In the 2 regionals we’ve competed in, we’ve used the 6" Skyway rubber wheels, and they have been chewed up pretty bad by the ramp. We find that we need to replace them about 1/2 way through the competition.
Since we need new wheels for the Natl’s, we’re considering going to the 6" Skyway pneumatic tires.
Anyone have experience with how these wheels hold up? I believe Rage is using them. Any comments guys?
I do note that they have much better traction all around (especially on the top ramp surface), but I am very concerned about wear, since obviously the outcome of wear in a pneumatic tire can be a flat!!!
Any experience, especially with the 6" Skyway wheels, would be greatly appreciated.
Last year we used the 6" ones and they held up great 2 Regionals and nats along with a ton of other events. This year we are also using 8" ones and they are just as good.
we have used pneumatic tires for two years now. If you are worried about wear, dont be… we ran our current tires for a bit last year, through practice this year, through a 21 match regional this year, and through 4 matches today, and finally we had to replace the tires because they had gone bald. You dont need to worry about wear that much…
I would recommend using timing belt around the outside of the skyway wheels. Yes we leave about half of our tread behind in every match but its worth it.
We are using some kind of wheelchair wheel in the front, not sure what kind, i think foam filled, and Goped wheels to drive, they are cool… We have had no wheel problems so far, and did not need to change our wheels
… are either of you specifically using the Skyway pneumatic tires?
The reason I’m being so specific is that the type of rubber will effect the wear, so if you were using a different tire (with a “better” rubber) the Skyway pneumatic tires might not wear as well (especially on the ramp).
Regardless of what you’re using, congrats, since many people have had wear problems from the ramp.
*Originally posted by Scott358 *
**… are either of you specifically using the Skyway pneumatic tires?
The reason I’m being so specific is that the type of rubber will effect the wear, so if you were using a different tire (with a “better” rubber) the Skyway pneumatic tires might not wear as well (especially on the ramp).
Regardless of what you’re using, congrats, since many people have had wear problems from the ramp.
Please clarify if they’re Skyway.
Thanks,
Scott **
We are using skyway 8" pneumatic tires. They are labeled as Cheng Shin, but are sold by Skyway.
GilaHumanPlayer:
The cheesegrater comment was right on. By the end of thursday, 258’s treads were mutilated. Oh well, reduced lifespan is the price you pay for high traction I guess…
Our team is using Skyway’s 6 inch pneumatic wheelchair wheels and we have no complaints except for getting the psi right takes some trial and error depending on what you want. Our wheels still look practically new and we are in our second competition now.
*Originally posted by Scott358 *
**… are either of you specifically using the Skyway pneumatic tires?
The reason I’m being so specific is that the type of rubber will effect the wear, so if you were using a different tire (with a “better” rubber) the Skyway pneumatic tires might not wear as well (especially on the ramp).
Regardless of what you’re using, congrats, since many people have had wear problems from the ramp.
Please clarify if they’re Skyway.
Thanks,
Scott **
We have used 6" Skyway pneumatic tires for the past two years, and they do wear eventually. Last year we had to switch out tires before every regional, because lugging around a goal took its toll on the wheels. However, this year we haven’t replaced our tires yet. So I imagine they’d do well.
[BTW] Wear on the skyway pneumatic tires could be a good and bad thing… the more they wear the better your traction is on the carpet and mesh, but the harder it is to turn if you are using all pneumatic tires; however, you may not have a problem with that.
The cheesegrater comment was right on. By the end of thursday, 258’s treads were mutilated. Oh well, reduced lifespan is the price you pay for high traction I guess…
Yeah well we used the stock 9 inch skyway wheels and in our first practice match we actually managed to rip holes (not just the treads) out of the tires. It is proabably why the robot steered so poorly.
Team 121 used those 6’’ tires this year and last year, and there are many advantages and disadvantages with them.
The tires wore out pretty fast for us last year because we often gotten in tugging contest for a goal. When the wheels are turning but the robot isn’t it will cause it to go bald almost immediately. Last year in 9 competitions we had to replace it 4 times I believe. This year however is somewhat different, and we actually have a pretty good tread left after practice and the BAE Regional.
The one thing I hate about those wheels however is that changing the tread only is impossible because after you change it, it weakens the bushing that holds the shaft, and tends to want to come out of the wheel.