Front end questions about V-8 trike

[Abe]

Any experienced feedback here would be appreciated. The front of my hand fabricated trike is 1,000 lbs or so (it is heavy steel, about the same over all weight as my F-150). It has a Honda 750V front end with an 18" tire. I bought a tire rated at 1,400lbs but when it arrived it is only 659lb rated.

The front tire gets hot after 50 or 60 miles. I'm designing a different front end to run a 6 or 8 ply small truck tire. I'm keeping the tree bolt from the 750 Honda that is longer than a Harley (I thought about a Harley front end with the Honda tree bolt & haven't ruled that out yet).

I like the leading design with overload shocks as that will reduce reciprocating weight. This HP400 with turbo 400 and T-Bird independent rear rides smooth and makes me feel like Wile E Coyote strapped to a rocket when the peddle goes down.

 

[Burnerboy]

Don't know the answer to your question....BUT Holy shi# that's one very cool azz machine you have there.. WOW!

Ronnie

3/6/22

 

[stacebg]

Any experienced feedback here would be appreciated. The front of my hand fabricated trike is 1,000 lbs or so (it is heavy steel, about the same over all weight as my F-150). It has a Honda 750V front end with an 18" tire. I bought a tire rated at 1,400lbs but when it arrived it is only 659lb rated.

The front tire gets hot after 50 or 60 miles. I'm designing a different front end to run a 6 or 8ply small truck tire. I'm keeping the tree bolt from the 750 Honda that is longer than a Harley (I thought about a Harley front end with the Honda tree bolt & haven't ruled that out yet).

I like the leading design with overload shocks as that will reduce reciprocating weight. This HP400 with turbo 400 and T-Bird independent rear rides smooth and makes me feel like Wile E Coyote strapped to a rocket when the peddle goes down.

think you could work for brinks armored car service

i am betting it steers pretty hard

i would not doing anything other than building a leading link

really not a lot of work!

it is easy to change springs or change the shock mounting on the swing arm which will change the effective spring rate

also you can reduce the trail which will make steering WAY easier. and you can change trail with a couple different swing arm pivot mounts.

dont try to do a "modified springer" front end you need the brace , tubing NOT bar, across the back of the wheel which ties the 2 sides together

the other thing i would suggest i would get away from 2 tie rods, use just one, (hot rods run just one all the time) may need to beef up the brackets, the reason i say this is they are fighting each other... i layed it out in autocad a long time ago to check.. if i recall non parallel bars is worse

hope that makes sense

 

[Abe]

think you could work for brinks armored car service

i am betting it steers pretty hard

i would not doing anything other than building a leading link

really not a lot of work!

it is easy to change springs or change the shock mounting on the swing arm which will change the effective spring rate

also you can reduce the trail which will make steering WAY easier. and you can change trail with a couple different swing arm pivot mounts.

dont try to do a "modified springer" front end you need the brace , tubing NOT bar, across the back of the wheel which ties the 2 sides together

the other thing i would suggest i would get away from 2 tie rods, use just one, (hot rods run just one all the time) may need to beef up the brackets, the reason i say this is they are fighting each other... i layed it out in autocad a long time ago to check.. if i recall non parallel bars is worse

hope that makes sense

I appreciate your feedback and advice. The photos you shared are some I'm already considering, and I think you sold me on the idea. I still need to look through my metal pile to see if I have what's needed. I'm sure I have most of it. It has a steering box with pitman arm and steers very easy with one hand. I'm hoping to ditch that and put bars on it, that would give me front brakes. I'm 65 and don't want to fight it on long trips. Again thank you for the useful advice.