DeSoto V2.0

[cheesy]

I decided to do a thread here on this head scratcher. To recap, this followed me home.


It's a DeSoto trike, sans, basket. Probably from 1980. Got because it's a DeSoto, like my car, but of absolutely no relation.

Plans are to civilize it a bit because adult trikes are pretty lousily thought out and built. That includes aluminum rims, drum brake rear hub with possibly 2 speeds(Still sussing that out), and the possibility of motive power; either IC or EV.

Where I'm at.


This is just a mock up. The chain line is all caddy whompus right now but Falkon45 is graciously providing a US to BSC bottom bracket converter that will allow the use of alloy square taper cranks. That will let me adjust the chain line AND set whatever gear ratio I want. Also use better pedals.

Thing are moving kind of slow right now as my next door neighbor and I have been clearing the dead branches and underbrush from the pine trees between our properties this week. Apparently it's never been done. I've run four tanks of gas through my 16 year old McCulloch already.

[cheesy]

Finally did something on it today.

The bottom bracket that Falkon45 gifted me arrived yesterday. He also included an RPM bottom bracket. I got it installed today.

It took a couple of tries to get in place because this trike is a bottom feeder POS, but it's in there.

I test fit three different crank sets to see which gave me the best chain line and, surprise, two will work.
Sugino Impel.
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Cheap Soligor.


Spendy Soligor


The Spendy Soligor and the Sugino Impel are my two choices and it will be down to which small chain ring to use. I also found I had a pair of Shimano 105 pedals in my stash. Definitely lipstick on a pig.


I also made use of the plasma cutter today and made the slot for the brake drum hub reaction arm.

Took more time to set everything up and take it down than cutting the slot. There will be a solid anchor point for the reaction arm when I get that far.

This is where the fun ended and I ran into the repairs that 'Jack On Drugs' did. Apparently the rear axle was a replacement. Specs call for a 5/8" axle. What I ended up fcuking up to remove was 15mm. 5/8" is about 16mm, so the axle was undersized. So, anything and everything that had a 5/8" bore was welded into place. I called 'Jack On Drugs' every name I could think of while grinding off welds.

Looks I'm spending some bucks on an axle, drive hub, bearings, and possibly a freewheel hub if I can't get the SS freewheel off that little pecker.

[Oldenslow]

Good to see someone doing a conversion without just dropping in an LS crate motor ...

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Oldenslow

Good to see someone doing a conversion without just dropping in an LS crate motor ...

Yeah...never was a fan of the small block/Ford 9" job on every sparkly street rod at a cruise night. Says I'm being different by being like everyone else. I was the guy that had the ratty looking pick up with the six banger sporting dual carbs, header, and a few other tricks that surprised folks.

[cheesy]

Whew, dodged a spendy bullet. I only found one 5/8" trike axle on the bay of fleas and it was $80. It did have the drive hub and two freewheel adapters but still... So, I bought a 3' piece of 5/8" rod, a couple of 5/8-11 nylok nuts, one flange bearing(Jack On Drugs welded one end of the axle to one of the wheel hub bearings), and a couple of 5/8" spacers. $30. Plan is to cut the rod to length, thread each end, and choose which spacer will be welded to the drive hub. I don't have access to a mill anymore, so I can't cut a keyway in the soon to be made axle shaft, so I am thinking of pinning the drive hub and the freewheel adapter to the axle. Either a shear pin or HS dowel pin.

Speaking of the freewheel adapter, I did get the old freewheel off of it this morning. I'm already running a freewheel on the brake hub, so I really don't need a freewheel on the axle, too. So there is a 17 tooth fixed gear cog going on there instead.

[Bruces]

Careful use of an angle grinder will get you a key way ,done it many times with no issues .

[cheesy]

I considered that. A Dremel may be easier.

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I got the axle finished last night. I did manage to cut a keyway with a dremel and weld a 1/2" spacer to the drive hub. I stick welded the spacer to the drive hub only because the stick welder was handy. The welds are ugly as sin but it isn't coming apart.

It wasn't an 'OMG, this it hard' job, but if I had it to do over again, I'd go with 5/8-27 instead of 5/8-11 threads. My arms still hurt.

[cheesy]

All the new higher quality flange bearings are in the frame and rear hubs. The frame wasn't a piece o' cake but not a PITA, either. Just awkward. The hubs, sheesh. The 20 for a dollar bearings I knocked out were 5/8" ID by 1 3/8" OD. The 8 for $15 bearings are 5/8" X 1 3/8", but the new ones don't fit. Understandable, considering I had to beat the hell out of the old bearings to get them out.
I tried running a brake cylinder hone through the hub bore. It was working but also taking forever. I glanced over to another bench and spied my rarely used set of adjustable reamers. "Self", I said, "Use the stupid reamers." So I used the stupid reamers. Had I used the stupid reamers first, I'd have saved 45 minutes.

Dead in the water now until the new cog shows up.

[cheesy]

Best laid plans and all that.

Fixed gear cog on the rear axle equals fixed gear trike. Freewheel ordered.


I didn't take into account the low bottom bracket height, either. Crappy pic, but that pedal clears the floor by about a half inch. I foresee bloody and bruised heels.


So, Plan B point 2 is to convert the trike to 26". Best part of Plan B point 2 is that I have 95% of the parts on hand.


I'll need to scrounge a fork. I have three 26" forks but one has a boogered steerer tube, courtesy of Raleigh Industries. The steerer tube is too short on the other two.

As the planned day ended up cut short, I pharted around with the plasma cutter and the MIG welder. Fabbed and mounted the reaction arm stop for the rear brake.

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I scored a sixties Murray 26" front fork for this POS project. Finding one has been a headache because the steer tube needs to be in the neighborhood of 200mm. That's long for a 26" bike. I did find one a couple days ago that was attached to an old Schwinn Collegiate but I walked away for two reasons. One was it was a complete bike that I didn't want to breakup, and two, I couldn't see $75 just to buy the fork.

I'm getting ready to build the wheels and that's been another headache. I have a couple thousand spokes available and I have absolutely nothing in the correct length. That means I have to cut AND thread 108 spokes. 72 are one length and 36 are another. I've made two guides so I can cut multiple spokes at one time but I still have to thread each spoke individually. Seriously considering swapping out the hand crank on my spoke threader with the Dewalt.

[cheesy]

I got the front wheel laced and trued yesterday. Our daughter and grandson have a TKD tournament today so I won't be back into the barn until Sunday. kind of needed a break.

[Sport Rider]

seems like you would have more time for this project if you retired.

[cheesy]

Got the rest of the spokes cut and threaded yesterday. Also got one wheel laced. The second wheel was being a dick so I gave it the finger and went into the house. I plan on giving it a stern talking to this afternoon and see if it behaves better.

I'd like to have this bit of my garage floor back soon because I need to do the brakes on the Jeep.

[cheesy]

Wheels are built and tires are mounted. Drive train is still two steps forward and one step back. Re-think number three is coming up for that and the front fork just don't like me.