pic: GUS Team 228's Prototype Sheet Metal 6WD Chassis

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Rob Stehlik

Brandon,
Thanks for the info on Colson wheels. I got a sample from Mcmaster a while ago, and they do seem to be nice wheels. Obviously they were never intended to be powered, which is why they are difficult to mount hubs to. The one I got has a 1/2" bore, but this is with plastic bushings. The hub itself is 7/8", which could be broached, but now that you mention it, the plastic is a bit soft, and may not hold up well under stress. I was looking for an alternative to knurling because while we do have the tools, it seems like it would be a bit time consuming to get it right on a manual lathe.
I guess with Colsons the initial effort to mount them is offset by the benefit of never having to change treads.
Rob

Rob you are right on in regard to the effort to mount them. They really are NICE wheels though, and can be worth the effort. If you have the resources to make hubs, you could make something similar to this...

This is just a very quick CAD I made from memory of what I did to mount Colsons on the 05 and 06 robots I helped with. The inner hub is converted into that round boss sticking off the hub where you could press bearings into it. Then, the notches around the outside grab a hold of the ribs you see on the Colson wheel. The hole pattern can then be drilled through the wheel so you can compress sprocket, hub, and wheel with the same bolt pattern to make entire wheel assemblies. Just an idea to get those other ideas flowing...

-Brando