Why this Rule - No more than four wheels

[idpwdnut]

As mentioned in the other posts of "Why this Rule" This one as me The rule reads:

"Cars will be allowed to have no more than four wheels."

I was told that a car with 6 wheels would have an unfair advantage over one with only 4 wheels, that 6 wheels are faster.

Does this not go against most PWD theories, more moment of inertia, more rolling resistance, more issues with tuning, if all wheels are touching that is.

Again this seems to take away from the creativity of the team designing and building a car, and very little with speed.

[FatSebastian]

6 wheels would have an unfair advantage over one with only 4 wheels, that 6 wheels are faster.

It might be interesting demonstration to run a six-wheeled car, then remove extra wheels touching the track to prove that 6 wheels are slower, not faster.

Does this not go against most PWD theories...

Fortunately, thought the intent sounds misguided, the rule may help kids from building unusually slow cars with many wheels touching.

[Darin McGrew]

I've never seen anyone try to add wheels to make their car faster. I've seen a number of designs with extra wheels though. When they can't touch the track (e.g., externally mounted spare tires), I can't see how they would be considered anything but decoration. But even when they could conceivably touch the track (e.g., a semi tractor or a locomotive with 6 wheels), the extra wheels are usually raised so they don't touch the track. In that case, I don't see any difference between an extra wheel and a decoration made to look like an extra wheel.

[rpcarpe]

These weird rules remind me of adults trying to sap all the fun out of the building process.
Let the kids figure out how many wheels to have on the car.

Help the process by working with the Rules Committee or the Cub Master.
I've held more than one 'Teach PWD to adults' type sessions. Teaching advances in PWD since they were a cub.

[idpwdnut]

Fortunately, thought the intent sounds misguided, the rule may help kids from building unusually slow cars with many wheels touching.

I guess that makes sense in a way. I would like to make the mistake and then figure out why it did not work. That is what I am teaching my son. We try something, sometimes it works, when it doesn't, we try to find out why. I guess if we are on this board, we are the few that do that.

When they can't touch the track (e.g., externally mounted spare tires), I can't see how they would be considered anything but decoration.

With the on person who I talked to on this, the jeep pattern from Troy Thorne was not allowed because it had 5 wheels and 5 wheels "are not allowed"

These weird rules remind me of adults trying to sap all the fun out of the building process.
Let the kids figure out how many wheels to have on the car.

I think some of these leaders are put in a bind. They are "called" to this position, Cubmaster or Committee Chair, they have no desire to be their and are just bidding their time until the are asked to serve somewhere else. Others want to do well, but are so new to it, have no support structure and are completely re-inventing the wheel.

[Darin McGrew]

When they can't touch the track (e.g., externally mounted spare tires), I can't see how they would be considered anything but decoration.

With the on person who I talked to on this, the jeep pattern from Troy Thorne was not allowed because it had 5 wheels and 5 wheels "are not allowed"

So a Jeep design with a spare tire made from slice of dowel painted black is okay, but using an extra derby wheel instead is prohibited?

Sigh...