[Joe28]

So ,the Rocket is painted a nice O.D. green to match the bike, the bike is cleaned, awaiting it's mate.
I've read the on line instructions a few times, and believe I have the basic idea of the hows and whys.
But here at the office, not having the rig to look at I have some, (maybe obvious when I start to mate them togethe) questions.

1). What is the "typical" distance between bike frame and car frame? (or will the front mount determine that)?

2). Where in relation to the bike, is the axle of the rig wheel? (A guy who has a Gold Wing and hack set up told me the axle of the rig wheel should be at the FRONT of the rear wheel. This makes the rig "handle right". My Dnepr was that way,  (pretty much),(although it was all welded to the bike frame).

3). The "steering dampener" mounted to the forks- Is this for "head shake", do most R.E. rig owners have this on theirs? (There is one R.E. rig running @ here and I know it doesn't have one, all the Russian bikes I've seen didn't. I was wondering if you HAD to use it)?

Again I believe once I have all the pieces in front of me, it'll be simple, but from this desk, spacing and fore/aft of the wheel is somewhere lost in the space between my ears!
Thanks
Confused ol' Joe

If you let me alone with it long enough, I can break it!

[HRAB]

1). What is the "typical" distance between bike frame and car frame? (or will the front mount determine that)?

The front mount will determine that. Don't extend the car's front mount much farther out from the car frame if you need to rotate it to match up with the bike front mount. On those I've put on, the alignment was good, but who knows.

2). Where in relation to the bike, is the axle of the rig wheel? (A guy who has a Gold Wing and hack set up told me the axle of the rig wheel should be at the FRONT of the rear wheel. This makes the rig "handle right". My Dnepr was that way,  (pretty much),(although it was all welded to the bike frame).

It will align up correctly. The axle will be in front of the bike rear wheel, but not a great distance.

3). The "steering dampener" mounted to the forks- Is this for "head shake", do most R.E. rig owners have this on theirs? (There is one R.E. rig running @ here and I know it doesn't have one, all the Russian bikes I've seen didn't. I was wondering if you HAD to use it)?

You do not "have to use it". It will help if one hasn't taken the time to fiddle with the alignment and "get it right". It also simply "slows down" the steering response which will make the handling feel more secure.

Again I believe once I have all the pieces in front of me, it'll be simple, but from this desk, spacing and fore/aft of the wheel is somewhere lost in the space between my ears!
Thanks
Confused ol' Joe

If you let me alone with it long enough, I can break it!

Yep, we've all been there.
jim

[Joe28]

Tanks!
I had planned on keeping it as close to the bike as I could, (just to  take up lees room in the "bike shed).
I sprayed it last night, (of course I got all ready to shoot it and found the paint hardener was-hard in the can, so I'll have to let it "air harden" for a few days.
Stay tuned to, "As the Rig Rolls"
Joe
Instructions? Instructions? I don't need no stinkin' instructions!
What's this part?

[UncleErnie]

Careful with that pint job.  My experience is that -even in normal circumstances- paint take way longer to cure than the painter tells you.  It can "dent" fairly easily.

The wider you can make the rig, the more stable the ride will be- especially in right-handers.  (assuming the tub is on the right)

[HRAB]

Tanks!
I had planned on keeping it as close to the bike as I could, (just to  take up lees room in the "bike shed).
I sprayed it last night, (of course I got all ready to shoot it and found the paint hardener was-hard in the can, so I'll have to let it "air harden" for a few days.
Stay tuned to, "As the Rig Rolls"
Joe
Instructions? Instructions? I don't need no stinkin' instructions!
What's this part?

I second what Ernie said about stability.

Instructions? Yeah, us GUYS don't need no stinkin' directions!   
But just in case look here:
http://www.cyclesidecar.com/Guides/assembly1.html

jim

http://www.cyclesidecar.com/Guides/assembly1.html

[Joe28]

Yeah, I didn't even START to put it together and I needs a touch up!
I used straight enamel paint, (no hardener, just some fish eye remover), and it's like bubble gum still ! (the 40 degree dampness doesn't help either).
I got the front mount on, (kinda), and I see that's as far apart as the rig will get from the bike.
The kid in me said, "Don't worry if your careful you won't nick any more! Don't you wannna see it all together? Come on it'll be alright"
The 51 year old guy who has done this before, (tried to assemble with fresh paint) said, "You better back off buddy! It'll take FOREVER to tape and spot paint your Freakin' mistakes and you know it won't match perfectly"!!
Well, I got saved, my wife YELLED for me to get in for dinner!
So it has 1 more day to harden up!
I looked close at the pics (enlarged) on WWW.cyclesidecar and now I SEE how it all goes on!
Pretty easy! (As I sit here)!
Joe
Give me enough time, I'll ruin it!

[HRAB]

It is possible, and a little easier to assemble if the car is removed from the chassis, but that introduces its own hazards to the paint.

Just keep the spacers and bolts in the same order they came off the car. And marked for the same corner.

jim

[Joe28]

See that would have been the SMART thing to do when I painted it!
Perhaps if'n it had been summer and I could have spread out the parts about the yard and shot them, (Like I did the Dnepr), THEN I coulda been smart and mounted the frame on the bike.
But, my mother always told me I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed!
I had the side car assy up on saw horses in my wood working shop, EVERYTHING covered with anything that would cover my tool boxes, machines, wood, (I don't have a "REAL garage, just a 20'X30' wood working shop that I do EVERYTHING out of it.
The bikes live in a big shed in the rear of the yard, but that's not insulated).
I'll tinker a bit more tonight and see how far I can SAFELY get it all together!
Joe
Brains? I thought they said TRAINS and told then I like the mini ones!

[Alaroyal]

I can't add much to what others, who know more about this than I do have said, but, there are several points you might want to consider. 

1) The attachment fitting that goes where the rear footpeg goes has only a VERY small amount of thread showing on the inside, next to the swing arm.

Mine vibrated the nut loose loose and I had to replace the nut.

You could cut off some of the "tube" that the foot peg attaches to, or get an eye with a longer stud and let more thread stick through for a washer and nut, but the problem is that more threaded stud sticking through would hit the swingarm.

What is needed, I believe, is an eye, I guess it is, that is hollow and can have a bolt placed through from the inside out, although I don't know if the diameter is large enough to allow a big enough bolt for the needed strength.  It would take a very special attachment for this, maybe Tractor Supply?
 
In any event, I'm going to try to get a "nylock" nut but, if I can't, I will certainly use some locktite.  I'm also going to replace the nuts with nylocks all over.

2) Electrically, I'd check the tail/brake light and turn indicator sockets.  My sidecar was new, but both were badly corroded and needed to be replaced.  An auto parts house will have the parts.

3) Run a separate ground strap between the sidecar and bike frame. 

4) Feel inside the sidecar fenders, where the holes were factory drilled for the wiring to pass through.  Mine had big sharp burrs, and were a short circuit looking for a place to happen.  Get ride of the burrs, and put some type of grommet in the holes, or some wrap or tubing around the wiring where it passes through the fenders.

I hope this helps, and maybe you could post some pics for us when you can! ! !

[Joe28]

Hey Tanks!
I had to drill the footpeg "barrel", to fit the mount stud assy, and I DID notice the lack of threads, (plus I have a muffler bracket there, is it's short.
I'm gonna, when it all said and done, RED locktite it, (red is stronger than blue. I usually use red on places where it's NEVER coming off, like sprocket mounting bolts.
(just heat up the bolt with a torch or heat gun and it comes right off).
The footpeg mounting "bar" is at a upwards angle and is extended out almost to the max??. I may need to make up a longer bar.
I never got to the fender, maybe tonight, but I'll take a close look at it.
I AM having problem with the toe in.
The instructions  don't specify the string height.
I have mine at about 2" off the ground.
I had a........... well, a heck of a time.
I set, adjust, reset the string.
Presently I have a ratchet strap keeping the back IN, and I been adjusting the front mount. I spent 2 hours and really got no where.
Tonight, I think I'll do what I did on my Dnepr. I clamped a pipe, (this time I'll use a board), to the wheels, it makes measuring easier, (in my humble opinion).
I figure if I measure right at the front of the bike wheel, 1/8" toe should be a good start.
Stay tuned to, "Joe goes to 3 wheels"!
Joe
What! It didn't work? Get me the BIG hammer!

[UncleErnie]

I have 2 pieces of angle aluminium in the garage for setting toe-in.  I put them on bricks.  They're always straight (I don't trust my old 4x4's anymore).

I would shoot for 1/2" to 3/4' toe-in.  It's mainoy so your SC tire doesn't wear funny, so keep an eye on wear to see how you did.

[HRAB]

Hey Tanks!
[snip]
Joe
What! It didn't work? Get me the BIG hammer!

Remember: Never use a big wrench for a hammer...When a small wrench will do!
jim

[Alaroyal]

Or as a friend of mine used to say, "we don't force anything, we just use a bigger hammer."

[Joe28]

When I was a service manager for Chrysler, I had a mechanic who had a tool box that the bottom 2 drawers were FULL of different size , "Persuaders".
If you needed to beat up something, Gene had the hammer for you!
My father used to SCREAM at me if I beat on anything with a wrench or God forbid beat on a screwdriver, "USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE RIGHT J.O.B."
When ever I use the big adjustable to beat on something I say, "listen here that? it's my father turning over in his grave"!
Joe
You only need 3 tools in your box! A B.F.H., a torch and a Monkey Wrench! the rest are all window dressing!

[HRAB]

I did some remodeling work for a customer a while back. When payday came he brought out a small red tool box. He wanted to show me his "special tool" (OK, stop the snickering. This is a family show) So, he opened the box and pulled out a check book!

"With this", he said, "I can fix anything!"
It is a wise man that recognises his limitations.

jim