Disk Brakes for Trikes

[Carel]

Drum brakes are not known for reliability and are not very effective.

I do mountain biking and the new generation disk brakes (cable) fitted to the bikes these days are very very effective. Ask me. Can show quite a few scars.

It would also be very easy to install on a trike and would not require a lot of modifications and are very affordable.

Heard (unconfirmed) rumours that it being done in Europe.

Any comments & suggestions ?


Carel

[Andre]

One question

Will it be able to handle the heat generated when landing. I do not believe a mountain bike wheel generates the same speed to weight ratio as that of a fully loaded trike or microlight. I believe they will not have the required braking strengh, (those discs are mighty small)

I also investigated this option on my previos trike and eventually opted for a fully hydaulic quad bike system. It is also small, simple and relative cheap and it can handle the speed/weight of a trike

Just a thought

[Carel]

Take a steep down hill of 1km long and speeds of up to 70km/h and see what abuse the brakes take.

The new generation brakes are smaller in diameter and the the disk is thicker. The fact that no hydraulics are needed make them easy to install.

A double disk system like motor bikes are very easy, should you be looking for greater stopping power.

Just looking for easy system with minimal conversions.

[Andre]

It is not the speed you need to stop so much but the weight /momentum that needs to be stopped. A trike weighs a great deal more than a bicycle
Well that's what I think anyway

[Carel]

Andre,

Point taken. Will investigate some other systems

[Andre]

Like I said, I fitted a quad bike front disc brake to my previous trike's front wheel. Small hydraulic reservoir, small disc, small callapers and cable to the normal brake lever and voila, bobs your uncle
Got all these goodies at the bike scrapyard in JHB for R500 bucks
Just too lazy to do it to my new aerie

[Smiley]

You need a certain lever force on the disc to overcome the centrifugal force of the disc.

Maximum lever force for mechanical brakes varies with model and lever length

[Aerosan]

Im looking at making up a mechanical system at the moment that should set me back about R500 a side give me a week or two to complete and if the weather plays along Ill give good feedback....

[Henni]

Hi all,

The drum brakes on my Mizer is of the simplest setup I've yet seen (you even activate it by hand ala bicycle style), yet it is SUPER effective - so yes, drum brakes CAN be made to work!

Henni

[Smiley]

Hi all,

The drum brakes on my Mizer is of the simplest setup I've yet seen (you even activate it by hand ala bicycle style), yet it is SUPER effective - so yes, drum brakes CAN be made to work!

Henni

Yip agree, I think the Cheetah works of the same principle..?

[Duck Rogers]

Im looking at making up a mechanical system at the moment that should set me back about R500 a side give me a week or two to complete and if the weather plays along Ill give good feedback....

........or a week or three, or four, or..............

[ZULU1]

I fitted the UK HOPE disc system to the front of my old plane CEW, worked well but bent the forks on one occasion. If they work then you use them, also the mass of the wing has inertia which has to be stopped. This put undue stress on the pylon. Suggest that you put 3 discs on as this is more even load on the airframe much the same as the DTA and Quik. Doesn't stop the wing inertia though..

Must say though that it looked good and really chowed pads..and at £12 a pop was expensive.

I have left my existing brakes on ZU LUI alone and tweaked them to work well.

Good Luck

ZULU1

[Aerosan]

Im looking at making up a mechanical system at the moment that should set me back about R500 a side give me a week or two to complete and if the weather plays along Ill give good feedback....

........or a week or three, or four, or..............

jip you are most proble right depending on this season and the weather, BUT I will with the force behind me, this wind from the front and the poep in the cockpit eventually win the battle

[Mc Guyver]

Airborne in Oz now offer an option of twin rear discs as an extra on the XT for just under AU$2000 which equates only to around R12000

[Duck Rogers]

Airborne in Oz now offer an option of twin rear discs as an extra on the XT for just under AU$2000 which equates only to around R12000

For AU$2000 I can fit another 582 backwards to my plane and turn it into a reverse thruster. No need for brakes then :D