Simplex 5 speed build

[pd]

First impression with no thought involved :

I'm no expert and I may be all wet here , but , that seems almost too robust , Rick .

Better a little too much than not enough ?

Pete .

[Ricks]

Looks great!  I guess the only way to know if the spring rate is correct is to put it on a bike a test it.

[carryall]

 I guess it comes down to how much weight is forward, with rider on, over that front wheel.  It would seem to be a bit "stiff" but, it surely won't want to "hop" at higher speeds like a light weight, springy front end that would need a rebound shock.  Has a great look to it either way!

[ndian22]

Thanks guys & all your input is good. The bike weighs 170 lbs. I'm at about the same so about 340 total, without a sidecar. Weight without rider is a little forward, but seated balance shifts a bit to the rear. Springs are rated 1750 the pair for single axle trailer. Eliminating the short leaf and tapering the top two leaves will reduce the spring rate as will cutting the pack in half. 550 to 700 lbs after alterations is my guess. The trailing link setup creates a lot of mechanical advantage that's transferred at road speed as well.  In my experience utility springs are considerably over rated & in real world use will quickly flatten out when max loaded, most low price springs are fabricated with marginal steel & tempering, this one included. Again I'm guessing, but I'm thinking that I'll be close & I've another half spring to tinker with as well & for $27. shipped it's just chump change, but the chance to learn is priceless. Still having fun! Rick C.

[carryall]

Great outlook.  I forgot about the hack so, your probably right on all accounts as far as quality and load ratings and the "more is better" thinking.   

[ndian22]

Thanks. I shortened the spring pack, eliminated the short leaf & shortened the top two leafs & tapered them as well. The gray areas show how much material was removed. The leaves square ends made the spring appear more massive than it actually was & more agricultural in purpose. I'll clean up the edges at a future point 80 grit angle grinder makes some nicks!

I'm stalled waiting on quills and U bolt so I can bolt up & determine exact lengths I'll require for springs rods. With any luck all will be in hand by next Monday. So I'll turn my attention to some of the other things I'm changing with my stable of bikes.  Rick C.

 

[ndian22]

I awoke this a.m. thinking about your questions & input concerning the spring pack as well as those posed on another forum & realized a possible solution to spring rebound lies in the use of an "unstrapped" spring pack laid out in the reverse spring pattern that my design displays. I had removed the pack strap that binds the springs together in preparation for shortening and tapering of the individual leaves. With the trailing link design the pack has to be bound in order for all springs to work in unison as the spring is deflected and the wheel assembly rises at the opposite end of the links. Without the strap only the long bottom leaf is doing any work.

Carryall's insight into rebound control might lie in no strap if the single spring is sufficient to properly control the deflection & the other two leaves providing a bit of rebound control as the suspension completes it's cycle. The two longest leafs might be bound, if necessary, to give more deflection control & the remaining leaf (unstrapped) providing rebound control & acting as the spring pack stop. I'm almost hoping the one leaf will adequately handle deflection in order to test the rebound absorption of the remaining two leaves.

I like the look of the short springs atop & if the design was a leading link they would function fine without a spring pack strap. I leave that option on the table if I find the positive trail is too great with the current steering neck angle of the Simplex, but as Rick said ride it and try it. Light at the end of the tunnel doesn't necessarily indicate a train!


  Rick C 

[ndian22]

Here's my solution to the kick start lever & bicycle pedal interference during starts on my Simplexish Copper gator...folding bicycle pedals.

[ndian22]

Copper velocity stack made from a copper bell. This one mounted on my Harley Peashooter. I ran it yesterday with the filter out but screen on and it sounded so good! I'm tinkering with a brass cow bell also. I made sure the clapper was removed from both, but they might have made an interesting note before being ingested by the motor.   Rick C.

[pd]

That's a pretty classy lookin' stack , Rick .

Pete  .

[carryall]

  Great imagination by repurposing of that bell.  That looks FANTASTIC!!

[ndian22]

Thanks guys it was kinda' a fun thing which also pulls some good  air flow.    Rick C.

[ndian22]

Some projects go so smooth it's scary. Such was my progress yesterday on converting the 5 speed foot shift (left side mounted) to a hand lever shift lever crossed over to the right side of my Simplex tribute bike. I had located, measured, cut, drilled and shaped various pieces for the assembly of a working mock up without so much as a hiccup when I went to couple the Heim joints with 24 thread 3/8" threaded rod & I found out, yet once again, right hand won't successfully join with left hand thread. So I ordered a few more Heim's of the rt. hand variety. I could have finished the mock with some 1" flat strap & drilled a couple of holes or just threaded some rod. It would have been fine, but the smooth project was tainted and I'll just wait for the right stuff to arrive and pout.

I did find a steel, tapered bicycle chain stay that will do the job as a shift lever, but need a k-nob for it.   Rick C.

[pd]

 Pout time = Think time .

And , it's part of 'it always takes twice as long as you plan' .

Pete .

[ndian22]

I really do need to think & plan a lot better. Quite often I'm absolutely positive I have certain parts and I'm wrong & about as often I'm sure I don't have parts, order more & later find the "required items" were on the shelf or in a box etc.
I laugh at myself a lot in order to keep from banging my head up side of a wall.

The chain stay I'm using for a shift lever came off an old Huffy mountain bike donated by a neighbor. I stated the Simplex and noticed smoke coming from the exhaust up around the manifold connection, thought I had a leak at that point. I did have a leak, but not from the exhaust. It was a gas leak from a  split in the body of the brass petcock, not at a joint but in main body. Very small but required an immediate change out, but this time I went with a newer style petcock as I've had several issues with these old style petcocks over the years.

I received more parts Saturday and was notified that more should be delivered Mon. & Wed. so I'm hoping to get some more work on the leaf fork completed this week. The Heim's are scheduled for Thur. so the Simplex shift lever project looks to be a weekend  project.

Also yet to be started but on my Simplex list is the rear disc brake which involves replacing the 54 tooth rear sprocket with a 30 tooth drive these two items the disc conversion & smaller sprocket should improve braking and allow me to actually use 1st. gear on the 5 speed box.

Once these mods are all completed I'll devote some time to mods on the Harley tribute bike & somewhere in all this get back to work on my V twin build and eventually get started on the sidecar I plan to use with both the Simplex and the V twin. At least a years worth of projects I'd suspect.  Rick C.