Project: OVERKILL

A

appye

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Okay, I have finally started putting my Staton outside-drive kit together. It's a Sun EZ-Sport LE recumbent bike. The wheel was put together by wheelmaster with 9 gauge spokes. I will use a solid polyurethane/nylon tire. I will let you know how that all works out after a few weeks riding.

I started putting it together last night but I had a problem where the gearbox-to-rack bolts seemed a little short. As illustrated in my picture, the point where they mount to the frame is wider than where the bolts that go through the gearbox. Well, I picked up a few more bolts of varying different lengths from the hardware store, so it should go on pretty well this evening.

Does the gearbox seem like it is mounted a little high to you guys? As it is now, with the eyebolts sitting all the way down, it still seems to want to mount about 4-5 inches above my tire. Seems excessive. I am thinking about cutting those hollow bracket things down so they mount at the inner hole, rather than the one at the edge. Honestly, this whole mounting scheme where the eyebolts just slide (rather than actually thread) into those hollow square bracket things seems like it might be kind of rickety, I guess I will see once things are bolted up tight.

I also had to cut my own mounting brackets out of that U-bracket thing that the kit normally comes with. Those have both been drilled and cut to spec (by hand with a tape-measure anyway) so that should go pretty quick.

I am also using a two-speed system similar to kerf's that I will probably just manually shift by hand for now until I get the urge to install a shifter.

I call this project overkill because I went as far as I could think to go as far as making this thing as durable as possible. My goal is to have a reliable EVERYDAY driver for work and back.

Huh ... I gotta change my signature pic!
 

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appye,

good to see you're getting it together.

you may want to use all thread rod for your cross bolts. you should have enough length to allow your support legs to go straight up. then you fill in the bolt from side to side with washers or conduit spacers to get and hold the gear box in place to align the sprockets.

you will have to establish the lay out of your support leg lower mounts first, then put the eye bolts in the tops at their lowest setting. now measure the amount you need to cut each leg to get the eyes of the bolts about 1" above the tire. cut the legs, remount with eye bolts and loose mount the gear box on the all thread. position the gear box for chain line, measure for spacers or start filling with washers.

install the chain, set the tension THEN lock everything down, and check again.

see i fyou can get some actual pics up, it'll help us help you.

keep at it, you may get to ride it this yr. yet.

steve
 
Yeah, I will get pics up pretty quick here. I was supposed to work on it this weekend but I was busy reconfiguring a few laptops for someone and did not get the chance. Then of course last night there was gymnastics class for my daughter, so ...

Anyway, TONIGHT! IT HAPPENS TONIGHT DAMMIT!
 
Yeah, I will get pics up pretty quick here. I was supposed to work on it this weekend but I was busy reconfiguring a few laptops for someone and did not get the chance. Then of course last night there was gymnastics class for my daughter, so ...

Anyway, TONIGHT! IT HAPPENS TONIGHT DAMMIT!
 
Yeah ... I will update you this evening with some pics even! Sorry, been taking this nice and slow. With beer and doobies and stuff.

Anyway. Right now I am fashioning my tensioner out of skateboard wheels and scrap metal. I am about to cut my lower mount strap from the old GEBE kit to act as the lever.
 
For what it's worth, 3/8" grade 8 bolts work better for gearbox mounting. If you would like to use a lesser grade mounting fastener, I have several bent ones that I would be happy to part with.
 
really? So you expect those threaded rods to bend outta shape, huh? Wouldn't have thought of that. I guess I need to rethink my mounting strategies ... Good thing I haven't ridden the thing yet! I had to get something else because the bolts the kit came with were too short. I suppose I can go to a bolt place and get the strongest 3/8 bolts they have.

Right now I have everything mounted and am working on the tensioner ... At least I was until the Dodger game came on. Skateboard wheels for the rollers seem like they will do the job. Kerf, I am pretty much mirroring your design here for the tensioner because I want to have LOTS of slack left over for moving the chain from one gear to the other.

This evening I shall plug away at it for a bit after work...


EDIT: Hmm. I could just put a bunch of nuts back to back to back on the rods to add a bunch of strength ... That way, they are effectively much thicker.
 
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If it bends shouldn't bother anything until you fix it, fire that thing up and give it a try.
 
on the outside drive, since the gear box is in over the wheel, can't you get along with 2- 8" grade bolts ?

you should be able to walk into any Ace hardware and walk out with them for under $1.50 each.

my threaded rods haven't bent, but they only have about 100mls. on them. that should be about 1000mls of most peoples use. :eek: LOL

steve
 
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