possible way to mount modern 2.2" hex wheels to your YOKE.

[jwscab]

Hey, I picked up some yokes recently, and learning what I can about them. One thing that has been bugging me is all these various old cars that are stuck with old used rubber, or scrounging and searching for obsolete tires/wheels.

I'm looking at these Yokes, trying to find a decent way to mount the popular hex wheels of today. I think I might have found a pretty cool way, but it involves some work, with some tools, that aren't too common, but are easily found.

I found a 1/2" standoff that looks pretty interesting:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/115/3213/=48r6be I hope this link works. they are about $2.50 each.

it's a 1/2" hex standoff, that is 1/2" long. Uses 10-32 threads. The way to make this work is to trim the standoff to length to fit the necessary backspacing(not sure what that would be yet). A 5mm drill is used to drill out the 10-32 female threads so it fits over the axle.

a 3mm tap and tap drill is used to add a grub screw on the side, the same as a factory square hub.

finally, you need to remove about .013" inch from each face of the hex, so it will fit the 12mm hex of the wheel, I'd use a file to do this, a dremel would also work. Since this is pretty shallow on the wheel, you don't need to file the whole face, maybe 0.1" or so of the end until it fits into the hex.

drill out wheel to fit the #10 male threads, and then bolt everything together!

what do you think? I'm going to try this, but before I ordered everything up, I wanted to convey the info, in case anyone was interested.

edit: the link isn't that great. I hate mcmaster with it's redirect weblinks. Here is the standoff part number; 93505A025, its located at the bottom of the link.

[Alex B]

So, just to clarify you propose to use the standoff hex inplace of the yokomo screw fitting hub and fix it in the same wat with a grub screw. It could work, but you would need to make sure the grub screw does not interfere with the wheel fitting, also you could use metric parts so there would be no need to file the hex.

Look forward to the results.

Alex

[Alex B]

Just had a quick google, how about using something similar to this

http://www.active-robots.com/products/motorsandwheels/custom-hardware.shtml

scroll down to 12mm Hex Mounting Hub - 6mm shaft (pair)

The hole is slightly bigger than the 5mm axle, but the length could be altered to accomodate different offsets.

Just a thought

edit to add pic

[jwscab]

the problem with that adapter you posted, which is SWEET otherwise, is that the 6mm will induce a bad wobble in the wheel, by .5mm or so.

but it's the same idea, the standoff looks just like that, but with a male thread, so you'd use a nut on the outside of the wheel. By using the #10, you will drill the hole bigger to a 5mm, so it's nice and centered and true.

Another thing, with that adapter, and having to use a screw on the outside of the wheel, you are giving the wheel more offset, as the screw will bottom against the axle that way. with the standoff, it can be much less without losing strength, the stud is part of the adapter.

Oh, it's also tough to find 12mm hex stock in the US, you European guys probably trip over the stuff

[Alex B]

Yep, your right in what you say. Your idea sounds like it could work well, just have to make sure that all the machining is accurate. I have had a cursory look for a metric equivalent but haven't found anything yet. Keep us posted.

[jwscab]

I ordered up the standoffs, and a 5mm drill. Cost me 15 bucks. I already have a 3mm tap and tap drill size. I'll post some pics of the mods and see how it works out.

does anyone know off hand the offset of B44 front and rear wheels? I'm thinkin some sweet jconcepts spoked wheels......

[Mr. ED]

How do you plan to keep the wheel on the adapter?
with yokomo adapters 2 or 4 m" screws hold the wheel on, and with hexes you need a centernut. I don't see either in your solution.

As for modifying the hexes to take a grubscrew; why not use the duratrax st-15 hexes? Available at towerhobbies.

[highwayracer]

I like the idea of mounting hex wheels to a yokomo. I think both solutions will work.

For the second option, I would use a brass insert to make up the 1mm difference between the hub/adapter and the axle.

As for keeping the wheel on the adapter, the first option has a shaft built into the hex...a nut can then be used to keep it on.

On the second option, a screw can be used to hold the wheel in place...like all of the tmaxx / savage wheel extender kits on ebay.

Regards,
highwayracer

[scr8p]

As for keeping the wheel on the adapter, the first option has a shaft built into the hex...a nut can then be used to keep it on.

quite a few months ago, i talked to my dad's neighbor about making a set of adapters for my yoke like that. instead of a hex, it would just have the cross pin to use b44 rims. i never took the car over to his machine shop with a set of rims for him to measure everything up, though. but since i've aquired a set of 2.2 yoke rims, for the amount of time the car will actually be used, i'm not really worried about it now.

[jwscab]

so I'm thinking about this, it looks like the zx-5 kyosho wheels are a good bet, with the hex.

any other wheels that have a hex drive mounting pattern? Do those rulux wheels have em, or are they a pin drive only?

[Mr. ED]

I have made this conversion on the 91 type cars. The original yokomo wheels on those have very very little offset and with ZX5 wheels it went too wide. I was going to run it at a big race so it had to be legal width. I ended up using academy wheels instead.

[jwscab]

what did you use for a drive hub? So if i understand correctly, the yoke wheel has little to no offset, the hub face is right in the middle of the wheel, and the ZX5 has negative offset, so the wheel is pushed out further? I'm looking at the picture of the wheels and the manual, it doesn't look like the wheel has negative offset, but its tough to know without seeing them.

I have the standoffs, they look like they will work quite nicely after a little bit of work. I'm thinking HPI super star wheels, with either the same size tires, or trimming the out edge off the inside, and using narrow tires on the front.

[Mr. ED]

I used a mixture of tamiya (front) and kyosho axles (rear), so standard hexes with an m4 locknut.
If you're working on an 870C and not 'works' your yokomo wheels have a different offset: closer to neutral. The works wheels have a large negative offset.
The ZX5 wheels have an offset somewhere between the works and 870C. So they would narrow the car down , possibly rubb the arms, but you can catch it up with your home-made adapters.

Good-luck

[jwscab]

ah, i see now. Yes, this is an 870c/YZ10, not the later works, so my wheels are closer to neutral.

[Mr. ED]

there's a guy here who used kyosho xales all around the car to make it accept 12mm hex wheels. I think it's mark westerfield.