This is the second year FRC2168 is running Colson Performa wheels on our robot. We designed and manufactured our own hubs last year, and the second iteration of the design is what you see on the
West Coast Products website.
FRC2168's 2012 robot is running the WCP hubs and bearings, we were impressed with the quality of the machining and have had no issues thus far. This robot actually has a total of 11 Colson Performa wheels on it. 8 (5"x1.5") in the drivetrain, 2 (6"x1.5") for the shooter wheels, and 1 (4"x1.5") on the bridge manipulator. So they are also really grippy against this years game piece.
These hubs are designed to fit the 1.5" wide wheels. Last year we ran 4" wheels, this year we wanted some extra ground clearance and went with the 5" option. I can tell you that I don't intend to design a drivetrain without Colsons unless something major happens.
The WCP hub is designed for a 3/8" dead axle, and in the future WCP will most likely be offering a live axle option as well. The hubs allow you to put Colson wheels right onto a kitbot, which we believe is a great option and a really great way to evaluate the wheels for yourselves. If you want a live axle hub, its basically just "plug" with either a hex or key broach, and the OD sized for a press fit. They are a little heavier than other wheel options (pneumatic wheels are heavier though), but the cost is low, and 1 set should last you an entire season. That means no changing tread between matches.
Colson Performa wheels are available through a variety of sources, I've heard that a number of teams have gone to local suppliers. FRC2168 buys our wheels from
Robotmarketplace.com. They are also available from
McMaster and you'll get them faster but the price is not as good.
The performance of the wheels has been great. The grip is approximately the same as roughtop on carpet, but on other surfaces the Colsons have the advantage (like the bridges this year). Some teams have cut tread grooves into the surface of the wheels are report an increase in traction, however we have never seen a need for more traction (at least not yet).
Colson Performa wheels have been the wheel of choice in Battlebots for as long as I can remember. Teams such as 190, 228, 2168, 1771, 11, 125 have been using Colson wheels successfully for many years. More are more teams are looking at using them, and we welcome them to the club.