Building a Cub Mobile

[fultont]

Does anyone have any links or instructions on how to build a cub mobile?

 

Tim

Clarksville, TN

[OneHour]

Try http://www.lakevillascouts.org/Forms/CubMobileDerby.pdf

 

 

[frank10]

Wow, that looks like fun! One thing on safty, the plans call for "Saftybelts and helmets"... Not sure I'd go with a safty belt. General rule is karts with out roll cages don't get seat belts.

I think I'd go for helmet, full finger leather gloves, long pants and sweat shirt or jacket. I'd like to add boots to that but I know that wouldn't fly. (Maybe it's just the motorcyclist in me.)

[KoreaScouter]

I'd recommend a couple enhancements, if your design rules allow it.

 

First, rather than using screw bolts to hold the wheels on, I'd use solid metal axles, and secure them to the wood with those things you use to hold conduit onto the wall. When we did it, the solid axle cars required no maintenance between heats, while the screw-bolt cars had to "pit" after nearly every race.

 

Second, instead of the wood seat, get an old kindergarden classroom chair, with the molded plastic seat and the metal leg structure. Unscrew the molded plastic seat from the legs, discard the legs, and screw it into the plywood on the car. You've got a good bucket seat with good side and back support that your Scout(s) won't slip out of.

 

Third, I recommend using the belt. The track on those cars is so wide, and the front axle will only turn so far with the limiter, that a flipover virtually can't happen. However, they can run headlong into a curb, another car, or some other fixed object. That can and will propel them right out of the seat. We used a snap-closure hip belt from a backpack, and it worked great.

 

Cubmobile was great!! Better than Pinewood, space derby, or raingutter regatta put together.

 

KS

[Eagledad]

>>Not sure I'd go with a safty belt. General rule is karts with out roll cages don't get seat belts.

[OneHour]

fultont, here are the results of google on "cubmobile":

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=cubmobile

 

 

(This message has been edited by OneHour)

[kenk]

I agree with the comment about the boys trying to stop the carts with their feet rather than the brake.

 

We built our Cubmobile based upon the plans given above, but used 4x4s and solid axles w/ cotter pins. I used a table saw to put long grooves in the center of the axle 4x4s and then ran the solid rod inside that goove. The plywood brace in the back and a foot guard in the front a lag screwed to the bottom of the axle 4x4s and hold the axle rods in place.

 

I also added a wide plywood footguard behind and underneath the front axle 4x4 to prevent the boys from putting their feet on the ground. The back edge of it is supported from the center 4x4 by a lag bolt that rides in a groove in the foot guard - the foot guard kind of hanges from that bolt and pivots along the groove when steering (if you can imagine it).

 

I also added an adjustable plywood seat - about 4 positons along the main 4x4, mostly because the height of my Tiger Cubs varied immensely.

 

The whole thing is built to take a lot of punishment because we have seen lots of minor crashes - mostly when one boy runs into the other (they run two at a time) or when a boy runs the cart up onto a curb.

 

Don't know if the seatbelt is really necessary, but it is required by our district.

 

 

Ken K.

 

[sporty98]

There is a good forum, with lots of info and pictures and links to websites of other builders of cubmobiles.

 

 

http://derbytalk.com/viewforum.php?f=31

 

 

Sporty