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Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

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JEBar
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Fri Jun 10, 2022 9:56 pm

over time we've followed some other attempts to bring a reverse trike to production and none have made it .... unless something totally unexpected happens, we firmly believe that Mark is going to do so .... when it does, we fully intend to purchase one
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Sat Jun 11, 2022 3:01 pm

Per Mark BEX ....

The new setup for the B pillars has allowed me to eliminate the "4th bend", which I only added a few days ago (red arrow), which is great, as now the front sections of the roll bars only need the one bend, and simply twist in at the top to tuck them into the bodywork.

Today was spend measuring and designing engine mounts, because they have to fit in with the roll bars on the main engine rails without clashing. You can see the gearbox mount in the picture above, not quite sitting on the rail, it's not a problem, the problem is the engine end.

Engine mount file sent to laser shop, hope to have part tomorrow morning.
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220611 001 new B pillar setup 001.png
220611 001 new B pillar setup 001.png (137.84 KiB) Viewed 849 times
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Sun Jun 12, 2022 6:08 pm

Per Mark BEX ....

This ugly thing is the RH engine mount. A simple affair at the moment, just a laser cut plate with a rubber isolater bush in a housing with a bolt welded to it, as I wanted it adjustable for the moment.

As often happens, the moment I bolted it on, I immediately saw a better way, one of those "Doh" moments that you just don't see until you make something the wrong way, that shines a light on the right way.

But anyway, that's easy now, the plate will be half the length, and the rubber isolator bush will sit on top of the rail as I now know it will miss the rollbar front leg. By the way, the bush is a Toyota HiLux suspension bush, another easy to get, off the shelf item.

The next drama was, when I made the mount, it showed me where the engine will be positioned, then I noticed the CV driveshaft interfered with the frame at the lower control arm mount, arrow above, luckily I was able to modify that frame area, rather than needing to reconstruct it for now.
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220612 001 Engine mount rh 001.jpg
220612 001 Engine mount rh 001.jpg (30.1 KiB) Viewed 837 times
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JEBar
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Thu Jun 16, 2022 11:22 am

Per Mark BEX ...

Back on track after losing a couple of days with my passport/visa issues, finally sorted and in the clear now.

Might not look like this tomorrow, as I think I can also do the rear roll cage legs also with only one bend.

Will be a bonus if so, then it just means throwing a cut length of tube into the bender, and getting it within a degree (easy done), and not worrying about accuracy as much was when you have 2 bends, where double the degree variation can happen, as well as the plane being out. So it doesn't take half the time to bend, it takes about a quarter of the time, and plenty of leeway while fitting.

What that also means is any idiot like myself can stand there for a day and make a whole bunch of them rapidly without affecting the quality of final fitment.er

For those interested in how I am achieving this, (second picture) I am using a slightly 'too large' tube at the top of the B pillars, and this is allowing me to kink-fit the smaller roll bar tubes inside it, rather than bending them. KISS
Attachments
220616 001 Roll cage 4 001.jpg
220616 001 Roll cage 4 001.jpg (31.51 KiB) Viewed 812 times
220616 001 Roll cage 4 002.png
220616 001 Roll cage 4 002.png (30.23 KiB) Viewed 812 times
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JEBar
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Sat Jun 18, 2022 8:39 am

Per Mark BEX ....

Ok, it seemed to have worked out, now the front and rear rollbar sections now only have one bend each, and joined with a kink at the B pillar..

I was confident after lining them up, that I even semi welded them into place, just enough for strength, but also the ability to remove them if there's an issue later I didn't see.
Attachments
2206188 001 Rollcage 6 001.jpg
2206188 001 Rollcage 6 001.jpg (28.78 KiB) Viewed 784 times
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Sun Jun 19, 2022 9:07 pm

Per Mark BEX ...

I am currently redesigning the rear wheel swingarm, and using the Honda engine donor rear wheel assembly for it, for good reason.

The rear wheel assembly bolts on to a flat surface with 4 x bolts, see picture, drawing of the car's rear beam axle showing the flat mounting plate, and a rear wheel bearing. I will laser my own mounting plate of course.

This allows the use of shims to adjust the rear wheel alignment much easier than what I had built on the prototype, now simple adjustment can be made for tracking and tilt.
Attachments
220619 001 redesigned rear wheel swingarm 001.png
220619 001 redesigned rear wheel swingarm 001.png (130.51 KiB) Viewed 766 times
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Sat Jun 25, 2022 10:30 am

Per Mark BEX ....

I've had a few days of silly errors, wrong measurements, got some files mixed up and lasered some wrong bits, happens every now and then, so I also took the time last night to go through a bunch of files, and trim off the excess.

So the swingarm is done, came up very well indeed, when I got the right files together that is. Easy to make, and reasonably neat looking, not that it's something that will be seen, or that you want to see.

Because the swingarm needs something to swing off, I also did the rear bulkhead.
Attachments
220625 001 redesigned swingarm 001.jpg
220625 001 redesigned swingarm 001.jpg (22.07 KiB) Viewed 729 times
220625 001 redesigned swingarm 002.png
220625 001 redesigned swingarm 002.png (155.53 KiB) Viewed 729 times
220625 001 redesigned swingarm 003.png
220625 001 redesigned swingarm 003.png (46.7 KiB) Viewed 729 times
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:15 am

You can't see any difference from the last rear bulkhead picture on Friday, but it is completely revamped, including new laser cut bulkhead, resetting of the rear rollbar angles, and resetting of the main chassis lower rails' angles.

Happy now, and what you can see extra is the 2 swingarm pivot mounts.
Attachments
220626 001 reworked bulkhead 001.png
220626 001 reworked bulkhead 001.png (166.32 KiB) Viewed 719 times
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Tue Jun 28, 2022 1:44 pm

The swingarm has turned out quite nicely, easy to build with minimal common materials, and self jigging for welding.

Importantly, fully and easily adjustable for tracking and camber.
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220628 001 Swingarm 5 001.jpg
220628 001 Swingarm 5 001.jpg (32.78 KiB) Viewed 704 times
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Re: Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

Post by JEBar » Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:07 pm

Per Mark BEX ....

Fuel tank, fuel pump/sender, and 3 suspension struts arrived this afternoon.
Attachments
220629 001 gas tank and struts 001.jpg
220629 001 gas tank and struts 001.jpg (44.96 KiB) Viewed 690 times
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