Ah!!! Thanks Vic.
With that assembly coming off a bike it would be very light as well.
Clever.

That is very nice,

Are you having rod or cable steering?

3D printing would indeed make it easy, but then I will miss all the fun of building the yacht

For the steering of almost all our other yachts we use cable steering. I think this is a very easy way of making it. However, I recall seeing a topic at seabreeze about it and thought that it was concluded that rod steering has its advantages over cable steering. (I think it was this topic, www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Land-Yacht-Sailing/Construction/Class-Five-Design/?page=6, or is there another with more info on the steering?) That's why I tend to use rod steering, but first I will need to have a close look on how to build it. And I will have to find a place where I can buy the stuff, like a flexible rod joiner.

The stub axles are indeed something I will still have to look at. Has there been a topic on it at seabreeze? Otherwise I will just change it the way you suggest, Clemco. I'm assuming that you have more experience with this than I do.

aus230 said...
Hi Stephan
This link is about how I went about making my seat (disregard the stuff about the wheels they where the ones I had problems with). You will find the dimensions on the FISLY site.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Land-Yacht-Sailing/Construction/Building-new-class-5/?page=1

Cheers
Vic

Can you elaborate on the problems with these rims? I think I read/spoke to Paul about the rims blowing apart with high air pressure. Did they split where you glued the 2 halfs together? Presume you used epoxy to glue them together.

I got a little difficulty finding a flexible rod joiner. But then again, why not use a ball joint, like this:



It would produce a steering system like this. I think it'll work.



What dimensions (inner/outer diameter) do you use for the rod?

I wouldn't use ball joints if you are sailing on beaches. Salt and sand will clog them up very quickly. Nolathane (or similar brand) rod is the best option. Rod size 5/8" stainless steel tube is what I have used for outer and next smallest size for inner. If you are going to use rod steering you would be best using a single fork front end as the weight of the steering rod will balance the the weight of the single fork. Like this one by Imac NZ

I believe someone on the forum has used a short length of 'hydraulic' hose for the steering joints (this sort of hose is very strong and still flexes).

I saw that Nolathane uses it for cars, so maybe I will have to look at a shop for car parts. Otherwise the hydraulic hose doesn't seem to be a bad idea. I think I will be able to find something that will do the job. Now at least I know what to search for (polyurethane rod is more general than Nolathane rod).

Clemco said...
If you are going to use rod steering you would be best using a single fork front end as the weight of the steering rod will balance the the weight of the single fork.

At the site of Airtrack I found these class 5 yachts:



They put the single fork and the steering rod both at the same side of the yacht. I wonder why they chose to do that?

Yeah, it does seem very strange. Especially since the rod is connected so close to the wheel, that it doesn't look like it is still able to turn far enough.

The steering on the airtracks is not layover steering, they have stuck with the C type steering. I think Clem posted some drawings of it some time ago. Here is a pic of the system.

the steering show in the above pic is not the same steering that Airtrack uses, Airtrack is a little defferent they take into account , caster and camber, I have some good pictures of the steering used by airtack and the rest of the yatch, we have two of the class 5's hear is the US which I see regularly on the playa. and they do as number on everything in that class and below. The two yatch pictured are the ones that came to the US., that steering is good, sweet, right on, I like it..the wheel stays very vertical and has a very high cridical angle be before tip over, 30 degree angle has a very low critical angle be for tipover. As soon as I figure out how to get the pictures posted I'll do it...Burt

here are the pic's of the airtrack c-5 steering good stuff

kiwi307 said...
That steering on the Airtrak is a pretty accurate copy of the original Seagull from about 1984!

I was thinking the same Kiwi307
for those looking at lay over steering vs Cbar , keep in mind that the layover has a push pull component as well as a twisting component.
you MUST account for the twisting ,and ball joints usually dont twist enough.
. have a look at rose joints? instead. the hydraulic hose works really well.
last weekend I saw on a class 5 belonging to barry pulford, a really nice set up which we have christened the "Puleys pusher"
i will get to the photos tommorrow as barry was happy to have them up.

"pretty accurate copy of the original Seagull from about 1984!"

Of course Seagull is our Master but this kind of steering was made before WW2
and specially by mr Demoury on class 3 and even class 1. Also in Belgium Deckers used same solution.

http://le-tour-d-afrique.over-blog.net/pages/Z_Petite_histoire_du_char_dans_la_famille-2231960.html