pic: 5 Inch Wheel

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by RMS11

Why does torque decrease as you get farther away?

The torque doesn't change at all, but if you pick a cross section of the spoke, you can say the force on it (from the torque) is the torque divided by how far it is from the center. Think of it as a lever arm, if you apply a torque to the end of it, the force the end of the lever exerts decreases as the lever's length is increased.

And for what Mike says, YES!!!! If you can find a way to use hex axles, do it. They form a stronger connection than a keyed shaft, and are just way easier to work with... On top of that you never have to worry about losing a key, or making them in the first place.