AndyMark aluminum omnis now online, plus a surprise

[Eric W. Jones]

Sweet. But how much stronger are these aluminum omnis going to be (than 2006's plastic omnis)? I lost count of how many of those we broke.

[Mike Schroeder]

Andy was talking about these new wheels at Ramp Riot this year, and while i have no idea the technicalities behind it, he said they were much stronger

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Eric W. Jones

Sweet. But how much stronger are these aluminum omnis going to be (than 2006's plastic omnis)? I lost count of how many of those we broke.

I saw them at Ramp Riot, and they seemed considerably stronger (I couldn't flex them with my hand....not that I tried... )

[Andy Baker]

These omnis are a combination of the best aspects of the old Trick Wheel and the current plastic omni wheel.

The main advantage of these wheels is that they are repairable. If they do take a hit that would bend them, you can bend them back. If the impact is so hard that a screw falls out, then you can put in a longer screw and put on a nut... good to go. We had one 8" version at the Team Ford FIRST this past October with "Break me" written on one side... kids were jumping up and down on it and throwing it against the wall. It did bend (a bit) and one screw fell out. I was able to stand on it to bend it back, and the screw could be re-inserted.

The plastic omni wheel and this new aluminum omni wheel have the same molded rubber rollers that are so much better than the old extruded rollers we used on the Trick Wheels (those were inconsistently made).

This aluminum omni wheel has a 1/8" thick bore for a 1/2" id flange bearing (1.124" dia o.d.). There are two ring plates that capture the rollers which are also 1/8" thick. This thin framed bore may be not preferred to some folks, and they will go for the 1" wide bore of the plastic omni wheel.

Oh... and the plastic omni wheel has been improved also. The mold was changed to have a tighter fit for the 1/2" bearing, and the dowel for the rollers fits a bit looser, to reduce stress risers. Also, we are now using no fiberglass filler in the black polycarbonate (natural polycarb. has a higher Izod impact rating than 10% fiberglass filled polycarbonate... go figure).

The stickers were fun to design. There is a sticker manufacturer here in Kokomo who make the "Throttle Jockey" stickers for the moto-cross industry. They make all of our stickers, which have a clear laminate over the top of them so the print does not wear off.

Thanks for the comments... we'll keep workin on stuff.

Andy B.