Wheel Offset

As Iam sure others will tell you' the further foward you have the hack wheel the more stable it will be-but will also be harder to steer. On my 85fxrvelorex I used a piece of2x2 by44 inch long 3/16 sq. tubing bolted atop the velos frame tube using 9/16s bolts up thru the velos2 upper strut holes along with 2 4inch by 1/4 inch-u clamps that are around the velos tube and straddle and are bolted thru the 2 inch tube. This will allow you to drill location holes for your struts where you need them and allow you to shift the hack back for a more favorable wheel lead. Hope this helps. Need more info? email me and we'll see what we can do HD Hank

Here's an '05 mounting where the brake works fine and the car is farther back. The brake rod is adjustable so one can raise the pedal for clearance.

Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars

HD Hank - thanks for the tip, may be my final option.
Hack'n - guess I should have mentioned that I have forward controls and the upper forward strut is challenging my brake pedal.

All in all the car is solidly affixed to the bike. I plan to scoot around today and get a greater feel for it.

...still learning

This Velorex is probably a little more modified than you intend to do but it does show the front upper mount attachemnt point on the sidecar frame after it was moved.
see attached

Then there is this solution for pedal/foot clearance with forward controls.

Lonnie

LOL...Lonnie, I knew someone would post the simple way out. I just never cared much for bent struts as we have seen some flex in them. We have beefed some up with a gusset on some GS/ Ural rigs we have had through the shop. I just prefer straight ones from point to point for this reason as well as easier adjustment. But....that is just me maybe 🙂
Also we try to stay away from too much threaded rod exposed even though the stock we use is a B7 grade. Dunno what Velorex uses but have seen a few issues here and there. See attached.

Claude,
I have encountered one case like the one you have shown. It was an old 562E attached to a Guzzi Ambassador. The bend was caused by impact. Running into curb as I recall. The J tube was also bent.
The upper struts do not carry as much weight as the bottom mounts do but on heavier units or for rougher usage I like to use 1" tube stock and shorter clevis bolts for the upper strut if it is curved.
Some others in the trade, Doug B. for instance, prefer to cut, weld and gusset straight sections of tube rather than use curved stock.
Both methods work, I prefer the smooth appearance of the curved strut.

Lonnie

I've got some extra struts. Would it be prudent to have them welded together, at say 135 deg angle, in order to give me the clearance I need for my brake Pedal? Even with this modified strut, I still don't think I'll get to the recommended 8" to 10" offset unless I go for a high-mount exhaust.

The "recommended 8" to 10" wheel lead is an arbitrary figure. Like the 2/3rds to 1/3rd bike sidecar ratio it is a rule of thumb or an ideal, as it were. Bike wheelbases vary considerably as does sidecar wheel positioning.
Get the sidecar as far back as practical maintaining as good a triangulation of the mounts possible to affect a rigid mounting and you are good to go.

To cut and weld up an angular strut is OK as long as it is well gusseted at the weld joint. I wouldn't depend on an unreinforced butt weld alone.
Many prefer this method to a curved strut. In my experienced opinion either will work well if properly executed.

The attached mounting setup will place your sidecar farther back than the pix you have shown.

Lonnie
Northewst Sidecars

Originally written by Scout99 on 4/7/2008 11:51 AM

I've got some extra struts. Would it be prudent to have them welded together, at say 135 deg angle, in order to give me the clearance I need for my brake Pedal? Even with this modified strut, I still don't think I'll get to the recommended 8" to 10" offset unless I go for a high-mount exhaust.

To create a bent strut using the struts you have I would source a piece of tubing that has a I.D. as close as possible to the O.D of your struts. It can be a little larger but not smaller. Bend this tubing to the desired angle, drill a hole in it near each end. Take the existing strut and cut it in half. Insert one half into each end of the bent tubing. Do a plug weld in each drilled hole and then weld up the connection points of the tubing to strut pieces.This will look much better and retain the strength without worry.
See attached.
Like Lonnie mentioned the wheel lead numbers are a basic starting place and depend upon what the wheelbase of the bike is. 10" lead on a short bike is not the same as 10" lead on a long bike. Having a little too much lead is better in many cases than not enough. If you keep moving the sidecar back you may end up losing some strength on the lower mounts as they will get closer together. This may or may not be an issue.
What you are up against can be worked out even though you may not end up with the mounts in the best possible position.If all is solid when done and does not flex or move you will do okay. Adjusting the rig may be a little more difficult than it shoudl be but that is just a patience issue and no real biggie.
A subframe woudl have taken care of some of the concern here as it woudl allow your rear mount to be moved farther back.
You will get it though just have patience.

Finally took it out today for a test ride...weather's been pretty fickle lately. Spent about an hour in a large parking lot where all the drivers schools train their customers. It seems to track very well at speed...got it up to 60 mph. However, it is truly a bear to steer. Don't imagine I could ride this thing for longer than an hour at a pop. Any recommendations on how I can adjust the mount to facilitate easier steering? Tracking the leading link option, not ready for that kind of investment just yet.

Thanks

Are you talking about stright line tracking or the corners?

You likely need to get the offset closer to 8". 15" is way too far forward for easy turns on a short wheel base bike.
If you have to make a new mount for the sidecar brake lever to move it where you will need it.
If you are attaching the sidecar brake cable to the bikes rear brake lever it should be simple enough to change the cable stop and or cable length as needed.

The rear bike brake pedal is the interference point. Due to forward controls.
A curved or reshaped front strut will make it easier to move the car rearward.

Lonnie