Mounting of drive system

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by neoshaakti

I'm sorry Im a nub, but does dead-axle have anything to do with using pillow blocks?

Nothing really. What I'm talking about is a block of aluminum with a hole drilled partway though (like halfway maybe) so it can hold an aluminum shaft as a dead axle. Then, the block is mounted to the robot with bolts and its height can be adjusted with shims. Not really a pillow block in the traditional sense, but similar.

Originally Posted by neoshaakti

Pillow blocks are quite expensive on mcmaster-carr (about 30 bucks a piece)

is live-axle a more economical choice?

Generally no. A bolt through a hole in the frame can serve as a dead axle, with live you need keyed/hex/spline/etc shafts, bearings, pillow blocks, so on.

Originally Posted by neoshaakti

and with a live-axle, would you have to connect the sprocket to the shaft?

Usually yes. If you used gears for power transmission, you'd connect those to your shaft.

Originally Posted by neoshaakti

sorry for the nub questions

Nothing to be sorry for, everyone was a newbie sometime.