live axle advice

[Phil1958]

i have that trike chassis waiting for me to do something with. i recently
came upon a 6 foot piece of 1-1/2" 4142 decarb round stock. with my
8" southbend and steady rest i could probably turn a 48" piece.

a live axle sounds cool. will a trike behave ok with a solid rear axle
or just be a bear to turn? it has a stock axle now with what looks like
a differential.

:thumbsup:

 

[steven Durham]

Way back in time about 1973 I went from a differential to a live axle and also went to 2-40 chain but that Tri-Sport had the 340 Kohler engine and I also went to using ford Falcon 13 inch wheels and sand commander Jeep tires. And it was a bear to move around in the driveway but out in the dirt it worked out fine. So it was a lot of things that made it a great racing trike.

 

[manchester1]

Hi Phil, just use the original differential. They work great. Just take it a part and clean it and put some new grease in there. Easy as pie to work on. Get your self some new axel bearings and you will be good for another 40 years. Most of the trikes used a peerless rear.

 

[gumpit]

The differential makes it a pleasure to drive. I put a live axle on it and it is impossible to turn. Do not waste your time. I can’t stress how bad a live axle is to turn.

 

[steven Durham]

That is just due to the tires that you use and how wide they are and if your using low pressures in those tires that is also a factor. When my unit was live axle it was fun to kick it up onto just two wheels and ride around in circles. I built it for racing in the California Deserts and it did great.

 

[gumpit]

I don’t think he is going to be running the horsepower you were. Not spinning the wheels making the turns. Put in a differential Phil.

 

[Phil1958]

i'm putting one of those chinese gx200 clones i imported a few years
ago on it. i do have a polaris 250cc twin getting rebuilt that i was planning
on using but the torque converter and driven pulley are much too
large for the frame. the clone will be stock, when i am 25 miles
down the trail i want reliability not speed!

thanks for help all!!!!

:thumbsup:

 

[mini one]

Looking forward to seeing it this fall Phil. Will your trike have any suspension?