TCMB 3D Printed Parts

[TCMB371]

I have begun 3D printing prototype replacement plastic parts and plan on making custom plastic parts down the road that i think will help. Down the road, if there is enough interest, I may offer these parts to the community for a fair price. As with everything i do, my intention is to help the community.

Here is an example of a lower chain slider i am working on. The dimensions match exactly to the stock part with some slight tweaks that i think will make it better.

Proto-A


Proto-B


More to come.

 

[Trialsman]

Have you considered putting a spring in the vertical strut that would push against the frame to make it a chain tensioner? A roller at the end is another thought I had contemplated. You might kill two birds with one stone. Good luck with whatbever design you decide. I find the design aspect is the most fun part of the process.

 

[TCMB371]

Have you considered putting a spring in the vertical strut that would push against the frame to make it a chain tensioner? A roller at the end is another thought I had contemplated. You might kill two birds with one stone. Good luck with whatbever design you decide. I find the design aspect is the most fun part of the process.

Yes, I was thinking about both those ideas. One idea was a manual tensioner system that simply uses a sliding post and a set screw. Another is more of a passive tensioner using a spring ( which can also be 3d printed). And then the third design idea utilized the same mounting style as stock but converts to a chain roller style. I think the chain roller setup would last much longer.

 

[Trialsman]

We discussed it a little in the thread "Lower front chain slider" under Pictures. Rollers are definitely the way to go for longevity.

 

[TCMB371]

First test print came out well. I'll be test fitting it later on today to check fitment.

 

[TCMB371]

First test fit went surprising well! Fits like a glove and the chain groove is perfectly in line with the sprocket. Not bad! I'd like to make some minor tweaks and then it should be good to print in durable PETG or PP and test on the bike.

 

[Teva ZEM TAHITI]

Very good idea! Thanks to guys like you the whole community can be reassured about their bike on the long term.
Does anyone know about a way to find a mode switch button? a dashboard? Quite worrying about these 2 vulnerable items.

 

[snydes]

Very good idea! Thanks to guys like you the whole community can be reassured about their bike on the long term.
Does anyone know about a way to find a mode switch button? a dashboard? Quite worrying about these 2 vulnerable items.

I believe these things should be available very soon.

 

[Redwolf]

Looks like a perfect fit, nice work! And the red you used on the prototype really stands out nicely, showing off your efforts.

 

[privateer703]

The mode shift button can be found here:
Mode Shift Button
Whether that connector plugs in directly is another question. But it should be easy enough to splice it in. Of course the lights aren't that easy so maybe not.

 

[Teva ZEM TAHITI]

The mode shift button can be found here:
Mode Shift Button
Whether that connector plugs in directly is another question. But it should be easy enough to splice it in. Of course the lights aren't that easy so maybe not.

Thank you Privateer703 for that precious link ! All the best !

 

[Jon]

Have you considered having it machined out of delrin or nylon rather than printing it? The grain boundary planes in an FDM or SLS part are a high risk for fracture propagation without annealing/thermal stress relief.

If you are going to keep printing it, get fancy with it! Complexity is free with additive methods Maybe the support struts could spell out "ALTA"?

 

[TCMB371]

I plan on printing final, usable parts in either PETG, Polypropylene, or Nylon filament - depending on what the part is being used for. In some cases I'll want a little more flexibility, in others i'll want to focus on strength.

 

[Redwolf]

Jon has a point, spelling Alta in the webbing would be cool...

 

[Pavetim]

I would be down for one.

 

[Alta05]

I would buy a couple of those as well i know they spent a fortune at the factory to develop that parts any change will bring significant chain noise .
i runn small mousse on maxxis tire and the tire noise is really there that slider is worst.

 

[TCMB371]

I would buy a couple of those as well i know they spent a fortune at the factory to develop that parts any change will bring significant chain noise .
i runn small mousse on maxxis tire and the tire noise is really there that slider is worst.

To this point, i think converting to a roller setup will lessen the chain noise, but i worry how durable it will be. Technically you'd be taking the force of the chain and applying it to only a small % of the circumference of the roller, vs distributed over the contact length of the slider.

I did some tests with the prototype stock replacement part (printed in cheap PLA) where I just applied throttle and let the rear tire spin. This first prototype sounds just like the stock slider, and thats pretty impressive given i used PLA for the prototype (which is fine, its cheap and meant for non-useable parts and prototyping). PLA is really stiff and rigid and does not have good shock absorption, where PETG is also stiff and stonger than PLA but also has much better shock resistance and wont shatter. I have a few rolls of PETG on the way so i'll be testing that material more in depth once i make a few revisions to the model itself. PETG will likely be the material of choice for this, although i may explore Nylon for its natural "slick" properties and strength.

Working on the roller prototype now. I'll have it ready in a few days. My new job is consuming a lot of my time. Better get back to that happy work/life balance soon!

 

[Pavetim]

Can you make it or an insert out of Delrin? Not sure how durable it is tho.

 

[TCMB371]

Thoughts on this?

 

[TCMB371]

Another angle. I could offer personalization to you guys. Put your forum name, bike number, or name on it perhaps.