On mysidecar I mounted 2 10 pound round free weights on the frame close to the axle and still underneath the tub. ran long bolts threw the weights with large washers top and bottom and tightened it to the frame and has not moved or shifted. Now wanting to add more and closer to the wheel thinking about a flat steel stock over the leaf spring and put a hard side harley saddle bag there and store tools there. now looking for a narrow saddle bag or case to use? Thoughts?
ed carlson - 2/27/2010 7:26 AM
On mysidecar I mounted 2 10 pound round free weights on the frame close to the axle and still underneath the tub. ran long bolts threw the weights with large washers top and bottom and tightened it to the frame and has not moved or shifted. Now wanting to add more and closer to the wheel thinking about a flat steel stock over the leaf spring and put a hard side harley saddle bag there and store tools there. now looking for a narrow saddle bag or case to use? Thoughts?
It's good to add weight. Harley used to sell a 46 # cast iron weight that bolted onto the four bolts that hold the right spring to the frame on a TLE sidecar. Those are no longer available since they weren't a hot seller.
I used to own one but sold it with a former sidecar. So, when I needed another one for my present sidecar, I built one out of 1/4" steel plate and filled it with lead that I melted into the casing. It weighs 45# with the casing. Because the later sidecar with the single leaf spring sits about 2" lower than the earlier TLE's with multi-leaf springs, I had to make a cantilever mount that raises the weight up about 2" and moves it our 1-3/4". This prevents the tub hitting the weight on a bump.
As you mention, the weight should be placed out as far as possible. In that way, you will need less weight since the leverage is proportionately greated at that point.
Here are pictures of my unit. Hope this helps.
Can you post some measurements, maybe a rough drawing with dimenstions? I'm leaning towards fabricating one of these, but I'd rather start with the basic dimensions. Did you use 1/4 in. plate? Melted lead, lead shot? Welded closed, secured with screws?
Gawd, I wish I had that disk set-up.
dunesie - 6/16/2010 9:45 PM
Can you post some measurements, maybe a rough drawing with dimenstions? I'm leaning towards fabricating one of these, but I'd rather start with the basic dimensions. Did you use 1/4 in. plate? Melted lead, lead shot? Welded closed, secured with screws?
Gawd, I wish I had that disk set-up.
Hello,
I haven't drawn any plans for the weight. About 20 years ago, I foolishly bought one of the cast iron weights from Harley-Davidson. For the record, they quit making them about the time they brought out the disc brake in 1998. They were very expensive and looked like a loaf of bread with rough edges.
The original HD version weighed exactly 46# but it was rather ugly and, on a strong bump, the tub would come down and hit the weight, causing an unsightly scrape in the paint, usually down into the fiberglass structure. For that reason, I removed the one I had and sold it with the sidecar around 1999.
So when I decided to buy another HD sidecar in 2006, I also wanted to add a weight but I also recalled the damage that the earlier one did. The answer was to move the weight up and out. In the pictures, you can see my method. I built a cantilever mount out of 1/4" steel plate. It moves the weight up about 2" and out about 2", give or take 1/4", IIRC. The base mounts onto the existing spring pad and uses the same bolt pattern for the weight. This would also work on a pre-1994 sidecar with the multi-leaf springs. It takes the weight out of the danger zone where the tub could hit it. I also built a friction damper to keep the tub level at all times, but that's another thread. LOL.
The weight itself is 12" Long, 3-1/2" wide at the base with the inner side angled over 1/2" to 3-1/2, just enough to clear the bolts drilled down through the weight. It is 3" high on the outer side facing the wheel and 3" wide at the top. The bolt pattern is 2" W X 3" long in teh center of the weight. It was fabricated out of 1/4" steel plate, hot-rolled, since that's about all you can get at the steel supply warehouses anymore. Cold rolled steel is cleaner and more dimensionally tight but it also costs a lot more. There is also a 4" X 5" X 1/4" plate welded across the center to make a pad for the weight to sit on. I also added a 3/4" plate that I had lying around underneath the weight for another couple of pounds but it wasn't absolutely necessary. I just happened to have the material left over from an earlier fabrication job.
All welds were done with MIG on the inside so that there would be no welds showing on the outside. This made for a cleaner appearance. I also welded some used car lug nuts inside, one on each corner about halfway down, to hold the lead in place once it cooled.
The lead was from two vintage theater curtain weights that a friend gave me. They were 2-1/4" square by 24" long and I cut then into 4" long cubes on a horizontal band saw. They are typical casting lead, which is pure lead with a touch of antimony to induce hardness in the finished product. I could have used car wheel weights but that requires more melting to get the steel clamps out before you can use them. It's nicer if you have clean lead, if there is such a thing. You can also use fishing weights but they are expensive anymore. You will need 40 pounds of lead, more or less. I calculated the size of the frame to finish out at 46#. The casing weighs around 6 pounds and the lead was the other 40#. According to my Engineering reference handbook, cast lead weighs 708# /cu.ft. So you do the math. LOL.
To melt the lead, I placed the casing upside down, level and open side up on some 2X4's. I pre-heated the casing with a Harbor Freight propane roofing torch and a BBQ propane tank to about 500 deg. Then I placed several of the pre-cut cubes into the upside down casing and heated them until they melted. I kept the heat on and added more weights one at a time until the level of the molten lead just touched the inside of the 4" X 5" strap welded across the casing.
I recommend strongly against melting the lead in a separate vessel and pouring it. This is inherently dangerous and needlessly messy. Carrying 40 pounds of molten lead in a hot container and attempting to pour it neatly is a risky venture and to be avoided at all costs. Thus, this is why I used the method of simply melting the lead "in situ" so that I would avoid getting burned. You are warned.
Once the unit cooled in a couple of hours, I was ready to drill four holes for the mounting bolts. Note: The bolts are 7/16" on a HD so it was necessary to drill the holes 1/2" to make for clearance and some adjustment when mounting the unit. I marked the spring mount pattern on both the top and bottom. (2" X 3") and drilled halfway in from top then halfway in from the bottom so that I would be sure to get the holes straight.
The cantilever mount was just made to clear the caliper vertically and clear the tub horizontally so I wound up with about 2" up and 2" out as I mentioned. There are no fixed dimensions on any of the parts since it's all homemade. I did weld square nuts onto the cantilever to make mounting it easier but you needn't do that.
You will need longer bolts on the spring pad and some that are about 4-5" long for the weight, depending upon whether you use an additional spacer. I also had to notch the rear of the weight where the fender bolt stick out but that was not a big deal.
Needless to say, if you work with lead you need to be careful to wear protective clothing. You must have at least a long-sleeved shirt, full closed shoes, gloves and preferably a full-face shield. That's what I wore when doing my melting. Also, washing one's hands quickly afterwards is recommended since lead has nasty biological effects. It's sure nice and heavy, though.
I hope this will outline for the readers what I did to make a weight. It would also work for any other sidecar in a different shape. The benefits are noticeable whenever I run my rig. It's more stable and the wheel tends to stay on the ground, which is my goal when riding with a sidecar.
If there are any other questions, I'll be right here. LOL.
Happy Trails.
🙂
