Would a rack and pinion elevator/ ground pushing climb mechanism be valid? I don’t see any severe disadvantages to it. Am I missing something here?
It can be. It is another way to get linear motion out of a mechanism. Most teams tend use a cable and winch to transfer power to a linear actuator/elevator, or a sprocket pulling a chain.
I know that McMaster sells rack gears that are long enough and match the 20dp tooth profile of the gears that we use most often in FRC, like this one. They only stock steel gears which can be a bit heavy. Some teams have laser-cut or waterjet their own aluminum style of rack gears that also seem to work well, if you have access to those machines.
Lego makes rack gears that work well in prototypes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIjcxTHOsA0
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