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Old 02-08-2008, 09:57 PM   #10 (permalink)
trebuchet03
MechE
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,151

The Miata - '01 Mazda MX-5 Miata
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I'll look through my log book for trike stability Sketches/models... It's quite simple to figure out that two in front has a higher stability potential compared to two in back....

Draw a triangle connecting contact patches.... Next - draw a vector from the Cg representative of force due to gravity (Fg). Then, draw another vector from the tip of the Fg vector parallel to the two front wheels (this would be 90 degrees from the front) that represents the force due to acceleration (m*v^2/r). Now - draw a ray that starts from the Cg and passes through the tip of the second vector.

If the ray passes INSIDE the triangle - the vehicle is stable (all wheels stay planted). If it passes through the line - it's critically stable (technically, an unstable condition). And if it passes OUTSIDE of the contact patch triangle - you'll lift a wheel.

Why does this make it obvious that a tadpole (2 in front) design is better? If the Cg doesn't move relative to the front - there's more "meat" of a triangle in the tadpole design compared to a delta trike (two in back).
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