Tank Treads

[Travis Hoffman]

Read this thread:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=59943

There is a Canadian company that supplied conveyor belting to both 1114 and 2056 whose name escapes me right now. I'll have to dig through my 2008 orders to find out the name. They had, in my opinion, a "better" way of joining the ends of their tank tread conveyor belts together to provide a stronger seam. They sell products that are compatible with Brecoflex pulleys.

Last I checked, Brecoflex provides discounts to FIRST teams for their products, but even so, the materials are expensive, especially when you factor in spare parts costs - you WILL want to purchase spare belts.

Brecoflex CAN work without becoming a total horror story - we've had success, as has 379, and others. But all tank tread systems are relatively heavy and expensive, and require numerous spares on hand to give a team a decent sense of security.

All I've got to say about full-length tank treads is - think what happens when a 25"+ long tread starts climbing a 45 degree bump. Consider what a bot waiting on the other side might do in such a leverage-advantageous situation when contact outside of the bumper zone on a bump is permitted per the rules.

For a self-inflicted simulation of the potential situation I'm describing, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjHMb55EXmY. Proceed accordingly.