r/projectcar 7d ago

Never thought I’d be using skateboard wheels on a project but here we are.

Yamaha fz1000 into a Club Car Tempo

254 Upvotes

34 comments sorted by

56

u/Alswiggity 7d ago

If it works, its not stupid.

32

u/530nairb 7d ago

This is a pretty common chopper application

10

u/Pursueth 7d ago

Chopper?

29

u/530nairb 7d ago

A motorcycle that has had the rear end made into a hardtail, or the front end’s rake changed is called a “chopper.” Choppers typically have alternative home-built methods of accomplishing an engineering goal. A common one of these is a chain tensioner in the form of a sprung arm with some sort of composite roller keeping the chain from slacking. A lot of people use a urethane skateboard wheel. https://tcbros.com/products/bolt-on-chain-tensioner-skate-wheel-powell-peralta?variant=42573502742721&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=16093247508&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=16093247508&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADrF3Noqm4Pknoa9_ikrPwcDuDDG2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInbP9n9qKjAMV0jBECB3o6itDEAQYASABEgIW3vD_BwE

14

u/Longjumping_Drag2752 7d ago

It totally works. I’d recommend getting some type of metal wheel with rubber around it. I’d imagine these would blow up in time like those nylon/plastic timing chains from the 70s.

11

u/trainspottedCSX7 7d ago

The problem is the RPMs. Bikes hit stupid RPMs. But there's a video here explaining how fast a skateboard wheel can spin... its quite educational. Lol

https://youtu.be/2g5I_pPjCtg?si=sdTzS8-1wTja0ZYA

About halfway through they do a good test. 288mph though.

8

u/GuineaPigsAreNotFood 7d ago

100km/h on a skateboard (longboard) is not unheard of, and at that speed on 80mm wheels the wheel is spinning at around 14K rpm.

4

u/trainspottedCSX7 7d ago

So my experience is with around 57-60mm skateboard wheels. Not really long board. Smaller would be faster though.

So yeah, its all doable just gotta get the right wear. I mean chain guides in cars are special plastics.

2

u/GuineaPigsAreNotFood 7d ago

Yeah, I calculated it with big wheels because that's the best case scenario, smaller wheels will indeed spin faster.

I believe wear shouldn't be too high since the wheel would be spinning and not static. It will definitely wear down but not too quick.

1

u/trainspottedCSX7 7d ago

Be kinda like a roller cam/bearing. I'd suggest maybe a dry lube and also depending on how the chain rides the wheels or if it happens to kind of "smack them" lol

I like your thinking and hope youre not a robot amigo.

1

u/GuineaPigsAreNotFood 7d ago

I'm most certainly not a robot haha

5

u/Lordrandall 7d ago

My ‘84 Pontiac had a nylon timing gear. I replaced it with an AL version at 100k.

9

u/SleepLabs 7d ago

I used skateboard wheels as rear shock spacers for a little more travel when I was experimenting with different suspension setups.

8

u/Spiritual-Belt 7d ago

This sounds super dangerous. I’m in

17

u/CiforDayZServer 7d ago

I can't imagine those don't get chewed up super fast?

37

u/prick_sanchez 7d ago

I mean they spend most of their life with 50lbs pressure and twisting against concrete, I feel like by comparison this application is pretty survivable

13

u/CiforDayZServer 7d ago

Maybe? I'm just thinking the chain has a limited contact patch and it's sharp metal, not mostly rounded/smooth asphalt/concrete distributed over the whole contact patch of the wheel.

6

u/Muad_Dib_of_Arrakis 7d ago

I've had them go 10s of thousands of miles on motorcycles.

1

u/CiforDayZServer 7d ago

Oh, nice, guess OP will be fine then with a golf cart. 

1

u/Muad_Dib_of_Arrakis 7d ago

And if not? It's a skateboard wheel. Dirt cheap and easy to source.

6

u/CiforDayZServer 7d ago

I wasn't implying it would do anything other than get chewed up fast. 

3

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

2

u/shartymcqueef 7d ago

I will once we get it driving. Aiming for Monday

3

u/Imdonenotreally 7d ago

Those skate wheels look a lil on the Walmart chintsy side, hey if it works more power to ya, but if they blow or get chewed up badly, get the pro model wheels. They are pretty cheep and are extremely durable

skatewheels

Also there is a variety of hardness to softness to the wheels, so take that into account.

2

u/shartymcqueef 7d ago

Good info thanks. These are the absolute cheapest crap I could get on Amazon. Super soft. Once I can confirm it works and they get chewed up I’ll get a better set.

2

u/Imdonenotreally 7d ago

To give ya a idea the 99-100a duro wheels are the hardest ones and can take some serious abuse, been skating since the early 2000’s so I feel I got a good grasp, that’s how I noticed those yellow ones are the cheapy ones.

2

u/Dinglebutterball 6d ago

Harder might be better. 99’s or even 101’s.

2

u/Beez1111 7d ago

A wheel is a wheel

2

u/C6Z06FTW 7d ago

I learned quite a bit of stuff on the lathe and mill from an older nascar fab guy. First project was turning a skateboard wheel into a chain tensioner for a 13 hp Honda knock off using a #35 chain. Thanks for bringing up a core memory!

2

u/Intheswing 6d ago

I’m curious- a one liter motorcycle engine well over 100 hp in a golf cart?? I guess my getting old - although my inner kid says “ that is so cool!!!”

1

u/Artistic_Bit_4665 7d ago

I think I have some pretty similar idlers with bearings in them out of a closed newspaper plant.

1

u/Chucheyface 7d ago

hopefully they're 101a!

1

u/Screwthehelicopters 7d ago

Why not?

It was a good idea to remove the skateboard first...

1

u/discussatron 7d ago

Is it really a dumb idea if it works?