[email protected] (Joseph Kochanowski) wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
[email protected] (Warren Berger) wrote in message
> news:<
[email protected]>...
>> Steve,
>>
>> > Cables on levers makes one side go slack as the system goes through the motion cycle.
>>
>> I know you have a great deal of experience with cable steering systems. However, I believe you
>> may mislead people with this statement.
>>
>> For any linkage system, a single rigid link can be replaced by two cables in tension....as long
>> as the two cables are of equal length, and the two arms are of equal length. This is a long
>> winded way of describing a parallelogram.
>>
>> For a two wheeled vehicle, with a one-to-one steering ratio, this can be a very light, dependable
>> system.
>>
>> For a system with other than a one-to-one ratio (always the case with Ackerman steering) the
>> system gets more complicated and will be more complex than a rigid link system. But it is still
>> absolutely possible to do, without cables going slack.
>>
>> Warren
>
> I have been using cable steering linkages similar to the kind on Infinity recumbents. This is the
> kind of steering that was on the Moby streamliners that I have. I also have some Rotator Super
> Seven streamliners with cable steering which is different. The Rotator steering actually bends the
> cables around some pulleys. The Rotator steering works well especially in tight turns at slow
> speeds. The Infinity-Moby cable steering I have used for many years on heavy streamliner bicycles
> in the rain with heavy cargo has never had any failures. I use 3/32 inch cables that do not bend
> around pulleys.
> 3/32 is much larger than your average bike cable. They are like the parallelogram set up Warren
> Berger mentioned. I tighten them with two turnbuckles. My Infinity recumbent did not have one
> to one steering but something close. I prefer cables over rod end bearings because rod end
> bearings wear out and get sloppy which is bad on a bicycle. I also feel safer with cables since
> I think I can put more stress and abuse on cables that are straight like the Infinity
> parallelogram set up.
>
The 6mm rodends I use are rated at 2700lbs. Can't argue with the loosening with wear point you make.
It would seem that cam shaped pulleys could be utilized with cable steering, if one wanted to have a
variable steering rate, or ackerman on a tadpole.
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