WCD vs straight up 6 wheel

[Travis Covington]

Originally Posted by Jeff 801

I am just going to throw this out there is that you can do other types of drive system other than a "west coast" that are just as rigid and keep the wheels very close to the outside edge of the frame perimeter. To further explain as seen here in this picture of 254 from this past year (254's 2011 robot) the wheels are set in the range of .5" to .75" and in the attached picture you can see with this drive system the wheels are just about as close to the outside of the frame perimeter.

Our wheels were set in that far to allow us to increase the wheel width if we determined it was required later in the season. We never saw the need, but it was comforting to have the capability. In previous years, however, we pushed the wheels to within an 1/8" or so of the frame/bumpers.

[jwfoss]

Honest Answer: The best option is to choose something that your team can build within their means, and maintain thoughout the season. Spend some time looking around the CD-Media gallery, do a search for drivetrains or chassis.

In the end, if all your team can afford to do is put together a strong 6wd kitbot with drop center and appropriate gearing you'll still be ahead of at least 25% of the other teams running.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by jwfoss

In the end, if all your team can afford to do is put together a strong 6wd kitbot with drop center and appropriate gearing you'll still be ahead of at least 25% of the other teams running.

I'd say that's closer to 75% of the other teams running. There are a LOT of bad custom drivetrains, mecanum drives, and whatnot at competition.