Paraletic (how to make a hand control steering wheel)

[stress]

In this picture I am pointing to the side of the steering I modified so I could mount Honda Pilot master cylinders. I do not have the master cylinders mount on this steering wheel now. I have the master cylinders on my C-Moore buggy, I will show so some pictures of my C-Moore steering wheel in a later post. On my old shifter kart I have 2 master cylinders mounted side by side and worked off one lever. I had one master cylinder work the front brakes and the other work the rear brake. When I bought the master cylinders in 1995 they cost about $220.00 each. I do not know if Honda still sells the master cylinders. Odyssey Salvage 913-856-6639 has a lot of Odyssey and Pilot parts if the Honda dealers do not sell it. For buggy about the same size and weight as a Pilot one master cylinder for the front brakes and one master cylinder for rear brake mounted side by side may work fine. If the buggy is bigger that the Pilot the one master cylinder for each brake my not be enough . My C-Moore buggy weight is around 850-900 lbs and has over a 100 hp. I have to use 2 master cylinders for the front brakes and 2 master cylinders for rear brakes

[stress]

The angle of the steering shaft my require modification to the steering wheel. On my old shifter kart the angle of the steering shaft was the same as a Pilot so all I did was weld so aluminum to extend the steering wheel so I could bolt it the the steering shaft. My C-Moore buggy require a lot of modification to the steering to mount to the steering shaft. I will show pictures of my C-Moore steering wheel in a later post. I the picture I am showing my old shifter kart steering wheel

[stress]

These pictures show the steering wheel I am using on my C-Moore buggy. Its Honda Pilot steering wheel. It uses a thumb throttle also. The C-Moore has CVT drive so no shifting is needed. I had to install bigger brake calipers on the buggy that have 1.75" dia pistons on the front brakes and back brakes. So I am using 2 pilot master cylinders mounted side by side to work the front brakes and 2 master cylinders to work the rear brakes. Its still in the works now, I need to shorten some of the brake lines put some 45 degree fitting on where the lines meet at the t-fitting. I have 2 master cylinders connected together with a t-fitting get get enough oil volume to the larger calipers. With one master cylinder the lever pulled a the way in and hit the steering wheel. I had 4 Pilot mater cylinders off my old shifter karts laying around so this is the way I end up doing this way. Pilot master cylinders cost me around $220.00 each back in 1995 so I do not think this would be a cost effective way to do it if I to buy it all now.

[stress]

This picture is a close up of 2 Pilot master cylinders mounted side by. I welded a bar from one lever to the other lever and cut off the part of the outside lever that hung down. I put spacer between the the master cylinders mounted to the Pilot steering wheel with 2 longer bolts. To do this on a Pilot steering wheel required no modifications the steering wheel. I my mounted the master cylinders the same way on old shifter kart steering wheel that I showed in earlier post.

[stress]

This post shows the modification made to the Pilot steering wheel to mount it on the C-Moore buggy. The C-Moore has a totally different steering shaft angle that the Pilot so a lot of modification is to required to mount the steering wheel

[stress]

To use a Pilot or Odyssey steering wheel you need the steering to go from straight to full lock in 90 degree turn of the steering wheel or less. If the steering turns more than 90 degree you can not keep your hands on the brake lever or throttle. The problem with this is causes the steering to kick back hard in ruts. When I had my old Pilot I had a steering damper on it, it still kicked hard sometimes . I fractured my thumb once from this and when your in a wheelchair and you injure your hand live get really hard. On my C-Moore buggy it has steering quicker this gives me the 90 degree full lock turn. The buggy has power steering , there is no kick back with power steering.
The picture below shows the steering wheel the blue thing is the steering quicker and the black thing is the power steering.

[stress]

When you use a Pilot or Odyssey steering wheel the throttle cable and brake lines need a clean sweep area so they do not hit anything as the the steering wheel turns. On my C-Moore buggy I had them change how they normal make the the steering shaft mount to the bar that runs under the the steering shaft when they where welding the frame up.

[stress]

You need to strap your legs down or they will hyper-extend at your knees when you go over rough ground. I had C-Moore add these tabs to the frame so I could mount straps for my legs. I put a pad on the floor and pad on top of my leg and run the straps over the top pad to tie my legs down.

[stress]

No one steering wheel for hand controls will work for all buggies. I think I have pointed out most of the things you need to consider. I have 2 steering wheels off my old shifters like the one shown in the first post , I will sell them if want. But depending on the buggy you get you may decide to go and another way. The Guys at C-Moore built my buggy, I sent them hand sketches of the modification I needed and them made them with no problems. IF your going to have a buggy made, C-Moore well modify there buggies for handicap drivers

[Gene]

Great post! If someone needs hand controls this is the encouragement they need.
C-Moore builds nice cars and is ready to help customers achieve their dream.
Thanks Stress and also Chuck at C-Moore!