I guess you could say I worked out the geometry by being a gear head for fifty odd years. I built my first go-cart when I was 14 or 15, and learned how kingpin orientation affected performance by racing my creations. Sometimes I found absolutely the wrong way to go, but once in a while I found things that worked together. Eventually I found things that seemed to meet my needs. And I learned about scrub radius, king pin inclination, Heim joints, jacking effects and lots of other things....
The short story is that I layed out the pieces I was going to use on a piece of plywood, so I could find a combination that would meet all the needs of clearance and alignment. (That was just about the only measured drawing for the whole project.) Then I built right and left handed jigs to get the a-arms and uprights symmetrical. My first plan was to use elastomeric bushings for inner pivot bearings, to provide compliance, and I hated the resulting imprecision during cornering. So I did it again, using automotive tie rod ends for the inner bearings. ( they were for a Hyundai, and I used them because they were the cheapest I could find, $3.75 each)
I think I still have the Ackermann slightly wrong, but I'm thinking about putting hydraulic disc brakes on it, and that will require new uprights, so I'll correct it then.
Thanks for viewing and for asking.
I was lying about the ten smiles an hour. I was smiling the whole time. It really is fun.
TTFN,
Dennis
