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Unread 09-11-2007, 21:03
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AndyB AndyB is offline
Ambitiously Disappointing
AKA: Andy Burchardt
FRC #0171 (Cheese Curd Herd)
Team Role: College Student
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Platteville, WI
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Re: Drives in general

I'm assuming by 4 wheel, you mean 8 wheel.

Technically, traction is not affected by the change in surface area. The weight is just displaced. However, with the roughtop tread surface (if thats what you choose to use), your traction doesn't so much come from friction rather than the fact that the tread digs into the carpet. So yes, you may have more traction. Not that I've actual looked for it, but I can't say I've ever seen an IFI traction wheel slip on carpet with the roughtop tread.

As far as turning goes, you aren't pivoting on two wheels, you are pivoting on four which doesn't have much of an affect considering the distance between the pivoting wheels.

When it comes down to it though, 8wd's aren't as easy to make and of course the weight again goes up. I guess it all comes down to personal preference. The benefits of an 8wd in my opinion is outweighed by the weight.

If you look at last year, the teams with the best drives came from the likes of 330, 1114, 2056... etc. These were all 6wd 'bots. They all had extra weight for solid arms and ramps/swiss-army-knives(1114). If go by the logic of a perfect driver, I'd probably hand it to 4 wheel crab, but again, manufacturing difficulty goes up quickly. In the FIRST world, 6wd is easier to drive.
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Last edited by AndyB : 09-11-2007 at 21:07.