I’m in the preliminary stages of converting an old pedal car into a stroller so my grandkids can enjoy car shows and cruise nights in style. I would like the front wheels to turn for the sake of maneuverability. Any ideas on how much caster is needed for the wheels to return to center? Planning to build a straight axle with no suspension...
If the front wheels are that wide, they won't be able to turn very far, and it will be a bitch to maneuver the stroller, without tipping it back (so the front wheels are off the ground). they build strollers with small wheels, for a reason
Unless you can get your " pushbar" above or slightly forward of the rear wheels , " steering" it from behind will be difficult at best ...
I know it's not the look you are going for, but if you don't put swiveling casters on the front, just like a normal stroller, it will be a bitch to push in any direction but straight.
Thanks! Everything I have read about steering design in the past week or so says the same thing. I drew it out to scale with 0 camber and 0 scrub radius, KPI will need to be 27 degrees due to the amount of wheel offset. I don't think a lot of caster will be necessary for the wheels to track straight. The axle will be round and held in place with saddle type exhaust clamps so the axle can be rotated to dial in caster. Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work and I go the route jim1932 suggested. I was looking at the front wheels on the kids Little Tykes car, the swivels are super simple and would be fairly easy to duplicate.
Mark this is how I am doing mine, not a straight axle, but a idea . It will be pulled not pushed, so i don’t have to worry about self centering
That's cool Bill! My grandson is pretty young so I prefer this to be pushed so I can keep tabs on him while moving. Parts are being gathered up and I have a shopping list for Discount Steel so I can start building axles and a frame. Stainless shot glasses for injector stacks Steering wheel
You’re on! I hope to get over to Discount Steel this week with my list of materials, the project is stalled until I do...
The bushings and thrust bearings for the front spindles showed up today, one step closer. My buddy is machining some 5/8" ID DOM tubing, the bushings will go in each end and a thrust bearing and washers will go on top. Everything is 1/2" ID so I can use a steel pin as a "kingpin". The pieces in the background are hinge butts for a semi trailer that I dug out of my big bucket o' junk. They will be welded to a tube to make the axle. With the bushings and thrust bearings the wheels should turn pretty easy.
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