Springfield Flyer.

[tauruck]

Neil, we were on this course in the military (1975) about this time of year.
The day started out boiling hot but that night it started raining African style.
This was the real stuff. The regulation rain coats started leaking after about 2 hours
and our foxholes were ponds in no time. Two guys couldn't lift a sleeping bag. Waterlogged
like you won't believe.

By day four we were just a bunch of animals, angry wet and under pressure while the instructors
slept on the transport. One month of constant rain, wet boots, clothing and the kicker was getting your breakfast
all served into one dixie. Eggs, milk, porridge, bread, sugar and meat all mixed in. I'm not big on getting wet these days.

We could have qualified as divers. I thought the officers would buckle and take us back to our barracks. They never let up.

I own a good raincoat these days.

[tauruck]

The rear end is sitting on a plate at the correct distance between the hoops
and the drive shaft will be a shorty.

[tauruck]

The heavy wall seamless tubing is cut but my dilemma is do I bore the tubing
or turn down the threaded bushing in order to get a press fit for welding?.

My M16 x 2 left hand thread tap will be here tomorrow so I'll be able to
finish the opposite ends of the 4 link part of the system.

Hopefully I'll have the rear end connected to the chassis by the weekend.

Lots to do still but at least things are moving.

[manta22]

Mike;

I'd turn the threaded end OD from the rear up to about 1/4" from where the bevel begins. This way you have a positive stop while pressing it in the tubing.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[tauruck]

Thanks Neil, will do.
That is the better option.

[tauruck]

This rear end mounting process is proving very difficult.
So far I've got a 4 link set up in the works but seeing as I won't
be using suspension how do I hang the rear end on the chassis
in relation to keeping it level?.

I think a Watts linkage will take care of the side to side bit
but once the rear end is aligned how do I attach it to prevent stresses related to
the up and down "non" movement?.

I can't use an anti roll bar either because the set up will be solid mounted.
Should I use tubing with spherical rod ends?.

Any help will be appreciated.

[kiwi belly tank]

Yep, just set it up like you have coilovers & use a solid link so you can go to coils if you want to & if you, you will need the biggest sway bar in the world to stop it falling over since it's a three point car.
  Sid.

[SPARKY]

I have not built a tricycle liner: but here is my observation of Skip Higginbotham's experience and my limited experience driving it as a liner.

Here's  what I would do if I were building one.  Rob and Brandon have a great example on how to build a suspension "walking beam" front axel.

Higginbotham's was a solid frt. if I remember correctly.  It took time and many attempts to find the combination of tire position and inflation before the car would track "hands off".

I would build a slightly adjustable fore and aft weight solid mounted walking beam frt. axel so that I could weight balance the front tires.

I the rear I would mount the  left rear axle mount as a hinge pivot ---solid mounted to plates that could be moved slightly and re-drilled to move the axle fore or aft for alignment.

With this piviot the right side could move up or down.On the right side I would have big plates that could be drilled in various places to slightly change the weight bias side to side this would also every so slightly change the front side to side weight bias.

Solid adjustable simple --farm boy Aggie Engineering!!
 YMSV  your mileage should vary 

[tauruck]

Sparky, that idea of plates for the rear did come to mind
but I was thinking I'd end up with a bunch of oval holes or slots everywhere.

I get what you're saying but if you had a photo it would help a lot.

Sid if the rear end is solid there's no need for a sway bar is there?.
If I used some hollow bar to replace coil overs with rod ends do you think that would be enough?.
I've got 40mm OD with a 6mm wall thickness but I guess the chassis mounting will have to be a substantial piece
with most of the weight being concentrated on a very small area.

What do you think I should do?. Build a bulkhead left to right across the top of the chassis?.

[kiwi belly tank]

It sounds like you've already built for suspension so just go with strut bars to replace the coilovers & yes it will need to be stout to handle the shock loads. The sway bar comment was relevant to having suspension so you might want to build that into the chassis in case you find that ridged is not working for you. It's easier to do now than try & retro later.
Betsy is solid in the rear & suspended in the front against the adjustable rebound stops & the wheels are staggered.

Sparky, your idea would allow body roll that would induce yaw.
  Sid.

[SPARKY]

Sid  Body roll on solid how would that work

Mike  ---when I need to make a slight change to change the weight bias I just drill new holes ---clamps and spot welds to weigh--then drill new holes where they make the most sense

[kiwi belly tank]

You said "mount the left rear axle on a hinge pivot".
  Sid.

[tauruck]

Thanks guys. Tough choice.
I really want to go with Sparky's idea but the rumour
I heard was that the Hakskeen Pan track was bumpy.
This section is where the locals have been running their road cars
at what is called Kalahari Speed Week. Run what you brung for a timing slip.

I don't think anyone there got to 200 except for one bike. I may be wrong and my info
unreliable.

If I get to run on the good section reserved for Bloodhound things may be different.
I'm going to have to build a rear end that can handle both eventualities and be fairly easily
changed.

New challenge but no one said this stuff would be easy. Sid I have a new set of coil overs
that were built for my "wing car" back in the 80s. I could be wrong but they have 2000Lb springs.

I'll get them over to my mate at Bilstein to have him check them over.

I'll keep you guys posted and thanks so much for the help. I don't make a single move without
the advice I get here on the forum. Between Tom, Sid and Sparky I'm sure I'll find a solution.

[SPARKY]

Sid,  I would build a mount when is locked down fore and aft it is also locked down vertically but if the right side can be moved up and down but the left side is on a hinge pivot--this would allow one to change the side to side weight bias on the drive tires  I find I do better when I start out with a little more more on the right rear.

Mike,
 picture what your right side would look like if you rotated your mounting plates 90 degrees and took some of that heavy wall tubing and a big bolt  and make a hinge that the axel could slightly be moved fore and aft on.  That way you could align the axel to the center line the bolt it down. 

The right side then could slightly move up and down to level and weight bias things.  YMBV!

[Sumner]

.....I heard was that the Hakskeen Pan track was bumpy.
This section is where the locals have been running their road cars...



....at what is called Kalahari Speed Week. Run what you brung for a timing slip......

I looks like 2015 was cancelled for some reason but the links to explain why don't work for me....

http://speedweeksa.com/

....looks like a promising place to run.  Also due to the links not working for me I couldn't find speeds from2013 and nothing about 2014??

Sumner