need some opinions on this

[butchvoss]

I made up a couple of fork adapters for my leading link to increase suspension travel. My question is, would this work if i keep all the same and just make pivot point at new part and just make pivot point at need part and cut off the old pivot at welded adapter. (leave wheel where it is and make new pivot point at adapter so hopefully trail stays the same) Im confused so i bet you all are to..

[rrunner]

Seems to me the trail would remain the same, would increase wheel travel like you want.

[butchvoss]

Seems to me the trail would remain the same, would increase wheel travel like you want.

Thanks for the reply,That is what i was thinking, but I was told thinking gets me i trouble by my wife..Do you think it would make the steering harder of stay about the same..

[LarryA]

i'm assuming the new raw steel part will lean in and be welded to the existing fork tube, also assuming that the new part will pivot on the bail where it is located? if so, ill agree it will soften up the front end and give you 3or 4 in, of easy travel, it will be about the same geometry as my setup. i'm about 5 to 6 inches axle to fork tube pivot. i think i ended up where i am because of the 45 deg rake and setting up for 2inches of trail. i would probably get a few more opinions before lighting up the torch.....

[Ozarkryder]

Looks like you would get more travel from the fork, but the geometry wouldn't change too much. The shock may be a limiting factor depending on the length of shock travel.

[butchvoss]

i'm assuming the new raw steel part will lean in and be welded to the existing fork tube, also assuming that the new part will pivot on the bail where it is located? if so, ill agree it will soften up the front end and give you 3or 4 in, of easy travel, it will be about the same geometry as my setup. I'm about 5 to 6 inches axle to fork tube pivot. i think i ended up where i am because of the 45 deg rake and setting up for 2inches of trail. i would probably get a few more opinions before lighting up the torch.....

Thanks for the reply.My pivot point is 2 1/2. I will have to shorten up adapters to get 5-6 inch's of travel but that is not a problem.. Bike has 600 lbs on front wheel now. Im trying to make the suspension in front take consecutive bumps better with out it vibrating up the arms to shoulders.lol.. Im sure i will need new coil overs after BUT i sure hope it does not make the steering any heaver..

You all here are a great help and i sure appreciate it

[LarryA]

butchvoss.....i said 5or 6 in. axle to pivot on fork tubes ...turns out to be 7".... getting back to your front end....i think with 600# on front, the travel won't be that much unless you used a large diameter air shocks or large dia. springs. small dia. stiff springs or small dia air shocks under high pressure will tend go get stiff more quickly for a given distance of travel, than large diameter suspension components....think i'm right.....could be wrong...other opinions needed..

[LarryA]

to use your existing air shocks, you could tee the air lines together plus tie in to an small air tank this would add spring or cushion to the shocks, giving more travel with less pressure rise per inch of travel.... kind of a accumulator effect....im thinking a tank like football size. this would remote mounted of course, with shrader valve and guage mounted on tank. i did this on an old semi front end with flat springs. used 2 firestone helper air spring bags and a 5 gal air tank. 70# of air lifted the front end 2to 3 " ride was much better! some to think about!

[stacebg]

changing the pivot will not change the trail

personally i would bend the tube rather than cut and weld

[LarryA]

changing the pivot will not change the trail

personally i would bend the tube rather than cut and weld

i agree on this....I also don't think the fork tube length would change very much.

[butchvoss]

Thanks for the reply's....The forks are a complete welded assembly. The only part not is the top tree . I did thing about bending them but where would i get this done? They are made of 2 inch dom tubing. My brother in-law says his hydraulic exhaust bender wont do it .. Any ideas

thanks

[butchvoss]

changing the pivot will not change the trail

personally i would bend the tube rather than cut and weld

Thanks , I kind of thought that but was not sure..

[LarryA]

[LarryA]

[LarryA]

pix of fork and bail on last winter......thinking of bending......not as easy as it sounds?? I bent the link rods using a aceytelyne torch ...bolted a round disk to the table used a tab to hold the end of the 1" dom. heated, bent,moved heat ahead, bent more etc. heating the whole bend area at once could ask for a collapse of the tubing....getting both legs bent equal and not twisted would be a challenge, but could be done. if you can get set back 5to 6" from axle you will have a good riding front end.

[vwbug72501]

Back in the day (70's), I built a frame very close to the original Ed Roth trike. It consisted of a 3" .250 wall tube for the main frame member with with about a 90 degree bend. I was able to find a tube bending service that would do the job.

The guy packed the tube with sand, fired up a BIG rosebud torch, and used a come along to pull on the end of the tube. He had obviously done this kind of thing before! He would heat an area, pull a little, check the bend against a template, heat another area, pull some more, check again, and so on till it was finished. He said that the secret was packing the tube with sand so it wouldn't collapse.

No high tech tools just experience, care, and patience.

[butchvoss]

Back in the day (70's), I built a frame very close to the original Ed Roth trike. It consisted of a 3" .250 wall tube for the main frame member with with about a 90 degree bend. I was able to find a tube bending service that would do the job.

The guy packed the tube with sand, fired up a BIG rosebud torch, and used a come along to pull on the end of the tube. He had obviously done this kind of thing before! He would heat an area, pull a little, check the bend against a template, heat another area, pull some more, check again, and so on till it was finished. He said that the secret was packing the tube with sand so it wouldn't collapse.

No high tech tools just experience, care, and patience.

Nice idea., The problem i have is fork tubes are welded to the mid brace and lower T so both would have to be bent together at same time.. ..

[LarryA]

nothing wrong with a good weld and a well placed gusset. sounds like your fork setup is not heat and bend friendly. either way, the increased pivot/axle distance will really have a positive effect on your front end ride. travel wise i have probably 4" however 1.5" is the compressed amount, or if the wheel dropped into a hole in the road. 2.5 left for a bump. it seems like enough. nonetheless, the 750 honda rear shocks are the travel limits on my setup. also using the honda rear wheel up front....rear wheel/tire/axle are rated for 600# i'm @ 370 on the front axle with me in the seat.

[Tricycleman]

There is a formula that is used on your forks and your axle. Take a straight edge and run it along the angle of your fork clear to the floor and make a mark on the floor. Now come back with a square and lay it on the floor up to your axle make a mark on the floor. The distance between these two marks should be two - two and a half inches. Anything over two and a half inches spacing will give you a real sensitive steering and also a sharper turn. Anything less than two inches will make steering difficult. Unsure what you are using for suspension but if you are using air shocks replace them with shock with coil spring you'll be a lot happier with that suspension been there done that.

[butchvoss]

Lots of good info coming in.. Im kind of really going the weld route and get a nice set of coil over shocks..Thanks for all the comments,,, I did come up with a great idea now ( well i think i did lol ) for power hydraulic steering but that is still in the mind stage lol... One fix at a time.. Thanks again all.