Tribaker!
a "Re"Cycle : (three wheeled high performance vehicle built from recycled materials and powered for minimal environmental impact)
Yet another hair-brained idea by Greg (the Dictator) Meyers (see TurboStude and Salt2Salt….)
The Idea:
Playing on the urge to have a vehicle which is accepted by both the bikers and the hot-rodders I hang out with, I have been brooding over a 3 wheel design for 30-odd years (Here are some doodles etc. : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 . Since I have become the world’s authority on turbocharging the flathead six Stude motor (my motor holds the XO/BGC and XO/BFALT records at Bonneville) I wanted to use the pieces of that motor in my new plan. I have been running the TurboStude on the street off and on for a number of years. My idea is to develop a vehicle with two wheels in front, using late 40’s Stude parts for suspension. The frame will be a greatly modified 41’ Stude frame. The running gear will be the 190+ cube truck motor, a 4-speed Saginaw tranny, a Datsun“Zx” car rear center section, two sprockets and rear wheel drive sitting on ¼ elliptic springs. The body I want to develop will look like a channeled and chopped 37’ Stude roadster. To accomplish this, I found a 38' Stude basket case and a 41’Stude frame. I’m using a friend’s 37’ Coupe for “proportional” guidance… Considering that the race car weighed about 3400 lbs “wet”, I figure this thing should weigh in at about 1800 lbs “dry”.
click picture to
enlarge
The race car, with this motor did 137 mph so far, with a HP/Weight ratio of 0.066, and this car will have a ratio of 0.125, almost twice. Adding the aerodynamics of the roadster (smaller frontal area and boat tail) and subtracting the rolling friction of 3 vs 4 wheels, this car should get both good mileage and good performance. The key to handling will be the relationship between the center of gravity and the 3 wheels. I want the car to end up pointing forward if it spins, but be easy to turn quickly (it will have to compete with a Mini Cooper S fun factor….). Since LP gas has been selling for less, has an effective octane over 100 and has emissions, I will be using that to power this beast.
The Engine details:
The engine is from a late 50’s Stude truck, which in stock form was 185” and made about 100hp. It has a stroke of 4.375" and bore of 3.00”. The stock crank, which has now been detailed, is forged (as are the Ross pistons and stock Stude rods). It runs on more main bearing surface per displacement than any motor ever produced. The head is custom made with twice the water capacity, out of steel, with six combustion chambers modeled roughly after the shape of the Harley KR flathead dirt-track racer heads. The compression ratio is 8.5:1 right now, with the forged Ross pistons ( total seal rings). This might change with different boost levels and blowers I may use. The induction will be decided depending on whether or not I go with exhaust driven turbo or belt-drive turbo ala Dick Datson. May also experiment with fuel injection this time around. The oil pump is a modified Stude V-8 pump. Ignition is basically Mopar gold box electronic hooked to a Safeguard detonation sensing system and a high voltage coil. Electric fuel pump will be used with a cut-out for oil pressure and impact switch. I will be changing the intake to accept the LP, including a mixer instead of carb, designed and hand assembled by Ak Miller's wife.
TheFrame:
I
intend to keep the flavor of something that might have been constructed as long
ago as 1953 when I was born, and when the first turbochargers appeared on
construction equipment (which visually appeared very similar to the TO-3 which I
have been using). I will largely hide modern components, though I may use
disc brakes up front. The late 30's and 40’s frames had a novel
transverse front spring which I will use in almost stock configuration with
stock A-arms. I will space it out to give a wider track. 
41' Stude Commander frame
The frame will be wide enough to accommodate two people in a slightly staggered seating arrangement. It will use Stude rails and “Z’d” in back to pinch in and up for the rear suspension/drive.
The frame will be re-enforced above the rails with a drawn-on-mandrel seamless tube cage with integral 10 point roll-cage. This will have some removable sections around the doors which would allow it to compete in some racing at a later date.
Drivetrain: Power will be transmitted from the engine thru a three-speed box with overdrive. It then mates to a Nisson 240ZX rear independent rear suspension differential .
One drive axle flange has one 28 or 32 tooth sprocket bolted to it. A 60H chain carries the power back to a similar (but numerically different) sprocket which is attached to a specially constructed hub. This hub can be removed easily for tire changes and has incorporated in it an automotive type disk brake.
rear axle sketch
rear hub mock-up
The rear swing arm has half an ellipse spring fixed above the swingarm in front and with a shakel in the rear. This helps define the arc without posterior displacement. Chain tension will be adjusted by sliding the differential fore/aft on its splined shaft from the transmission. Below is one of many early ideas for the swingarm....
The Body:
I’ve been in love with late 30’s cars, Deco, etc. for a long time. I like the long nose-short rear look, fairings, boat-tails, exposed exhaust pipes of the era. I’d like to incorporate some of that in to the design.
Basically 37’Stude style “waterfall” grill which has been chopped in height.
Fenders in front will probably be either absent or faired “pods” ala Stinson SR-6 Reliant high-wingor Indian motorcycle. The car will be a roadster with tonneau cover and Duval-typewind-screen or Brooklands fold down screen.
It will have a boat-tail with a fairing extending back from the drivers headrest. I am debating over the best material for fabrication. It will depend on weight and the availability of front end sheet-metal. I do have access to a hood and grill surround as well as some 38’ fenders. I am probably going to use a recycled material (plastic milk cartons) to do the decking in a pattern not unlike the "Cobra" below. This Minnesota company may be providing the product: http://www.bytheyard.net/information.php?info_id=12
Hopefully,
by the time I have the chassis rolling, I will have acquired more pieces. A
good friend is able to form aluminum for me.
I will do the interior in a vintage wood
boat motif using parts from 30’s Studes and ChrisKrafts.
The Cobra
Rough
concept......
To make the body a little narrower, I will set the passenger seat a bit aft of the drivers seat as in old Brooklands cars. Upholstery will be red pleats with ivory side-panels. The dash will be burled wood and the steering wheel will be wood trim or ivory colored. The instruments are from a 36’ Stude.
Instrument
cluster from 36' Stude
Here are some 2-D images from a 3-D program called Google Sketchup:
New drawings as of 5/16/07:
Cush hub
Later sketchups
Some more frame pictures
I found the frame on a farm in White Bear Lake frozen into the ground. It took a jack-hammer and three grown men to extricate it. My friend Bob won't let me forget that day. Had I waited, it would have been gone. It cost $75....
The body will be a combination of steel and recycled material as yet to be developed, jointly with my daughter. As it stands, It looks like the track will be between 60.5 and 63 inches, and the wheelbase will be about 108 inches. The CG will be about 20" off the ground, with a weight distribution of about 36% on the rear wheel. If I can accomplish this, I should be able to corner at 1 G. I am researching some ideas for active weight transfer to improve handling. I have obtained a "behind axle" power rack and pinion from a Monte Carlo which looks like it will fit well.
9/18/07 I spoke with my 3-wheel mentor Dr. Starr. He agrees that a Jaw-type coupling and the springs in the automotive clutch disc should probably provide plenty of driveline shock absorbing capability. I have been toying with an unlocked differential coupled to some linkage, but will abandon this and weld the spider gears as in a drift car.
Here is the finished hub without cush drive for mounting the rear sprocket to the rear wheel:
Some calculations: Using the following knowns.... Differential ratio is 4.083:1 28 tooth front sprocket 32 tooth rear sprocket 28" tire, the speed at 4800 rpm will be 112 mph, 6000 rpm will be 139 mph and 6100 rpm will be 142 mph. The final drive ratio is 3.57:1 which with 290+ ft-lbs of torque will just about allow me to run without shifting gears (just leave it in 4th.......) or I could pull a trailer carrying extra LP bottles...
This is the passenger side differential flange cut down to accept the proximal side of the jaw-type coupler. The coupler is supported by an outboard bearing beyond the front sprocket. The bearing sits up against a "step" on the shaft which should prevent the assembly from working its way away from the diff housing. This arrangement should minimize differential carrier bearing wear somewhat. The front sprocket is bolted to the distal end of the coupling, the drive force being transmitted thru the jaws and intervening polyurethane or "buna-rubber" spider (not shown). This jaw-type coupler is 3.75" O.D. and cost $80. It is made by LoveJoy. I may encase the coupler in a sleeve with inside diameter 3.90" which will help center the coupler. The sleeve would be welded on to the sprocket flange.
Cush drive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (more welding will be done later)
Brakes: The rear disk and hub are one piece, with a 4.75" bolt center from a 77" MonteCarlo, as is the caliper and brake pads. The caliper is mounted on a custom plate which has a fulcrum on the axle and rotates freely around that axis. The plate has an ear extending towards the ground which is the attachment point for a drag link which goes forward to attach to the chassis. This should transmit rotational force on braking to the chassis. This point will be determined to prevent "jacking" on deceleration. The front brakes are done using the original spindles. The rotors are from a 77' Fleetwood, as are the bearings, calipers and pads. The stock wheel bearing grease seals are used. These rub on Jim Turner's bearing-spacers which are cut down to 0.67" thickness from 0.75" with the proximal side again radiused to accommodate the machining on the spindle. These are a shrink-fit on the spindle. He sells a caliper adapter for the Stude trucks which I have modified to allow it to clear the upper spindle and needle bearing on the pre-war cars. Back-spacing with steel washer stand-offs gets the caliper in line with the rotors. Two regular washers with 0.75" i.d. are needed under the regular "keyway" washer to get the outer bearing snugged up to its race. The front rotors have a 5" bolt circle which is not a problem for me. I am using 15" unilug aluminum wheels front and back. These will be "disguised" to look older with full moon discs. Pre-war Commanders, Presidents and most Stude pickups used a 5" bolt pattern.
Modified Turner truck disc conversion brackets 1 2
Swing-arm: In discussions with Dr. Starr, it seems that for this vehicle, a swing-arm radius of 30" would be optimal. That seemed long, but would make a few things work out better. The longer the wheelbase, the easier it is to get the mass low. The location of the swing-arm pivot needs to be above an imaginary line drawn from the top of the front tire to the contact patch of the rear tire and the longer swing-arm makes that easier. Leaving the components where they are, with the longer wheelbase afforded by the longer swing-arm will also effectively put less weight on the rear of the vehicle, and should improve turning characteristics. If the rear-end turns out to be a little too light, I can shift some heft back there or add ballast . I have purchased a pair of 1.75" wide trailer springs from Northern Tool which are said to be good for 750 lbs each. I plan to cut each about 4" beyond center on one end, and secure that end to the frame, with the "eye" end running rear-wards over the swing-arms, connected by a shackle. There will be a tube shock (probably from an early 50's Mopar) on each arm, fastened at one end to the swing-arm (adjustable by multiple holes in the bracket) and at the other to a frame element that comes about 8" up and across to tie the two sides of the swing-arm support assembly together. The swing-arms themselves are odd cross-section channel steel, the pivots being surplus double-ball bearing units sitting in machined carriers which in turn are welded into the swing-arms. Sideplay is adjusted with wired locknuts and shims. Axle adjustment and thus chain tension will be by machined slots in the swing-arm sandwiched with adjustable yokes.
Front suspension: I wanted to use that really cool pre-51' planar front suspension, but with some changes to suit the present application. The original spring had 16 leafs and an aggressive arch. This left ground clearance near 12", which was appropriate for the road conditions (and 4-door heft) of the original vehicle. I wanted to get the track as wide as a Caddy and as low as a Mini for cornering. Measuring the eye to eye unloaded spring, it was 46". I found a mid 80's chev truck front spring with a flatter profile, half the thickness and with symmetric eyes. It had 1/2" bushes. I made small bushings to bring the 9/16" holes in the spring perches down for a grade 8 half inch bolt. I used 2" square thick wall tubing to make spacers which would bring the A-arms out to about the right place to match the spring width and give the right camber. This can be further adjusted with stock camber shims.
A-arm spacers for wider track 1 2
Further
along, the shocks are mounted and an upper bracket is being fabricated
The 2003
MonteCarlo power steering rack is about 2.3 turns lock to lock, and internal
inspection reveals it can be used without power in this light vehicle. The outer ends pivot about where the
camber-limiting links are anchored, and I suspect will be good for minimal
bump-steer. The rack is “behind
the axle” type and is minimally heavier than a manual rack. A front sway-bar from a Caprice police
car is set in place. It will be
fastened to the camber-limiting links near their outer pivot. I’ll need to shorten the ends to
prevent interference with the steering.
Rack 1 Assembled front end with
engine for weight loading 1 2 Sway
bar location 1 Camber strut 1
Side of
front 1 Lt
front with shock brackets….tape on shock is lower limit of upper tube 1
Idea for a “Bomber Seat”
