Spinners - How do they work?

[jasc]

I was wondering if someone could explain to me exactly what makes spinners spin. I ruled out that they are free spinnign because they would never spin just stay free. Do they have motors in them? At first I was thinking that they had strong magnets that engage them to the actual rim so when the car is moving the whole thing spins then at deceleration the magnets would lose their hold due to inertia and the spinner would spin. I checked howstuffworks.com and they are of no help.

TIA

[jasc]

I guess that'll teach me to use backl @ jabba's. Now I have two identical posts and look like the n00b that I am.

[TT]

Already removed the other one ;)

[coombsie66]

I believe that they r just bearings, cus every bearing however gud has a certain friction. So they take a while to get goin, but once they do they take ages to stop. The bearings may be a 1-way design too, so they are more effective as the wheels r rotating one way, compared to the other (ie when the wheel is stationary and the spinners continue to rotate)

[megahurts4]

They use ball bearings or some other sort of bearing depending on who makes them. The rim always moves before the spinner and the spinner uses centrifugal force to propel it.

More here:
http://www.custom-spinning-car-truck-rims-wheels.com/Spinning%20Rims.htm

[deth]

bearings may be a 1-way design too, so they are more effective as the wheels r rotating one way, compared to the other (ie when the wheel is stationary and the spinners continue to rotate)

u talking about a clutch?

[666fast]

bearings may be a 1-way design too, so they are more effective as the wheels r rotating one way, compared to the other (ie when the wheel is stationary and the spinners continue to rotate)

u talking about a clutch?

No, I don't think he is. A one way bearing is just that. It'll only spin one way and not the other. I don't think they are used on the spinner wheels though. If you see a car with them, watch as it pulls away. The spinners stays still for a second and gradually picks up speed. If it had a one way, it would spin at the same rate as the tire when you start to move.
They spin by centrifugal force. Meaning as the actual wheel spins, it makes the "spinner" spin. Then when you hit the breakes, the tire slows down but the spinner doesn't.

[deth]

ya, thats a clutch...not in the car sense, but a clutch nonethe less...its like what's on the rear axle of a bike..u can turn the wheel by pedaling, but it can freewheel the other way

[666fast]

ya, thats a clutch...not in the car sense, but a clutch nonethe less...its like what's on the rear axle of a bike..u can turn the wheel by pedaling, but it can freewheel the other way


Yea, it's sort of a clutch, but it doesn't grasp anything as far as I know. I figured there is just somethign inside of them that stops them from rotating one way but not the other.

The only way to tell if a bearing is a one way is that they have a small flat spot on the inner ring. At least, the one ways I've played with do. There is one on my RC monster truck. It's on the crankshaft for the pull starter. The little notch on the inner ring locks onto a small square protrusion on the shaft. If it didn't use a one way, the pullstarter wouldn't work. It would just spin freely and wouldn't turn the engine over.

There isn't a clutch on a bike. Unless you mean motorcycle. The rear hub is on bearings allowing it to spin either way. It doesn't have a clutch to grab and spin it, it has the gears and a chain for it that you turn with your legs. It's a direct drive type system.

[deth]

There isn't a clutch on a bike. Unless you mean motorcycle. The rear hub is on bearings allowing it to spin either way. It doesn't have a clutch to grab and spin it, it has the gears and a chain for it that you turn with your legs. It's a direct drive type system.

nono...i realize tha the hubs have bearings in them, the clutch i was refering to is what holds the cassette in place. it has a spline drive so when u pedal the clutch engages and turns when wheel. when u stop pedaling the bike is still moving, hence the wheel still spinning, but the cassette is stationary/freewheeling. that clicking noise u hear is the clutch.

http://www.freepixhosting.com/uploadedfiles/08_1.jpg

[666fast]

I see what you are saying. I'm not much of a bike man, so I didn't realize they had a clutch.

[coombsie66]

Could be called a clutch as well yeah. (or a freewheel as in a bike)
http://www.stieber.net/
A few different designs of freewheels on there, but more for heavy duty machine based usage i think.