Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Our robot features drop center for various reasons and it has been very advantageous, but the team has come to the conclusion that the drop center might be too dropped. During Peachtree Regional we duct taped on 4 boxes of roller chain, an extra sim, and an air tank. The ballast was very effective but we noticed that it was effecting our ability to move quickly across the field so all of the ballast got removed. Suggestions to adjust the drop center slightly with less janky solutions?

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Depending on what wheels you use:

Just turn down the OD of the center wheels.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

I don't have a suggestion on the wheels but I most certainly have one for ballast. Duct tape is not a fastener! In the future, ballast must be attached with standard fasteners and be inspected prior to match play in which it is used.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Are you using the kitbot frame? If not, how much is your center wheel dropped?

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

What wheels are you using?
You may be able to reduce the OD a little bit on the center wheel or increase the OD on the outer wheels.

How are your axles mounted to your frame?
If you are using pillow block bearings, the answer is pretty simple. Add a shim underneath the bearings of whichever wheels you want to raise.

How close is your CG to center?
You could move your CG towards one end of the robot so that it always (or almost always) "sits" on one set of four wheels.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Again, depending on wheels, you could use a larger tread (if you are using tread wheels) on the outside, or smaller on the center wheels, or both!

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Can we get a picture to help us help you out?

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

We fixed a not-dropped enough center this morning. VexPro traction wheels. We pulled the old tread and put on new tread, but with a strip of 3/4" wide urethane belting under it to increase the diameter by 1/8" or so. That plus the newer, stiffer nitrile tread got us enough rock that we're turning smoothly. You could do the same on your outside wheels to increase their diameter a bit.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

How are a ballast and the center drop related?

It would be helpful if you could describe what you didn't like about the movement of the robot with the ballast compared to before it was added.

We ran a 5/16" drop this year, which is one of the larger drops I have ever seen, and have no issues @114 pounds + battery and bumpers.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Add a bunch of zip ties in loops around the treads of the four outer wheels. This will do two things: increase the OD and decrease the side-to-side traction. I like to call these "poor man's omniwheels".

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

In our defense it was one of our quick fixes between matches. :P But yes 4080 uses way too much duct tape!

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

To answer some of the questions asked so far in this thread:

wheels- http://www.vexrobotics.com/217-2903.html

Al- we did get it cleared by an inspector before going into our next match. Where it was located it was set on a frame member and had a secure frame member both on the back and a side. Regardless, point received and understood, we will be sure to use a more solid fastening system next time, thanks for your concern.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure it's a 1/8" drop right now.

As to how the wheels are currently mounted, it's a similar setup to the way the kitbot wheels are mounted (dead axle through holes in our c-channel frame.)

Lil' Lavery- I couldn't give you an exact location but it is close to the center of our robot, so moving the CG forward or backward slightly is something we can look into. Our CG vertically is another point of concern (hence the discussion of ballast) as our robot is underweight, about 95 pounds without battery and bumpers. The majority of that weight is very low, but the shooter assembly (25lbs of weight centered around 40") as well as our hanging system (simple pneumatic cylinder with hooks) and the supporting structure all may be contributing to the tipsiness by raising our cg.

As for a picture, I don't have one on hand that clearly shows our wheel setup and our robot is in a crate currently.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

1/8" isn't a whole lot of drop, though it depends on the layout of the chassis. What is the wheelbase (distance from front axle to back axle)? Is the dropped wheel perfectly centered?

Having 25 pounds 40" off the ground will certainly contribute to tippiness, and would be very difficult to offset by changing the center drop or other drivetrain geometry.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Normally I'd ask for a picture, but in this case I'll ask for video, with narration describing what it is you are attempting to cure.

Re: Remedy a too dropped center?
 

Here is a link to us (4080). The rocking occurs a lot throughout the match, but it you can get a good gist of the rocking at about the 5:00 min mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZSp...MtqeKysuNXsV0I