How to make the best 4 bar and 2 bar lift in VEX IQ?

Hello everyone, I am a 6th grader from NC.

Just want to ask 2 questions,

How can I make the most durable 2 bar and 4 bar lift? Should I add more gears, or should I use chains or sprockets?

Also, how can I make my robot faster?

Appreciate your response,

Shyam B
NC

If you could send a picture (or video) of your current robot, that would be great, as it would help us help you. I (and others here on the forum) would be happy to give you suggestions, but what you are asking is a bit of a broad subject that there isn’t one concrete answer for.

As for your question about gears or chain on the 4-bar though, I’d suggest not using chain because gears allow for much more precision and take up less space.

2 Likes

You can change how fast the robot moves by changing it’s gear ratio, so the wheels spin faster. Have a look at this video regarding IQ gear ratios.

1 Like

While I do agree with this, I want to point out the specific wording that was used. When StuartV says “changing”, they mean that it could be making it faster, but it could also mean making it slower. To start with, I would suggest a 2:3 gear ratio (i.e. the motor spins twice for every three times the wheels spin).

One last note is that another way you can make your robot faster is to minimize friction. This means making sure the chain isn’t too tight, and making sure nothing is rubbing on anything else.

2 Likes

Also might be good knowledge for @ShyamNitin to know. The best way to post a video on the forum is to publish it on YouTube and give us the link. This confused me for a while.

I did link a video talking about gear ratios in regards to IQ.

Yes, but the since the video was not specifically for drivetrains, and it didn’t specify my point, I figured I’d give my two cents on the matter.

1 Like

FRC973,

I am currently building another robot, I just wanted to know which gear lift was better 2 bar or 4 bar. (If you could kindly attach a photo/video on how to build one, that would be great.)

Sincerely,

Shyam B

By a 2-bar, I’m going to assume you mean a single jointed arm, such as is used with the VEX IQ Clawbot. And by a 4-bar, I’m going to assume you mean something like what is used in Linq, Stretch, Flex, Rise, or Clutch.

As far as lifts in general go, I’ve found a 4-bar to be very effective for moving something up and down vertically without tilting it. Rise Above and Next Level are good years to look at for examples of 4-bars in action because nearly everyone had one those years. For more information on how 4-bars work, check out this video on them. It also provides some critical details on what to look out for when building one.

But every lift has its place, and 2-bars, or single jointed arms, have their uses. Although less common in VEX than a 4-bar, they are used to raise something vertically and rotate it in the process. In Squared Away, some cube-only robots used it to put it on the platforms while staying in sizebox. The standard Clawbot build has a good example of a single jointed arm though.

If you could give some details on what you are using it for, I could give you a more specific answer, as my answer above was very generic.

2 Likes

This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.