pic: 3946 off-season strafe module, oblique view

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by Owen Busler

Is there a reason the piston is so close to the pivot point? Would moving it closer to the wheel provide more down force on the H wheel?

Yes, and that's exactly why. A 2-inch diameter bore cylinder exerts a force of 157-188 pounds when pressurized with 50-60 psi. We only wanted about 30-40 pounds to be carried by the strafe wheel, so we applied it with a short lever arm. As noted on the preceding image, we were building with parts already in stock. If we'd had a 3/4" or 1" bore cylinder with a 2-4" stroke, we'd have mounted it much farther from the pivot.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Michael Corsetto

A much better solution: Mount the cylinder away from the pivot and use a regulator to lower the pressure in your 2 inch diameter cylinder until you get the desired amount of weight carried by your strafe wheel.

Also, I feel sorry for the bending moments in that bar stock supporting the nose of your cylinder. I recommend putting a 2x4 or something on there to better support the load. **Edit, could be angle stock? If so, no problemo**

-Mike

We thought of using a lower pressure, but after using three separate regulators in 2013, we decided we did not want that maintenance headache again.

And yes, the stock used for the arm and gearbox mount is 2" x 1" x 1/8" c-channel, left over pieces from our Recycle Rush lift frame. The torque I'm most worried about is on that hinge, but it's an exterior door hinge, so it should be able to handle 30 or 40 pounds of thrust at a 14" moment arm.

Edit: In case I misread the earlier question, the cylinder body is mounted in a piece of 2" x 2" x 1/8" aluminum angle (whatever HD had in stock; I think it's 6061).