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Unread 28-11-2014, 15:35
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Re: Traction Questions

Without hard data, this post really isn't worth jack... but I thought I'd add something I'd heard from teams before. For the specific case of roughtop tread, when using larger wheels, increasing width does not noticeably increase tractive force. As wheels get smaller, approach 4 inches diameter (sound familiar?), widening tread does begin to increase pushing power. My baseless conjecture is that as wheels get smaller, fewer rows of "spikes" on the roughtop tread are in contact with the carpet at the same time, putting more pressure on each individual row. At a certain point, the increased pressure really causes a row of spikes to "dig in" to the carpet. Adding more width to those wheels, while decreasing the pressure per unit area, allows more spikes to dig into the carpet, and once interlocking forces come into play surface area really does start to matter.

Someday, when there's time and money to be spared by whatever team I'm on, I'd love to test this hypothesis / idea / rumor with several tread types (roughtop, wedgetop, Colsons, AM HiGrips)
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