Help me to help a veteran

[Jeepsinker]

I recently made a new friend who has interest in owning a deuce, but he has a problem.
He was wounded on a battlefield overseas not too many years ago and lost his right leg. I didn't ask how or where, those details are not important.
He rally wants a deuce, A2 model but can not work the clutch and the fuel pedal because his prosthesis does not allow him much control over the throttle pedal.

I need to come up with a way to repurpose the hand throttle to be used with a lever control that can be mounted to the shifter and actuated easily by thumb pressure, but still returns to idle when released, and it can't be too taxing on the thumb. I'm thinking the lever will have to be fairly long to accomplish this, maybe 3-4", and it will also have to be a pretty long cable.
What say the membership on this matter and modification?

For the record, he does not really want an A3, although it would greatly simplify things.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I have seen things like 12 speed bike shifters mounted to stick-shifts to use as a throttle control while off road, might be one way to do it.

I'd probably look into handy-cap vans and such to see how they accomplish these things. I'm sure there has to be some kind of ntsb stamp to install these devices.

Maybe a google search would turn something up.

 

[MtnSnow]

Sorry but if he does not have adequate control with the artificial limb then he really needs to be in an Automatic transmission-ed vehicle for not only his safety but for the general public as well IMHO as I am not aware of any controls that could be used in a Deuce. ( I have a sister in law who is a paraplegic )

 

[Csm Davis]

Clutch or brake leavers off a bike could give him the control he needs. But power steering is going to be needed if only one hand on the wheel. Or could you reverse the pedals to put the gas on the left and let him clutch with his right? This is not got to be something that will keep him out of a M35.

 

[Csm Davis]

There are lots of hand controls that could be made to work with the M35

 

[tim292stro]

Thank your friend for his service - sorry to hear of the extent of his sacrifice.

Any way in heck you can toss in an automatic? Seems like the least risk... Would keep both hands on the wheel that way.

 

[swbradley1]

Thank him for his service for me.

Thanks to you Jeepsinker for wanting to help.

Now, the bad. Liability. If I wanted to do something like this I would visit our local disabled conversion company and talk to them to find out what is safe to do. All kinds of controls might be available but that doesn't mean they would be safe to use in 13,000 lb truck running down the road.

I was hit by a disabled person driving a modified vehicle and it was because of the accelerator control. He and his wife were more upset about it than I was.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I once owned a 1988 Chev K30 crew cab (sq body) with a 4 spd. I had a bike lever shifter on the stick and never used the gas pedal. With that said, it had PS. The manual steering is the biggest issue I see here.

 

[Shark Bait]

A 4 wheeler has a thumb operated throttle via a cable to carberator. One could possibly be used and it returns to un throttled position when released.

 

[swbradley1]

A 4 wheeler has a thumb operated throttle via a cable to carberator. One could possibly be used and it returns to un throttled position when released.

Until I got my ATV I never knew that or understood why after I did get one. Then I took it to Haspin and now I know.

 

[Kaiser67M715]

can you clarify why he does not want an A3? is it because it is an auto?

the biggest hurtle will be power steering, last guy I talked to, also a paraplegic, had a 1970 Chevelle, all done up. he had no control over both his legs, so he had to have an automatic. hand and brake controls were in a custom center console, along with automatic shifter. He had to convert to power steering, because that allows the most control in tight areas.

he also had to get tested driving the car, to prove he was able to work it in multiple situations.

so that said, Power steering is a must, I would upgrade braking to a dual circuit, and figure a way for throttle-best way is to attach a lever to the gearshift.

 

[Jeepsinker]

He doesn't want an A3 because he spent his whe life driving standard vehicles and apparently he misses it. I already have several 87' Air Force trucks here that are dual circuit, and I can add a Waterloo kit to it for him if need be. The four wheeler throttle control is a good idea, I hadn't even thought of that. May have to extend the lever by welding in some more meat though. I'm sure the deuce throttle return spring is much more stiff than one on a four wheeler.

 

[Kaiser67M715]

Well, another thing is to move the clutch to the shifter, leave the brake and throttle down below... I now some race cars did this, course hydraulic clutches are easier on the hand.

I think driving wise, having the clutch operated with the shifter is much better then trying with the throttle, but making it up for the clutch would require much more thought and fabrication

 

[Shark Bait]

He doesn't want an A3 because he spent his whe life driving standard vehicles and apparently he misses it. I already have several 87' Air Force trucks here that are dual circuit, and I can add a Waterloo kit to it for him if need be. The four wheeler throttle control is a good idea, I hadn't even thought of that. May have to extend the lever by welding in some more meat though. I'm sure the deuce throttle return spring is much more stiff than one on a four wheeler.

The part part of returning was the internal mechanism to return the throttle lever back to "0". I'm not sure if the line would return it. I made an extension for one of ours in order to use gloves in the winter without you thumb getting cold from pressing the insulation to throttle up. I useda small diameter tube that would fit ove the thumb piece, I welded to 1/4" nuts to the tubing. I welded a smaller, longer piece to the end of the larger tubing with the nuts. The nut were attach in line parallel to the thumb piece. 1/2" or 3/4" long 1/4" bolts were the screwed in with the tube slid over thumb piece. Tighten them down and it was good to go. You could then use the palm of your hand to throttle the bike. The extension was about 4" or so long. And could be removed at anytime. If I was homa I would try to find it to get a picture.

Dave

 

[Csm Davis]

He doesn't want an A3 because he spent his whe life driving standard vehicles and apparently he misses it. I already have several 87' Air Force trucks here that are dual circuit, and I can add a Waterloo kit to it for him if need be. The four wheeler throttle control is a good idea, I hadn't even thought of that. May have to extend the lever by welding in some more meat though. I'm sure the deuce throttle return spring is much more stiff than one on a four wheeler.

Grab the brake lever and cable off a bike and run the cable down the shifter and to the throttle on the pump you can leave everything as is and hook it where the hand throttle is now and let him try it out in a field bet it works great. You guys that are being naysayers please stop. This is a very doable task it will not be hard for him to master the hand throttle and it will still be drivable by others. The reason I keep pushing the bicycle brake is it has been done a bunch and it has the extra length needed without modifying a thumb throttle which will be to sensitive. Also the brake lever can be had in many different lengths to change the leverage needed.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I feel that putting the throttle control on the shifter would be much more natural than putting the clutch control there. Anyone that has ever driven a four wheeler could easily adapt to it. And then if the cable ever were to break I imagine it would be better to lose throttle control than to lose clutch control.

 

[Csm Davis]

As to why I am pushing this is most of you including most who have met me don't know that I am a walking miracle. I have been paralyzed from the waist down and was in a wheelchair for 6 months and I am very blessed to have had a second chance to walk and do most things that I want to. So yeah I know a little bit of what we are discussing.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I'll give that a shot. Have to do some measuring to figure out the cable length I need.

 

[Csm Davis]

You can order cables almost any length.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I used a Rubicon Express hand throtle on my crew cab. It really is just a bicycle shift lever and cable. Again, it's not something I read about, it was my DD.