Throughout the pre-season team 1334 has been working on a west coast drive prototype. You can find the CAD files here. We are looking for some feedback on our design, any tips?
Hey Spencer,
Are you sure you linked the right CAD files?
The metal pieces on the left and right sides of the chassis are in fact bumper mounts; hiding them shows it’s definitely a cantilevered-wheel setup.
Quick question about the box tube supports in the middle. I may be missing something but it looks like they’re not actually connected to the siderails other than through the small piece of aluminum extrusion on the top and the belly pan below? If this is the case it means that these pieces won’t do much good against compression loads from either side of the chassis. Unless they are just for mounting purposes, I don’t see the function of these members. Could you provide some clarification on their purpose?
I like the idea of the flipped gearboxes, was there any reason you guys chose to do it that way or did it just fit well? Also is there a reason you guys arent using standard hubbed colsons or nitrile wheels?
Developing a West Coast drive train during the off season is a great use of time. I would suggest possibly looking into using pillow blocks so that you can adjust how tight the chain is. On a West Coast this can really improve the performance throughout the season as the chain wears down and is especially helpful if you change the sprocket ratios.
We had our drive gearboxes oriented the same way last season, and it worked quite well. Generally the reason cited is that it’s easier to access the shifter assembly for maintenance, manual shifting, or whatever else.
Additionally, we decided to make custom press-fit hubs for wheels directly ordered from Colson-Caster because, to my knowledge, VexPro doesn’t sell a 6" hubbed Colson, and we prefer not to use nitrile wheels for durability and wear issues.
The middle members are not connected to the side rails because it would interfere with the chain run. They could be used for mounting but their main purpose is to prevent the belly pan from sagging.