www.d-trikes.com

How to build a Drift Trike

Published by Adam Crouchley

1"

www.d-trikes.com

Table&of&Contents&

INTRODUCTION) 3!

PLANNING)YOUR)BUILD! 4!

FRAME! 5!

WHEELS! 9!

REPLACEMENT!WHEELS,!HUFFY!GREEN!MACHINE!ETC! 9)GO!KART!WHEELS) 10!!TROLLEY!WHEELS) 11!SLEEVES) 12)

MOUNTING)REAR)WHEELS! 13!

MOUNTING!REPLACEMENT!WHEELS!BEARINGS! 12!GO?KART!STUBS! 14)BUSHES! 16)FRONT)END! 16!

FRONT!WHEEL! 16!BRAKES! 17!PEGS! 18!

SEATS! 19!

RIDING)TIPS! 20!

USEFUL!LINKS! 20!

INDEX! 21!

CREDITS! 22!

LEGAL! 23! All contents copyright © 2012 by Dori Media. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the

related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher."

2"

www.d-trikes.com

Introduction&"I’m"Adam"Crouchley,"founder"of"www.d9trikes.com."I"started"drift"triking"in"2009"and"since"we"set"up"the"website,"the"worldwide"drift"trike"community"has"gone"from"strength"to"strength.""Building"a"drift"trike"is"a"lot"of"fun"and"very"rewarding."You"can"be"as"creative"as"you"like"when"you"are"building"your"trike"and"you"may"just"learn"a"few"things"about"physics"and"engineering."This"ebook"won’t"tell"you"exactly"what"you"need"to"do,"because"everyone"has"access"to"different"tools"and"parts."This"e9book"will"give"you"the"tips"and"show"you"the"tricks"you"need"to"successfully"use"the"parts"you"can"get"your"hands"on."""At"the"completion"of"this"book"you"will"be"able"to"build"an"entry"level"drift"trike"and"start"enjoying"the"buzz"of"downhill"drift"triking!""The"methods"and"styles"used"in"this"book"are"methods"that"have"worked"and"are"proven."There"are"a"lot"of"methods"that"are"better"but"take"a"lot"more"time"or"money"to"get"a"similar"result.""I"would"like"to"thank"all"the"guys"around"the"world"that"regularly"solve"peoples"problems"on"our"website."With"out"you"guys,"drift"triking"would"not"be"what"it"is"today.""Right"from"the"start,"we"would"like"to"point"out"that"drift"triking"can"be"a"dangerous"sport,"you"will"be"riding"on"public"roads"and"often"with"other"traffic."You"must"always"follow"the"road"rules,"local"laws"in"your"state/country"and"you"always"wear"safety"gear.""We"speak"on"this"topic"from"experience.""Safety"first."Ride"safe."

3"

www.d-trikes.com

"

Planning&your&build&"TOOLS%YOU’RE%GOING%TO%NEED"Welder"Angle"grinder"or"similar"Electric"drill"Socket"set"Safety"glasses"and"earmuffs""PLANNING%Like"any"project,"you"need"to"plan"your"build"from"the"start"so"you"can"get"it"finished"and"get"out"there"sliding!""Draw"your"trike"out"in"fine"detail."Work"out"what"parts"you"have"and"what"you’re"going"to"need."Remember"the"number"one"rule"when"building"a"drift"trike;""

“Light, Strong, Cheap . . . Pick two” ""BASIC%MEASUREMENTS%There"has"been"a"lot"of"talk"around"ideal"wheelbase"for"a"drift"trike"and"to"date"this"is"the"best"we’ve"seen."Axle"to"axle"length"(front"to"rear)"is"best"around"1000mm"91100mm"and"width"outside"to"outside"of"wheels"around"900mm"is"good.""When"you"mount"your"seat,"your"seat"should"be"set"so"that"the"rear"axle"sits"around"1009200mm"behind"your"lower"back."""

4"

www.d-trikes.com

""

Frame&A"frame"can"be"built"in"any"design,"but"the"front"end"needs"to"be"made"from"a"bicycle"of"some"description."This"can"be"a"BMX,"mountain"bike"or"even"a"pitbike"front"end."The"most"common"choice"is"BMX"because"they"are"cheap"to"get"hold"of"and"the"small"20”"wheel"doesn’t"rub"on"your"leg"like"the"larger"mountain"bike"wheel"does."

%"""""

"" """

""""

"

Pic 1 – A bike to start with Pic 2 – frame cut

Pic 3 – Top bar on frame. This can be custom built, see pic 7

5"

www.d-trikes.com

"When"you"are"choosing"a"bicycle"to"tear"apart,"first"check"what"kind"of"steel"the"bike"is"made"from."If"it"is"alloy,"you"will"need"to"TIG"weld"the"frame."""Some"people"use"more"of"the"bike"frame"when"building"their"drift"trike,"but"often"these"frames"

will"break"just"in"front"of"the"seat."Normally"a"bicycle"doesn’t"bear"so"much"load"at"this"point.

Pic 5 – Original lower bar from the bicycle is retained%"Most"commonly"used"for"the"frame"is"2”"(51mm)"exhaust"tubing"with"a"1.6"or"2mm"wall."Sometimes"RHS"is"used"for"the"frame"too.""The"2"gussets"as"shown"in"Pic"6"greatly"improve"a"drift"trikes"strength."Where"the"gussets"are"on"the"below"trike"is"where"a"frame"is"most"likely"to"snap,"and"they"often"do"if"not"reinforced.""

Pic 4 – Most frames have their own style%

Pic 6 – Shows gussets added for extra strength

6"

www.d-trikes.com

""Use"what"you"can"to"support"parts"when"assembling"your"frame."Tack"it"together"and"then"measure"it"up"to"make"sure"it"is"square."Turn"the"front"wheel"to"90"degrees"to"make"sure"the"frame"doesn’t"hit"the"ground"at"full"lock."

"Pic"8"shows"about"the"right"amount"of"angle"for"the"headpiece/forks,"often"referred"to"as"‘rake’."This"is"hard"to"measure"the"angle"of,"especially"while"building"a"trike"with"no"wheels"on"it."Headpiece"should"be"between"15"and"25"degrees"from"vertical."Closer"to"15"degrees"for"a"low"speed"trike,"more"angle"if"you"are"building"a"trike"for"high"speed"use.""""

"""""""

Pic 8 – Note the desired fork angle%

Pic 7 – A frame built from scratch

7"

www.d-trikes.com

&

Wheels&"There"are%3"common"types"of"wheels"that"are"used;"

9""Replacement"wheels"like"Huffy"Green"Machine"wheels"(fig%9)%"9""Go9kart"wheels"(fig%10)"9""Trolley"wheels"(fig%11)"

"All"3"options"are"great"for"different"applications"and"resources"that"you"have"access"to."Some"are"more"suited"to"high"speed"runs"and"""Replacement%plastic%wheels"are"an"easy"fit"for"your"new"drift"trike."These"are"sold"as"replacement"wheels"for"the"likes"of"the"Huffy"Green"Machine"or"the"Big"Drift"trike"from"Mad"Dog"Cycles."These"use"a"12mm"axle"and"are"hollow"plastic."" Pros"–"easily"interchangeable,"these"can"be"held"on"with"just"a"split"pin"or"nylon"lock"nut."They"are"cheap"to"buy,"light"weight"and"in"most"case"they"are"fairly"easy"to"source."" Cons"–"they"wear"out"fast"on"coarse"chip"and"because"they"are"made"of"hollow"plastic"they"are"very"noisy."The"insides"have"been"known"to"heat"up"and"melt"if"they"rub"the"axle"housing"(but"lubricant"helps"with"this"problem).""""""" %%

Pic 9 – Huffy Green Machine wheels%

8"

www.d-trikes.com

%GoBkart%wheels%are"a"common"fitment"and"are"the"front"tires"from"a"standard"go9kart."Standard"sizing"is"10x4.5"inch."The"tire"is"deflated"and"a"plastic"sleeve"is"put"over"the"tire."The"tire"is"then"re9inflated"which"holds"the"plastic"in"place.%" "" Pros"–"Sleeves"are"easily"interchangeable."The"low"friction"bearing"rear"end"will"handle"anything"you"throw"at"it"and"it"will"practically"be"maintenance"free."They"are"very"quiet"compared"to"replacement"wheels."" Cons"–"Go9kart"wheels"are"heavier."This"does"not"so"much"effect"operation"of"the"drift"trike"but"you"will"be"lifting"the"trike"onto"a"trailer"or"truck"many"times"through"the"day."""

Pic 10 – Go-kart wheels with PVC or PE sleeves

9"

www.d-trikes.com

%Trolley/lift%truck%wheels"are"also"a"common"fitment"but"only"recommended"for"people"under"70kg"and"at"low"speeds"(under"20mph)."As"pictured,"these"are"wheels"you"can"buy"from"any"local"hardware"store"and"mounted"similar"to"the"go9kart"wheels."We"recommend"you"only"use"PVC"on"these,"as"PE"will"put"extra"stress"on"the"wheel/tire"and"may"cause"it"to"buckle."To"help"the"tire"bind"to"the"sleeve"some"people"use"glue"or"stick"sand"paper"on"the"inside"of"the"sleeves." "" Pros"–"Cheap"and"easy"to"obtain"" Cons"–"The"sleeve"can"easily"move"if"it"does"not"bind"to"the"tire."The"bearings"on"these"are"often"weak"and"not"rated"for"high"speed."The"tires"are"thin"so"don’t"provide"the"sleeve"with"much"horizontal"contact."These"tires"often"puncture"and/or"burst."

Pic 11 – Trolley/lift truck wheels%"

10"

www.d-trikes.com

Sleeves&Sleeves"can"be"made"from"any"kind"of"plastic"as"long"as"it’s"strong."Simple"deflate"the"tire,"swap"the"sleeve"and"re9inflate."The"most"common"types"of"sleeves"are"polyethylene"(PE)"or"polyvinyl"chloride"(PVC)."Sleeves"can"be"any"thickness,"but"PVC"will"split"when"it"wears"down."It"is"recommended"to"use"over"4mm"sleeves."Keep"in"mind"the"thicker"your"sleeves"are,"the"longer"they"will"last."%The%difference%between%PE%and%PVC%PE"has"a"softer"compound"than"PVC,"giving"it"better"adhesion"to"the"road"surface."PVC"is"a"common"choice"for"roads"with"a"slower"decent,"where"as"PE"is"better"for"high"speed/steeper"roads."""PVC"commonly"shatters"if"struck"by"a"rock,"curb"or"cats"eye."If"you"are"half"way"through"a"drift"when"the"PVC"sleeve"shatters,"the"possibility"of"a"crash"is"high."Most"replacement"wheels"are"made"from"PE.""

Pic 13 – PE sleeves fitted%

Pic 12 – PE sleeves on go-kart wheels%

11"

www.d-trikes.com

"

Mounting&wheels&Replacement%wheels%require"a"12mm"axle"in"most"cases."You"can"weld"short"lengths"of"12mm"rod"to"the"frame"or"run"a"length"of"rod"

running"right"through"the"frame."This"12mm"rod"will"need"to"be"a"high"grade"steel"to"avoid"flexing"and"bending."A"rod"full"length"axle"will"require"bushes"of"some"description,"which"will"need"to"be"oiled"frequently"to"reduce"friction,"drag"and"heat."These"bushes"can"be"plastic"or"nylon"and"will"need"to"be"pressed"into"the"frame.%%%BEARINGS%Mounting"bearings"can"be"done"a"number"of"ways,"but"here’s"how"you"can"add"bearings"to"the"rear"end"of"your"trike"fairly"easily.""Bearings"have"a"lot"less"friction"than"bushes."This"will"make"your"trike"slightly"faster"and"bearings"will"not"heat"up"and"melt"the"insides"of"your"wheels"like"bushes"sometimes"can."Bearings"are"also"maintenance"free."As"long"as"you"have"decent"bearings,"you"will"not"need"to"lubricate"or"replace"them"either.""""

Pic 14 - Bearings%

12"

www.d-trikes.com

""Bearings"are"pressed"into"each"end"of"a"short"length"of"thick"wall"tube"(top)."Bearings"must"have"12mm"internal"diameter"for"the"axle."Two"holes"are"drilled"and"threaded"on"each"side"for"grub"screws"to"hold"the"housing"in"place"within"the"trike"frame."

%The"axle"is"simply"a"12mm"high"tensile"bolt,"at"what"ever"length"you"require,"and"can"be"spaced"with"washers."Make"sure"to"use"a"washer"or"two"between"the"bearing"and"the"wheel.%

%The"bearing"housing"sits"in"the"frame"of"the"trike"and"is"held"with"the"4"grub"screws."This"provides"a"low"friction"rear"end"and"keeps"the"trike"very"lightweight.%%%%%%%%%%

Pic 15 – Fitting of 12mm axle with bearings

Pic 16 – Bearing diagram with 12mm axles%

13"

www.d-trikes.com

%%GoBkart%wheels%will"require"stubs."Stubs"for"these"wheels"will"need"to"be"16mm"and"have"a"thread"turned"on"the"end,"this"is"then"welded"into"or"onto"your"axle"steel."These"make"it"very"easy"to"change"wheels,"they"enable"you"to"run"with"a"full"bearing"cartridge"and"are"maintenance"free.""They"can"also"be"mounted"by"pressing"a"UHMWPE"(high"quality)"bush"into"your"frame,"which"will"hold"a"length"of"16mm"threaded"rod"as"

shown"above"in"pic"19." Wheels"can"be"held"in"with"nuts"on"threaded"rod"or"with"a"high"quality"split"pin"and"washers."This"is"only"an"option"if"your"axle"is"spinning"with"the"wheels,"definitely"not"suitable"for"stub"axles.""

""""

Pic 17 – Bushes holding threaded rod (Redback Tricycles)%

Pic 18 – Green Machine wheel mounted with split pin

14"

www.d-trikes.com

BUSHES&&Bushes"are"a"very"easy"way"to"mount"a"rear"axle"inside"a"length"of"exhaust"tube."Use"a"length"of"2mm"x"51mm"exhaust"tube,"about"650mm"long,"and"press"the"bushes"into"each"end.%

"Pic 19 - Bushes%

"Bushing"kits"are"available"by"clicking"HERE""

"

FRONT&WHEELS&Front"wheels"are"normally"a"bicycle"wheel."16”"or"20”"front"wheels"are"best."If"you"use"a"24”"or"26”"wheel"you"are"likely"to"burn"your"leg"a"lot"while"drifting,"because"when"you"turn"the"steering"to"full"lock,"the"tire"will"hit"your"leg."This"will"happen"sometimes"with"a"20”"wheel"too,"so"it"is"recommended"to"use"a"slick/ramp"style"BMX"tire"instead"of"an"offroad/dirt"style"tire."

"%

Pic 20 - Bushes%

Pic 21 %

15"

www.d-trikes.com

BRAKES&You’re"drift"trike"needs"to"have"brakes."If"you"ride"without"brakes"your"tempting"fate."If"you"ride"with"poor"brakes,"you’re"just"as"likely"to"come"off"second"best"to"a"car,"tree"or"a"drop"down"a"steep"stony"bank."

"If"you’ve"started"with"a"good"bike"to"base"your"project"off,"you’ll"have"brakes"already"set"up."""You’ll"want"to"upgrade"the"pads"to"some"decent"ones,"because"now"you"only"have"front"brakes"where"the"bike"was"originally"designed"to"have"front"and"rear"brakes."

"""Make"sure"your"brake"pads"are"sitting"right"on"the"rim."If"your"BMX"come"with"a"plastic"brake"lever"it’s"worth"upgrading"to"an"alloy"leaver."This"will"give"your"trike"more"movement"in"the"leaver"and"less"flex.""""""""

Pic 22 – U-brakes from a BMX

16"

www.d-trikes.com

%

PEGS&&You"will"need"somewhere"to"rest"your"feet"and"the"most"common"is"BMX"pegs."These"screw"onto"the"end"of"your"axle.""""""""""""If"you"don’t"have"pegs,"you"can"weld"some"bars"to"the"folks."You"can"weld"them"as"per"fig"or"you"can"put"them"higher,"what"ever"feels"comfortable." Pic 24 – Pegs welded on. Perfect if you can’t get BMX pegs "

Pic 23 – BMX pegs

17"

www.d-trikes.com

""

Seats& Your"seat"can"be"made"of"anything."We’ve"seen"beer"crates,"recycling"bins,"buckets"and"shovelheads"used"as"seats."Your"seat"needs"to"be"well"mounted"and"stable."Most"common"seats"to"use"are"go9kart"seats,"there"are"a"huge"amount"of"companies"making"great"fiberglass"seats."""Below"is"a"Madazz"Trikes"seat,"made"in"NZ"but"they"ship"internationally.""

Pic 25 – A Madazz Trikes seat%"""

18"

www.d-trikes.com

"

Riding&your&drift&trike& You"need"to"be"safe"when"you"are"drift"triking."""You"will"need"a"full"face"helmet"and"covered"arms"and"legs"at"minimum."A"good"idea"is"gloves"and"elbow"pads,"and"a"lot"of"drift"trikers"use"knee"pads,"hi"visibility"vests"and"neck"braces"too.""You"will"have"crashes,"expect"them"and"be"prepared.""When"riding"at"night"always"have"a"front"and"rear"light."You"need"to"have"a"white"front"light"to"help"you"see"where"you’re"going"and"you"need"a"red"rear"light"so"traffic"can"see"you."These"are"cheap,"simple"to"install"and"save"lives."""Be"considerate"of"motorists"and"residents."Think"about"how"much"noise"your"trike"is"making"if"you’re"riding"at"night,"avoid"quiet"streets"where"people"are"sleeping.""""Useful"websites;" " "www.huffy.com" " " " " "www.monsterscooterparts.com"www.d9trikes.com/build"www.hunterleisure.com.au"www.amazon.com"www.torpedo7.com"""""

19"

www.d-trikes.com

Index&

A!

Alloy!.............................................................!5!

B!

BEARINGS!..................................................!12!BMX!.............................................................!4!BMX"pegs!...................................................!17!Brake"leaver!...............................................!16!BRAKES!...................................................!16!BUSHES!....................................................!15!

C!

Crashes!......................................................!19!

D!

Degrees!........................................................!6!

F!

Fiberglass"seats!..........................................!18!Frame!..........................................................!4!FRONT!WHEELS!....................................!15!Full"face"helmet!.........................................!19!

G!

Go9kart"wheels!..................................!7,!8,!14!Green"Machine"wheels!................................!7!Gussets!........................................................!6!

H!

Headpiece!....................................................!6!High"speed"trike!...........................................!6!

L!

Length!..........................................................!3!Low"speed"trike!...........................................!6!

M!

MEASUREMENTS!........................................!3!Motorists!...................................................!19!

P!

PE!!!.............................................................!11!PEGS!.........................................................!17!PLANNING!...................................................!3!PVC!............................................................!11!

R!

Rake!.............................................................!6!Replacement%plastic%wheels!.......................!7!Residents!...................................................!19!Riding"at"night!...........................................!19!

S!

Safety!.........................................................!19!Seats!..........................................................!18!SLEEVES!..................................................!10!Strength!.......................................................!6!

T!

Tires!...........................................................!15!TOOLS!..........................................................!3!Trolley"wheels!.............................................!7!Trolley/lift%truck%wheels!.............................!9!

U!

UHMWPE!...................................................!14!

W!

Wheelbase!...................................................!3!Wheels!........................................................!7!Width!...........................................................!3!

www.d-trikes.com

!

Other&Editions&This"book"is"the"first"of"a"series."The"rest"of"the"series"will"cover"more"detailed"parts"of"building"and"modifying"your"drift"trike."This"will"include"technical"pictures,"plans"and"details"about"how"to"upgrade"your"drift"trike"to"include"pedals,"disc"brakes"and"high"speed"bearing"rear"ends."It"will"teach"you"how"drift"trike"competitions"work"with"a"detailed"section"about"how"the"judging"is"done."

Thanks&This"book"has"been"written"based"on"personal"experience"and"the"technical"knowledge"of"the"good"guys"at"www.d9trikes.com/forum."Without"their"contributions"this"book"would"not"of"been"possible."I"would"like"to"thank"every"one"of"you"for"your"imput."Sorry"if"you"have"been"left"off"the"below"list;""Dave"at"Redback"Tricycles,"Aaron"at"Madazz"Trikes,"Sam"Farquharson,"Mark"Sissons,"Todd"Curtis,"Andy"Gallagher,"Andrew"Baird,"Kenny"Ruddell"and"the"crew"at"SBPnz,"Alex"Butterfield,"Rhyland"and"a"whole"lot"more!"

Legal&Limit"of"Liability"and"Disclaimer"of"Warranty:"The"publisher"has"used"its"best"efforts"in"preparing"this"book,"and"the"information"provided"herein"is"provided""as"is.""Dori"Media"makes"no"representation"or"warranties"with"respect"to"the"accuracy"or"completeness"of"the"contents"of"this"book"and"specifically"disclaims"any"implied"warranties"of"merchantability"or"fitness"for"any"particular"purpose"and"shall"in"no"event"be"liable"for"any"loss"of"profit"or"any"other"commercial"damage,"including"but"not"limited"to"special,"incidental,"consequential,"or"other"damages.""Trademarks:"This"book"identifies"product"names"and"services"known"to"be"trademarks,"registered"trademarks,"or"service"marks"of"their"respective"holders."They"are"used"throughout"this"book"in"an"editorial"fashion"only."In"addition,"terms"suspected"of"being"trademarks,"registered"trademarks,"or"service"marks"have"been"appropriately"capitalized,"although"Dori"Media"cannot"attest"to"the"accuracy"of"this"information."Use"of"a"term"in"this"book"should"not"be"regarded"as"affecting"the"validity"of"any"trademark,"registered"trademark,"or"service"mark."""

Sharing&this&document&There"was"a"lot"of"work"that"went"into"putting"this"document"together."I"can't"tell"you"how"many"countless"hours"are"spent"putting"together"the"forum"from"which"this"information"was"compiled."That"means"that"this"information"has"value,"and"your"friends,"neighbors,"and"co9workers"may"want"to"share"it.""The"information"in"this"document"is"copyrighted."I"would"ask"that"you"do"not"share"this"information"with"others."You"purchased"this"book,"and"you"have"a"right"to"use"it"on"your"system."Another"person"who"has"not"purchased"this"book"does"not"have"that"right."It"is"the"sales"of"this"valuable"information"that"makes"the"continued"hosting"and"maintenance"of"www.d9trikes.com"possible."If"enough"people"disregard"that"simple"economic"fact,"the"website"will"no"longer"be"viable"or"available.""If"your"friends"think"this"information"is"valuable"enough"to"ask"you"for"it,"they"should"think"it"is"valuable"enough"to"purchase"on"their"own."After"all,"the"price"is"low"enough"that"just"about"anyone"should"be"able"to"afford"it.""It"should"go"without"saying"that"you"cannot"post"this"document"or"the"information"it"contains"on"any"electronic"bulletin"board,"Web"site,"FTP"site,"newsgroup,"or"..."well,"you"get"the"idea."The"only"place"from"which"this"document"should"be"available"is"the"Drift"Trikes"web"site."If"you"want"an"original"copy,"visit"the"Drift"Trikes"store"at"the"following"address:"http://d9trikes.com/store""This"has"been"my"first"ebook."Let"me"know"what"you"think"through"my"business"pages"""

"