Awesome Wheels

If you built a car with wheels made from smaller wheels, would it drive faster or slower than a car with standard wheels? Banana Gear Studios put that idea to the test by engineering a unique LEGO vehicle with two rear wheels, each outfitted with eight small wheels connected to a motor via a series of gears.

Engineer James Bruton expands on his collection of unique vehicles with an impressive electric two-wheeler, er two-baller that balances itself and can even drive sideways. He started with a pair of circus balance balls and built a mechanism that pushes them around with motors and omni-wheels. Can you imagine people riding around town on these things?

Driving a car on wheels made from plastic seems like a bad idea. To confirm this, the guys from the Waterjet Channel used a large Prusa XL 3D printer to make a set of four PETG wheels wrapped in a layer of rubber-like TPU. Will they survive a drive on their 1972 Ford Pinto, or will metal wheels reign supreme?

This factory video from All Process of World takes us inside Hyundai Sungwoo Casting for a look at the machinery used to produce wheels. The process starts by melting aluminum bars, pouring the molten metal into molds, then quenching the wheels for strength before grinding away excess metal and finishing them.

Driving an old Ford Pinto is risky enough, but driving one with its tires replaced with stone is downright stupid. The guys from the Waterjet Channel downgraded the ride quality of this vintage deathtrap with prehistoric wheels that would be better suited to Fred Flintstone’s car. They also tested out some wheels made from asphalt and concrete.

We’ve seen how a company makes carbon fiber bike frames. Lemon Films toured the Xerowheel factory for a look at how they produce high-end road bike wheels. The process starts by cutting and threading spokes, then bending aluminum strips before drilling and balancing. They wrap the rims in carbon fiber and then install hubs and spokes.

Usually, when you want to throw a pot, you put clay on a potter’s wheel that sits parallel to the ground. Ceramicist Ilya Kalashnikov decided to see what would happen if you turned the potter’s wheel on its side and attempted to create a vase from clay stuck to a spinning car wheel. It starts better than we thought it would, but gravity always wins.

We’ve seen time and time again that there are other ways to move around besides ordinary wheels. LEGO builder Dr. Engine put together vehicles that run on seven kinds of wheels to see how they performed against various obstacles, including a pile of tires, a staircase, and a hill covered with wood chips. It ends with a tug-of-war between the vehicles.

We stopped counting tires at 19, but it’s possible that this crazy looking homebrew go-kart has more than that. We’re not sure why this guy built such a ridiculous vehicle but it’s entertaining to see him driving around on it. It’s probably has mad oversteer with all of those rear tires so it could be a fun drift machine.

Jeff Sanders, the builder behind the Brick Bending YouTube channel, is an expert at creating unconventional LEGO structures. This video shows off some large and elaborate wheels he built by layering hundreds of trapezoidal slices together. They look like they should be strong, but they’re quite fragile due to their weight and incomplete connections.

Other than bank statements and bills, we don’t find ourselves shredding too much paper these days. Artist Japhy Riddle took a paper shredder and turned it into a vehicle of sorts. Rather than applying power to its wheels, the shredder car moves as it pulls a roll of tractor-feed paper through its shredding teeth.

There’s a concept in the LEGO community of an “illegal” build – using construction methods that go against the traditional conventions of LEGO stacking. Brick Bending shows off a challenging but impressive technique that involves carefully combining dozens of 1×3 plates to form a robust, spine-like structure that ultimately gets turned into a wheel.

Ascento’s agile robot has a pair of articulated legs that roll on bicycle wheels. This design allows it to ride on uneven surfaces, up and down hills, and even climb stairs with ease. It can autonomously drive at speeds up to 12 km/h and 8 hours per charge. Ascento has created a version designed specifically for autonomous security patrolling.

Quiet Nerd wanted to know if a squirrel running in a wheel could generate enough electricity to charge a phone. He built his squirrel-sized wheel using a baking pan and a stepper motor to recharge a battery pack. Once he placed it in the woods, all kinds of animals checked it out, but did they generate enough energy? We bet a hamster would be more effective.

If you’ve ever curbed the rims on your car, you know how awful it can look. But with the proper equipment and expertise, it’s possible to repair damaged rims. Wheel Restore USA shows how their diamond cut wheel lathe can make even heavily damaged wheels look as good as new by removing a thin layer of metal. They also have a wheel-painting robot.

Inspired by the expensive airless tires seen on construction equipment and concept vehicles, The Q set out on a mission to make his own shock-absorbing, puncture-proof bike tires using a similar design. What’s even more impressive is that he built them using only PVC pipe, nuts, bolts, and the tread from a standard bike tire.