Build suggestions

[clintb]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fRU8L83s0g

  If this link works, it's a video that my grandson put on youtube. I'm looking for suggestions, it looks too tall, but I put seat brackets about 4'' tall and I will be taller than in the video. I'm going to move the radiator down to the right side, maybe I could move the fuel tank down to one side.

 I'm 65 and need the seat height to get in and out easier. It just don't look right, need some suggestions.

[Mick]

yes it looks very tall,  why is is he roll bar 15 inches higher than your head? 

[captainamerica]

Please tell him to put the rear tire on in the correct direction...

Other then that the roll hoop looks correct for the drivers position, or at least the expected drivers position. But to those people on this forum who just think that the roll hoop is the bar behind the drivers head, it has a purpose, if you flip, which from the look of the video seems like a valid possibility it keeps your noggin off the pavement. Just do a broom stick test on your trike. While sitting in the vehicle lay the broom stick front to back across your front and rear hoops, if it hits you in the face...your pretty much already dead.

And below for the visual learner like myself. If you think I made it too far, don't forget the helmet, and the fact that if your upside down gravity is dragging your towards the ground and out of the seat.


This is why you bring your butt forward your knees up and your head down, lower head height = lower vehicle height. This also applies to cars, just look at a corvette and a viper, the difference being they have an A-pillar to go with the B-pillar which allows them to avoid the broom stick test (sort of).


Below is what I would call the roll hoop to meet the rules not the intent. I think its mildly justified in this case since that car is basically going to kill the driver one way or another in an accident so not having a useful hoop is not exactly top of the list in safety issues.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HillGraham19690801Lotus-Nordkehre.jpg

Rant done, I only say these things because there are some vehicles on this site that are not safe from this perspective, but I am not here to tell people how to build their own ideas. We all choose the risks we take.

As far as help goes, you need to to strengthen the area around the driver, not for safety although that would be a viable reason as well. You have what is known as a ladder frame chassis between your roll hoops which is allowing extreme flexing which is why the vehicle leans the way it does because the load is not transferring well between the front wheels. If your worried about the ability to get in and out, just make a second rail about 4-6" above the lowest frame rail on either side of the driver. This will give you better torsional rigidity in the chassis. I would stiffen the torsion bars in the VW suspension you are using at the front to help stop the leaning. Beyond that I would need some more specifics about what issues you want to address.

-Andrew