My Elio Alternate Project Is Underway.

[Mark BEX]

I am still on setting up the steering, it was always going to be difficult, and it is proving to be so.

For example: Today's issue I came across is lower ball joint travel, or lack of it not allowing enough steering angle. The ball joint is not perpendicular to the KPI (king pin axis) and so swivels when the wheels are turned, rather than rotates, and it swivels too far ...

It's all surmountable, it just takes time, frustration and a few skinned knuckles. Luckily being Australian, I have all the swear words I need.

 

[Mark BEX]

I sorted the ball joint binding I think, without any actual modifications other than what I was modifying anyway, that's good I hope.

I will be sorting out the steering for a bit, you can see here all the bits of steel I have for testing and making patterns, locating where things will eventually go.

Quite the mess

 

[W. WIllie]

On most frabications if it is not messy, that just means no progress is being done.

 

[JEBar]

Mark, don't know if you are aware but EM couldn't come up with a good steering/suspension in house .... to do so they ended up paying Rousch Racing (NASCAR) to take care of designing/building/ testing theirs .... that couldn't have been cheap

 

[3wheelin]

I sorted the ball joint binding I think, without any actual modifications other than what I was modifying anyway, that's good I hope.

I will be sorting out the steering for a bit, you can see here all the bits of steel I have for testing and making patterns, locating where things will eventually go.

Quite the mess

View attachment 25407

Carry on Mark! I never had so much fun watching your 3wheeler takes shape.

 

[Mark BEX]

Mark, don't know if you are aware but EM couldn't come up with a good steering/suspension in house .... to do so they ended up paying Rousch Racing (NASCAR) to take care of designing/building/ testing theirs .... that couldn't have been cheap

I love designing front ends, have a few of them under my belt, no problem.

My aim, as usual, is to use 'off the shelf' parts, so can get a bit tricky sometimes working out how to get it all working in harmony when you don't want to modify the parts, rather using a method of introducing further simple to make parts to tie everything together.

Elio Motors' pull rod front suspension has been around since the 1970's btw, but remember, even in a light accident, in which the front suspension is likely to be the primary damage area, you are bound to Elio's mercy to source those front suspension components.

 

[Mark BEX]

Main crossmember out and on the bench so I can make up the steering rack mountings.

Scissors, paper and measuring things to make patterns

 

[JEBar]

this picture sure helps me to understand the placement of your modified steering rack

 

[Mark BEX]

this picture sure helps me to understand the placement of your modified steering rack

Yes, that picture shows the correct angle of the steering pinion pointing towards the middle of the car, to facilitate the angle of the steering shaft from the steering wheel.

All be mounted by Monday so you'll see it then anyway as I designed the mountings, and gave the file to the laser shop today .

 

[Mark BEX]

What it looks like straight off the laser bed ..