Electrathon America Forum

Roy · Roy

In the past my team has always used 20" tires for our car but I have wondered if 26" tires might be worth a try. As they are extremely common and have much more support as they are popular with many bicycles. I want to know if anyone has done something similar and if so what results they have had. Any other tho...

Functional Artist · Functional Artist

Hello all, Pro EV posted about Electrathon America on DIYELECTRICCAR ...& got me interested/inspired in the sport Now I'm working on building an Electrathon car ...& after lots of research, I still haven't seen much info about adding disc brake rotors, to bicycle wheels ...& hope so...

ElectricStreamliner · ElectricStreamliner

I was wondering about this and what better place to ask regarding bicycle tires and trikes going around corners without lifting a wheel.

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

My team is looking at the blue sky design 16 inch carbon fiber wheels and we were wondering if anyone has any experience with them. Are they worth it? Do they last? Thanks for the help

nickg · nickg

Has anyone out there had experience going tubeless with Maxxis Hookworm tires? I am attempting to do just that and I think I have cracked the formula to make it work, but I am curious to know what issues others have come across and how they solved them. So far I have concluded that the perimeter bead area...

Archer321 · Archer321

I've been running 20" Maxxis Hookworms since I got started in Electrathon three years ago but am now thinking about going a different direction. What 20" tires have others used, how did they work out for you, and how spendy were they? Thanks

South Forsyth HS · South Forsyth HS

Does anyone know a good website or store to buy large drive wheel sprockets for a type 35 chain? Preferably in the range of about 100-110 tooth. I have not had much luck looking online and a motor we are thinking about buying needs a larger sprocket to gear to a desirable speed.

stevgri · stevgri

My school is currently using Tomos wheels with integrated drum brakes but we would like to try using some lighter weight 20" wheels with hydraulic breaks and were looking to use tires like these http://shop.maxxis.com/c/bicycle_bmx_hookworm but if any one knows of a better tire we are open to that...

stevgri · stevgri

What are some good materials and techniques for making wheel covers? We use 16" DOT Tomos moped wheels. Any advice would be appreciated.

Archer321 · Archer321

What are the thoughts out there on suspensions for electrathon cars? Front only? Rear only? Both? None at all? Thoughts? My current car has none at all, but after the race on my local track (rough) I'm considering it for the next car. Felt like I had been beat with a stick for an hour.

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

My team is getting a new motor soon, this motor runs at about 90RPMs per volt, running a 36 volt system this is about 3300 RPMs. To keep our car at a reasonable speed we need a 96 tooth drive sprocket. We bolt our sprocket directly to the freewheel with a 2" ID and 4 bolt holes in a 2 7/8" circle. Doe...

Brendan_Smith · Brendan_Smith

Hi all, Just hoping to clarify the below.9.3 The two brakes must have separate actuation cables. If both brakes are to be actuated by a single hand or foot lever then both cables should be attached to the lever.I'm strongly considering utilising hydraulic disk brakes, partially due to the pressure &...

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

Right now I run a cycle car with a rear driven wheel, the axle is apart of the wheel and changing the tire means taking off the rim and chain then re-aligning the chain. Has anyone tried to use a cantilever axle for the rear drive wheel for faster tire changes and so it would let the chain always be straight?...

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

My team just bought 2 tomos moped wheels with drum brakes, on the left wheel the brake is on the inside so the wheel spins the correct way, on the right wheel the brake is on the outside so the wheel has to be put backwards. Is there any way to make it so both wheels go forward? I wouldn't normally care much abo...

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

My school is looking into building a new car, we have to many kids on the team for only one car. I know the tomos wheels are very strong but I have had trouble finding some, ones I have found are 17". Are there 16" or 20" ones out there if so where could I find them for a reasonable price?

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

My school is using the Blue Sky Spindles and they use 1/2" axles, I also use there BMX wheels and I'm scared they are going to break... so i have been looking at making some new wheels but I'm having trouble finding hubs that will fit a 1/2 axle. Does anyone know where to get these? Thanks for the help...

WFHS Electrathon · WFHS Electrathon

I'm wondering which wheels are the best.

Nitoragro · Nitoragro

My team is looking at buying a bluesky design rear 20 inch wheel and sprocket adapter. We want to do this so we don't have to lace a wheel or find a free wheel. But there adapter will only let the car use a mountain bike chain, and from what you all say about those chains it sounds like a problem, so does anyone...

IAmANewbie · IAmANewbie

Hi, guys. I have been desperately scouring the internet for resources on these fine, sometimes overlooked, electrathon details to help guide me and my team. We really want to not only know what is best, but understand the concepts on why it is best. Most of us are engineering/physics nerds. We haven'...

dfarning · dfarning

Hey all, As I go through my journey building an Electrathon vehicle, I thought it might be useful to include links to references that I found helpful. Maybe others might add their thoughts. An excellent reference for tube notching or fishmouth cutting is at http://www.atomiczombie.com/Tutoria...

Stevie G · Stevie G

Hey there gang, I'm at a MasterCam class, and could use the dimensions for the gear on the Tomos Moped Wheels. Bolt Circle and Hub Register are the critical ones. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch Stevie G

mikestill · mikestill

Hello, we are new to EA, we have built two vehicles that we will be competing in CT, in 2013. We are running into a problem where we are breaking the freewheel device, his is the brass device that spins onto the rim, and has four holes where a sprocket is mounted. When first installed the device works grea...

Kalie_CHS · Kalie_CHS

Sam and I have been having a really annoying time with our double break handle. The barrels strip all the time and there are other problems. Are there other breaking systems that work better?

Stevie G · Stevie G

For those of you running the Tomos Moped wheels, are you running the axles that came with the wheels? They are right at 12mm. I just don't want to show up at a race and be DQ'd over something like that. I am sure I will have several more elementary questions over the next week or two. Thanks, Stevie G

WayneTech Welding · WayneTech Welding

Looking for better rims for our car....any input???

drewjet · drewjet

Currently we are using Maxis Hookworms, most local teams are running either them or the Miracle. It seems like we can get about 2 to 3 events out of a set of the hookworms. Depends a lot on how hard we take the corners. Just curious as to what tire has the best handling and what tire has the longest wear, obv...

Zaine Stapleton · Zaine Stapleton

Okay, I didn't mean chain tensioners in the other topic I started. I meant axle alignment tools, basically I would want to make a couple to handle different lengths depending on how deep the axle is in the fork. Has anyone else ever used these before or made your own for your car(s)? If so, how difficul...

Zaine Stapleton · Zaine Stapleton

I was going to make a set of chain tensioners for my car for the upcoming race at PIR and didn't know if anyone else has used them or not. From anyone's experience, how did you like them? I do know that it does prevent the drive wheel from getting jerked forward if you go from a dead stop and punch the thrott...

fiallok · Nathan McCaw

It seems like after every race we have to replace at least three or so spokes... What can I do to limit as many broken spokes I can?

alex e · alex e

If you have solar panels on your car does it keep your battery charged the entire race? or does the battery still lose power?

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	Large Diameter Tires Versus Small Diameter (Preview) In the past my team has always used 20" tires for our car but I have wondered if 26" tires might be worth a try. As they are extremely common and have much more support as they are popular with many bicycles. I want to know if anyone has done something similar and if so what results they have had. Any other tho...	Roy	9	1584	Oct 20, 2023 by Archer321
	How to add disc brake rotors to bicycle wheels (Preview) Hello all, Pro EV posted about Electrathon America on DIYELECTRICCAR ...& got me interested/inspired in the sport Now I'm working on building an Electrathon car ...& after lots of research, I still haven't seen much info about adding disc brake rotors, to bicycle wheels ...& hope so...	Functional Artist	5	853	Sep 24, 2023 by Functional Artist
	At what track width does traction become the limiting factor of corning speed? (Preview) I was wondering about this and what better place to ask regarding bicycle tires and trikes going around corners without lifting a wheel.	ElectricStreamliner	4	1039	Jun 17, 2022 by ProEV
	Blue sky designs wheels (Preview) My team is looking at the blue sky design 16 inch carbon fiber wheels and we were wondering if anyone has any experience with them. Are they worth it? Do they last? Thanks for the help	Nitoragro	13	3443	Jan 31, 2020 by ProEV
	Going tubeless? (Preview) Has anyone out there had experience going tubeless with Maxxis Hookworm tires? I am attempting to do just that and I think I have cracked the formula to make it work, but I am curious to know what issues others have come across and how they solved them. So far I have concluded that the perimeter bead area...	nickg	12	1595	Nov 15, 2019 by nickg
	20" tire options (Preview) I've been running 20" Maxxis Hookworms since I got started in Electrathon three years ago but am now thinking about going a different direction. What 20" tires have others used, how did they work out for you, and how spendy were they? Thanks	Archer321	1	2217	Jan 13, 2019 by 4TRIDENT4
	Where to buy large sprockets? (Preview) Does anyone know a good website or store to buy large drive wheel sprockets for a type 35 chain? Preferably in the range of about 100-110 tooth. I have not had much luck looking online and a motor we are thinking about buying needs a larger sprocket to gear to a desirable speed.	South Forsyth HS	7	3189	Feb 9, 2017 by Archer321
	Good 20" Front Wheel Rims (Preview) My school is currently using Tomos wheels with integrated drum brakes but we would like to try using some lighter weight 20" wheels with hydraulic breaks and were looking to use tires like these http://shop.maxxis.com/c/bicycle_bmx_hookworm but if any one knows of a better tire we are open to that...	stevgri	1	2859	Nov 17, 2016 by Zaine Stapleton
	Making Wheel Covers (Preview) What are some good materials and techniques for making wheel covers? We use 16" DOT Tomos moped wheels. Any advice would be appreciated.	stevgri	11	3161	Nov 9, 2016 by Zaine Stapleton
	Suspension- yes or no? (Preview) What are the thoughts out there on suspensions for electrathon cars? Front only? Rear only? Both? None at all? Thoughts? My current car has none at all, but after the race on my local track (rough) I'm considering it for the next car. Felt like I had been beat with a stick for an hour.	Archer321	2	2026	Aug 19, 2016 by Zaine Stapleton
	Sprocket Question (Preview) My team is getting a new motor soon, this motor runs at about 90RPMs per volt, running a 36 volt system this is about 3300 RPMs. To keep our car at a reasonable speed we need a 96 tooth drive sprocket. We bolt our sprocket directly to the freewheel with a 2" ID and 4 bolt holes in a 2 7/8" circle. Doe...	Nitoragro	4	2295	Mar 2, 2016 by Nitoragro
	Clarification sought - Brake systems (Preview) Hi all, Just hoping to clarify the below.9.3 The two brakes must have separate actuation cables. If both brakes are to be actuated by a single hand or foot lever then both cables should be attached to the lever.I'm strongly considering utilising hydraulic disk brakes, partially due to the pressure &...	Brendan_Smith	2	1778	Feb 26, 2016 by Brendan_Smith
	Cantilever drive axle (Preview) Right now I run a cycle car with a rear driven wheel, the axle is apart of the wheel and changing the tire means taking off the rim and chain then re-aligning the chain. Has anyone tried to use a cantilever axle for the rear drive wheel for faster tire changes and so it would let the chain always be straight?...	Nitoragro	2	2320	Jan 8, 2016 by mhodgertt
	Backwards Tomos Wheel (Preview) My team just bought 2 tomos moped wheels with drum brakes, on the left wheel the brake is on the inside so the wheel spins the correct way, on the right wheel the brake is on the outside so the wheel has to be put backwards. Is there any way to make it so both wheels go forward? I wouldn't normally care much abo...	Nitoragro	5	1987	Jan 3, 2016 by Nitoragro
	Tom is Wheels (Preview) My school is looking into building a new car, we have to many kids on the team for only one car. I know the tomos wheels are very strong but I have had trouble finding some, ones I have found are 17". Are there 16" or 20" ones out there if so where could I find them for a reasonable price?	Nitoragro	1	1954	Dec 5, 2015 by mhodgertt
	1/2 ID bike hubs (Preview) My school is using the Blue Sky Spindles and they use 1/2" axles, I also use there BMX wheels and I'm scared they are going to break... so i have been looking at making some new wheels but I'm having trouble finding hubs that will fit a 1/2 axle. Does anyone know where to get these? Thanks for the help...	Nitoragro	2	2140	Dec 2, 2015 by Nitoragro
	Best Wheels? (Preview) I'm wondering which wheels are the best.	WFHS Electrathon	4	2543	Sep 2, 2015 by meangreen
	Freewheel (Preview) My team is looking at buying a bluesky design rear 20 inch wheel and sprocket adapter. We want to do this so we don't have to lace a wheel or find a free wheel. But there adapter will only let the car use a mountain bike chain, and from what you all say about those chains it sounds like a problem, so does anyone...	Nitoragro	3	2186	Jun 13, 2015 by mhodgertt
	Questions: Picking A Tire and Picking A Braking System (Preview) Hi, guys. I have been desperately scouring the internet for resources on these fine, sometimes overlooked, electrathon details to help guide me and my team. We really want to not only know what is best, but understand the concepts on why it is best. Most of us are engineering/physics nerds. We haven'...	IAmANewbie	3	2248	Mar 28, 2015 by meangreen
	Frame Building -- Notching Tube (Preview) Hey all, As I go through my journey building an Electrathon vehicle, I thought it might be useful to include links to references that I found helpful. Maybe others might add their thoughts. An excellent reference for tube notching or fishmouth cutting is at http://www.atomiczombie.com/Tutoria...	dfarning	0	2080	Oct 30, 2014 by dfarning
	Tomos Wheel dimensions - Bolt circle (Preview) Hey there gang, I'm at a MasterCam class, and could use the dimensions for the gear on the Tomos Moped Wheels. Bolt Circle and Hub Register are the critical ones. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch Stevie G	Stevie G	0	2277	Jul 24, 2013 by Stevie G
	breaking freewheel (Preview) Hello, we are new to EA, we have built two vehicles that we will be competing in CT, in 2013. We are running into a problem where we are breaking the freewheel device, his is the brass device that spins onto the rim, and has four holes where a sprocket is mounted. When first installed the device works grea...	mikestill	7	2536	May 10, 2013 by bd64
	Break Handles (Preview) Sam and I have been having a really annoying time with our double break handle. The barrels strip all the time and there are other problems. Are there other breaking systems that work better?	Kalie_CHS	1	2292	Sep 8, 2012 by mhodgertt
	Axles - stock Tomos vs...? (Preview) For those of you running the Tomos Moped wheels, are you running the axles that came with the wheels? They are right at 12mm. I just don't want to show up at a race and be DQ'd over something like that. I am sure I will have several more elementary questions over the next week or two. Thanks, Stevie G	Stevie G	2	2821	Apr 26, 2012 by mhodgertt
	Rims for areocoupe (Preview) Looking for better rims for our car....any input???	WayneTech Welding	21	10723	Feb 14, 2012 by TotallyLost
	What are the best tires out there? (Preview) Currently we are using Maxis Hookworms, most local teams are running either them or the Miracle. It seems like we can get about 2 to 3 events out of a set of the hookworms. Depends a lot on how hard we take the corners. Just curious as to what tire has the best handling and what tire has the longest wear, obv...	drewjet	16	6220	Sep 16, 2011 by Stevie G
	Rear Axle Alignment (Preview) Okay, I didn't mean chain tensioners in the other topic I started. I meant axle alignment tools, basically I would want to make a couple to handle different lengths depending on how deep the axle is in the fork. Has anyone else ever used these before or made your own for your car(s)? If so, how difficul...	Zaine Stapleton	3	2798	May 14, 2011 by Zaine Stapleton
	Chain Tensioners (Preview) I was going to make a set of chain tensioners for my car for the upcoming race at PIR and didn't know if anyone else has used them or not. From anyone's experience, how did you like them? I do know that it does prevent the drive wheel from getting jerked forward if you go from a dead stop and punch the thrott...	Zaine Stapleton	3	2784	May 11, 2011 by mhodgertt
	Spokes are breaking to much... (Preview) It seems like after every race we have to replace at least three or so spokes... What can I do to limit as many broken spokes I can?	Nathan McCaw	31	6836	Apr 21, 2011 by fiallok
	Solar Panels (Preview) If you have solar panels on your car does it keep your battery charged the entire race? or does the battery still lose power?	alex e	4	3756	Sep 13, 2010 by John Bass
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