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Question Direct Drive Wheel Using a Car Starter?

Discussion in 'Direct Drive Wheels' started by K120_Enthusiast, Apr 13, 2022.

  1. K120_Enthusiast

    K120_Enthusiast Member

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    I was thinking, is it possible to use a car starter as a motor for a direct drive wheel, they are readily available, high power, and cheap. A few questions are still bugging me:

    1.) How much torque could one produce? (I saw an old PhysicsForum thread about starter motor torque, and they say 7-9 Nm stall torque)
    2.) Will it be able to handle sim racing? A wheel isn't always running at full power, and there are times when there is probably no current applied, so it shouldn't get too hot. If there is a lot of heat i was thinking of adding a constantly running 12V fan, maybe even drilling some holes in the armature to aid in heat dissipation.
    3.) What motor controller to use? If it is a starter motor from a small engine (1-2 liters)like a car, it will probably be around 1 kw, at 12V that's over 83 amps!

    If you know of any projects that used a starter, send me a link.

    Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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  3. K120_Enthusiast

    K120_Enthusiast Member

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    Thanks for the quick reply!

    I already saw that thread, unfortunately there aren't any discussions on how that starter handles under load, there is only a video of it working under no load and some discussions about the driver.