Just to get some clarification, is the posted picture using the 2023 Kit of Parts chassis or the 2022 chassis? The screws that are part of this year’s chassis were extensively tested last summer (multiple hours worth of driving) without any indication of screw backout.
As always, if you notice an issue with one of our products, please contact us (phone or email) so we can help make it right.
I did notice a wobble in our middle wheels today while the students were on the bench testing out drives. I was wondering if they didn’t put it together properly. I’ll take a closer look next meeting and hopefully we can get some proper parts from AM soon.
Here is a video one of our team members made showing what the wobble looks like. We connected one of the NEOs on the gearbox to one of the SparkMax’s for the drive train in our 2022 chassis. The chassis was up on blocks for safety. Both gearboxes showed the same wobble. Some of the other teams working in the same STEM Center came to see what it looked like so they can check theirs.
The only way I found to upload the video was to put it in a zip file. Download and extract to view.
shaft wobble.zip (4.7 MB)
You could also use YouTube, if you have a Google account that works
I saw this wobble when breaking the gearboxes in, but I passed it off due to it being my first time doing it and because the 2nd plate wasn’t supporting them yet. Thank god we did the omni upgrade, which uses a different shaft. I now need to dig the borked shafts out of our bin of 20+ toughbox shafts.
Just for visibility sake: Team update 7 https://www.chiefdelphi.com/t/2023-team-update-07/425282 has been posted and includes a statement about the KOP shaft issue. The direct link to the replacement shaft is: https://firstchoicebyandymark.com/am-shaft. I haven’t received an email yet about the replacement from AM or FIRST, but was able to place the order through firstchoice for it.
Thanks Andy and the rest of the AndyMark for working quickly to solve the issue, and implement a fix free of charge for teams.
@Andy_Baker awesome resolution to this. Props to the team at AM for putting together a thorough instruction sheet and getting the word out via team updates!
If there are teams at our events with issues, do you think any shafts will be available through spare parts? Can teams who didn’t receive KOP drives order the shafts to have on hand to assist others as needed?
Our team got the KoP this season, but decided after kickoff to do swerve, so we never assembled it. I would like to know if i need to order replacement shafts in case we decide to use the KoP for a later project.
Can you visually inspect the shafts to determine if they are defective, or do you have to assemble the gearbox to find out?
Yes, our plan is to also have replacement shafts available at events through spare parts if teams need these at the events.
We will be fulfilling replacement requests first and then will have these available for sale on our website. We are working with our vendors to get replacements in and out our door as quickly as possible.
Liz Smith
AndyMark, Inc.
Check out the PDF I’ve linked, it tells you what to check.
Wow! I completely skipped that part of the document and went straight to the solutions. Thanks for pointing that out!
Edit: I must’ve missed Liz’s post
Is there a way Andymark could get extra shafts into the spare parts cases?
I applaud Andymark for their excellent support. I do want to share that this is why we decided to not go with a KOP chassis this season. Last year, the combination of the KOP drive base issue and the Falcon issue Cost us a lot of time toward the end of our build season and throughout the competition season. We wanted to go with a drive base that was easier and quicker to rebuild if supply chain QC issues arose. If I were to wish for something in the future, it would be that the Kit Bot be as easy to maintain as a WCD. That may not be realistic, but one can hope 
Wait you’re telling me a vendor can actually make right their QC problems and don’t pass the solution off as a sold product to make a profit to teams?
looks at the Falcon 500
We checked ours, and we ended up batting .500–only one shaft was out of spec. Order is in for the replacements. All past employment associations aside, props to whoever thought to put them in FIRST Choice as a zero-credit, free-shipping item.
No kidding, that order process thru FC was smooth as buttah!
This is a great idea!
We have at least 8??? We have so many tough boxes from previous years!!! Just don’t put the forbidden jelly (gearbox grease) on your toast. We’ll definitely bring some
They are not the same spec. Read the doc published by Andymark (linked above) for details. Also, there will be spare shafts with spare parts at events, so no need for teams to bring alternative shafts.