Atomic Zombie LodeRunner User manual

Build the LodeRunner Delta Trike
Another Atomic Zombie™Extreme Machines Adventure
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LodeRunner Delta Trike
Table of Contents
ABOUT THE LODERUNNER DELTA TRIKE.........................................................................................3
BUILDING THE REAR FRAME BOX.......................................................................................................4
BUILDING REAR AND MAIN BOOMTUBE..........................................................................................10
BUILDING TRUSS TUBES........................................................................................................................11
FRONT FRAME TUBE AND FORKS ......................................................................................................16
CREATING THE HEAD TUBE.................................................................................................................19
BEARING SUPPORT TUBES....................................................................................................................38
INSTALLING PILLOW BLOCK BEARINGS AND AXLE...................................................................44
BUILDING THE WHEELS........................................................................................................................65
HUB FLANGES ............................................................................................................................................66
OUTER FLANGE ..........................................................................................................................................80
PAINTING HUB AXLES................................................................................................................................82
TRUING AND SPOKING................................................................................................................................83
BUILDING REAR AXLES.........................................................................................................................85
FREE HUB AND DISC BRAKE ................................................................................................................89
INSTALLING THE REAR DERAILLEUR............................................................................................101
BUILDING THE ADJUSTABLE BOTTOM BRACKET......................................................................105
INSTALLING CRANK SET AND CHAIN.............................................................................................114
BUILDING SEAT MOUNTS....................................................................................................................117
STEERING .................................................................................................................................................120
INSTALLING LIGHTS.............................................................................................................................137
PRIMING AND PAINTING .....................................................................................................................138
INSTALLING BRAKE CABLES.............................................................................................................140
BUILDING A CARGO BOX.....................................................................................................................143
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LodeRunner Delta Trike LodeRunner Characteristics
About the LodeRunner Delta Trike
The LodeRunner is comfortable and rugged all purpose vehicle designed
to combat the ever increasing price of gasoline, while at the same time giving its
pilot a great low impact workout. Because the seat is at a height similar to that
of an automobile, the LodeRunner is easy to get into and puts you at eye level to
many motorized vehicles on streets and roads. The LodeRunner weighs under
80 pounds fully built, which is less than a single truck wheel, yet it can easily
carry a load of 500 pounds. Stopping power is smooth and complete due to dual
rear disc brakes, and the handling characteristics are predictable and smooth.
The LodeRunner is also easy and inexpensive to make, since it requires
only a few small machined parts, using common hardware and cycle
components. You will require only a basic welder, an angle grinder, hand drill,
and the usual hand tools in order to create you own LodeRunner trike. Thanks to
the simple single boom flat frame, you can easily modify the width or length of
the LodeRunner to modify it to your own needs. The LodeRunner could easily
become a fully faired velocar or a pedicab, or a multirider vehicle, or just about
any other human or electric assisted vehicle you can imagine.
Are you ready to kick the petrol addiction and put your legs to work?
Great – let’s get started!
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear Frame Box
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Building the Rear Frame Box
Figure 1 – Tubing sections for the rear frame box
Most of the LodeRunner frame is made from 2 inch diameter mild steel
square tubing with a 1/16 inch wall thickness. This tubing can be ordered from
most steel suppliers and is very easy to cut and weld. Steel suppliers like to rate
tubing wall thickness using a gage number, so 1/16 wall tubing will be called 16
gage tubing, and although there is a slight difference between the two, your best
bet is to tell them you want a length of 1.5 inch square tubing with a wall
thickness as close to .0625 inch (1/16) as you can get. Round tubing should be
avoided for this project, as it would be impossible to align the rear axles
properly and would be extremely difficult to weld correctly.
The rear of the LodeRunner includes a 24 inch square “flatbed” frame
that makes it easy to drop on a cargo box or a simple board in order to carry
your cargo. This square frame carries the majority of the cargo weight, and
places the rear axles, disc brakes and transmission under the top of the cargo
area so there is no interference with the cargo carried over the frame. So, you
can easily adapt any type of load carrying bed or box and simply bolt it to the
frame, without having to worry if the disc brakes or chain will get in the way.
Cut four 24 inch long sections of the 2 inch square tubing as shown in
Figure 1. Each end is then cut inward at 45 degrees so that all four pieces will
form a frame similar to how a picture frame is made. If you do not have a 45
degree square (recommended), then you can get the 45 degree angle by folding
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear Frame Box
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a piece of paper in half. You can cut the tubing with a chop saw, zip disc, or
hacksaw. I always use a zip disc to cut all of my tubing, even the most complex
angles.
Figure 2 – Making a 24 inch square frame
The best way to ensure that the rear of your frame is square is to lay all
four tubes on a flat surface, then use your 90 degree square as shown in Figure
2. A single tack weld is only needed at each corner until you can check each
corner, ensuring that it forms a 90 degree angle. Add another tack weld in the
center of each joint, and then check all 4 angles again. If your frame is not
square, it will be easy to force it into shape while there are only a few tack
welds holding it together.
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear Frame Box
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Figure 3 – Check all four corners for 90 degrees
Keep adding tack welds to the top of the joint as you check each corner
for 90 degrees. With four tack welds holding each joint, your square frame
should be rigid enough to handle. Tilt the frame upward so you can look at the
edge of the tube in front of you, comparing it with the one on the opposite side.
The tubes should be parallel with each other as long as the surface you were
welding on was indeed flat. If your frame seems “warped”, then you can
probably bang it back into shape by hitting it with a rubber mallet or block of
wood.
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear Frame Box
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Figure 4 – Welding the joint corners
The joint corners are welded next (Figure 4) after ensuring that all four
corners are at 90 degrees and that the frame is not warped. The frame will now
be held solid by the corner welds, and because the welds are at the corners of
the frame, no heat distortion will be introduced, which is why they are done
next. The order of operations is very important when welding a joint because
cooling weld metal tends to contract, which can cause alignment problems. If
you weld the most critical side of a joint last, distortion is kept to a minimum.
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear Frame Box
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Figure 5 – Complete all of the top welds
Once all four corners are welded, complete all eight top side welds as
shown in Figure 5. Work around the frame, welding the next joint to the right or
left of the previous one and then flip the frame over and complete the other side
in the same order. When you are finished welding and the tubing has cooled,
check the 90 degree corners to ensure they are still within a few degrees.
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear Frame Box
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Figure 6 – Inside corners are always done last
Since the inside corner of a joint will always be the most problematic
when introducing heat distortion, it is always done last (Figure 6). Use the
smallest possible bead of weld you can, keeping contraction to a minimum. The
inside corner does nothing except keep out moisture, so it does not need to be a
large weld – just enough to seal the joint.
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LodeRunner Delta Trike Rear & Main Boom Tube
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Building Rear and Main BoomTube
Figure 7 – Setting up the rear and main boom tube
Figure 7 shows the completely welded rear frame box along with a new
tube called the main boom. The main boom will carry the seat, bottom bracket
and join the front of the frame to the rear of the frame. The bottom bracket can
be adjusted along the main boom to accommodate riders of varying leg lengths,
which allows the LodeRunner to be setup efficiently to practically any size
rider. The main boom is a length of 2 inch square tubing cut to a length of 58
inches. If you are over 6 feet tall, then cut a 60 inch length of tubing for the
main boom, just to make sure your feet clear the front tire when making sharp
turns.
Tack weld the main boom directly in the center of the rear frame box as
shown in Figure 7. I have the boom and rear frame tubing supported by a few
equal sized buckets, as it is easier to work at this height than directly on the
ground. Remember to ensure that the surface you are working on is flat and
level, or your frame will not be straight. Also, the 90 degree square should be
used to ensure that the angle formed between the main boom and rear frame
tubing is 90 degrees. Place a good solid tack weld in the center of the joint.
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