Before kickoff this year my team ordered 6" Performance wheels and the new Pebble top tread from Andymark . I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with this tread to know how it compares to other tread types. Should we use different tread?
Will 8 wheel drive work well this year?
The tread material is SBR, which is the same as old AndyMark Omni rollers and the 6" Mecanum rollers. In my experience those rollers hold up pretty well and I think the tread should provide similar characteristics.
As far as 8 wheel drive, I would check in CAD to make sure you can go over the rough terrain, moat, and rock wall which would be the defenses you might have trouble with.
I’ve been looking into the pebble top tread as well, I feel that it will be a great option for dealing with some of the defenses this year. I however have no experience with the tread and so cannot say exactly.
As for ordering the performance wheels… I feel that for this year it is a must as most teams will find the plastic wheel frames too brittle and easily cracked. In 2013 the andymark KoP wheels had an injection molding issue that made the wheels very easy to shatter the spokes of, I’m hoping that teams decide on a sturdier option than we did that year.
The 8 wheel drive train is an interesting option as it will provide you better traction on many obstacles and even allow you to pass cheval de frise (which auto corrects to shovel the fries on my phone) with relative ease. If on the other hand you were attempting ramparts you may find that you will twist and angle less gracefully than some other drive trains.
My team was looking into buying it but then decided to buy the rhino tank treads instead on kick off day. Last year my team used the performance wheels with the green tread. The green tread sounds great, but actually sucks alot. the pebbled black top looks more promising then the other tread for the performance wheels. Stats wise it is way better then the green tread and seems more versatile then the other type of tread.
A quick suggestion… RIVOT THE TREAD TO PERFORMANCE WHEEL!!!
Last year we tightened the tread as much as we possibly could, but the tread kept on rolling off edge of the wheel every match. We resorted to asking a team in the pits for some pop rivots to semi permanently attach them to the wheel.
As for the 8 wheel drive…I would be careful and make sure you have enough clearance. It may be hard to maneuver and line up for obstacles. But then again it solely depends on your strategy. The drive train is the most important part of the robot this year.
Goodluck!
Thanks for all of the input!
Also has anyone ever successfully powered a complete bank of 3 or 4 wheels with only one timing belt or chain run between all of the wheels?