Let me start by saying: Thank you God and all your saints for keeping me safe!
ok, here goes. i just got off the highway today, turned onto a major boulevard, had to make a U turn and half way through the turn a connector bolt sheared off. The sidecar nosed into the ground canted inwards towards the bike. I lost total control and drove into the sidewalk at 5kms. Thankfully, my wife who was in the sidecar is ok. as am I. Had we still been on the highway, we would have died for sure. Has this happened to anyone else? My plan is to replace the defective bolt, and the other 3 right away. It will be my practice to replace these bolts each year.
Ouch! You are indeed fortunate. I'm glad to hear that you are both OK.
I've been in similar situations in a car - a part fails at low speed where minutes before or later, I'd have been on the highway and almost certainly killed. It's a spooky feeling.
I came to sidecaring by an Austin Mini (Cooper) dropping off his right front wheel just in front of the motorway (Germany).
Congratulation for you as a new member in the club of second changers.
In quite a few years of technical service in industrial machinery I want to suggest to you to recheck the whole system. means the complete frames, suspension steering and so on. You nearly never have only on thing failing, but nearly always a counter part or near system . A failure is just a symptom of something else in bad condition.
I can imagine in your case Chinese eyes in eye bolts =loose fit./ Loose fit of the other end of the bar./ loose subframe / Some when over tightened bolts (had that ones on a 1972 Toyota Landcruiser direction => in stead of a right turn I went straight facing a bus.) / poor quality screws / Stainless steel screws can screw up quite a bit, they don't like a lot of shear force / Vibration.....
There are many possible reasons, so better have a very close look.
And buy that time get a close look to the front steering bearings. In the rig I feel they wear faster then in the solo bike, (Strange though)
Be a detailist, that pays out. My first boss at a Honda workshop had the saying: "It doesn't matter WHEN you make the inspection. But it matters all THAT you make it."
Best regards
Sven Peter
Photolinks don't work....
I could see now your photos.
first: pretty short bolt not reaching much into the tube. => Use longer overlaping bolt that gives strength.
second: I fear you have a long lever working on that linking tube.
third: I would not go with a simple pin and splint, but with a strong screw (perhaps shoulder screw) and a crown nut and splint.
Regards
Sven Peter
The bolt appears to be 3/8" or 7/16". It appears to be too small. Perhaps a larger bolt in a grade 8 would suffice.
Is this a Chang Jiang outfit?
Lonnie
I am not sure, it was imported from china, so it is possible.
That might explain the fastener failure. Red China QC is comparable to the Russians.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Hacked, possibly worse:
When in the eighties the first Chinese Royal Enfield clones came to Germany (Rig for 6 or 7000Mark less then 4000$) 750ccm with around 30hp. None of them lasted more then 7000km. Typically you found them for sale at 1500 to 2500km with a blocked engine.
But for your calm I read in "der Spiegel" today that Jailing is offering the 1993 BMW F650 clone as "their intellectual property". With the BMW boss applauding and sending the new G650 Engines to assemble there.
On the other side good old Benelli was bought by Chinese who build them now there... as long as the Benelli engineers will be good for innovation....
Mr. Bush father woke up a giant that we will not be able to handle in a safe way...bad for our future empoymentship. My colleagues in Berlin are all installing and training in Peking...still didn't seem to have learned where this heads for.
Regards
Sven Peter
So, the fact that China is now industrializing several billion people in the 21st century may be laid at the door of George Bush's father. I learn something new every day. LOL.
It makes no sense to paint all of the Chinese products with the same broad brush. Some are pretty good. As with capitalism, sooner or later they get around to fixing things that need fixing. Let's face it, sidecars are not a priority for China right now.
For comparison, take a look at their metalworking equipment. I've got a Chinese lathe and Milling machine that have served me well for more than 15 years. Good stuff. Parts are available and they work. I'm not saying it's the best equipment, but it's an example of an area where the Chinese needed to put out good usable products and, for the most part, they have succeeded.
As to the broken bolt on the sidecar - it's just not a priority at this time. I don't know whether it was Chinese or Russian but it's probably an old design. Given that fact, it's up to the owners of these sidecars to take a look at the fittings and other parts and upgrade them where something is found that isn't strong enough. It's not all that hard to drill a few holes oversize, get some good American bolts and re-do things. I've been doing that on other things since I was practically old enough to walk.
Where safety is concerned, it pays to do the work and be vigilant. If you can't do it yourself, find someone who is a professional and have them do it for you. Make sure that your rig is safe. It's really iomportant!
Happy Trails!
It seems to me that Richard Nixon was the man who first opened up our trade with Red China. I'm not sure who made them our favorite trade partner, that may have been George Sr.
"I'm just sayin'"
Lonnie
Originally written by Hack'n on 6/6/2008 7:52 AM
It seems to me that Richard Nixon was the man who first opened up our trade with Red China. I'm not sure who made them our favorite trade partner, that may have been George Sr.
"I'm just sayin'"
Lonnie
I don't know who it was either. Bear in mind, China trades with other countries as well. Their industrialization, like that of India, Indonesia and others was, in my estimation, inevitable in the long run.
Too bad America gave up on industrialization and now is in the communication age and has to rely on the third world for most of our consumer products. Some good, some bad.
I feel it was also inevitable that the Trade Union's power and actions had a big part in the "Outsourcing of America".
"I'm just sayin'"
Lonnie
