Sorry but I have no way to post pics at this time. All I have are hand drawn mechanical drawings of chassis, body and components which I can't post here. Mine hasn't been started yet but I do have all the materials except for the swaybar and I'm working on that. The design is for a cargo only car, never carrying passengers. Mostly intended for touring but may use for shorter local runs to the nearby towns and stores etc. The design is simple, I like simple!
Hope this makes sense. A chassis framework of 1.25" x .125" DOM tubing. On top of that a rectangular box with rough measurements of about 32"-36" wide, about 72" long or longer, about 20"-24" tall sides. All flat surfaces except for the top sheet. A fairly light angle iron body framework with flat aluminum sheets attached over it.
Top is flat up to about 3/4 of the way forward then at about last 1/3 - 1/4 of length a gentle curve down of about 12" radius with front angling straight down at about 45*. At about 3/4 of way down in angled section it cuts back in the other direction towards rear to cause a wedge shape. All the way at the back the top sheet will have an angle down for about 8"-10" at rear.
Overall a side view would look vaguely like an airplane wing profile. Just a simple wedge but the curve and angles gives it some character and good air flow. I want good aerodynamics, something often overlooked on home builds. Don't want too much downward air pressure and don't want lift in front so I think this design will work and not look too very bad, I hope...
Forgot to mention this contraption gets hung on the side of a '96 Kawasaki KZ1000P-15 Police bike, a gift from a dear departed friend of many years. So there's lots of heart in the build. Swapping the KZ's 4 carbs for a single carb on home made intake, for better mileage with good bottom end torque. Chair uses Suzuki GS550 swingarm, disc brake, cast wheel [that almost matches Kawi], also gets electric lean which I just found I have all the parts to build. Adding a swaybar per Claude's advice. The chair gets a 6 gallon polyethylene fuel cell from a friend's drag car, new Carter Competition pump with tee for direct feed to carb as needed. Onboard air compressors and tank, 3 Grover airhorns, large car battery, several Grote auxiliary lights, 12V ATV winch etc.
Final plan when possible is to swap gas engine for a 3 or 4 cylinder diesel of about 2.0L with a 6 speed trans.
Ok, totally different fromthat I want to build. I will also build a cargo body, swappable with passenger body.
But for building passenger body, you suggestions for angle iron resulted in idea to build frame this method:
Obviously with changing raduis to match "uralish" body shape.The shape can be cut in fibreboard from old wardrobe (my house halfly consist of such boards from wasted wardrobes so I know this material and like it 🙂 ). 18mm thick is rigid enough to be used as template to bend 2mm wall angle iron around it. Two wall contours can be connected in some distance (slightly larger than saddle width) then reinforced in few places to mount racks and other equipment.
Having such frame I can cover it with anything I want. 1mm steel sheets welded to frame, aluminium or fiberglass sheets "riveted" with very short "blind head" screws. I bought whole bag of them for scrapmetal price, as their "blindness" was production fault - they had to have flat screwdriver heads but only few of them has a gap for screwdriver.
Cargo sidecar, mmm. Sputnik Cargo is my favorite:
Or Tramp sidecar produced in Poland years, years ago: Couldn't be used to haul long bemas but was equipped with detachable seat, windshield and tonneau cover to convert it into passenger sidecar:
Great looking little red trailer there, not sure how happy the goat is HAAA!
I'm sure you're on the right track now, can't wait to see your finished results, no doubt it will be good!
No idea how long it will take me to build mine but thankfully I seem to have all the materials [except the die$el engine & tran$]. A neighbor surprised me the other day. I had rewired his Harley Davidson just as a favor to help him out. He turned around and gave me a really nice, heavy duty motorcycle jack [something I've wanted for years] as his way of saying thank you! Exactly what I needed to accomplish this build!
Another reason I'm using aluminum sheet over angle iron framing for body is simple security! When traveling or leaving parked I can lock it up tightly to secure my possessions. There are much cheaper materials, easier to work with, but not practical for my needs.
Seeing that angle iron bend there it was apparently given saw cuts then cold bent, to prevent the 90* angle from becoming deformed. I collect all kinds of junk, don't have to explain that to fellow gear-heads! In my pile is a large 12" diameter solid steel wheel, more like a press roller. Heavy steel body with the 'tire', as the outer circumference, made of 1/4" flat steel plate about 6" wide wrapped around. Using this as my base I can hot bend my angle iron without its walls deforming by clamping tight on wheel rim, heating red hot and then wrapping around as needed for curves. What I'm not looking forward to is drilling all that angle every 4" or 6" for screw holes to secure the aluminum sheeting! Think I'll make the floor out of 3/8" marine plywood with aluminum edge overlappig a bit for good water-tight seal.
Have FUN with your build!
I found the right shape for my build. Still "old" style, but fits my needs for space.
but in rear of passenger's part, I wouldn't make the bottom part narrower than top. For few reasons:
-why complicate the shape? Whole sidewall could be cut from one sheet. And it visually don't fit cubic shape of trunk
-narrower bottom wouldn't fit to my existing seat
-more space for luggage and, before all, for "wider" passenger.
As the seat is angled rear, the wall between tunk and passenger's part will be also angled rear. And trunk lid slightly angled and "un-cubed". Spare wheel shouldn't be placed horizontally
Edit. Started to design something sidecar-like. 
Full image is here:
"but in rear of passenger's part, I wouldn't make the bottom part narrower than top. For few reasons:
-why complicate the shape? Whole sidewall could be cut from one sheet. And it visually don't fit cubic shape of trunk
-narrower bottom wouldn't fit to my existing seat
-more space for luggage and, before all, for "wider" passenger.
As the seat is angled rear, the wall between trunk and passenger's part will be also angled rear. And trunk lid slightly angled and "un-cubed". Spare wheel shouldn't be placed horizontally."
Yes, yes, yes!!! Great idea!
I wish I could Bold or Underline part of your text but the software here is too basic.
Anyway, I agree with your points and prefer your design changes. Much more 'fluid' shape, more practical, more usable space, easier to fabricate, better aerodynamics, easier to keep clean, less sharp edges to catch on and much stronger basic structure: what's not to like? Can't wait to see your hack body taking shape! Looks very good so far...
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| XLerate - 3/26/2013 5:50 PM I wish I could Bold or Underline part of your text but the software here is too basic. |
Yes, there are many way better forum engines. But You can do it also here. Just click "Use rich text editor" when writing your post. If there's no such button, then submit your post and edit it. For edition, "Use rich text editor" is always available.
I don't like this error in forum software, and non-functional quoting functionality that makes quoted text a part of quoter's post. Quote someone with "quote" button in his post. Then you can use a "insert table" function in rich text editor and set columns and rows to 1, nad border color to black. Then paste quoted post. But it's a trick and shouldn't be necessary. Well, MBBS, as all Microsoft software... Easy to install and unrepairable until you break a license and hack it, and closed source.
| Anyway, I agree with your points and prefer your design changes. Much more 'fluid' shape, more practical, more usable space, easier to fabricate, better aerodynamics, easier to keep clean, less sharp edges to catch on and much stronger basic structure: what's not to like? Can't wait to see your hack body taking shape! Looks very good so far... |
If you find anything "not to like", let me know.
Yesterday I got main material - 1.5mm thick epoxy-glass sheets. And some 60x180cm cardboards for mocking. And some old cupboard walls for templates to bend angle-irons. Thanks to my workmates, everything for free. If company throws-out anything, be it sheetmetal, angle-iron, failed tool (and it's not a non-ferrous metal to sell at junkyard) I always know about it and these four guys save it for me.
I'm considering two optopns for floor. One is to put straight floor onto frame. The second options is setting frame tubes between front, central and rear floor parts, like in original, to set a body something lower. But the first is much easier to fabricate and three-piece floor is difficult to make as strong as one-piece, especially if you don't make it from press-formed sheetmetal.
c64club - 3/28/2013 12:30 AM
XLerate - 3/26/2013 5:50 PM
I wish I could Bold or Underline part of your text but the software here is too basic.
Yes, there are many way better forum engines. But You can do it also here. Just click "Use rich text editor" when writing your post. If there's no such button, then submit your post and edit it. For edition, "Use rich text editor" is always available.
I don't like this error in forum software, and non-functional quoting functionality that makes quoted text a part of quoter's post. Quote someone with "quote" button in his post. Then you can use a "insert table" function in rich text editor and set columns and rows to 1, nad border color to black. Then paste quoted post. But it's a trick and shouldn't be necessary. Well, MBBS, as all Microsoft software... Easy to install and unrepairable until you break a license and hack it, and closed source.
Anyway, I agree with your points and prefer your design changes. Much more 'fluid' shape, more practical, more usable space, easier to fabricate, better aerodynamics, easier to keep clean, less sharp edges to catch on and much stronger basic structure: what's not to like? Can't wait to see your hack body taking shape! Looks very good so far... If you find anything "not to like", let me know.
Yesterday I got main material - 1.5mm thick epoxy-glass sheets. And some 60x180cm cardboards for mocking. And some old cupboard walls for templates to bend angle-irons. Thanks to my workmates, everything for free. If company throws-out anything, be it sheetmetal, angle-iron, failed tool (and it's not a non-ferrous metal to sell at junkyard) I always know about it and these four guys save it for me.
I'm considering two optopns for floor. One is to put straight floor onto frame. The second options is setting frame tubes between front, central and rear floor parts, like in original, to set a body something lower. But the first is much easier to fabricate and three-piece floor is difficult to make as strong as one-piece, especially if you don't make it from press-formed sheetmetal.
Thanks for the tips! On that reply I started to use 'Quick Reply' at bottom of page, then clicked to go to Rich Text. When it opened it's just a larger window with no advanced Editing Tools shown, no Bold or Underline etc. When I clicked Quote for this reply it's the same, a larger window with Emoticons, no Rich Text. Clicking on 'Use Rich Text Editor' at lower left corner of this window doesn't change anything, stays the same: large window, no Text Tools. Also the text on page is about 6 point and hardly visible, extremely hard to read. I complained in another forum section here and didn't get a solution.
GREAT on the throwaway stuff!!! Regarding the sheet material you got, I used my micrometer to check the thickness. It shows 1.5mm as only being 0.059" inch, or roughly 1/16". I wonder if that is thick enough? Maybe Epoxy/Fiberglass will be strong enough, I don't know. You can tell better by 'Feel' when handling it than I can with a micrometer and eyeballs ha!
For my floor I'm planning to use Marine Plywood, really soaked with polyurethane throughout. Even normal 'Exterior Plywood' may be fine if it gets a really deep soaking and several coats of polyurethane, plus re-application from time to time. I'll make it replaceable, with front lower part of body aluminum sheet wrapping over leading edge of wood and well sealed to prevent water getting in.
1/2" plywood floor will sit on top of a good support framing, the chassis, and whole body will have a hidden interior framing of angle iron, about 1/16" thickness and 1" x 1" angle. Hope it's not too heavy but not real concerned either.
On mine the rest of the body will have the aluminum sheets fastended to outside of angle iron inner frame so angle is invisible. The floor piece will fit down into angle iron, with a sealant between it and the angle iron inner frame. All will be invisible from outside unless top is opened. Of course mine is 'Cargo Only' no passengers so top access will be closed all the time. Don't know if any of this information can help with your build but tossing it out there. Keep up the good work!
If "Rich Text" option doesn't appear, just submit a post with any text, be it one letter or blah blah. Then Edit post and you get RTE.
I also have few 2mm epoxy-glass sheets. Such fabric is strong and stiff enough to build self-supporting tub using only small angles to connect walls. Be it segments of angle-iron, angle-aluminium or even plastic "angles" used to mount shelfs in furniture.
1.5mm aluminium should be good to make skin on angle-iron skelton. Or even 1mm - depends on area of skin fragments.
Hey c64club, I just found some information at the SCT 'Internet Sidecar Owners Klub' Yahoo website that might help you, and me!
I know you have this machine in your country, hope I can describe it: an 'Overhead Projector' or 'Opaque Projector'. These are often used by teachers in classroom and by public speakers to display an image on a wall or screen. They're a box with a thick glass top, an arm that extends upward from the back and a box with mirrors and a lense at top of that arm. You place pictures or text down on glass which has a light underneath. The top box has mirrrors to see the picture, project it up to top box and then project it through the lense onto a wall or screen.
Using one of these you can find a picture of whatever design you like and project it onto a large piece of paper taped to a wall. If you know any measurement like length you can adjust projector to a properly sized image on paper on wall: perfect copy! You could also take any size of object and by adjusting projector you could make a 3/4 scale or 1 1/2 scale copy, either smaller or larger and with perfectly accurate dimensions.
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Yes, still very popular in schools, cause it's way cheaper than PC connected projector in which lamp can stand max 100 hours.
I don't have access to such machine, but my colleague has movie projector in his "home cinema", so we can display Ural photo on wall, on my cardboard instead of screen.
Good idea, thanks
If you have not done a search on YouTube, you may want to do that. There are more than one video of the Irbit factory and some may give you at least some additional ideas as to the build process involved in the actual hack assembly, as to parts and all. Not sure if I can link it okay, but this one may be of help to you in some manner:
A Labor of Love: Building a sidecar at the Ural factory is the title, just in case the link does not work properly.
These little motorcycle lifts sold at Harbor Freight work well for moving the sidecar all about the shop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7946056572/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7946055778/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7946049202/
Your end product needs to be able to fit into your car, huh? 🙂 Believe it or not, when this Ural body went to the powder coater's, this is how I transported it at the time. It was still pretty scary though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7983617215/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7983617049/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7983622392/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7983616487/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a1930ford/7983621964/
If you can also add additional support to the underbelly at the foward nose area, it will help. The stock Urals really have no support there and over the years, they do get bashed about from trail rides and all. Looks good in what you have already accomplished. Good luck on it.
Yes, I know "Labor of Love" video. Thanks for photos of your tube
(Un)fortunately my only car is a sidecar (or trailer). I don't have problems to transpotr a sidecar tube. Or other bike 🙂
