200mm Vulcanized Rubber Wheel

We made this because our fighting robots needed wheels, but all the wheels we could find sucked. Gokart wheels you have to fill with foam suck. Wheelbarrow wheels with cheap rubber that turns to powder when you want to do a rad burnout suck. Polyurethane wheels that don’t grip the floor because polyurethane is for longboards suck. So we started working with a rubber factory to make our own. Here they are:

• 200mm x 72mm square profile, 2.6 kg / 5 lbs 12oz

• Solid 55a vulcanized rubber cast over a solid nylon core. The perfect balance of grip and durability.

• No corners cut. Literally. The corners are sharp edges for a consistent contact patch throughout the lifetime of the wheel.

• 30mm hole down the middle. 4 holes on a Xmm square that can be tapped to M8 or 5/16” screws.

• Wide solid nylon core gives you enough room to drill or mill to your heart’s content. But here are some easy suggestions for robot combat use:

AMERICAN
• 1 3/16” OD pressed in sleeve bearings with a 1” shaft
• Key it with a pressed in 1 3/16” live shaft
• Drill each side with a 35mm step drill bit to insert widely available .75” or 5/8” bearings. Step drill bits will auto center on the existing 30mm hole so all you need is a drill press. This is how SMEEEEE do.

METRIC
• 30mm OD sleeve bearings with a 25mm shaft
• Key it with a 30mm live shaft
• With proper lubrication, run the nylon core directly on a polished 30mm shaft