On the golden rule of trike design (original) (raw)

Abstract

To ensure stability of a trike with two wheels on the front axle, the centre of gravity (centre of mass) must be a third of the wheelbase back from the front axle. This gives a static vertical wheel load of a third of the weight on each wheel; equal to 66% on the front axle and 33% on the rear.

Key takeaways

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  1. The center of gravity must be one-third of the wheelbase back from the front axle for stability.
  2. Three-wheeled vehicles exhibit reduced rollover stability compared to four-wheeled vehicles.
  3. Lateral stability requires the center of gravity to be in the front half of the vehicle.
  4. Understeer coefficients inform the relationship between tyre slip angles and vehicle stability.
  5. The golden rule of trike design may be rephrased into three key rules of thumb.

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References (2)

  1. Huston JC, Graves BJ, Johnson DB, Three Wheeled Vehicle Dynamics, So- ciety of Automotive Engineers, 820139, 1982
  2. Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch Automotive Handbook, 6th Edition, Professional Engineering Publishing, October 2004