Best type of tread?

[75vs1885]

I am trying to figure which is the best type of tread for a wheel.
I was going through a box today and noticed that we had a bunch of different types.
We have a 6 wheel drive, would putting different tread on the outer wheels from the middle wheel help with turning?

[Oblarg]

There's no universal standard for what constitutes "best tread." Like anything else in engineering, the best solution depends on what you're trying to optimize.

From the research I've done, it seems that of the common FRC tread solutions (note: none of this is from my own testing and I cannot verify any of it - this is merely a compilation of stuff that I've read, mostly from memory, and if I'm wrong on any of it feel free to call me out):

Wedgetop has extremely high COF, but it is only available in soft gum rubber or black SBR. The former has less-than-stellar wear characteristics. Don't know much about the latter.

Roughtop doesn't grip quite as well as wedgetop, but is available in blue nitrile which has better wear characteristics.

Colsons have fantastic wear characteristics but do not grip as well as plaction. Some teams cut patterns into their Colson wheels to improve traction - I have not seen anything on the effects of this either on COF or wear characteristics.

VersaWheel 'W'-pattern treads have an extremely high COF but wear very quickly.

VersaWheel DT's wear better than the 'W' tread (but not as well as the Colsons), but do not grip quite as well. COF is comparable to Colson wheels.

AndyMark HiGrip wheels are similar to VersaWheel DT's in wear characteristics and grip.

[Mike Marandola]

Here are some older threads about tread choices and the differences between them:
Here
Here
Here
Here

Originally Posted by Oblarg

Wedgetop has extremely high COF, but it is only available in soft gum rubber or black SBR. The former has less-than-stellar wear characteristics. Don't know much about the latter.

Roughtop doesn't grip quite as well as wedgetop, but is available in blue nitrile which has better wear characteristics.

Are you sure you don't have them opposite? I have always heard that roughtop gripped better and had a higher CoF than wedgetop.

[75vs1885]

Thanks!
That is a good point, it does really depend on the game and tactics a team is aiming for. I am trying to find something good for high speed's, we are using it for a prototype bot and are trying out different wheels and treads