V
Vitamin K
Guest
So, hopefully this won't start another argument. Been musing on the topic of grooved axles. As far as I can tell:
- It is pretty much accepted that they are faster.
- There's no clear explanation as to why they are faster.
- Physics and math tells us that the friction for a grooved axles is the same as a non-grooved, so that's out.
- It's been suggested that running on a smaller surface reduces the potential for irregularities to occur.
- I think Gravity X suggested it might have something to do with "breaking the seal" potentially created by oil sealing up the gap between bore and axle.
So one more possibility has occurred to me, wondering what you guys (and gals) think...
- So, while graphite seems to be the superior lube at slow speeds and low loads, oil shines at higher speeds and heavier loads. In fact, 5kids' kid's science experiment with oiled wheels and heavier cars seem to indicate that oil tolerates higher loads much, much better than graphite does.
- So I wonder if one of the benefits to grooved axles is not to reduce the overall friction in the equation, but instead to increase the pressure on the oil, by concentrating it into a smaller space. Since the oil process seems to give us a sort of "oil sandwich" by trapping a thin film of oil between two oil-phobic surfaces, perhaps there is some sort of lubrication efficiency that increases as the pressure does.
Thoughts?
- It is pretty much accepted that they are faster.
- There's no clear explanation as to why they are faster.
- Physics and math tells us that the friction for a grooved axles is the same as a non-grooved, so that's out.
- It's been suggested that running on a smaller surface reduces the potential for irregularities to occur.
- I think Gravity X suggested it might have something to do with "breaking the seal" potentially created by oil sealing up the gap between bore and axle.
So one more possibility has occurred to me, wondering what you guys (and gals) think...
- So, while graphite seems to be the superior lube at slow speeds and low loads, oil shines at higher speeds and heavier loads. In fact, 5kids' kid's science experiment with oiled wheels and heavier cars seem to indicate that oil tolerates higher loads much, much better than graphite does.
- So I wonder if one of the benefits to grooved axles is not to reduce the overall friction in the equation, but instead to increase the pressure on the oil, by concentrating it into a smaller space. Since the oil process seems to give us a sort of "oil sandwich" by trapping a thin film of oil between two oil-phobic surfaces, perhaps there is some sort of lubrication efficiency that increases as the pressure does.
Thoughts?
