Optimizing controls.

[Liteway]

So I'm in quandary about about the next evolutionary step for DS/2, but two features I am keen on retaining are the centered driving position and side stick steering.

Man machine interface:
The centered driving position gives a feeling of balance and athleticism I do not get in a side by side.
The side stick steering provides a feel, speed and precision I do not get though a steering wheel: but I have an idea to improve it.

When shifting, some steering leverage is given up which can slow steering response input (its harder to steer with one hand).

Solutition: Imitate Motorcycle practice which never forces you to release the bars to work another control.
The aspect of the bike solution I don't like though, is using a toe up under a lever for upshifting. I always felt that its a bit awkward to move your foot around the lever and even then your leverage using muscles to lift the foot and use a single toe to for contact is not that comfortable.

This is where I can gain an advantage over bikes. I have a nice broad footbox to work with. By moving the clutch release to the left stick and away from a floor pedal, I can free up floor space and use a manual motorcycle bar lever on the left side for more precise control, an incidental improvement.

In place of the former clutch pedal, I'll place a couple of smaller pedals side by side to the left side of the brake. Left pedal, down for downshifts, right pedal down for upshifts, side shifter eliminated. I'll stagger their heights a bit to make them more distinguishable without looking at them.



Opinions?

[DaveJ98092]

It should work for you. I right foot brake so my left foot does 90% of nothing in my cars. So moving the clutch to the left steering stick should work. Put a flat center pivot left peddle in so you can toe up shift and heel down shift that way you just hit the heel down from top gear all the way down to first then 1 toe push for neutral.

I have been playing with the dual stick steering idea in my head. Have you thought about using some 1/4 to 3/8's inch Aircraft grade wire rope, the kind they use on DC-3's and such running thru some 6 inch diameter pulleys and a spring loaded tensioner? I know you had deflection issues with some Heim joints at times. They make some nice Nylon lined pulleys with roller bearings for older aircraft.

[Liteway]

Thanks for your input Dave.
The idea of a center pivot pedal is one to investigate. Didn't Harleys once employ heel and toe shifters? Maybe still, I don't know. No need to lift and shift the foot to go from upshifting to downshifting and space left over for a dead pedal.

The pulley and cable idea is not so appealing. The current system is less bulky, more direct, less complex, not a problem looking for a solution.
I probably do not fully understand your system, but wouldn't it be pull/pull with no ability to push the cables, giving up half your leverage and rendering it steerable only by pulling, not pushing the sticks?
{(later edit) nevermind , been looking at aircraft flight controls and I understand how they are push/pull now. Or push/pull throttle cables, sheez, where have I been? I now see how such a system could work and even see advantages, and if starting over I would have a closer look. I still have reservations about how much "feel" you can get though a cable, a comparison of cable and direct linkage shifted transmissions comes to mind. Oops, that might not be fair either, a cable working through a housing suffers through a lot of friction a pulley directed cable does not.}

I do not recall any deflection problems with heim joints in my steering application. The only weakness in the system now is some slight play in home made plain bearings where the bell cranks attach to the steering shaft, nothing I notice on the road, but I do when the trike is not moving. I'm looking at replacing those with heims as well or maybe needle bearings.