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Unread 13-01-2010, 11:04
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thefro526 thefro526 is offline
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Re: Wheel size considerations

Quote:
Originally Posted by jvriezen View Post
What are teams thinking of in terms of wheel size and style? Larger (e.g. 12 inch) wheels have a shorter wheel base due to the need to have their centers closer together, but allow for lower kicking mechanisms while still having enough clearance to go over the bump-- specifically due to the smaller wheel base.
Larger wheels in a 4WD configuration do help with ramp climbing, specifically due to their increased ground clearance, but they may also cause issues with your COG because they're raising your drivetrain up so much.

Personally, We're leading towards using 6" wheels in an 8WD because it allows us to build a much lower base in addition to having excellent maneuverability. Also, due to the wheel placement and geometry of the frame, the 8WD should have no problems with climbing the bump.

I'd Imagine with proper wheel configuration one could use as small as 4" wheels and still be able to climb the ramp successfully.