Rim Drive Mod or how to make it even better

Tom,
I thought the rim drive was an all inclusive, stand alone unit shipped from VPI, I don't understand why you'd have to rewire it.
I feel your pain, I try to keep the cone feet tight on my Aries and level the coffee table everything is on, as soon as you unscrew the feet the TT gets wobbly.

Mike,
Actually, I don't think the rim drive in its current form could be used with the Aries 3. The Aries 3 plinth has a cut-out where the motor is placed. The dual-motor flywheel is a long, rectangular motor that is able to be used with the HRX, TNT-6, or Super Scoutmaster.
I started this upgrade from an original Scoutmaster, which also had a cutout for the smaller 300rpm motor. I had to upgrade the plinth to a Super Scoutmaster plinth, which has no cutout, before I could upgrade the motor.
But, to answer your question, No, the rim-drive is not an all-inclusive upgrade. The upgrade assumes you already have the dual-motor flywheel. The rim drive upgrade package only includes the new flywheel, and some belts and pulleys. This is why you have to re-wire your motor.
In terms of cost, I feel like VPI should have offered the upgrade in completed form, with the motor already tailored to the rim drive. Because I didn't already have the dual-motor flywheel, I essentially had to pay for the old belt flywheel, even though I might never use it.
And yes, you can't unscrew the cone feet very much at all before the table gets wobbly. VPI should have listed the mini-feet as a required prerequisite for the rim drive upgrade, if that's what it will take for me to be able to use the ring clamp again.
Question for those with the mini-feet... How tall are they? The cones are about 1 1/2 inches tall.

Cheers.

Tom

Thanks Tom,
I understand now about the upgrade.
The cone feet are 1.750" tall and the mini feet are 1.875" tall, only 1/8" taller.
VPI is supposed to come out with rim drive for Aries this Summer.

Mike

My cone feet are 1 1/2 inches tall. I'm not counting the foam rings placed in between the feet and the underside of the plinth, which add another quarter inch. The extra 3/8 inches of height provided by the mini-feet will probably be enough for me (assuming I still use the foam rings with the mini-feet). Do users of the mini-feet still have the foam rings in between the feet and the plinth?

Cheers.

Tom

No foam rings...The problem with the cones, is that when you unscrew them...make them taller, they get rickety.