20, 2008)

Hi cheers for that, 
sounds expensive !
Do AC propulsion, sell to the the great unwashed, or only to vehicle manufacturers ?


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## Mannyman (Jul 26, 2007)

Try:
http://www.electroauto.com/catalog/ackits.shtml


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