Well having some serious bike building withdrawals and need to keep myself busy until next years OldMiniBikes-14 build off starts. Already have a plan and gathering materials but for the summer I'm going to scratch build a mid-sized quad. Still itching toward putting the barrow tub in like some of the members have but might opt for a small bench seat. Anyway, picked up an electric start 420 at HF and scored some 20x11x10 ITP wheels and tires at ebay auction. will most likely be going with a Comet setup and speed is not a concern. Mocked up the 3 pieces for a perspective and probably spent a few days just staring at it until I get a good visual in my mind. Like most of my builds, no plans and letting it 'evolve' into what it becomes along the way.
Summer '13 Quad Project
- Thread starter firemarshal71
- Start date
- Tags project quad summer
Nice Joe,
for three weeks I could not get into the shop, started getting a twitch in my right eye - no all about whitdrawl :lol: Trikes are goo fun and easier to build, William and I were bundu bashing at 19h00 on Monday pitch dark and riding through the fields was awesome.
How low are you going to gear this puppy?
for three weeks I could not get into the shop, started getting a twitch in my right eye - no all about whitdrawl :lol: Trikes are goo fun and easier to build, William and I were bundu bashing at 19h00 on Monday pitch dark and riding through the fields was awesome.
How low are you going to gear this puppy?
Hi Dan, I needed a good challenge otherwise I lose interest in building something. I have nearly filled a 120 page notebook with drawings and sketches of 3 and 4 wheelers and the 4 wheeler just looks more appealing to me plus it offers better stability for my youngings. I have been looking at some of the other builds on here who use the 20 inch wheels (like the big cats) so my gearing will be 6:1 multiplied by whatever the Comet TAV contributes. The only place we can ride around here are fields with 18 inch or taller grass so I need to keep the speed down and I'm sure the 420 can handle what I have in mind.
design in prog
Still messing around with designs while waiting for my new tube bender to be shipped. Trying to keep a minibike style frame but with 4 wheels. From the dimensions, it is going to be larger than I anticipated but with the 420 I don't think there's another option. The front and back use a single swing arm and not independent like some other designs out there. Minus the additional bracing and footrests, what I've attached is the bulk of the frame design.
Still messing around with designs while waiting for my new tube bender to be shipped. Trying to keep a minibike style frame but with 4 wheels. From the dimensions, it is going to be larger than I anticipated but with the 420 I don't think there's another option. The front and back use a single swing arm and not independent like some other designs out there. Minus the additional bracing and footrests, what I've attached is the bulk of the frame design.
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Slow start but a little closer to starting now that the bender arrived last night. I sold off my construction biz and equip when I got a job as an accountant so used a little of that money to take my hobby to the next level. I purchased the most affordable top loading bender I could find in hydraulic, -have a spinal defect that prevents me from using manual benders so pretty excited I can continue fabricating and not further injure myself. Hope to start bending up some tube this weekend. If anyone local wants something bent up, let me know.
thanks Dave and Dan.
Dan, I'm actually borrowing your build off bike proportions for this build and turning it into a quad. I found a free tube bending app so still modifying my design but it will look an awfull lot like your bike with the tall ape handlebars (except 4 wheels). It may be the first quad that still resembles a vintage minibike frame.
Dan, I'm actually borrowing your build off bike proportions for this build and turning it into a quad. I found a free tube bending app so still modifying my design but it will look an awfull lot like your bike with the tall ape handlebars (except 4 wheels). It may be the first quad that still resembles a vintage minibike frame.
let the bending begin
still another delay getting things started but built a platform jig and started bending up some pipe for the frame. It's going to be a monster but the plan is still to try to keep it looking like a 4 wheeled version of a minibike. I have 3 dies for the bender but decided to go with a 1.05" pipe die for this build to keep costs down and avoid an expensive rookie mistake by destroying 1" tube. Just bought 50 feet of 1" (3/4) pipe for what it would cost to ship an 8 ft piece of 1" tube and have plenty to practice with. Thanks for checking out the mockup.
still another delay getting things started but built a platform jig and started bending up some pipe for the frame. It's going to be a monster but the plan is still to try to keep it looking like a 4 wheeled version of a minibike. I have 3 dies for the bender but decided to go with a 1.05" pipe die for this build to keep costs down and avoid an expensive rookie mistake by destroying 1" tube. Just bought 50 feet of 1" (3/4) pipe for what it would cost to ship an 8 ft piece of 1" tube and have plenty to practice with. Thanks for checking out the mockup.
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Thanks Tom and Bowtiebutler/Matt, I'm pretty excited about doing this too. I have a little trimming to do on the upper frame assembly and then to notch the pieces for welding. I'm glad I got the extra pipe, messed up one of the frame rails twice :doah::doah: by not rotating it in the correct direction before going on to the next bend but I'm learning. Posting my last pic for the day which shows the upper frame rails that I just worked on.
My front wheels and tires (21x7x10) should be here Wednesday and I may start notching some and fab'ing up the front suspension subframe tomorrow if I get the time.
My front wheels and tires (21x7x10) should be here Wednesday and I may start notching some and fab'ing up the front suspension subframe tomorrow if I get the time.
Thanks for the motivation Dan, I considered cutting and rewelding but there are sections of my messed up piece that can be recycled into other areas where i need some bracing or smaller sections.
Thanks Dave, I decided to go with a rigid rear, those 20" tires are pressed with 10psi and pretty soft but I did decide to change the front to independent single A-arm's vice the front swing arm solid axle. (I had some dumb idea initially to make it a 4x4 but found it to be too much effort for a prototype) I didn't know it at the time, but found out quickly there are limitations to this model of bender. It requires about 4 to 6 inches on each side of the die to form a bend that I can't put two bends close enough together (unless I cut and weld sections). I knew from the start I was fooling myself if I made a plan I would actually stick with but I always had a vision of what I wanted. Part of the excitement of fabricating to me is to look at it like art and just let it become what happens (errors, and flukes too).
Thanks Dave, I decided to go with a rigid rear, those 20" tires are pressed with 10psi and pretty soft but I did decide to change the front to independent single A-arm's vice the front swing arm solid axle. (I had some dumb idea initially to make it a 4x4 but found it to be too much effort for a prototype) I didn't know it at the time, but found out quickly there are limitations to this model of bender. It requires about 4 to 6 inches on each side of the die to form a bend that I can't put two bends close enough together (unless I cut and weld sections). I knew from the start I was fooling myself if I made a plan I would actually stick with but I always had a vision of what I wanted. Part of the excitement of fabricating to me is to look at it like art and just let it become what happens (errors, and flukes too).
Thanks Roccosbike, that's an interesting concept I haven't considered. I made the frame dimensions to fit around the 420 so not much room left for suspension travel at this point and I still gotta cram a battery in the front somewhere. Depending on how I construct the forward end, a big padded seat and fat tires may proove to be enough cushioning (I hope, lol, this one's going to be the wife's ride) :shrug: