Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckorlando
On the arm have you considered possibly replacing the bushings with heims at the frame? It may give just enough flex. I would figure the axle is wanting to articulate and is doing so as much as it can. The shocks allow for it but the bushings do not. The only problem with going to heim, I aint sure how the upper links will react or not react for that matter. I've always wanted to take a 150 swing arm, add 2 heims at the frame and a stabalizer bar or even 2(4 link) above the engine. Trophy karts do it with a fixed engine as does protodies new 450 and a few others. So a fixed engine would be all the easier. Dont mind my babble. hahahaha
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On a swingarm type setup, heims would actually be the same as solid bushings. A pair of them mounted on a single arm eliminates any sideways rotation on the ball and limits it to just vertical travel. They would eliminate what little deflection/shock absorption the bushings offer.
The whole thing boils down to the basic buggy design of putting the engine and an unhoused live axle on a dead axle frame configuration. The lack of a housing to attach any pivots to eliminates any chance of putting in an effective linkage system. the end result is a one-plane frame that has to soak up the bumps of uneven terrain, cornering and acceleration forces. push it hard enough beyond the little bit of deflection the mount and shock bushings provide and something has to give. It's going to be the weakest part of the axle, engine, subframe or main frame connection.
Now if you could create a very, very effective chain tensioner, you could make a secondary suspension component out of the bearing hangars, (separating them from the swingarm) add locating rods/linkages to those and allow the axle to have a small amount of roll movement in relation to the swingarm. think skateboard trucks ...
Metal just needs to put in a throttle stop and cut his jump heights in half
