51 replies to this topic

[benjy_18]

For those of you who don't know what I'm on about, these trikes have become quite popular in the car show scene. Here's a few that first gave me the idea.



Now I decided to make my own after being given a pair of brand new wheels at work
The wheels are 14"x5.5" so nothing massively exciting but free is free right?

Originally off of a Mazda demio (although I avoid telling people that) they look a lot better in person than the photos!

For this I wanted to try to go with a sleek but tidy rat look theme, so the tyres were chosen (again free) to match this. The tyres are from a pair of bent space saver wheels.

So here they are on a jig I made up to ensure that both wheels have the same amount of camber

The tyres the self are 105/70/14 so pretty skinny

**disclaimer**
This trike will never be used on the road and therefore the tyre stretch is purely for looks, I fully recommend that tyres are never stretched to this extent for road use

I also have a set of mk1 mx5 front hubs which will be modified to fit with the frame design, the front will be made up of a portion of bmx. Hopefully this will only cost me in the region of £50-£80 depending on what seat I choose

Hopefully over the next few days I will have a large portion of the frame made up waiting the hubs

Comments welcome as always!
Ben

[sonikk4]

Funny and mad. Quite like the look of them to be honest. Good luck with the build. Should be interesting

[benjy_18]

I was thinking of making the camber adjustable, that way I can fit a pair of split mini specials to match my project car. Not sure how the mini community would take to it at shows though

[Tupers]

I like it. 

 

I've got a Tillet gokart seat like this for a drift trike I have planned. Clicky

[sonikk4]

I was thinking of making the camber adjustable, that way I can fit a pair of split mini specials to match my project car. Not sure how the mini community would take to it at shows though

 

Give it a go, paint it Tartan red to give it the classic mini paint scheme.

[benjy_18]

Dammit Chris! Seriously why do we keep having the same ideas, yet we are at opposite sides of the country!!! I actually have that seat on my watch list haha. But following the cheap rat look idea I was thinking of an old plastic school chair with the legs taken off?

Sonikk, it's going to be painted either black or stone grey to match my mini, although I should probly worry about finishing the mini before I ask wether I should match the trike to it for a show aha

[tomb1992]

SICKKK See these in a few shows be mad to pedal one round a at mini show like  London to Brighton    !! be good to see how you make it 

[benjy_18]

Almost finished the rear half of the frame today, just need to get the hubs from work and sort out the positioning etc

Started off with a rough design to sort out various angles


Then the cutting and welding began! Here's what I ended up with after a few hours



The tops of the uprights will be cut shorter and then both ends of the upright will be capped with something like this

I might possibly put some round domes on the bottom of the upright to aid ground clearance a little

Stay tuned for more folks!
Ben

[Andy!]

  love stanced trikes

[Artful Dodger]

this looks crazy mad 8)    love the first pic, that second one looks a bit horrendous IMO, but this is going to look rad!

 

screw having a seat, make an old school hog style seat out of a bit of sheet steel. thats rat look

[benjy_18]

I do prefer the first style to be honest, I've sorted a seat for free!

Bit naff but cheap is the ideal with this build, it's an old school seat made from that lovely coloured plastic!!!

I now have the hubs at home so work can begin on fitting the hubs to the frame over the weekend, depending on when I get the bmx frame the trike could be nearly finished this weekend

[benjy_18]

So I've made a start on the hubs today, here's some photos! Hopefully tomorrow will see the other hub chopped and both hubs fitted to the frame

Hub before


Hub after


The shiny bit will be welded to the legs of the frame and allow the bearings and hubs to be used as normal

Cheeky photos of the brake discs behind (purely as a spacer so the nuts don't bottom out in the studs)


Ben

[Andi-p]

Showed this thread to my wife and she said it would be awesome for me to build one with my 3.5 year old son for him to ride round on. Think I might build one for the hell of it. Keep up the good work.

[miniman267]

Use a bucket seat aha

[benjy_18]

Andi, that's purely my inspiration for this build. I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been offered the wheels. It's just something fun to keep motivation up while I can't afford bits for the mini!

Miniman267 I did think about a bucket seat, but it would be bigger than the trike itself aha

Hopefully all should come together tomorrow