Mousetrap Vehicle C

[retired1]

Lowes advertises a 0.19 which is 3/16".
That is heavy for mousetrap cars. You can find affordable smaller bearings by searching a few sites.
Consider low friction flanged bushings. Check out the Y.E.S. program at Igus.

[windu34]

Are aluminum threaded rods a viable option? (I would use titanium but those seem quite expensive.)

Also, do I need a different type of bearings to connect to the threaded rods?

Thanks.

Aluminum is totally fine. The increase in performance that you will see by using titanium instead is <5-10% I would think, an amount that is quite negligible for nearly every competition except maybe competitive states/invites and nationals.

Why would titanium be better than aluminum?

EDIT: Discovered that aluminum threaded rod bends a good amount

You would also save a significant amount of weight

[antoine_ego]

Aluminum is totally fine. The increase in performance that you will see by using titanium instead is <5-10% I would think, an amount that is quite negligible for nearly every competition except maybe competitive states/invites and nationals.

Why would titanium be better than aluminum?

EDIT: Discovered that aluminum threaded rod bends a good amount

You would also save a significant amount of weight

Isn't the density of titanium nearly doubt that of aluminum?

[PM2017]

Lowes advertises a 0.19 which is 3/16".
That is heavy for mousetrap cars. You can find affordable smaller bearings by searching a few sites.
Consider low friction flanged bushings. Check out the Y.E.S. program at Igus.

Thanks.
Would bushings reduce frictions as well as bearings would?

[retired1]

Not quite as well, but quite good with some of the modern plastics. Good bushings can stand a lot of weight and your car can not weigh much.
Next, your car will be very slow compared to electric vehicle or battery buggy. This makes the tiny amount of friction nearly negligible.
If you are going for a really lite car, then bushings weigh less than bearings. Both are a small amount of the total weight.
They are easy to install accurately if you have access to a drill press. Hand drilling needs a lot more care. You do need the correct size drill for the bushing that you choose.
The price is right, especially if you check out the Y.E.S. program from Igus.

[MangoTTT]

How much do mousetrap vehicles usually weight

[antoine_ego]

How much do mousetrap vehicles usually weight

It depends. From forums past, I've read of vehicles ranging from 200g-500g. To be fair, this year, time matters a lot less than it did back then, and accuracy matters a lot more. The rules have changed such that accuracy's value has increased about 100-700% depending on the level of competition at the time.

Speaking of accuracy, has anyone come up with a better braking system than just the wingnut and threaded rod?

[depo1213]

Could any of u guys post website links in which u found the threaded and partially threaded rods? Thx any material will be fine. Thx

[Alex-RCHS]

Could any of u guys post website links in which u found the threaded and partially threaded rods? Thx any material will be fine. Thx

Try looking through Grainger’s website. They do in-store pickup so it’s pretty cheap.

[depo1213]

Aluminum is totally fine. The increase in performance that you will see by using titanium instead is <5-10% I would think, an amount that is quite negligible for nearly every competition except maybe competitive states/invites and nationals.

Why would titanium be better than aluminum?

EDIT: Discovered that aluminum threaded rod bends a good amount

You would also save a significant amount of weight

Is a stainless steel or steel rod good?