pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

This happened to one of our drive wheels as well.
Seems like 5052 is not durable enough to take the load.
If IFI uses 6061 the wheel would work much better.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

How were the 3 screws around the bearing installed? Did you have the plastic washers between the screw heads, and the side plate?

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

We did

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

did you press a bearing into the sprocket itself?

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

Since IFI produces a lot of their their aluminum products using CNC sheet metal fabrication machinery, it would not make sense to use 6061.

5052 (along with many of the 5xxx grades of aluminum) are much better suited for CNC turret/punch and bending machines than 6061, which is less malleable and more prone to cracking during cold rolling operations.

You can't do much cold bending of 6061 and hope to achieve a bend radius equal to the thickness of the material, which is possible with several different 5xxx grade aluminum up to about 0.125" thick.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

Was the sprocket itself supported by a bearing or the axle? We're using 6" IFI wheels and the flat AM aluminum sprockets. The sprockets have a bearing pressed into them and are bolted into the pattern on the IFI wheel (who woulda known they use the SAME bolt pattern?!). We also are using 1/8" plastic spacers between the wheel and sprocket on each of the 6 bolts. We've had some tug of wars and a bit of side bumping in matches but have yet to see a problem.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

Many, many thousands of IFI wheels have been sold. I have not heard of many complaints.

We've run probably 20 of the wheels without any problems at all. Many of them are multiple-season use.

I'm curious - were you using chain? If so, what gauge? Was the chain aligned properly from front to back - i.e. was it perfectly perpendicular to the shaft the wheel was running on, or was it pulling at an angle? How tight did you have it?

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

We had the same problems in 2006 when we used them... After Florida that year we made nylon bearings that fit inside the wheel and spanned the entire width of the wheel. These worked well and we didnt have any more problems with the bearings buring the next 2 competitions.

We don't use these wheels any more. For something like $60 each I would expect something far stronger, especially since it was designed for FRC teams.


Also, we found that the IFI sprockets were too thin for #35 chain which allowed for slop made it easier for the chain to pop off.

I have seen a number of teams that use these wheels and never have a problem, but i have also seen an equal number that have had problems with them.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

We've been using them for 2 years now and we have never had any problems with them. We have a practice robot that gets driven to death and we have one yet to fail. I personally like these wheels and I would use them again, IFI has a good product.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

Yes.

No, but this sounds like a very good idea, never thought about that. Maybe we will try this next year.

We were using #25 chain and it was aligned from front to back fairly well, and was pulling perpendicular to the shaft until the wheel started to deform. Once the wheel was wobbling though, the chain just popped right off. It did have a fairly good amount of tension in it as well.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

so wait...how many bearings did you have between the wheel and the axle? because with 2 bearings supporting it i don't think this situation has a likelihood of occurring.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

We had two bearings - one on each side of the wheel itself, and yes, it did still happen. I think if we had had a 3rd bearing (like suggested above) on the sprocket itself, it could have solved our problem.

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It is a great idea, IT WILL KEEP THIS PROBLEM FROM EVER HAPPENING!!!

PLEASE TEAMS, PRESS A BEARING INTO THE SPROCKET!! (sorry for the caps I have to tell at least one team a year this, three this year)

I'm not suggesting that this might fix your problem, this WILL ELIMINATE THIS ISSUE (THIS IS NOT JUST FOR IFI WHEELS EITHER) skyways, AndyMark, colson....if you are bolting a plate sprocket to the wheel with some kind of spacer in between those two elements you should spend the dollar or whatever for the extra bearing for the sprocket. You might get lucky and nothing ever happens to your wheels, but just be cautious and throw that bearing in there, it is much cheaper than a new wheel.

Re: pic: Problem with IFI Wheels
 

You must doing something wrong because we have been using them for the past two years and there industructable. Last year we competed in six competitions between first and off season events . also before the off season events we loged many hours of pratice time for the new drivers and not one failure.