Quote:
Originally Posted by asid61
I have always figured that if I didn't need to support the outside, I won't. WCD lets me use lightweight 2x1 aluminum tube is basically a box shape, whereas if I had to add a plate on the outside for support I would have to spend space and extra pounds while mounting it via spacers and bolts- not to mention the added machining time. Plus with WCD I can run chain-in-tube and save even more space. There's nothing wrong with a dead axle or outside support drivetrain, but I feel like WCD just offers more benefits than risks. I've never had issues with either drive when made properly.
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To address the fact of chains-in-tube never failing, I'd ask 1477 Texas torque about their chain-in-tube issue. I seem to remember that they had issues; in the Alamo Regional between quarters and semi's they replaced themselves with a back-up 5754. As a result, At Utah they ended up spending all Thursday moving their chain OUTSIDE the aluminum tube. They did an amazingly quick change over and ended up being very competitive. I could have been misinformed, but I seem to remember that being the case.
Back to the OP's original topic though, we had a skilled CNC machine shop sponsor during Lunacy and attempted the swerve steering. All of the components were perfect, the problem was the chain management. The chains were of poor quality and kept stretching. The sprockets were not cut to the proper specs (Thanks to 118 mentors for pointing that out to us or we'd never have known). Between these two issues we wasted an entire regional making adjustments. In the end we did a complete drive train swap out to skid steer on Thursday of the following regional and made it to the division finals at the worlds.
So...with that being said, I would most definitely recommend staying with 8 wheel drop center skid steer. Yes, for teaching purposes, you'd have much more to learn with swerve steering, but you may end up with the unintended lessons of the less than optimal drive train difficulties associated with the swerve steer if you don't build it correctly.
We have tried almost all of the drive trains at one time or another for the same reasons you state- for educational purposes. We wanted to teach, and learn the positive attributes of the specific drive system and potentially perfect it so that it would be in our repertoire. In the end, however, we realized that WE (not necessarily all teams) were not sufficiently capable of picking and choosing which of the drive systems we would prefer to use that particular season. We stick to tank tread, skid steer, and mecanum drives.