What's the best drive roller?

SpiderSpartan · #1 09-04-2008, 11:23 AM

I'm thinking about making a second bike that's a friction drive. What do you guys recommend for drive rollers? I know I've seen bike pegs recommended, but does anyone use anything else? Also, what's the best way to attach them to the drive shaft? Welding or can anyone recommend some way to attach it without welding? Thanks guys.

deacon · #2 09-04-2008, 01:36 PM

Okay
most engines I have come across have a threaded drive shaft. Probably not all but weed eaters and chainsaws seem to. If you have a threaded drive shaft, I would get my roller to either bolt on to the drive shaft or I would have a nut welded onto the roller. That way you can change the roller if you decide you want something else.

Best I can tell the bike peg will match up to a bike with a 3/8 fine thread shaft. and then only if your ped is for a bmx not mtb as the threads are different. A lot of the weedeater have 5/16 thread.

Lately I have been making my drive rollers from a 3/4 in pipe nipple with an endcap attached to the motor, then just tighten the pipe nipple into the end cap. If you drill the end cap it has to be dead center.

That's how I do it, others probably do it differently.

comfortableshoes · #3 09-04-2008, 06:29 PM

get yourself a 24 threaded knurled bmx peg- they come in a bunch of sizes and are easy on and off.

They look like they will shred your tire but it's no worse than anything else. I've got 2 a stainless steel peg and a aluminum alloy. I like the aluminum one because it fits right

so I use it the most. I'm surprised at how little damage it's done to the tire. If anything the tire has done more to wear down the peg than anything else.

I used a piece of drive shaft from the craftsman weedwacker and that thing actually worked well. I tried it smooth and it was okay and then I cut grooves into it and it worked really well. That was also some sort of aluminum alloy.

deacon · #4 09-04-2008, 07:24 PM

I think the peg will only fit weedeater that had clutches. The adapter ones i have had were all 5/16 threads.

SpiderSpartan · #5 09-04-2008, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deacon

I think the peg will only fit weedeater that had clutches. The adapter ones i have had were all 5/16 threads.

yeah, I just measured mine tonight and it's 5/16-24 threaded. I remember back when I was younger some friends of mine played those table top RPGs and they had this metal bonding glue. I think I'll go to the hardware store and see what they can tell me about that. If I could use that to attach a nut to the peg I think that would be good.

ComfortableShoes - could you take a look at these. Are those the kind of pegs you're talking about? It looks like those really would shred some rubber.

comfortableshoes · #6 09-04-2008, 08:32 PM

You can always drill them out and then tap them tot he right size....

the pegs I have are these:
Pegs-Knurled Alloy - Pr. SLVR - Choppers U.S., LLC
I should point out that I think that the divot in the center slips a bit- nothing a little jbweld and sand won't fix. I'll get to that this weekend- suposed to rain all weekend here.

And I bought a set of these in a larger size:
The Hottest Mountain Bike Parts, Accessories & Clothing at Discount Prices @ BlueSkyCycling.com

Though I really like the look of the one that you linked to- it looks like a grater! BUT the knurls on the others also look like they would tear rubber up and they don't, fine particles but the tire doesn't look that worn... Tires are cheap- For $10 or so I can replace.

SpiderSpartan · #7 09-05-2008, 07:20 AM

I bid on a couple of 1" pegs on ebay. $7 with shipping and handling(Fingers crossed). I need a tap for my original bike project, so I'll go pick that up today. Thanks for all the feedback guys.

deacon · #8 09-05-2008, 01:19 PM

If you want to attach a nut to the end of the peg, you will need to have it welded. Nothing else will hold that I have tried and I tried about everything.

SpiderSpartan · #9 09-05-2008, 01:32 PM

Have you tried any epoxy? I know that stuff is pretty heavy duty. I figure I'll attach it to the inside of the peg. That way even if it doesn't hold, the worst thing that happens is the peg stops spinning the wheel.

comfortableshoes · #10 09-05-2008, 03:17 PM

When the peg stops spinning the tire- the force of the tire will pull it off the shaft and toss it to the ground, where it will stop dead, it's weird when it does it. you expect it to be somewhere hard to get to but usually they are right in the middle where you were at.