jimmie65

My grandson (and, well, my son and I) love pedal cars like the one pictured. But the one I had and any used ones I've found have a tire brake that presses down on the tire itself. We managed to blow a tire fairly quickly (admittedly, it was a used pedal car and the tire had some wear). My biggest concern is someone flying down a hill, trying to slow down, and blowing a tire.

Any ideas on a not-overly-expensive way to add a brake that doesn't blow tires?

fietsbob

Inadequate info, whats the drive ? 1 wheel ? describe the shop, have welding and machining tools?

jimmie65

I've got access to welding tools (the son) but not much in the way of machining tools.
No differential, chain-driven axle that drives both rear wheels.
If it's not obvious, the brake is the lever over the left wheel. You push it to slow the car down; it also locks into place as a parking brake.

Picture is not mine or I would take better pics; I got talked into selling mine last year for an event in San Antonio (Siclovia). I keep seeing used pedal cars for sale and am tempted to buy one; if I can figure out a better brake, I will.

dabac

Get a hydraulic brake where you can split the caliper. Remove a part of the chaincase. Split caliper and reassemble wide enough to go over the sprocket. Clean chain and sprocket thoroughly. Mount caliper so it straddles the sprocket. Done!

Philphine

i have that same car. tractor supply sells them here (found mine in a pawn shop though).


it has extreamly low priority on my project list though so I haven't fooled with it much. I did try to think up some braking ideas (more second to improved drivetrain ideas), but I haven't looked at it in a while. I think I was thinking in the direction of looking at maybe a disc brake setup from a lighter go kart. maybe measure the axle shaft and see if a kart shop has a set up that fits a shaft that small.


are you gonna try to drift it? I don't know much of anything about drift trikes and was thinking it might not have enough turning lock to lock to control a drift (wondered about slicker rear wheels too), but like i said, it was an opportunity purchase and low on the project list (no real hills to drift it on around here anyway).

Philphine

I don't think the rear sprocket is big enough. if I remember correctly (not at home to look at mine), the rear sprocket is small like on a single speed freewheel bike.

dabac

If it doesn’t coast you can always stick the caliper over the chainring instead.
Not ideal, as chain failure = brake failure. But doable.
Or check if you can mount brake rotors to the wheels.

fietsbob

Slotted keyway drive axle? Adult Trikes have a freewheel , flipping it over, thread on the left side, disc adapter,

and welding on disc brake mounts on the frame, can put a brake there..

ThermionicScott 

One method back in the day was a handbrake lever that rubbed the other end on the ground when pulled, with a piece of rubber at the contact point.

My dad built us a pedal car when we were little kids and it didn't have a brake at all. We would ride it down the hill at high speed, and would skid the front wheels by throwing the steering wheel all the way to one side so that the wheels were at 90°. Who knows how we all survived.

jimmie65

Appreciate the ideas. I'm going to see if I can pick up one of the pedal cars tonight or tomorrow now that I have some idea of how to improve braking.

Scott - your idea made me think of just getting a small anchor and throwing it out the back when I need to stop.

fietsbob

Sailors have a different anchor depending on the bottom of the body of water they are in digging into

pavement will of course be a challenge


...

jimmie65

Alas, no pedal car for me. Wife has issued a mandate - get rid of something before I can buy one to play with.

Not sure what the problem is - I only have my commuter, my cruiser, my mountain bike, my adult tricycle, my drift trike, my cyco-cycle, my beater, my BMX fat bike....

jessicawhite999

Nice masterpiece. Some of brakes people usually use such as disk brake, v-brake, catilevel brake or caliper brake, which one is proper to your car?

MikeyMK

I'd have a lever on the back of the steering wheel, like a paddle-shift, going to discs on the rear, if not all four (i doubt there's enough weight to only have them on the front).

fietsbob

OK OP has dropped the idea, on that pictured item .. for the hangers on to this topic

a single side mounted brake hub is common in tadpole recumbent.. builders .. and they solve those issues well ..

wcap

Wear boots and put your feet down?