DIY Reverse Tilting Cargo Trike #3 - Complete build 

Thank you so much for writing that! Makes me super happy to know that my build helps others with their own builds. Of course, I'm also helped by many others sharing their builds on RU-vid. Cheers!

Thank you! I hope to inspire other to do the same - work with what you have to create, if that is you passion;). Just don't work without protective gear! This is very important and can be obtained inexpensively.

Thank you!

Thank you for your comment;) Happy to read that my project is helping! And pleeease use protective gear. It's just not worth getting hurt.

That's a great compliment, thank you very much! I do hope to inspire others to build. Would be great if you share it as well;)

Thank you so much! I hope you do! Making stuff is awesome;)

:)

Lacking self love.

​@@suprememasteroftheuniverse❤❤❤

Thank you very much!

@@pedro-neves ❤️👏👏

Thank you very much! Indeed, my policy is - work with what you have;) And I took a 3-hour welding course before starting to weld. Cheers!

Are you using an electric arc welder on basic home electricity for this?@@pedro-neves

@@littlebrother82 hello, yes, I use a gasless system with fluxed core. The machine pulls a maximum current of 17.5 A on the grid side, so suitable for a low power connection. Cheers!

thanks! @@pedro-neves

@@littlebrother82 no prob;)

Thank you very much for the kind words!

Thank you very much! More iterations coming;)

Thank you!

Sw

Thank you! I already have one more recent than this one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-quPFFIaY86c.htmlsi=g6GzWjwHQ3ISiO5W. And I'll release a new one in the beginning of February. Cheers!

Thank you! Love your channel too!

Thank you so much! I am working on a new design right now and it will have cable steering;) Cheers!

Gracias!

Thank you so much! I'm continuing to make new build. Maybe one day I'll have one that is great to ride and can be built at an affordable price;)

Thank you!

I cannot express how much I want to make carbon parts that way! I have never tried it but I've seen some videos about it and it looks great. Maybe this will be the project where I'll put some carbon parts made out of printed molds!!

Obrigado!

Hello, I totally agree with your observation about the distance of the steering axle to the place where the tire touches the ground. This can be fixed by adding an angle between the upper and lower ball joints. I showed this in this video if you're interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q2GTZd428vM.htmlsi=a6SMrjKUDZMQHY_Q. Cheers!

Thank you!

Aah, couldn't agree more! I'm a terrible welder with bad tools. In fact, the next investment for my shop is a TIG welder. Cheers!

Thank you very much! Ya, in the hubs I tightened the but just enough to be tight and not crush the bearing but a spacer would indeed be better. For the king pin - yes, I learned this recently;) I have a big scrub radius. I'm redesigning the king pin for 0 deg. About the steering - also agree. Actually, the whole dimensions are full of tolerances. On the next version I'll put a serious effort in making the dimensions accurate. I'll check the channel that you recommend. Thank you for the tips!

Obrigado! Ainda precisa de ns melhoramentos;)

Thank you! That's a very good point! Since this version I made a few more iterations and I shared some geometry analysis. You can find it here if you're interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q2GTZd428vM.htmlsi=ANjAb6xR_AW3Pyy8. Cheers!

Thank you! The 3D parts are there just for testing the geometry. The next hubs will be made of aluminium;) In the next version I will have adjustable caster, camber, scrub radius and steering ratio to make a comparative analysis and I'm considering steel cables for the steering;) Hope you enjoy my next video! It takes a while because it's a hobby project but it's very enjoyable. Cheers!

Ils semblent que les deux roues avant sont auto stables à l'arrêt

Obrigado Ricardo! Espero que tire proveito do video;)

Thank you very much! It is my small backyard plus a 3x2 meter shed;) I promise that I will share the drawings of all the parts of the next build (including the wishbones)!

@@pedro-neves You've really inspired me to try something similar. Thank you so much.

I will test this with the design that I am making now. I'm making a setup with adjustable caster, camber, scrub radius and steering ratio. I'll try to find the best geometry!

You are very kind;)

Nice point, thank you! Actually, I'm working on a setup where I can adjust Caster, Camber, Scrub Radius and Steering Ratio. My next video will have tests, results, and a comparative analysis;)

Very well put, thank you for the constructive comment! I haven't mounted the calipers yet but they are considered - they will be mounted on the interface between ball bearings and axles. As for the batteries, I also agree with you;) once I have a mechanical setup that I am happy with, I'll start converting it to electric. In the next version, I'll show a version with some geometries that can be changed to do a comparative analysis. Stay tuned;)

True. These wheels were not super rigid. I made new ones in the meantime;) Check it out here if you're interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sU2ZS7Nlbj0.html

No they won't;) I will transition to TIG welding at some point and work harder on proper welding but for now I'm still super novice. Thank you!

I hope to incentive people doing DIY work to wear protection. Low cost for saving your life!

Thank you very much! Actually, my next video about the trike will be the electric conversion;) Already got the kit;) Cheers!

Thank you! I believe I understand what you mean. I've been reading and watching a lot of material about steering geometry. There will be a lot of theory put in practice in the next version for sure;)

Thank you very much Kjeld! Regarding your question - I started designing with only one constraint - the width. I wanted the trike to be able to pass on most doors. The tilting limits were a consequence of this constraint and the double wishbone design. In fact, the limits are never reached while riding which I think is good. Regarding you suggestions - they are most appreciated! I am now redesigning the wheels because I want spokes and then I'll focus hard in the steering to make sure it's good. Hope you'll watch the results;)

Thanks for caring! Adding cargo will definitely be a new phase and I'll add robustness to the frame. As of the hub, I don't think it's bending at this point. The first thing (which will be the next part of the project) will be to make strong wheels because they are bending.

The steering is not yet great. But I am thinking that the steering will be as great as in a two wheeler. I'm inspired by other 3 wheelers such as the Piaggio MP3. One of the advantages of the 3 wheel systems is that it decreases the crash rate. On a bike, the front wheel slipping will probably cause a crash but not on a trike.

That's the beauty of the internet;) You can take it almost anywhere;)

Ya, the 3D printed wheels were to super rigid indeed. I already made a new version. Check it out here if you're interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sU2ZS7Nlbj0.html

Thank you! Yeah, it's a little bit heavy for sure. Final version has to be on an aluminium frame;)

Hi there! The tube is 60 x 56 mm (wall of 2 mm). I think there's barely any flex. Super rigid. But I haven't tried with cargo yet. Still making changes to the tilting mechanism. Thank you!

Hello, thank you very much! Indeed, I have considered selling kits. But only when I reached the point where it's very good and very durable. There are a couple of iterations newer than the one in this video. If you check my channel, you can find the newest on this playlist. I'm now working on some improvements. Maybe this will be the version where I can sell some parts;) Cheers!

Thank you! This version is still a little bit improvised. I will share all the 3D models in the next version.

Hola Luis, si, es parecida. Quería que el triciclo pudiera pasar por una puerta;)

panes mata bichos en bicicleta !!

Hello, indeed the steering here was not great. I have made an improved version since : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q2GTZd428vM.htmlsi=H1iWGJM9Lebtftys. Cheers!

Thank you! I hope you do! It's very rewarding to ride your own build. Cheers!

The PLA hub is the most resilient 3D printed part in the whole design! It's still rolling. I'm working on the new version and have been riding it around and the hub is just there, as it was. Note - I am not advising to have a PLA hub! This is just to test the design. You need a metal hub.

@@pedro-neves yep, don’t worry was asking as a proto!

The PLA hubs are certainly not reliable. These were made just for validating geometry. The next ones will be made out of aluminium just as you said.

@@pedro-neves Thank you for posting your build. It's inspirational.

It needs low gears for sure if I am to pull cargo up hill! I also intend to add an electric drive.

Olá Igor, boa observação! Sim, são muito frágeis. Elas são feitas por impressão 3D só para ver se funcionam. Os próximos hubs serão feitos de alumínio.

Hello Failer, the wishbone is 164 mm long.

@@pedro-neves is that from joint to joint? Looks a lot longer on the video. Thanks anyway.

@@Failer__ Actually, the 164 mm is of the wishbone only from the bushings to it's limits so there is an extra ~ 5 cm of the ball joint part. So from joint to joint 169 mm.

It is nervous;) you are right. There is a lot of elasticity between the steering bar and the wheels. My next improvement will be actually new wheels and then the steering.

@@pedro-neves I got the same Problem and I make it better with longer handel Way to steer the Frontweels !👍

Thank you very much! I'm from Portugal.

Hello, sure! Here is a link to the ball joints: www.profibohrer.de/M12-angle-ball-joint-rod-end-bearing-SQ-12-RS. The bushings, I 3D printed them (just an experiment). Cheers!

Hola, gracias por estar interesado! Mi próxima versión será mucho mejor. Y prometo compartir todos los dibujos.

Hello, sure, here it is: www.profibohrer.de/M12-angle-ball-joint-rod-end-bearing-SQ-12-RS. Cheers!

Hi there! Ya, I understand what you are saying. And I think there are benefits for both designs. One benefit that I see for having cargo in the front is e.g. transporting kids and being able to see them while you ride.

​@@pedro-neves Hey! Yeah, I get the temptation. Although personally I would still go with back seats because of the pain of million blind corners in urban areas. It's been a year now. What would you say about this particular issue, what's your experience?

@@user-pm8je4fo7e very good point! This really shows how it's good to discuss things and have different experience and point of view! My experience is mainly from Amsterdam, where I live. Most people here that own cargo bikes and trikes have the cargo bay in the front so this influenced me. I also tried a couple and I liked the driving experience. Riding a bike is very safe because there is space exclusive to bikes and there is usually pretty good visibility around the corners because you have the road on your left and the sidewalk on your right. Nevertheless, your point is still valid. I would like to see a study that shows which configuration is safer.

​@@pedro-neves Thanks for sharing! In my experience there is clear ridgeline: if you mainly travel on general purpose roads alongside with cars, then it's frontseats for precious cargo. If you drive sidewalks - then it's backseats. I've been to Amsterdam long time ago, it was my understanding that you mainly have dedicated bike lanes as a part of carriageway. In my city in Russia dedicated bike paths are almost exclusively a part of sidewalks or are completely separated, but on intersections they still merge with sidewalks, not carriageway, so having a great deal of blind corners in residential areas is inevitable. Hence my stance. It wasn't too bad until e-scooter rascals came to scene tho. I thought maybe bike-rikshas could give the ultimate answer since they withstood a trial of time and numbers, but no, turns out they differ from country to country. Although they are more or less consistant among the same country, which could be the tell that there is something else to the choice besides historical heritage, it's still hard to say from here what exactly are the reasons behind design choices in each case. Hope this whole exercise of ours will give somebody a food for thought. Have a nice day!

@@user-pm8je4fo7e thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts! Indeed history plays a role. Once people get used to a certain system, this looks the best until someone somehow proves that something else is better. It's also obvious that cargo in the rear or in the front has different popularities per region. I try to explore different possibilities with my exercise. After I reach the limit of how this system can be, who knows? Maybe I'll test cargo in the rear;) Thanks and have a great day!

I agree! And I will switch at some point;)

It's about 3m but the steering will be completely redone. I'll make sure to specify this number in the video!

Hi;) Good question! Yes, I designed for that but let me be honest - with the tolerance of my fabrication it ends up not being very exact. My next build will have more accurate parts and jigs to make sure everything is super aligned.

The two wheels could be in back and would stabilize the trike on slanted roads. It's perfect with a motor on the front wheel.

With recumbents it’s common to have the two wheels on the front. Though these wheels are very large, and the design is mostly there to give you room for your feet.

Two wheels in front is by miles a better solution. Much more stable but much more complicated mechanically wise. Ask Piaggio or Morgan about that.

I hope there won't be any panic but here's the newest version: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-quPFFIaY86c.htmlsi=TKEFXlbEvP4MjyTc Cheers!

Hello, I 3D printed the inside and fastened to a steel rim. Checkout how I did it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LFg6dwHqi8c.htmlsi=X1YkktPCd0uhcw1H&t=246. But, I don't recommend this. Unfortunately, the wheels were not strong enough. I have a video just on how I made the current wheels: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LFg6dwHqi8c.htmlsi=X1YkktPCd0uhcw1H&t=246. And I'm working on the version 3 of the wheels. I believe these will be the best ones;)

Hi Nils, I used a standard rim and 3D printed the center. You can see how it's made in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LFg6dwHqi8c.html Now, I have an improved version of the wheels. You can see how it's made in this video dedicated to the wheels: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sU2ZS7Nlbj0.html

Hello, the rim is metallic and the inside is 3D printed. I used the spoke holes to screw the rim into the 3D printed part. But this was not rigid enough, unfortunately. I have made new wheels since then. See them here if you're interested:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sU2ZS7Nlbj0.htmlsi=7Q-SHwpNYh62S-Bn. And now I'm working on yet a new version of the wheels;) Cheers!

Hello, I tested with the tilting mechanism locked and did not like it. This is because it no longer behaves like a bike, it behaves like a quad, which I think is worse. Then, I actually built a trike with lots of adjustable geometries and made a comparative study. You are welcome to check it out here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q2GTZd428vM.htmlsi=cgT6QeiBwYq5qcaE. Cheers!

@@pedro-neves yeah i watch all your videos, what if the nut is on top of the holes vs on very lower. or no nut. it will move the point of tilting. there is no information from your video

@@ZuNunchaku, ah, sorry. Now I understand your question. Those holes don't actually change the point of tilting. The point of tilting is defined by where the wishbones are fastened to. Those holes only define the degree of freedom of one side pushing the other. At the time it made sense to me to test, but now I don't think it makes a difference as long as you make it in a place where it can move. Hope this answers your question.

For me it's the fact that it's a trike. I want to make it this way to be more stable and safe than a bike.

Hello, here is a video with the cargo platform installed: ru-vid.comx4_wH1gTvj0?si=6iuB9irPdcNq9iqP. I'm working on a new video, that I will publish in February with the results from tests (also with cargo). Cheers!