[FTC]: Custom Axles

[Andrew Rudolph]

Originally Posted by RRLedford

Then what are you going to use as bearings and how are you going to provide support for .250" shafts passing through or across the Tetrix structural elements?

Shaft bearings must be supported. The 3/16" bronze flanged sleve bearings that insert directly into the Tetrix components make assembly so simple.
Any new shaft schemes that are not compatible with them are going to add a lot of work.

-Dick Ledford

I agree that you absolutely need to put bearings to support the shafts, I also very much know the pain of using the small Tetrix shafts for higher torque and higher load situations where the shafts bend and bind and the setscrews are such a pain. Overall the tetrix system has some big shortfalls when we push them to make competitive machines. I am just thinking out loud as to ideas with the new rules on other ways teams can look outside the tetrix catalog for solutions.


With that said the bronze bearings are 3/16" ID and 5/16" OD (basically) as per this tetrix drawing.

Quickly looking at the McMaster catalog I found 1/4" ID - 5/16" OD bronze bushings, nothing flanged but its not unthinkable some other source would have them or that a team could use some shaft collars to retain the bushing from falling out.

Of course the whole tetrix system is really based off of metric units so its possible none of this would work.

I think now in the pre-season is the best time to experiment and figure out what your team can do and try new things.