[marshall]

Originally Posted by nuclearnerd

Here's a new one: Hardware to make 1" tube an FRC "standard" for drive shafts.

Currently 1/2" hex bar is very popular for torque carrying shafts because it's common to many FRC parts. Unfortunately, you quickly find that 1/2" 7075 aluminum is pretty flimsy if you overhang the load by more than an inch or so, or if the angle of twist is important. A 1" OD x 1/16" wall aluminum tube is easy to source, about the same weight as 1/2" hex, 2.5 times as stiff in bending and torsion, fits through a 1.125" bore wheel*. Thicker tube can be used for even higher stiffness and strength. There are also plenty of lightweight pillowblock bearings available for 1" shafts.

If someone made a two piece hub that clamped tightly enough on a 1" tube to transfer torque, and had a 1/2" hex bore and/or a versahub/AM bolt pattern, it would enable teams to use 1" tubes for drive shafts where the loads would twist 1/2" hex bar (dual chain lifts, four bar linkages, roller intakes etc).

...and go.

*Vex Wheels anyway. AM HiGrip wheels are actually 0.96" bore at their smallest, so they wouldn't work on the shaft without modification

As a team that does absolutely terrible things to gearboxes and output shafts with overhung loags, we would totally buy these and likely in large quantities.