Mods for robotic VX

[StinkBug]

i know the tire of choice for all the desert racer guys is the BFG Baja T/A, very tough, good in the desert, but also fairly expensive and somewhat stiff for some vehicles. Good luck.

Dallas

[Art]

Thanks for all the good wishes and advice!

We have been busy the last few days preparing a 5 minute video with the status of our vehicle, this video is due at DARPA a week from today. Will get some pictures to share with you soon.

Based on the feedback provided here (thanks!) and reading an interview with Bob Land a few years ago (thanks for the pointer) here's our initial take on tire requirements:

Diameter: around 31 inches
Tread width: 8-10 inches
Plies: at least 6
Load Range: "C" or "D"
Wheel radius: R16 (stock '99 VX)
Tire pressure: 25-30 psi
Puncture resistance: tire sealant

Opinions?

Art

[Art]

My thoughts also, was just giving them time to settle in

We consider this forum an invaluable resource... we'll put the sticker for free. Where do you want it? Do you have encapsulated postscript (.EPS) file with the artwork? We'll have it made at FastSigns. Thanks!

Art

[Moncha]

Very COOL!!!
As it happens, I do have an .eps file also .psd and anything else you may need. The .psd and .eps banner I have is 24" long but can be resized and is 300dpi. I have smaller if you want also.. Tell me where it needs to be sent and I can get it there right away.

"Where do you want it?" - On the windshield of course But, I don't want to get pushy.

[Art]

Very COOL!!!
Tell me where it needs to be sent and I can get it there right away.

info@austinrobot.com

Very COOL!!!
"Where do you want it?" - On the windshield of course But, I don't want to get pushy.

Lemme see what we can do

[Swordy]

I spend quite a bit of time playing in the California Desert. In fact I'll be heading out there for the weekend in a few hours. I'll vote for Dirtgripz or a similar tire. 11.5 to 12.5 wide. Use as tall a tire as you can reasonably fit without interference. Something with extra thick (E rated) sidewalls to deal with the jagged rocks. Air them down to like 13-15 lbs. for good stable contact, shock absorbtion, and floatation. For good bite, they should be luggy critters with a decent amount of void between the lugs. The sidewalls should be fairly tall.
If you go with a thinner C or D sidewalled tires, to obtain the desired squish factor, air up to a higher pressure. Obtaining the right amount of air-down is important to keep you from sliding on hard surfaced rock laden corners. They do need to be stiff enough to minimize body roll though. Use some strong cast smaller diameter rims. Not steel. Use some fairly stiff shocks in the rear, or/and split your rear bumpstops since riding on the bumpstops kills your traction at any appreciable speed.
At the risk of sounding conceited or arrogant... Actually,, to haul @ss across the Ca desert. I'd pretty much set it up like mine.

[Art]

Thank you Swordy... I found PJ DirtGrip here:

http://www.ntwonline.com/acb/showdet...unt=1&DETAIL=1

This seems to be the tire for us:

PJ-31x10.5R16 (10 ply)
Load Range: "E"
Section Width: 10.3
Tread Width: 8.8
Rim Width: 7-9
Outside Diameter: 31.50

This one is bigger, would it fit ????

PJ-33x12.5R16
Load Range: "E"
Section Width: 12.4
Tread Width: 10.4
Rim Width: 8.5-11
Outside Diameter: 33.30

Here's a picture of our front right wheel.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Art

[Moncha]

Your mail box is full.. I can make it available for a download If that would be easier

[Art]

Your mail box is full.. I can make it available for a download If that would be easier

Thanks for the heads up... I looked into it and found we were running low on our disk quota on the website host. No need to resend, info@austinrobot.com forwarded to another account (on a different host) and we did get your logo. Thanks!

[Moncha]

No, THANK YOU and good luck!!!

[Swordy]

Art,
No, 33/12.50-16's will not fit without a lift AND fender trimming. I think you should be safe running 31's without problems. Its been a while since I ran tires that small, so you might want to refer to a couple of the many tire size articles on the site. The subject has come up fairly often.
Andy

[Whaleboy]

Art, just outta curiosity. I haven't throughly browsed thru your website. But are you guys using solid state drives on your setup?

[LiquidVX]

I agree with alaska about mickey thompsons. 30" baja belteds rocks and would look good too- something about tread on the side of your VX tires just rules. Art, when you guys have a finished product, you're gonna make it a package for all of us to buy, right? I doubt I am the only one that wants an automated or remote controlled VX.

[Art]

Art, just outta curiosity. I haven't throughly browsed thru your website. But are you guys using solid state drives on your setup?

For now we are using disk drives... may go solid state later.

[Art]

I agree with alaska about mickey thompsons. 30" baja belteds rocks and would look good too- something about tread on the side of your VX tires just rules.

We are thinking of using the PJ Dirt Grips (for the E load rating), they have good tread on the side... agreed about the looks

Art, when you guys have a finished product, you're gonna make it a package for all of us to buy, right? I doubt I am the only one that wants an automated or remote controlled VX.

We are documenting everything we do (professional tech writers). No plans for making this available at the moment, though... consider the liability...