Steering

The steering of trike is based on intuitive control-controlled by steering arms situated on either
side of the seat. The trike can be steered by the rider inputting a force linearly forward or
backward on the steering arms. Listed below are the different components that constitute the
steering mechanism of the trike.

Ackerman Steering:
When cornering, a trike turns around a point in line with its rear axle. As a result, the two
front wheels will have to turn through slightly different angles in order to guide the vehicle
around the point and avoid scrubbing. The inside wheel turns through a greater angle than the
outer wheel. Ackerman steering allows the front wheels to be at the correct angle for all
corner positions.

Castor Effect / Angle:

Self-centering is important to trike steering because it makes the trike handle
well and remain stable at higher speeds. To achieve self-centering, the kingpin is
inclined a second time. This castor inclination occurs in a plane at right angles to
the centrepoint steering angle. A castor angle of 10-14 degrees is typical on most
trikes.

Center point Steering / Kingpin:

The kingpin axis of a trike meets the ground at or near the contact point of the tire. On most
trikes the kingpin is sloped. This inclination is used to minimize bump and brake steer by
allowing the forces from the impact to be in line with the turning axis. This means that no
torque can be exerted that may jerk or bump the steering. Also, uneven braking will not affect
the steering with the kingpin inclined. Typically, the kingpin angle should be kept to less than
15 degrees.

Kingpin inclined a 2nd time

Develops an opposing, self-centering force
Steering the tricycle raises it slightly
Weight of the tricycle causes the wheels to steer out of the turn

Recommended 10 - 14 deg.

Actual 12 deg.

Wheel Camber
Wheel Camber is the position of the wheels in regards to whether if ones looks at the wheels from the front
and ones sees the perfectly linear OR rotated about its center either direction, are referred to:

Rider Input

Neutral
Negative
Positive

Moving the vertical steering arms causes the vehicle the vehicle to be steered in the desired
direction. If a right turn is to be made, the right
steering arm is pushed forward.

Tilting

The tilting mechanism is the most complex component of the trike. As shown above the tilting
mechanism constitutes of many components. The tilting mechanism is a passive system, i.e. it
doesnt require the rider to induce the banking motion. Theoretically, the tilting action causes
the center of gravity of the trike to shift, causing the normal force on the inside wheel to
increase. When the normal force is equal to zero, tipping occurs.

The graph shown below shows that as the Turning Velocity

Stability in Turns

Analysis:
During the design phase and analysis using FEM we found that the horizontal tilt links would fail
at the bearing insert.It was found that the maximum force experienced was 1800 N, with a
maximum stress 90 MPa and the strength of the link which is made of Aluminum 6061 T6 is of
yield strength 276 MPa. This provided us with a SF of 3.

Also, during our analysis, we were performed a FEM Analysis of the stub axle. The stub axles
are the heaviest components of the Express-O. It was found, that with a maximum force of
1800 N and maximum stress of 200 MPa, and the strength of the stub axles which are made of

1020 Steel was 346 MPa. This provided us with a SF of 1.5.

After assembly some preliminary testing showed that the Horizontal Tilt Link was not stiff
enough due to the cantilevering force acting on the bolt at the center which caused the
bearing to pop out. Therefore, we made some additions, by drilling a few more holes into the
Horizontal Tilt Link and using bushings instead of bearings, and used springs to increase the
stiffness and rigidity of the link, because the trike would tilt to its extreme position quite
erratically. The springs worked, but at low speeds the trike would bank to quickly, as such a
spring and damper system should be used. However, at high speeds the trike works best.

Frame

The frame as shown above, is like the chassis of a car upon which the trike is built. The pedals
in the front are attached to the frame and are rigidly mounted. Theseat is attached to the
frame by way of plates welded on to the frame. The seat is attached to the plates by way of
threaded holes in the plates. Different rider heights are accomodated for by moving the seat
back and forth along the adjustable plate. In the rear of the trike, a reused rear triangle is
welded to the frame off of which the rear wheel is attached. A rigidly mounted crank is
attached to the frame to establish the drive train of the vehicle. Shown below are different
views of the trike in solid edge.

Front View

Isometric View

Rear View

Left side View

Right side View

Adjoining surfaces