Toughbox Nano Tube 31 Gear Drive

[JB]

I have recently been examining the Nano Tube Toughbox collection from Andy Mark. As a team who has been doing directly driven gear drive systems for the past few years, I think it would be extremely beneficial for our team to look at the three shaft, long, geared option seen here. http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0691.htm
Everything about this gearbox seems perfect to help our team reduce unnecessary build time during the first week or so of the season. My one concern with it is that one shaft is being power by one geared down cim, and the other two are also being powered by a geared down cim. Has anyone had any issue with this? I have also thought about making it a three motor drive instead of two by adding a fisher price with a reduction so that each shaft is driven by one motor. If anyone has any experience with the system and could shed some light that would be great.

[ehochstein]

They work great, we have a four-wheel drive system each having one cim motor. With 6 cross-hex tubes going between the two nanotubes. Using this system we installed a chair on top of the robot and we have been using it as a gokart. Kind of like this video.

[PAR_WIG1350]

With that many idlers, the inefficiency would be unusually high. Is there any particular reason that you prefer it to chain drive?

[JB]

Yes. Our team despises chain, we have popped countless chains over the years and we try to avoid it at all costs. We also like the minimal maintenance required for geared drivetrains. The excessive idler gears worried me as well which is one of the reasons we were looking into adding another motor and removing most the idlers.