Jump to content

Tesla “choo choo” - dirt clogging


The Man of Mead

Recommended Posts

I generally try to avoid dirt tracks but you all know sometimes it’s necessary. Anyone any ideas how to clear the mud from inside that accumulates ( I assume it’s dirt accumulation). As eventually my Tesla starts to sound like a steam train as you pull away with a “choo choo” sound as the dirt rubs on the wheel. 

Hope this post makes sense. Anyone got any suggestions for getting rid of the problem without taking the casing apart?

Out in the wild I have often been able to remove the bits that get stuck (prodding and gouging with a thin stick) where the shell meets the wheel but it never seems to solve it. Help! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, The Man of Mead said:

I generally try to avoid dirt tracks but you all know sometimes it’s necessary. Anyone any ideas how to clear the mud from inside that accumulates ( I assume it’s dirt accumulation). As eventually my Tesla starts to sound like a steam train as you pull away with a “choo choo” sound as the dirt rubs on the wheel. 

Hope this post makes sense. Anyone got any suggestions for getting rid of the problem without taking the casing apart?

Out in the wild I have often been able to remove the bits that get stuck (prodding and gouging with a thin stick) where the shell meets the wheel but it never seems to solve it. Help! 

A compression can used to wash bikes with. Fill it with hot water and a dishwasher solvant like "zalo". Spray inside the wheel, let it rest for a bit, repeat and then shake on it. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, EUC GUY said:

A compression can used to wash bikes with. Fill it with hot water and a dishwasher solvant like "zalo". Spray inside the wheel, let it rest for a bit, repeat and then shake on it. :)

@The Man of Mead, I’ve always been a bit too nervous of getting water somewhere nasty to do the above - it will be fine if you know your wheel is well sealed.

I’ve used a very long cloth (old towel or similar) moistened with soapy water (washing up liquid or similar and not too wet) and fed it in at one end whilst turning the wheel by hand (not switched on) until the tyre drags it out of the other end. The rag needs to be long enough to pull it back again if it gets stuck and not so thick it won’t pass through the space between tyre and case. Doing this several times will shift the dirt out fairly well without getting everything wet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Should work for all other wheels, too.

I would NOT recommend anything that involves water. Not only for the electronics, but most of all because dry dirt is always easier to remove than wet dirt.

I think water works great. After riding mine in the ocean it was nice and clean B)

2018 Redondo Beach Sand Run (3).Movie_Snapshot

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeez @Marty Backe, I won't even ride my wheels on the pavement (sidewalk on your side of the pond) if the salt spreaders have been by as I'm to frightened of what the little bit of salt I might pick up will do inside my precious wheels  ...  you are a braver man than me :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, nute said:

Jeez @Marty Backe, I won't even ride my wheels on the pavement (sidewalk on your side of the pond) if the salt spreaders have been by as I'm to frightened of what the little bit of salt I might pick up will do inside my precious wheels  ...  you are a braver man than me :)

Your problem is that you think these wheels are precious (you don't want to see how they're made) ;)

I've come to realize that it'll be the rare wheel that I own longer than 2-years. So now I focus more on enjoying the wheels rather then babying them. Spending an hour riding along the beach and in the water was an amazing experience. And to top it off, the wheel still works fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I think water works great. After riding mine in the ocean it was nice and clean B)

2018 Redondo Beach Sand Run (3).Movie_Snapshot

 

I’ve never had any issues with water either. ;)

39993129205_60ce7d46a3_b.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Marty Backe s (Marty Beachy) style rides should be fine.  There are only three ways water can get inside the motor; where the rim is bolted to the side plates, through the bearings, and beside the motor cables.

The rim/side plate interface should have a silicone type seal, so no problem there.

the Bearings have water/dust seals, so few problems there (see below).

the cable hole is at axle level (obviously) and the actual hole is outside the pedal arms, inside the casing. On King Song, there is a dob of silicone here, but I can't remember if mine was applied in such a way to ensure water tightness.  Not sure about GotWay.

The bearing seals are not 100% sealed but they are certainly splash proof.* They are also at axle level and center of the wheel so they don't see water when just riding through a puddle.  Any water that does reach the motor side plates will be flung outwards by centrifugal force as long as the wheel is rolling at a reasonable speed.  Most water encountered in puddles is thrown outwards by the tire and doesn't even see the wheel.  The only water the metal of the wheel will see is water thrown up into the case which drips down onto it.  But, as I said, centrifugal force will throw it off, as long as you don't stop in or shortly after the puddle. The biggest potential problem is the seal between the two halves of the shell.  If you have dismantled your wheel and broken this seal, it won't be as watertight as it was from the factory. If I knew how it is applied I would reapply some once my 14c goes back together.  I think the wheel is slid in from the bottom after the shell join is sealed, and the cable then fed through the shell.  Ok at the factory but not as easy if your motor/hall-sensor wires are one piece, end to end like they are on the 14c.  That's easier to do on some wheels than others.

Riding in deep water has a different problem, and that is water getting past the tire valve into the space between the tire and tube.  Not much space there, granted, but because the valve stems are sometimes twisted, there is a gap around the hole in the rim.  Water in there will probably go moldy over time. Or if it's seawater and it dries out, salt crystals will be left behind.  I can't say if there would cause a problem other than it could corrode the rim which might be bare aluminum (not anodised).  Probably a good idea to rinse in fresh water, but pick the wheel up afterwards and spin it up to cut off, to spin dry it.

* If you have ever wrapped something like rope or a strap tightly around your axle, bearing seal damage is likely.  This is an everyday problem, not just water, as there is often a cloud of dust whirling around a wheel in dry weather, and this dust WILL get into the bearings and destroy them over time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...