Hey everyone

Today I wanted to talk a little about the differences between the old steel constructed comm’s of old and compare them to the commutators that are available today made of what is called Bake-A-Lite. They are quiet different in how they are constructed. Being there has been some talking going on at the EVDL I wanted to take the time to capture some pics of the two types for everyone to see and what the bars look like inside and what actually locks them down. Being that exploded comm’s are the biggest failure of these motors it is, and will be, a major focus on what can be done to build a better mouse trap so to speak. The latest cracked comm came from John Benson who sent me an ADC rpm chart that shows these 9″ motors with a 1000 to 5000 rpm range. Well they also list the smaller motors at the same basic speed + - and well, we know the smaller comm’s can do a lot more than that, so I felt the chart applied more to the motors optimum rpm range rather than the mechanical limits of the comms. And just to play devils advocate I’ve seen alot of blown and lifted steel comms which shows that it also has it’s limits and is not to be seen as a “solve all” by any means. In as much as I’ve built DC motors since 1981, I have only just recently been involved in the problems EV’ers have faced for years. With that said I’ve spent countless hours reading, learning, and listening this last year so that I can use my skills to bridge the gap between whats needed and whats available. This is just one area I’m working on to make these motors more automotive in nature as my time and resources allow. I hope you find the pics educational and they can be viewed here.