My Elio Alternate Project Is Underway.

[Mark BEX]

I was asked in the FB group why the rear swingarm pivot was high, here is my answer to that:

Mind your own business, what, are you a policeman, you nosy person?

Oh wait, that was my initial thought of reply, but then I wrote this:

The swingarm pivot is high and always was going to be, including on the prototype for good reason.

Driving a 3 wheeler on older roads has a distinct disadvantage, and it's been noted in some tests of them, Vanderhall, Morgans etc in that it's often difficult to miss a hole or a bump with one of the wheels, obviously the rear wheel being a big offender. Normal cars you might just drive the wheels either side of the hole. So one complaint has been hitting those holes or bumps.

I can't change that, but I can make the ride more comfortable by allowing the rear wheel to move backwards as it rolls over the bump. See Blue arrows and yellow arcs.

This also has a small effect of offering a 'rising rate' suspension, one that can be softer early in the travel, but increasing gets firmer so less chance of bottoming out. That also helps when you start putting weight in the rear of the car too, passenger, bags, dead bodies, illegally clubbed baby seals etc..

Anyone who has driven an older VW Beetle, or been involved in Off Road Racing, where the VW front ends ruled for many decades, it's the same, the VW front end moves in a similar rearward arc. You can see clearly on a Bug's front end the downward angle of the control arms ..

Another advantage is that it allows the fuel tank to be there under the pivots, the ideal place in the car for the tank.

 

[Mark BEX]

in this area, my light bulb isn't just dim, its not even turned on .... in looking back, I can see there is a difference in design ..... I'd appreciate hearing about the advantages of the new design

It's a long story that goes back before this project, to my quest to find easy to produce, universal mounting bushes for swingarms, control arms etc.

I spent a lot of time going through parts shops, bush suppliers etc and finally found a common GM suspension bush, Chev Colorado in the USA, that is an ideal light press fit into a standard size water pipe. You can buy both anywhere in the world, and you don't have to go to a machine shop.

So I made up a couple of rod ends with everything hardware store bought, water pipe, booker rod, nuts and tube nuts, to make these simple rod ends, by simply welding a nut to the pipe, check ... (left my phone at the factory so no pictures)

... then I wondered around the factory considering what design for the chassis mounting brackets, and then the lighbulb struck as I walked past a length of 60mm/2.36" box tube, holy smoke, a perfect fit! Enough side to side movement for production tolerances, easy clearance for angles of travel, and a simple case of lasering square holes into the rear roll cage crossmember and weld them in place, just wonderful! No individual brackets to handle and line up, neat looking, box tube seen in the purple crossmember here ...

Compare new to old, oh and I forgot to mention that the new setup is adjustable, the old one wasn't, relying only on accurate jigging. the old style had sqyuare tubes that needed to be 'fishmouthed' by hand to suit where they met the round tubing, the folded sheet is simply laser cut to shape. You can see the fishmouth on the left lower corner of the purple sheet.

Some days are better than others :-)

 

[JEBar]

thanks for taking the time and effort to reply .... now that I know what I'm looking at, it makes perfect sense

 

[W. WIllie]

Always thinking "Cents". KISS is still the answer. IMHO

 

[Mark BEX]

Always thinking "Cents". KISS is still the answer. IMHO

I am more interested in 'Time'.

'Cost' comes in a close second.

 

[Mark BEX]

Anti-dive in the front suspension can help,

I designed it in from the beginning, as simple as lowering the main crossmember down at the front, which tilts the attached control arms forward.

It's not just for braking, anti-dive comes into effect in cornering as well, as the turning drag force on the tire acts like a brake, so a little less chassis roll (lean).

being an anti-rise design.

Correct, the braking tyre drag force opposes the vehicle's direction, helps to stop the swingarm pivot rising.

One thing I forgot to mention, is in a rear end crash, the wheel is going to be forced under the car, and hopefully rise the rear end. All this absorbing the kinetic energy, so that less gets transfered into the passengers.

 

[84mpg]

Gotta love it... When I was young, somewhat fearless (and dumber), I didn't really appreciate features like this. Now my old bones are thankful for the thought behind design and safety. This is awesome!

 

[Mark BEX]

thanks for taking the time and effort to reply .... now that I know what I'm looking at, it makes perfect sense

Great, now could you explain it to me please?

 

[Mark BEX]

Here's all the laser cut parts, top half of them waiting to be folded tomorrow, and the swingarm adjustable pivot bushes I showed the 3D picture of yesterday.

I remembered to bring my phone home today

 

[JEBar]

Great, now could you explain it to me please?

of course ....
It's a long story that goes back before this project, to your quest to find easy to produce, universal mounting bushes for swingarms, control arms etc.

you spent a lot of time going through parts shops, bush suppliers etc and finally found a common GM suspension bush, Chev Colorado in the USA, that is an ideal light press fit into a standard size water pipe. You can buy both anywhere in the world, and you don't have to go to a machine shop.

So you made up a couple of rod ends with everything hardware store bought, water pipe, booker rod, nuts and tube nuts, to make these simple rod ends, by simply welding a nut to the pipe, check ... (left my phone at the factory so no pictures)

... then you wondered around the factory considering what design for the chassis mounting brackets, and then the lighbulb struck as I walked past a length of 60mm/2.36" box tube, holy smoke, a perfect fit! Enough side to side movement for production tolerances, easy clearance for angles of travel, and a simple case of lasering square holes into the rear roll cage crossmember and weld them in place, just wonderful! No individual brackets to handle and line up, neat looking, box tube seen in the purple crossmember here ...

Compare new to old, oh and I forgot to mention that the new setup is adjustable, the old one wasn't, relying only on accurate jigging. the old style had sqyuare tubes that needed to be 'fishmouthed' by hand to suit where they met the round tubing, the folded sheet is simply laser cut to shape. You can see the fishmouth on the left lower corner of the purple sheet.

Some days most certaily are better than others :-)