Would a small hub motor work with this ?

[Bikemad]

Yoma,

Two mini hubmotors (one sticking out of either side of your rear wheel axle mountings) would make the knee walker very wide at the rear, and you would also require additional wiring and the mounting of a second speed controller as well. As the hubs would need to be fitted facing the same way for the internal freewheel to work, it would mean that one of the axles would have the wires coming out of its outer end (the unsupported end) , where it would be very vulnerable to being snagged and damaged.

I really don't think that using two mini hubmotors would be a very good idea.

As I've already mentioned, this is not a straightforward conversion, and if you can't find someone who is able to carry out the required design and fabrication work, then perhaps you should concentrate on looking elsewhere to see what other options may be available to you to suit your exact requirements.

I'm really sorry I can't provide a more positive response, but in reality, solutions to problems like this are rarely as simple as you might think.

Alan
 

[RichardMN]

Hi Yoma,

I got exactly the same problem as you do. Can't find hub motors (etc) for my walker that actually fits or is as wide as I'd hope. I know this post haven't been updated for a while, but have you gotten anywhere? I'm very interested in knowing if you have found a solution or not, it would save me a lot of time

Richard.

[Yoma]

Hi Yoma,

I got exactly the same problem as you do. Can't find hub motors (etc) for my walker that actually fits or is as wide as I'd hope. I know this post haven't been updated for a while, but have you gotten anywhere? I'm very interested in knowing if you have found a solution or not, it would save me a lot of time

Richard.

Hi richard,

Its been very slow ( partly due to detrioration in health that has left me housebound for 6 months ) but I have some possibilties now and little more of understanding of what options exist thanks mainly to others help at the endless sphere forum.

i just managed to find a large sprocket I can hopefully use thats already mounted ideally for the gearing I need , if it fits the thread insert as I hope then its just matter of buying the other parts and tools I need .

So basically DC brushed motor using 8 mm chain geared for high torque low speed inc  freewheel for manual.

The biggest problem im having is finding shoulder bolts / axle to fit so far to extend the sprocket from the wheel , im not sure if the bolt is metric or imperial ( im assuming imperial )

How are things with you ?

Yoma

[Yoma]

Yoma,

Two mini hubmotors (one sticking out of either side of your rear wheel axle mountings) would make the knee walker very wide at the rear, and you would also require additional wiring and the mounting of a second speed controller as well. As the hubs would need to be fitted facing the same way for the internal freewheel to work, it would mean that one of the axles would have the wires coming out of its outer end (the unsupported end) , where it would be very vulnerable to being snagged and damaged.

I really don't think that using two mini hubmotors would be a very good idea.

As I've already mentioned, this is not a straightforward conversion, and if you can't find someone who is able to carry out the required design and fabrication work, then perhaps you should concentrate on looking elsewhere to see what other options may be available to you to suit your exact requirements.

I'm really sorry I can't provide a more positive response, but in reality, solutions to problems like this are rarely as simple as you might think.

Alan
 

Hi Alan,

I agree not simple , perhaps you could use that hub in trike - like set up  with the same sort of idea below ?

http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-scooters/zappy-3-ez

BTW Does any one know what the pich thread size on the 24 v Model: MBG36R -- Mini Rear hub is and whether its metric or not ?

thanks

yoma

[Bikemad]

BTW Does any one know what the pich thread size on the 24 v Model: MBG36R -- Mini Rear hub is and whether its metric or not ?

Yoma, the axle thread is metric, and it should be M14 x 1.5 if my memory is correct.

Alan
 
P.S. The attached picture was in response to your question (now removed) regarding the axle on the PW-12H wheelchair motor.

[Yoma]

Thanks Alan,

I don't think hubs are great idea any way with the motor being on the wheels , in fact theres only 1 set of hubs there I believe that might fit I saw but their almost 10 lbs combines .

Really id need to be more down around the 6lb weight like with the 2 previous ones I thought might fit last year, but if worst comes to worst I still might still try hubs as option - if I increase the wheel size to compensate for the sort of drag Id imagine theyd cause might not be so bad.

yoma

[Yoma]

Yoma,

Two mini hubmotors (one sticking out of either side of your rear wheel axle mountings) would make the knee walker very wide at the rear, and you would also require additional wiring and the mounting of a second speed controller as well. As the hubs would need to be fitted facing the same way for the internal freewheel to work, it would mean that one of the axles would have the wires coming out of its outer end (the unsupported end) , where it would be very vulnerable to being snagged and damaged.

I really don't think that using two mini hubmotors would be a very good idea.

As I've already mentioned, this is not a straightforward conversion, and if you can't find someone who is able to carry out the required design and fabrication work, then perhaps you should concentrate on looking elsewhere to see what other options may be available to you to suit your exact requirements.

I'm really sorry I can't provide a more positive response, but in reality, solutions to problems like this are rarely as simple as you might think.

Alan
 

Alan , what about the hubs that don't have the wire coming out of the side , like the bottom 8" one on the right ( Model: HUB24S ) , or is this a common problem with all small hub motors , at least gm ones ?

thanks

yoma

[Bikemad]

Alan , what about the hubs that don't have the wire coming out of the side , like the bottom 8" one on the right ( Model: HUB24S ) , or is this a common problem with all small hub motors , at least gm ones ?

Yoma, I don't know the weight of the HUB24S so it's difficult to say how much heavier it is likely to be, but at least it should be possible to adapt your kneeler with some cutting and welding as I've tried to illustrate in the attachment below.  You would need to find someone who could turn up some steel adapters on a lathe which could then be welded in the required position. A 20mm rod put through both adapters during the welding process should ensure they end up correctly aligned with each other.

It might be easier to drill and tap the adapters to allow a couple of grub screws with conical ends to tighten into the key slot on the axle to prevent the axle from turning, as I imagine that machining the key slot into the adapters could be a lot more hassle.

As the HUB24S is a brushed motor, you should be able to run both motors from a single controller by simply wiring them in parallel, but I still feel that the device would be much easier to use with a free-wheeling action, but I don't think this is an option with the HUB24S geared motors.

I'm not sure how far off my scaling is, but I'm hoping it's somewhere near, but at least it should give you something to think about.

Alan
 

[Yoma]

Yoma, I don't know the weight of the HUB24S so it's difficult to say how much heavier it is likely to be, but at least it should be possible to adapt your kneeler with some cutting and welding as I've tried to illustrate in the attachment below.  You would need to find someone who could turn up some steel adapters on a lathe which could then be welded in the required position. A 20mm rod put through both adapters during the welding process should ensure they end up correctly aligned with each other.

It might be easier to drill and tap the adapters to allow a couple of grub screws with conical ends to tighten into the key slot on the axle to prevent the axle from turning, as I imagine that machining the key slot into the adapters could be a lot more hassle.

As the HUB24S is a brushed motor, you should be able to run both motors from a single controller by simply wiring them in parallel, but I still feel that the device would be much easier to use with a free-wheeling action, but I don't think this is an option with the HUB24S geared motors.

I'm not sure how far off my scaling is, but I'm hoping it's somewhere near, but at least it should give you something to think about.

Hi Alan,

I think if these wheels don't freewheel then it would defintely be a problem , its pity gm didnt do something like the e-motion hubs seen here, as those would ideally for keeping in sync with when I do or don't need to step and my slow pace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPMELUicG4

The other thing that bothes me about freewheeling with mobility motor ( I know most scooters have this option so you can move / push ) is the motor resistance .

i know on some scooters I looked into for motors  like the travelscoot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1niBrn9F7HY you can freewheel without the motor ( as somone told me , they've done it )
but im not sure if that has culminative effect over time, or whether it just something company themselves say to prevent any liability issues from people attempting to use it for other means.

When I asked that manufacturer of travelscoot motors in Korea to clarify that , they didnt really seem to understand as their English was not so great .

Perhaps If there was one of those ebay going cheap id buy just to try any way, but unfortunatley theset things cost 2 grand, and the e-motion is double

On a positive note I have finally been able to find axle / bolt that fits my kneewalker ( m10 socket capscrew ) which at least gives me more options for the wheels.

thanks again,

yoma

[Perbear]

The Cute Q85 250W hub motor weights only 1.72 kg, has a built-in helical gear for low noise and is only 83mm wide. It has a freewheel mechanism that is very easy to change direction on, only screw it apart and assemble the wedge disc the other way. if you use a single motor controller for both motors then they will rotate synchronously (use the hall sensors from the wheel least likely to spin).

I am currently designing a modification to this motor to allow to fix the motor single sided but this mod is easy and use only one new part which is easy to install and to replace if you want to go back to original motor. 

Send me an PM if you are interested in such a solution.