15 replies to this topic

[Front]

8261 Rally Truck

Information
Set name: Rally Truck
Set number: 8261
Number of pieces: 198
Theme: Technic
Released: January 2009
List price (shop at home): $ 24.99 / £ 17.59 / € 19.99

Shop @ home description:
Off-road rally muscle!
Get down and dirty with this tough off-road rally muscle truck! With its tilting front suspension system, springing rear suspension and working front-wheel steering, it's ready to roar off the road and into the rugged outdoors. Includes instructions for rebuilding into an additional truck!

Bricklink entry
Brickset entry
...................

The Rally Truck is one of the new 2009 sets, and is a small red vehicle with high clearance. I am not sure if the truck is supposed to resemble a specific real vehicle model or brand. The alternative model is a small more traditional truck, ready to pull a trailer which does not exist. Off course you could make a trailer that would fit the truck.
The set does not include any engine, and I'm not sure if it wouldn't be more cool to pay a bit more, and have a V2 engine in the set.


The two small building instructions.


The pieces in the set, tires already mounted on the rims. There are two new 2009 elements in the set. The "T-Beam" in the form of two black, one seen in the bottom of the picture. Two pieces of slotted 2x1 slope in dark grey, one of them seen top-left..
Liftarm 3 x 3 T-Shape
Slope 2 x 1 x 2/3 with 4 Slots

**EDIT** The Slope 2 x 1 x 2/3 with 4 Slots actually appeared in 2008. Another 2008 piece in the set is the technic beam of one module lenght, with a technic hole and a cross-hole side by side. A very nice element that I guess many technic moc'ers like. Liftarm 1 x 2 Thick with Pin Hole and Axle Hole


Main model:


The two main subassemblies before joining them together.


The complete set with the wheels removed.


The front does not have any real suspension, but the axle can roll relative to the chassis. This make is able to traverse quite high obstacles with all four wheels not leaving the ground. Not really a realistic design, but very effective as a toy. The simple steering of the wheels is controlled by the gear on top of the roof, and if the vehicle is held in the air, and the steering is at max, additional steering input results in the rool of the axle.


The rear suspension with a single spring, is a bit stiff for this little vehicle. The rear is a simple svingarm with two wheels attached, and no drive.

The main model does not use all elements, there are a couple of gears and small connectors left, plus the usual small elements from each bag, with very low weight.

Second model:


Now this is the "real" truck.


The second model does not use the spring, and has no suspension what so ever. But it's a nice looking vehicle, and more realistic than the main model. It is prepared to be able to pull a trailer.

Final notes:
I like to build technic but usually would not get such a small set like this truck. It is simply way too quckly built, and don't have that many functions. Larger sets give me a more "wow this is incredible thought out set" feeling, and the price per element is more economical. But for kids learning the technic way of building, these smaller sets are great.
I haven't bought this set myself, but got it with the instructions and no box, after it had been on display for a few months. The second model was built, and after photographing it, I took it appart and made the main model.

I have to say though that the designers that make these vehicles look so good with such a limited number of pieces, have done a great job.

I'm not gonna rate the product, as I must be considered incompetent  

Edited by Front, 11 March 2009 - 04:17 PM.

[Natman8000]

Nice review! This is a nice set and I love the use of the phantoka connectors.

[Lasse D]

Thanks for the review, but it's hard to see how the steering works.

I can't remember last time LEGO did that kind of steering (a pin that turns like the ones connected to the wheels) instead of the usual tooth-rack design.

[Front]

 Lasse D, on Mar 11 2009, 01:32 AM, said:

Thanks for the review, but it's hard to see how the steering works.

I can't remember last time LEGO did that kind of steering (a pin that turns like the ones connected to the wheels) instead of the usual tooth-rack design.

Yes, the steering in both models are done by two "cone gears wheels" Black Technic Knob Wheel.
The output gear wheel is connected through a cross axle to a liftarm Liftarm 1 x 3 with 2 Axle Holes and Pin. That liftarm pulls the front of the 6-module beams (7 holes) to the side, which then turns the wheels. The complete front axle assembly is a parallelogram, being skewed by that liftarm, which in turn is rotated by the 4-teeth gears.

Hope it makes sense, although a picture or drawing would be better  

Front

[CP5670]

Quote

I can't remember last time LEGO did that kind of steering (a pin that turns like the ones connected to the wheels) instead of the usual tooth-rack design.

The concept looks similar to the steering made of flex system parts that a few sets used in the past. 8440 and 8457 come to mind, although the steering on those sets didn't work well and was too sensitive. This set seems to have a better implementation though.

[WhiteFang]

Front, excellent piece of review!  

I am impressed with your review and you have managed to persuade me to view this set from a different perspective. One of the images below has certainly demostrated the wheels suspension very well. Although I am not an expert or fond of Technic, but I must admit that this set has shown some good positive attributes for a non-technic fans like me, and I can see such message communicating to me through this review of yours. Thanks for taking your time to do up this review.  

[KimT]

Great set and great review Front.
I've added a poll, so that we (the not so incompetent ) can vote what we think about this set.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and comments on this set

[slimninj4]

I think this is a poor model as far as technic goes.

[The Green Brick Giant]

 slimninj4, on Mar 11 2009, 12:02 PM, said:

I think this is a poor model as far as technic goes.

I agree, it just looks really bad.  The truck should have been the main model because at least that looks liek a truck.

[slimninj4]

 The Green Brick Giant, on Mar 11 2009, 07:32 PM, said:

I agree, it just looks really bad.  The truck should have been the main model because at least that looks liek a truck.

I guess I should explain why I do not like it.  First it barely looks like a truck.  The front twist is just SILLY.  The read spring is more like a quad bike than a truck.  This is a 15$ truck value for a $25 price.  Piece count aside this is just one of the poorest of the year.  I do like the smaller and larger sets though in the collection.

[kaka1987]

i cant really tell it is a fantastic set. the building of the truck is weak, maybe i can say in another way, it looks incomplete.
there is lot of space that need to be improve.

the lego designer did finish the design very rush, and roughly.

i vote average.

[Front]

Thank you all for voting and commenting. I think I voted average or below average.

I just got the crazy idea to give this little truck a trailer to pull. I have hardly done any Technic mocs, apart from a motorcycle I started on a week ago. So adding a little trailer to the alternate truck, should be a good excersize, not so complicated that I would give up long before completion.


The joint on the truck is placed quite some distance in front of the rear wheels, so the trailer needs a long beam extending foreward, to reach that joint and not colliding with the wheels of the truck.


The selection of elements for the trailer is strongly influenced by which elements I have available. I stripped my Bionicle aircraft for panels, it comes with twelve of these.

Front

[KimT]

The trailer looks better than the truck
Nice work Front
Taking apart Bionicle to build Technic MOCs sounds like a great plan to me...
But then again, I am no Bionicle fan.... in fact I am not even sure I am a Technic fan

[VBBN]

Great review, and wonderful trailer. Great job!

[xenologer]

Thanks for the informative review.


agree that this is one of the weaker sets this year.
Technic is all about realistic mechanics, so its dissapointing that the features on this truck are so... unrealistic.
I would have accepted the pendular suspension on the rear, but not the front. Similarly the spring shock would be better of as a pair up front instead of rear.
Lack of rack and pinion also makes it seem rather cheaply done.

I have far too much red bricks; if it was done in a more unusual color I'd at least be inclined to buy it for the parts.

[Dryw Filtiarn]

The mainmodel looks pretty good I must say, the secondary model on the other hand I don't really like. For the price you get a fair amount of pieces, though nothing to spectacular except for the T beams maybe.

Anyhow, a great review for this set.