steering head angles posted on wrong thread, check out the welcome nalsa menbers. or maybe someone can get me straighten out.

Good morning Paul, thanks for the reply. My poblem is, my enability to to type on the forum, what I'm seeing in my head. Also because of my limited computer skills I havn't figured out how to post pictures on the forum, but i'm working on that. The us minis are open frame units, so a high speed tip over is of great concern to me, my 71 year ole body isn't going to do well in the event of a nasty stuffing, so that is why the head angle concern. the critical angle I've talked about is the angle of the rear axel compaired to the ground just before a tip over, this angle translates to the angle of the head (kingpin) and front tire being in a perpindicular plane to the rear axel. So at the critical angle, the 30 degree angle will allow more flop than a more virtical angle, this flop wants to return to vertical under pressure and the tire leading edge has too pick the front up to get the angle of turning started, lots more pressure on the steering bar is required to get things going right, and if you are not right with it, you will end up in trouble. that is why I'm concerned about the (30 degree angle) that is in use. Like I have said there is some things about that setup I like, pros and cons. I'm trying to get a computer work up to show the tire layover at different degrees from virtical to the 30 degrees.. and this would help everyone make a choice as to front kingpin set up....
cheers

how about fitting a 4 point harness- similar to those a race car uses.
With a 4 point harness you can still slide forewards to put weight over the front wheel- but wont be able to lean side to side as much.

If you do tip or spin out real fast, you wont get thrown out of the landyacht.

When I get my camera working again I will put up a pic. of our "Chook Chaser" with its harness and ankle straps.

stephen

seat belts? I have allways worn them, on the mini ive been trapped in super good and with heal hanger, thats not the problem, it's if a mast breaks and I have to rub my nose on the playa. the posts that I was talking about, had to do with a possable glitch in the 30 degree layover steering design, I want good design so I don't have to fret If I'm building something that problemmatic. there are allways ticks in design, some just have more ticks than others. with the yatchs that I've built they have been good preformers and have seen their share of steep tipover type hikes and I have aways been able to steer off down wind. I like being in a steep controlled hick and blasting down wind, you know, just playing around. I was good at it. I buy a Promo, and the first moderate hike, over I go, I won't tell you what I said. I say to my self that should not have happened. I now question the design and I know that their are many others that feel the same way. I was looking for some one to defend the layover design, cheers Burt..

I do it with my minis when i have the area. Built with 30 degree layover, but running non standard sized wheels. Wonder if wheel size is a factor. It is probably the most exciting and fun manuever I perform when conditions allow it, almost as smooth and solid feeling as flying (or the first drop on a roller coaster). Love it!!

Little correction to the other reply.... when you heel the CG moves leeward not windward.

without photo or drawing it is pretty difficult to be too positive, but what you describe is exactly what I found in the early days of "layover" steering before I took the extraordinary effort to make sure that the extended axis of the steering pivot lined EXACTLY on the centre of the tyre patch.