DIY Friction Drive : Lowracer Style

[lowracer]

I got the pulley at my local ACE Hardware store. Its a 1.5"
The blue bike at the start of this thread ended up being converted to a DAX friction drive unit w/Tanaka 32cc & sold.
I still have one friction drive machine in the garage & it rips.
-Lowracer-

 

[rawly old]

Okay,
Half way thru my last response I noticed the cogged belt.
I thought maybe you'd put a timing pulley on there.
That looks like a pretty mean little scooter. Don't tell me
you've dismantled the 'Beast'?

 

[Rockoteer]

Lowracer, Rockoteer here. Where did you get your belt and is your drive pulley simply another 26" wheel and if so, how in the world did you mount it?

 

[rawly old]

Rocko,
Where else... Vbelt supply.com. They have any length you'll need. I
recommend 3l or 3v unless you plan on a cogged primary pulley. No
worry, they' got cogged belts as well. They are pretty cheap too.
I think Low is using a 26" rim there; I use a 24" with a 3/4"
special gripping primary I made myself. I have loads of low end
power for hills @ 5500 max torque , and at 15mph I can effortlessly
pedal assist steeper grades. With my tanaka pf4000 top spd is
only 25 mph, but that's faster than I like to ride anyway.
Living in the soggy Northwest, I've 2 bikes, one friction for summer
and the belt for the other 8 mos.

 

[lowracer]

Rockoteer,
That version of the v-belt drive was indeed a 26" mtb rim to rim setup.
Here is my thread on how I did it.
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?31691-How-to-make-a-V-belt-drive-sheave
Cheers,
-low-

 

[rawly old]

Cool Low,
Much simpler to mount the 26" than what I had to go thru
to mount my 24"

 

[grinningremlin]

Cool Low,
Much simpler to mount the 26" than what I had to go thru
to mount my 24"

Hey Rawly, you had the diy gebe with the "belleville washers" pulley?How did you go about mounting the 24" to the 26"?I'm wanting to experiment with my gebe system next time I need gear/sheave/belt change, that stuff is expensive and it'd be nice to buy my parts from the local hardware store.

 

[rawly old]

Yeah,
Still using the incised bellevilles. made the shaft from an 8" x 5/8" bolt
necked down to 3/8" 24 thread for the clutch bell with the large threads
on the other end. What I changed was the 3/4" steel conduit spacer that
goes between the washers to form my pulley. I cut it down to 1/8" so
to really grab a 3v belt. Geez, it works great.
For the 24" sheave I notched the rim,(this has to be done extremely
precisely), to fit the 18 spokes of the drive side to a depth of two
thicknesses of the spoke past the inner edge of the rim. I cut alu
tabs to fit between the spoke and the inner edge fastening them
with small self-tapping screws. I used an alu threshold plate to
cut the tabs from with tin snips. Other than the 24" rim, I got
everything else at the hardware store for under $20.
The hardest part was necking down the bolt by hand with a
file before the tool rental guy threaded it for me.
Now I don't know what to do with myself. Between the
belt drive and the custom friction roller, I have 2 bikes
that finally perform exactly the way I want 'em.

P.S. Low's system for a 26" sheave is incredibly less labor intensive.

 

[agcat111]

The pulley for the belt?

The pulley on eh bask wheel, is that just another bicycle rim? if so how isatached to the other rim. How do you keep the belt from slipping if it is another bicycle rim?

 

[rawly old]

Agcat,
It is indeed another bike rim. the belt doesn't slip on the rim
because it's pulled against so much surface of the rim. It could
slip at the primary pulley if the belt doesn't match or there is
too little tension.
The way I attach a 24" rim is explained in my post above ^.
Lowracer has a much simpler method for using a 26" rim
detailed in the link shown in his post to Rockoteer above ^.
The difference in the 2 systems is the ratio achieved.
his, with a 1 1/2" pulley & 26" rim is about 17:1, ideal
for a lighter rider or mild terrain.
Mine uses a 3/4" pulley with a 24" rim, 26:1 for
steeper terrain, heavier rider.