BSA Three Wheeler.

"Berang" (berang) 03/02/2017 at 04:46 • Filed to: None

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Like a Morgan, but front wheel drive.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Berang 03/02/2017 at 05:47

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i wonder how often the front shafts need greasing as i see no boots.

bhtooefr > Berang 03/02/2017 at 05:52

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Fun fact: Front-engine FWD is by far the safest configuration for a delta three-wheeler, as long as it has an open or torsen differential. (Although, that one’s front-mid-engine FWD...)

Optimum weight distribution for a three-wheeler is around 67/33 (with the tradeoff being, more weight forward is more likely to lift the rear wheel under braking, but more weight rearward is more likely to lift a front wheel under cornering.

The advantage of FF in a three-wheeler, however, is that it’s impossible to power the vehicle over in a corner, whereas RWD can do it easily. (You can still flip in a corner by coming in too hot, of course.) Once a wheel lifts, an open differential sends all power to the airborne wheel, and a torsen diff multiplies the zero torque making it to the airborne wheel, so no torque makes it to the wheel on the ground. Either way, you stop accelerating.

Now, speed-sensitive differentials, Detroit lockers, and double-freewheel differentials (like what some tricycles use and what Volkswagen used in very early Beetles occasionally) will let you power it over...

In any case, Interesting suspension design - double wishbone where the wishbones are transverse leaf springs? And the leaf springs will give some damping...

VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated. > pip bip - choose Corrour 03/02/2017 at 05:59

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I think I’m more worried about brakes at this point. Is that a single inboard drum? The 8 leaf springs as suspension arms is also a little sketchy.

I’m ok with it though.

pip bip - choose Corrour > VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated. 03/02/2017 at 06:07

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only need bugger all brakes , as it wouldn’t make much power.

:P

Berang > pip bip - choose Corrour 03/02/2017 at 06:18

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probably all the time. like every other moving part on a pre-war car

Berang > VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated. 03/02/2017 at 06:23

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Transverse leaf springs doubling as suspension arms was surprisingly common at one time... probably not very hairy when an engine is only making a couple dozen horsepower. Trabants used a transverse leaf spring as the upper control arm until they switched to 4-stroke power at the end of production.

bhtooefr > bhtooefr 03/02/2017 at 06:28

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Er, damnit, tadpole three-wheeler, not delta.

Deltas, rear-engine RWD is safest IIRC, for similar reasons - you want the weight over the pair of wheels, and you want to lose propulsion if one of those wheels lifts.

Berang > bhtooefr 03/02/2017 at 22:07

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I would think the rear engined one would be less ideal because of a lack of weight on the wheel that steers? Could be pretty hairy on rough or loose surfaces.