If I was going to go to all teh bother of designing my own frame I would go for a linkaged front end - probably a single wishbone / mcpherson strut type Should have some real advantages in an MTB - softer springing and damping possible without diving on the brakes, rising rate with coil springs, rigidity.
Heavier, travel limit, more complicated, undesirable axle path...
I think the op should step it up a notch and try to design/build a full sus out of aluminium 🙂 that's a whole new world of complexity! A note on linkage, take all the supplied data for existing bikes with a pinch of salt. They are usually produced from a side on photo meaning pivot points etc are not 100% correct. It only take a couple of mm here and there to drastically alter the graphs for leverage ratio etc.
Brant, thanks for the little autobiographical chat at the bristol show the other week, was interesting and entertaining!
For cast aluminium frames,
Although hollow sections are normally used for lightness,
For suspension,
http://www.tz350.net/book_reviews2.htm
Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design, the art and science
By Tony Foale.
Brant, thanks for the little autobiographical chat at the bristol show the other week, was interesting and entertaining!
Cheers. Let a few cats out of bags there.
It only take a couple of mm here and there to drastically alter the graphs for leverage ratio etc
Indeed. There was a graph on the Whyte site a few years ago comparing axle paths for their design against a few others... guess who had the 'job' of producing that?.... 😉
