So I am planning rebuild for the next competition and this time applying screw jointing for my drivetrain. I see a lot of tutorials and explanations videos using screw joints in Drivetrains but I only saw it on 2.75 and 3.25 wheel(Which we do not have).
I was wondering if there are teams here who have already done screwjointing on a 4inch wheels? Did it made a difference compare to using shafts?
If so how many holes are the gap and what order did you arrange the components?
Ex.
Screw
C-channel
Nylock
Washer
Spacer
Wheel
Spacer
Gear
Spacer
Washer
Nylock
C channel
They should act in similar ways, just adjusting certain spacer lengths if the thickness is different.
Also, I would never recommend 4 inch wheels on a drive (from experience), use other gear ratios if possible.
Last year (was my first year competing, so it was a little “rough around the edges”) I used screwjointed 4 inch wheels.
But yes, it made a huge difference in terms of friction, strength, and performance. Screwjoints (if built right) are less likely to bend, making them stronger, and they have significantly less friction, contributing to a overall improvement in performance.
I don’t have a picture on me, but it was about 5 or 6 holes wide.
Here is a rough sketch of how I made it:
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Your parts order sounds logical. Try it and see. At most you will need to fiddle with the spacer size.
It’s tricky to answer your question, since the old 4" wheels are thicker than the new ones. Either one can be made to fit in a 4 hole gap, but iirc, only the new ones can fit a 3-hole gap, and only with low strength gears (or HS cut in half)
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Try it and see. Aside from wheel diameter, are there any differences that a 4 inch wheel has over 2.75 and 3.25 that might prevent one from using screw joints?
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