I see a number of pictures of mounts where there are two eye-bolts or heim joints connected with a bolt, as opposed to an eye-bolt/heim connected to a clevis. Is this considered good mechanical practice in the sidecar world? Thanks for the input; getting ready to start fabbing mounts.
John Cooper
We like Hiem joints for the lower mounts and eye bolts for the upper mounts. Most of our lower mounts run a clevis but some aplications we run a bolt into threads with the heim joint only supported on one side. As we are using 5/8 inch hiem joints and bolts this is far stronger then it needs be. On our upper mounts we go eye bolt to eye bolt. As we are running a 12mm grade 12.9 SOHC to hold the two eye bolts together this is pleanty strong as the 3/4 inch rod that the strut is made from will fail long before the 12mm bolt in single shear fails. On other companies struts that the ends are not so robust I would not want to go eye bolt to eye bolts. The materials used are at least as important as how they are used.
Remeber when designing your mounting system that not only does it need to keep the sidecar attached and aligned while sitting it must also do so while going down the road and should be strong enough that should you be in the prosses of crashing, nothing shifts or breaks making it harder for your to control the rig or recover from what ever situation you find your self in.
As the old adage goes, When in doubt, build it stout out of things you know about.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
If I understand you correctly this is how Harley does it on the lower two mounts.
I certainly like your "old adage" Jay!! I've done the same for many years (although I'm not a sidecar rigger nor pretend to be.) Whether welding/fabrication or construction of another form. Years back when I built the barn on the small farm we had before moving to Reardan, a friend and neighbor remarked, "Geez, Wells, I could have built a barn three times this size with this much lumber." My barn never blew over though. And the wind sure did blow in the Columbia Basin.
Tom. You are not allone. My US-Boss used to say:
"Sven, each time I ask You for a row boat, You hand me over a Bismark".
Well, My designs still work, while he blew his fathers company...
Results count and You will recognize them by their fruit.
Sven
