Earlier, (Greg Reid) wrote:

...Matcos are cheaper; are they as good?

In my brief experience with the 5" units, they seem to be just as
rugged as the equivalent Cleveland units.

And Azusa's are MUCH cheaper still. Are they any good?

Based on what they're designed for, the economic realities of that
market, and the modest liability risks associated with it, I would
hazard a guess that they're not even close.

Specifically, I'm looking at the Azusu 6-inch diameter, 4-inch wide
aluminum wheels and brakes. The wheels can (they say) accommodate a
600x6 tire, tho' I'd probably go with a slightly slimmer one. They
look nice in the pictures.

Agreed. A nice looking package.

One concern is that the axle is only 3/4 inch, whereas other
manufacturers use 1.5 inch axles in their 600x6 wheels. However, the
specs say that they're good for 3625 lbs per wheel, which is enough
for a max 3G (ouch!) landing (whoops!!) at 2400 gross.

I will take that spec with a huge ol' grain of salt until I see how it
was derived. Looking through the Azusa catalog and the Aircraft Spruce
catalog, I see absolutely no force ratings for any wheels or axles.
Where did that number come from?

Another concern is braking. How good/bad are the Azusu brakes?

Well, let me put it this way: The last time I saw a 2400 lb go-kart,
the brakes at every corner were labeled "Brembo." Definitely out of
Azusa's league.

There are good references and formulae for braking capacity at the
Matco Web site:

http://www.matcomfg.com/

Go there and click "Choosing a wheel."

I've seen elsewhere someone mentioning another
manufacturer of brakes to mate with the Azusu
wheels, but I've lost that reference now.

Almost certainly the Tracy O'Brien units:

http://www.tracyobrien.com/moreinfo.asp?id=46

Note that they work with the Azusa wheels, and are suggested for a max
gross of 1200 lbs, and landing speed of 60 kts.

Thanks, and best regards

Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com