My First Microcar Build

[Grommet]

Hi Everyone

This is my first post...

Im about 1/3 way through my replica build 

This is a photoshop of what Im aiming for:



What do you think?

Grommet

[steven mandell]

I think it looks great!
Apparently you and I are on a similar path.
Mine resides on its side in my living room so I can visualize the underpinnings that I intend to modify.
One note of caution though.  You will need overly stiff front springs to keep from bottoming out if you decide to take on a passenger, as with the height of the tires that you have selected that fill the wheel wells so nicely, you will only have about 2" of vertical wheel travel available. 
When considering the only 195 lb weight of the original  car, you would likely be increasing your sprung weight by a factor of 2 and a half or more, so your wheel travel may be used up with 2 aboard even before you hit a bump.
I have 6" aircraft wheels, and pretty stiff springs, but haven't selected tires yet or fully created and assembled my suspension, so I can only ask if anyone else can chime in with suggestions that hopefully will come close to the look that you have photoshopped, and not bottom out under normal driving conditions.
Yes I do realize that they came with inexplicably knobby tires on only 5" wheels when new.

[richard]

make sure you can get in one before you build it !! apparently if your over average height or footsize the replica , yet another , will be useless to you .

[Trident]

make sure you can get in one before you build it !! apparently if you are  over the average height or foot size the replica , yet another , will be useless to you .

Peel Engineering (IOM) did offer a larger/higher dome option for taller drivers. No two Trident  domes were the exact same size or shape.

[Grommet]

Thanks for the replies

Steve my wheels are 8” all 3 from the donor Triumph (front, rear and spare) also the hubs, brakes and suspension. All I have needed to fabricate are the swivels which are on 2” taper bearings; these sit roughly where the original Peel shocks were mounted.

The full travel is around 1 ½” and the ‘sprung weight’ is considerably reduced as the wishbones are actually only acting as stays and are fixed rigidly to the body ie unsprung as are all of the steering gear, track rod and the swivels.
 
Just the hub and wheel are mobile and the rate is adjustable so I can hopefully get it just right once I can test drive. It’s a very compact set up and fits nicely in the restricted space.

8”x 3.5 tyres are readily available with all sorts of tread patterns and speed ratings. Original peel tyres are now so rare my view is that they are best left for the few original machines out there.

I think the ride at the front may end up fairly hard but only time will tell and I don’t anticipate doing more than a few thousand miles a year in such a small vehicle!

I know some are fed up with replicas but I realistically couldn’t afford an original even were a wreck to become available and having restored it would not be comfortable with insuring it or using on the road for fear of the scale of the loss. £20k plus?

Richard, that’s a good point, I am average build and have sat in the body mould and imagined the dome! I think I will just about fit!! As Trident suggests, if all else fails a taller dome will have to be made.

Grommet

[steven mandell]

With only 1 and 1/2" of travel, you should just be able to get away with the tire size and clearances shown.
Could you please supply a picture or drawing showing your front suspension layout?

[Peel replica, Steve Fisk]

Hello grommet , sounds a cool idea the bigger wheels are interesting , pictures needed !!! I'm picking up a trident replica  at the end of this month , I can't afford the dome so it will have to be a convertable haha

[Grommet]

Here is a pic which illustrates crudely the set up..It wont look exactly like this.

Ive done full engineering drawings so I know it fits ok..

The wheelbase had to be shortened slightly to accommodate the large wheel. The steering is the standard Peel set up and Ive already finished that part.

The only thing Im not 100 % on is exactly what the turning circle will be until I mock it up on the body.



Grommet

[Trident]

Is there anyone here not building a Peel replica?   

[Bob Purton]

I'm not!
If I did though I would have gone the Tina route. I like the suspension idea and its in good microcar tradition too. Both my cars, Inter and Isetta use a similar system where just the hub moves, no swing arms which change the camber constantly. The bigger wheels will detract from the Peel look but I'm sure it will make it much more drivable. Keep it up Grommet!

[richard]

say cheese Grommet 

[Rob Dobie]

Is there anyone here not building a Peel replica?   

I'm not building any Peels, Trident. But as you can see in the photo, the two genuine cars that I owned in1976, the blue one is now owned you.

[steven mandell]

I like the suspension idea and its in good microcar tradition too. Both my cars, Inter and Isetta use a similar system where just the hub moves, no swing arms which change the camber constantly.

So you are thinking that no camber change is better than too much, or wrong direction of camber change?
Wouldn't it be best to engineer in the correct direction and amount of camber change for better cornering?

I suppose the reason that I had only noticed this type of suspension on single front wheel cars is due to their being no good way to effect proper camber alteration with this configuration.   Although I do notice that if one cheats by leaning into corners on my single front wheel Arola, it does feel less likely to tip over.  Very important on this car, as I can generate a rocking couple by placing the tip of my index finger at the top of its tall body work, straight above the rear axle.  After about a half a dozen finger tip pushes, in synch with the resonant frequency of the springs- I can actually get a rear wheel to hop off the ground.

[Grommet]

Well Im not claiming to be any sort of expert but the camber does appear to change with my set up,  not really as a result of suspension movement.... it changes in response to the  degree of turn due to the inclination of the swivels and offset from the wheel centre?  I think adjusting the inclination of the swivels will allow a degree of alteration?

I did notice that one side rises and one side lowers slightly with my set up when cornering....

I will know better how it handles once i have it ready for a test drive and its not exactly going to be a racer with only 98cc !!

Grommet

[Grommet]

Well Ive just experimented and by adjusting the inclination of the swivel I can get as much or as little  camber as I could reasonably want....whether I need to make any adjustments remains to be seen.