Wedgetop or Roughtop Tread for Wheels

[EagleEngineer]

What are the pros and cons for wedgetop or roughtop wheels. Which tread is better and why. Which is best for a 6WD?

[klbarie]

where exactly do you get the tread?

[GEARmaster08]

I think what Eagle is talking about is the Andy Mark Plaction Wheels (Plastic + Traction = Plaction)


www.andymark.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=103

Last year we (Team 876) went with the Roughtop and possibly using them again this year. We were able to go over the bumps last year with little to no problem and we were able to push other robots with pretty good success.

Here's what it looked like(http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/35059)

I think if there was sand or dirt that the robot had to drive over the Wedgetop would be the way to go, but since there is carpet, Roughtop would probably be a better choice.

[Jimmy Nichols]

There are a lot of sources. But we usually get the tread from Andymark, since we usually use their wheels and the tread comes pre-cut to the width of the wheel. You can also buy the wheel with the tread already installed.

[Gdeaver]

You did not include a none of the above choice in the poll. Last year we used the 4" plactraction wheels and the rough top lasted better than the wedge top. we had to change the treads at least once during the competitions. This year we have found a more durable solution for treads.

[Jeffy]

Here it lists roughtop tread having a slightly higher CoF.
Wear seems to be the same for both as they are made of similar, if not the same material.

[thefro526]

From my experiences with Roughtop and Wedgetop Treads from both AndyMark and IFI (Both Natural Rubber if I remember correctly) I've found that Roughtop seems to be the better of the two both in terms of grip and wear characteristics.

Originally Posted by klbarie

where exactly do you get the tread?

You can buy treads from AndyMark that are pre-cut for their wheels and the same goes for IFI.

If you've got the capabilities to cut treads, then you can buy large sections from McMaster and save a bit of money http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/117/1237/=amo9qe

Nice thing about McMaster is that they offer a few different tread compositions each with different wear rates and things like that. From what I've seen, Nitrile seems to wear the best (Least) with some teams being able to last an entire season without needing to retread their wheels.

[Chris is me]

Roughtop has gotten me better traction and wears less than wedgetop from what I've seen. Blue nitrile roughtop is the best tread I've ever seen - it never ever wears.