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Question:

Balloon Car Wheel Help!?

For school, I need to build a balloon powered car. My car is made of balsa wood, and so are my wheels. They are around 5 cm in diameter and very thin. My axle is a nail. My wheels keep on leaning to the side, causing my car not to move. I need this car to move at least 5 meters. How can I make my wheels stand straight? I tried gluing something around the wheels, to no success.

Answer:

If the light is coming on intermittantly, the car could be losing oil pressure. Have him take it to a reliable shop where they can see if it is the oil pump, or maybe just a clogged oil filter. Just tell him that the light is important. If the oil cannot efficiently get through the motor the motor goes Poof. and will be costly to replace.
You don't say what year which makes a clear answer difficult.Myself I would go to the dealer.If you don't go to the dealer find a mechanic that specializes in Volkswagen.Having it done right will in my opinion can save money in the long run.My friend owns an auto repair shop since 1972 and is an excellent mechanic.But I won't take my VW to him because they don't have access to the Volkswagen computer software.They can't diagnose like the dealer can for that reason.Good luck to you.
3 wheeled because you have less wheels (weight) to accelerate so your car will achieve a greater final velocity.
I suggest you make 3 or 4 sets of wheels and glue them together in a stack to make fatter wheels. Then sand them so that the edge of the tire is smooth.
Balsa is terribly soft to use for the wheels. In particular, the hub is going to take a beating and will result in the wheels doing what you describe. Large and thin is the way to go for the wheels, but with balsa you will need some way to strengthen them. One thing that you might try doing is soaking the balsa wheels with super glue. Do it on waxed paper so that they don't sitck to anything. Only use enough super glue to get the balsa wet. You don't want gobs of glue. Once the glue sets, the wheels will be much stronger. and the hubs will be able to withstand the wear better. Alternatively, make a better hub. Find a thin tube like the insides of a cheap ballpoint pen. Cut a short length (1 cm or less) and insert that through the center of your wheel. Glue the wheel to the outside of the tubing. Then the tubing will slip over your axle, providing the lateral stability that you need without adding too much friction. Good luck!

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