8'' Pneumatic Wheel Shortage?

[Swol]

Has anyone thought about the possible consequences of this? What if people with wheel chairs actually need these tires? Hit me today that if we are struggling so hard to find them then people who actually need them must be getting so frustrated. Just a thought.

[JesseK]

First off, welcome to ChiefDelphi

There isn't a shortage of 8" pneumatic wheels. There is a shortage of AndyMark wheels. Huge difference. Also, AndyMark's are more like 7.5" at the crown with robot weight on them.

Seems like adapter plates from a subset of 8" wheels available on (e.g.) Amazon would be fast to manufacture at large scales, but at this point in the season it's tough to say.

Also, 6" wheels are still available from WCP. 8" wheels aren't the only solution to this year's game, and in some cases aren't the best solution.

[itsjustjon]

I think that's probably not likely.

[Sperkowsky]

There are plenty of wheel chair wheels. I'm sure those things sit on shelves at medical supply places for years. Besides it's manufactures that need these wheels for the most part not actually people in need and those manufactures already have a well established supply chain that could not be affected by 3000 teams.

[Swol]

Well, since you guys know so much about getting these 8" pneumatic wheels, would you please send me a link to one of these sites that would have them? Please and thank you!

[Lil' Lavery]

While there are plenty of "8" pneumatic wheels" still out there, the OP does have a point regarding 200x50mm tires, specifically. The stock levels usually maintained by various vendors of these tires is not sufficient to meet the additional demands placed by FRC on the market. This is not really a manufacturer issue*, but rather an issue for the vendors selling replacement tubes/tires directly to consumers.

If you take a quick look around, you'll notice quite a few vendors listing 200x50 as out of stock, low stock, or back ordered. Sheng Chin and Primo tires, in particular, are running out just about everywhere.
http://www.mfgsupply.com/8-10428.html
http://enableyourlife.com/8-2-in-200...otrap-tire.asp
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=sr_1_2&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...s=primo+200x50

Granted, there are still vendors out there who have these tires. This is especially true if you're willing to accept ones that are foam-filled, "flat-free" (solid rubber), or are marring. This isn't an apocalypse for the communities that normally need these tires, but it has certainly made an impact.



*Manufacturers are going to be ordering in bulk from the factory or places like alibaba, and are not expecting quick turnarounds.