Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

Hello, I am with 3140 Flagship and we have broken three plastic housing of the VEXpro 3 CIM Ball Shifter, WCD. I initially thought that we may have improperly mounted the drive assemblies, but the next 2 were checked and they broke probably from stress. I there a metal (Al)housing that matches the plastic design or do we need to go with the open metal housing that VEX sells?

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

I just have to ask, are you using Loctite by chance?

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

Along with loctite, are you sure you haven't over-tightened any of the hardware during assembly?

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

Hardin Valley used the plastic housing Ball Shifter this year, and I don't think they had any issues with it. May want to shoot them a message, I'm sure they'd be happy to help.

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

What kind of stress? How was the stress applied? What part of the housing cracked? Do you have available pictures of the broken pieces and your setup?

There are many, many ways to set them up improperly, causing increased stress on the components. It may be that we can identify the root cause of the issue and suggest other recommendations for resolving it without needing to replace the gearbox housings with a different design.

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

Yes, we use loctite and I don't think they over tighten the bolts. The first one we had break was in recycle rush.

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

Short answer: No, there are no COTS closed* metal plate replacements for the ballshifter.

The long answer: You probably did something wrong if you broke it. The case is plenty strong. Loctite should not cause a problem because the case is made from glass filled nylon, not polycarbonate. Was the case exposed to impacts or something? How did you attach it to your drive base? Any pictures of your setup would go a long way toward diagnosing your problem.

Re: Vexpro 3 CIM Ball shifter, WCD
 

We've used VEX ball shifters for roughly 3 years now and never had any issues with the housing. My first reaction is that they may be mounted improperly or are being exposed to external forces/impacts that they aren't designed for.

As others have said though, pictures would be a big help.