[ChuckDickerson]

We used IFI 6”x2” wheels for the last two years with absolutely no problems. In 2006 (old style wheels) we had a typical center lowered 6 wheel bot built on a kitbot chassis but only went to one regional. Just before the robot shipped we put new tread on all 6 wheels just to be safe. All 6 treads still look practically new after the one regional and we were in lots of hard pushing matches that year. In 2007 (new style wheels) we went with an 8WD setup with 4 IFI 6”x2” center wheels and 4 AM 6” omnis in the corners. We competed in one regional and the championships in Atlanta all on the same original set of wedgetop treads that we started with when we put the treads on at the beginning of the build season. They still have plenty of use left in them today but don’t quite look as new as the 2006 bot. Our biggest concern was not the tread wear but rather if the treads would stay attached to the wheel. In 2006 we lost a couple of treads during practice in the build season and discovered the secret to keeping the treads on the wheels is to use rivets with large heads. The rivets that come with the treads have standard heads. Order a big box of big head rivets from MSC or McMaster-Carr and pitch the ones that come with the treads. Both years we went with wedgetop tread so we have no experience with the roughtop. I think it is pretty much a coin toss between wedgetop and roughtop. Maybe we will try roughtop this year just for kicks.