Cushman based build

pickell · Post by **pickell** » May 15 2015 4:35pm

Following this build with great anticipation...

I have a 1990s 3 wheel Cushman that i would love to make into something useful to me. I have a very wide array of interests and tasks that I would like to use the Cushman for but its current setup just doesn't help me.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » May 16 2015 9:11am

You know this project was preceded by the 3 wheel Cushman in the beginning of the thread. I did a down and dirty conversion to a triangulated 4-link with airbags and I loved it:

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » May 29 2015 1:17pm

Finally, a month and a half waiting on the sandblaster to blast and prime it. Got it back today! Time for paint prep!

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Jul 26 2015 9:09pm

Painted the cart today. Had one screw up. When I got to the roof I was standing on a stool. I raised my paint gun too high and bumped the drop ceiling making it snow on the wet roof. Not a big deal. I'll get that repainted soon.

Still have to paint the side panels and a bunch of parts.

mateusleo · Post by **mateusleo** » Jul 26 2015 9:17pm

Really cool project!!

drewjet · Post by **drewjet** » Jul 27 2015 5:07am

Coming along nicely. Looks Awesome.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Jul 28 2015 1:48pm

Thanks guys, spent yesterday afternoon and evening sanding. Re-painted the body area around 9pm last night but it looks a lot better:

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Jul 30 2015 12:56pm

The fenders and lights give it a little more character. The suspension and bed will really help.

amberwolf · Post by **amberwolf** » Jul 31 2015 3:34am

And wheels....it really gets nifty when you add wheels.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Jul 31 2015 7:57am

Well, I did figure wheels and tires with suspension but that is true.

amberwolf · Post by **amberwolf** » Jul 31 2015 2:12pm

Sorry...couldn't help teasing.

Your trike is much nicer than mine.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Aug 02 2015 10:44pm

No problem!

Getting things together is gratifying for the work that has been done! I love the triangulated 4-link! You can see the 2-speed trans:

amberwolf · Post by **amberwolf** » Aug 02 2015 11:50pm

It's looking really good...but I must've missed (even after rereading the thread) the explanation of the GAS logo on the front?

(BTW, I originally started following the build when you posted the first post, but then the housefire happened and I lost track of it till recently, when you took it off for painting).

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Aug 03 2015 8:07am

Sorry to hear about the house fire. The last two houses I have had I had a rule that the shop not be attached to the house.

The "GAS" is for a company I have "Gas Auto Solutions" where I make inertia based auto cancel turn signal and light controller. I developed them for Hot Rod's and custom cars but they have been making their way into things from golf carts to Polaris.

Plus when people see the gas sign then all the electric batteries they get confused. Have to say that's a bit fun.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Aug 03 2015 8:09am

BTW just left of the 2 speed transmission in this shot, there is a trailer hitch tube mounted vertically. Harbor Freight has a jib crane and I am going to use this as a socket to drop it in or take it out.

amberwolf · Post by **amberwolf** » Aug 03 2015 2:39pm

burner1 wrote:The last two houses I have had I had a rule that the shop not be attached to the house.

Unfortunately that wouldn't have made any difference to this one.

The "GAS" is for a company I have "Gas Auto Solutions" where I make inertia based auto cancel turn signal and light controller. I developed them for Hot Rod's and custom cars but they have been making their way into things from golf carts to Polaris.

Interesting. I'd planned something like that for my original ebike control system idea, but the project itself never got started past the idea stage. (would've used the accelerometer in the system's MCU module to determine direction and velocity change and turn signals and brake lights on and off if the rider didn't do it manually).

Plus when people see the gas sign then all the electric batteries they get confused. Have to say that's a bit fun.

That's true.

With the motorcycle lighting on my bicycle builds, people sometimes get confused and stare...even turn around and go back and pass me again to check it out again.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Aug 07 2015 9:25pm

A lot more work left then it appears but at least I can see what it looks like now; except for the bed.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Sep 29 2015 8:17am

I am slow with these things. I only get a chance to work on it here and there. It always seems like I need to order something.

I got the motor drive system wired up and working. Power relay, reverse relays, motor controller, gas pedal, all hooked up and working well:

The gas pedal is off a larger commercial truck. It is a new pedal I got at a swap meet for $10. I needed to adapt a POT so I 3D printed an adapter and it works great.

I put in a 10k pot but I probably should have put in a 5K. However, when I moved the 10k pot on the pedal I checked the resistance within the range of movement and it ended up being 0-1.2k when it was on the floor. I turned on the controller, checked the rpm and it was good but not as fast as it should be. I plugged the computer and reset the controller for a 1k range and it worked great. I also used the exponential setting which is good for smoothing the throttle.

Now looking to the rest of the car. I made a geometry error in the front suspension (something really stupid). Basically I need to remake the a-arms which is next. So here is what I have left:

Charging plugs/cavity
A-arms
Brake Lines
Windshield
Bumper
Aluminum Diamond plate Stake bed
Light/electrical system.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Oct 04 2015 9:33am

After doing something stupid with the front suspension set up it was time to drop back and do it again right.

I used rod-ends to mount the uprights to the a-arms. One thing I did not like was on my first a-arm build I welded to the rod ends. There was no way to take them off or repair them. The second time I did it a little different.

First I straightened the outside of the rod end:

Then I threaded them:

I used cut down the outside of coupling nuts and welded them to the tubes. This made the rod ends removable:

Cardboard templates to locate mounting points for lower and upper a-arms:

drewjet · Post by **drewjet** » Oct 07 2015 5:15am

That is Awesome!

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Oct 12 2015 9:09am

No brakes but I took it for a short drive. Soon vibration showed I must have not gotten the clips in the U-joint. Low gear is a little weak on start on one set of batteries. When I bring in both it's better. Speed is no issue around the property in low gear. It will go faster on property then I need to go. Once it starts going it winds out pretty quickly.

Suspension is real good. Steering is good. A-arms worked out well. On the 3-wheel Cushman I had I made this 4-link suspension but it needed a sway bar. This 4-wheel cart does not.

Back to the list of things to do. Started on bumper. Still have a dozen things to do. Putting a bed on it is really going to change the look.

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Oct 12 2015 10:31am

BTW it has a nose only a mother could love!!

wb9k · Post by **wb9k** » Oct 12 2015 12:46pm

Nice work. Wish I had your mechanical skills!

burner1 · Post by **burner1** » Oct 12 2015 2:06pm

Most people are quite capable of more then they know!

wb9k · Post by **wb9k** » Oct 12 2015 2:53pm

burner1 wrote:Most people are quite capable of more then they know!

Agreed, but being a novice, my welding and structural work (see the Miles thread in this forum) doesn't look like yours.

Endless Sphere

Cushman based build

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