[WIP] Range Rover Evoque - Air ride

[Lox Lego]

This is my first WIP thread for a vehicle I've wanted to create for some time now.
The most difficult part of this build so far has been the air ride. 
When Air ride is at its lowest or highest point, it clicks. This also lets you know when to stop lifting so it doesn't over rotate and jam the gears. 
I placed the 1X1 angled black system Lego on the L shaped beam,  so the drop is only 45º on the axle.
Then I noticed the weight of the car might not be able to hold the body work up so I added torsion bars to all 4 wheels.
This design can be setup as 4 wheel steering, because the front suspension is exactly the same as the rear.
(But the SUV I'm building doesn't have that function, so I opted out of it  )

This beast comes stock with a V8 engine, air ride & torsion bar suspension, servo for steering, 2XL motors for drive 2M-motors for lift.
I had to hide the servo in a different place as the axle for 4wd goes through the center. I am trying to get the steering wheel working but its tough...

SUV framework for my new MOC by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

I've been working on this frame for 2 weeks and am happy with how well it functions. I placed 3 pounds on the framework and the lift still works.

SUV framework for my new MOC by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

2 M-motors are geared down before they turn 1 worm gear on each wheel to lift the whole vehicle.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Lox Lego

[Rishab N]

Nice work. Why choose gears over pneumatics? Either way works, just curious

Also maybe the body could be a Range Rover, something like this

 

[Lox Lego]

9 minutes ago, Rishab N said:

Nice work. Why choose gears over pneumatics? Either way works, just curious

Also maybe the body could be a Range Rover, something like this

  

D*&%# It Rishab! 
I thought it's take a little longer than 20 minutes to figure it out... 

I used motors as I do not have pneumatic's for Technic lego and wanted it to be motorized. 

Also, when you drop the vehicle with weight, it drops 1.5 studs in seconds and looks cool 

I'll be doing the Range Rover Evoque with a skirt kit lowered.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Lox Lego

[Lapidem]

Hello
I think the model is  potty ugly and bad.

???

But this is not your fault, your MOC is well implemented and you probably have a lot of and good work invested.

But if the original is only stupid then the technically best replica can not really satisfy.
A lowered off-road vehicle?

Terrain, stones, dirt, water accumulations etc. and deeper is definitely not fit together.
This is once again a showman car for some teenagers gang members, hobby suburban gangster, rich spoiled son or for men in the midlife crisis and bored luxury women who drive their mutt to peticure.
Excuse me if you are a fan of this car - but the model to your MOC has no practical utility and serves only to indicate how "cool" you (not personaly you)are and how good it is financially.

greetings

Lapidem

 

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Lapidem

[Kmuffin]

Great process! I haven't heard how this air lift works. I also don't like lowered off road vehicles plus I don't like the evoque's shaping alot but it's not that bad I'm meaning that it's not very off roadish compared to other range rover. I would prefer an evoque without skirts lowered. I also like the detail on the engine

[Boulderer]

The build is looking really good. Very nice implementation of the functions, and I like the forward thinking to test everything with weight added ?

[Didumos69]

Great to see you doing a WIP-topic! Very original project and it looks massive! Will watch the video later, I don't have Wi-Fi right now.

[Didumos69]

Just watched the video. The frame appears to be very sturdy and the air ride works solidly. I do have some concerns about the height of the whole setup. It seems that the top of the front suspension module is already at the level where you would expect the hood. My feeling is that it should be possible to make this more compact. Also for aesthetics I think it would look better if the springs where attached to the lower A-arm. Anyway, very interesting alltogether. I'm looking forward to seeing your next steps!

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I personally really like your project.

I do agree that a lowered four wheel drive defeats the point somewhat but point out that the Land Rover Marque has, and still is producing some of the worlds best off road vehicles  (Disclaimer - Yes I'm biased, I own a non-lowered Discovery)

I really like the way you've applied the variable suspension geometry in the absence of lego pneumatics.

I'll watch the remainder of the build with interest.

Regards

[Jeroen Ottens]

Interesting features on this car.

I like the suspension height adjustment feature, but I don't like the implementation you've chosen. A kneebone mechanism would be a better way of achieving the lock in either position. If you use a 0.5 stud lever (like the ones used in the fake engines) you can make a 1 stud travel that is always locked at either end of the travel. You don't need wormgears then to keep the springs in place.

Another thing I don't like (but that is more a personal, than a practical problem) is the use of liftarms with holes pointing upwards. I know this technique is used a lot in the Porsche as well, but it makes the chassis rely on friction (friction-locked structure) instead of ABS breaking strength (form-locked structure). If you (virtually) bend the chassis and imagine that the pins have no friction you can see what I mean. The chassis will simply fall apart. If you use beams that have holes pointing sideways the chassis can be bended without falling apart (unless you bend the chassis sideways). But like I said, that is a personal tick from me. In practice these chassis hold together perfectly fine on friction alone.

I do agree with Didumos on the height of the suspension setup, I fear it is too high for the hood, plus I do not see the need for such a high setup. I'm sure you can do better

[Lox Lego]

12 hours ago, Kmuffin said:

Great process! I haven't heard how this air lift works. I also don't like lowered off road vehicles plus I don't like the evoque's shaping alot but it's not that bad I'm meaning that it's not very off roadish compared to other range rover. I would prefer an evoque without skirts lowered. I also like the detail on the engine

Thanks Kmuffin! This one is just a personal favorite. I figured people wouldn't be too keen on the vehicle, but heck, whatever :) 

10 hours ago, Boulderer said:

The build is looking really good. Very nice implementation of the functions, and I like the forward thinking to test everything with weight added ?

Yes, testing the frame prior to putting 3 pounds on it is a must now. Too many bad experiences of building the whole car an realizing too late it doesn't hold up. 

2 hours ago, Jeroen Ottens said:

Interesting features on this car.

I like the suspension height adjustment feature, but I don't like the implementation you've chosen. A kneebone mechanism would be a better way of achieving the lock in either position. If you use a 0.5 stud lever (like the ones used in the fake engines) you can make a 1 stud travel that is always locked at either end of the travel. You don't need wormgears then to keep the springs in place.

Another thing I don't like (but that is more a personal, than a practical problem) is the use of liftarms with holes pointing upwards. I know this technique is used a lot in the Porsche as well, but it makes the chassis rely on friction (friction-locked structure) instead of ABS breaking strength (form-locked structure). If you (virtually) bend the chassis and imagine that the pins have no friction you can see what I mean. The chassis will simply fall apart. If you use beams that have holes pointing sideways the chassis can be bended without falling apart (unless you bend the chassis sideways). But like I said, that is a personal tick from me. In practice these chassis hold together perfectly fine on friction alone.

I do agree with Didumos on the height of the suspension setup, I fear it is too high for the hood, plus I do not see the need for such a high setup. I'm sure you can do better

 

9 hours ago, Didumos69 said:

Just watched the video. The frame appears to be very sturdy and the air ride works solidly. I do have some concerns about the height of the whole setup. It seems that the top of the front suspension module is already at the level where you would expect the hood. My feeling is that it should be possible to make this more compact. Also for aesthetics I think it would look better if the springs where attached to the lower A-arm. Anyway, very interesting alltogether. I'm looking forward to seeing your next steps!

Thanks all for the constructive comments. Regarding the height, the frame in its current state is 1 stud below the top of the hood in the blueprint. I have 6 stud allowance above the wheel, and currently the frame is 5 studs above. So in relation to the scale, the top of the frame height could be 1-2 lower but I will make do.

Secondly, I have a very odd method of creating vehicles. I will build for 8 hours straight and place each different feature where they belong, get tons of body work complete, take photos then reference the photos to the real car with either an overlay photo or a side by side photo for comparison. I find this will give me the opportunity to see the car as a whole, to judge the areas of improvement. Then I focus on the specific area and work hard to create a perfect replica of that small feature.  

So as ugly  and weird as these (and future) WIP photos might seem, I promise I will tear this car apart over and over again to create a more realistic build.
I will probably complete this car much faster than other WIP threads, but I thought I would share the building process non the less.

Air ride suspension. 1 row for lift, drive and steering by lachlan cameron, on FlickrRange Rover blueprint by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Edited December 13, 2016 by Lox Lego

[Didumos69]

16 hours ago, Jeroen Ottens said:

I like the suspension height adjustment feature, but I don't like the implementation you've chosen. A kneebone mechanism would be a better way of achieving the lock in either position. If you use a 0.5 stud lever (like the ones used in the fake engines) you can make a 1 stud travel that is always locked at either end of the travel. You don't need wormgears then to keep the springs in place.

Another thing I don't like (but that is more a personal, than a practical problem) is the use of liftarms with holes pointing upwards. I know this technique is used a lot in the Porsche as well, but it makes the chassis rely on friction (friction-locked structure) instead of ABS breaking strength (form-locked structure). If you (virtually) bend the chassis and imagine that the pins have no friction you can see what I mean. The chassis will simply fall apart. If you use beams that have holes pointing sideways the chassis can be bended without falling apart (unless you bend the chassis sideways). But like I said, that is a personal tick from me. In practice these chassis hold together perfectly fine on friction alone.

Didn't know about kneebine mechanism, but makes a lot of sense. Now all weight is carried by a few teeth of the 8t gears.

About the orientation of liftarms. I could not have explained it as well as you did, but I have the same belief. You can partly overcome the falling apart issue by locking up these beams vertically, so they can't go up or down, but in the end the structure will bend more easily when carrying weight. I have another tick that helps me to establish a firm and logical main structure: I tend to work in horizontal layers. The odd layers have lengthwise beams and the even layers have widthwise beam. Everything tied together with orthogonal connectors such as - of course - vertically placed 3x5 frames. This is also convenient for axles running through the length of the car; I usually have them running through the even layers with widthwise beams.

14 hours ago, Lox Lego said:

Secondly, I have a very odd method of creating vehicles. I will build for 8 hours straight and place each different feature where they belong, get tons of body work complete, take photos then reference the photos to the real car with either an overlay photo or a side by side photo for comparison. I find this will give me the opportunity to see the car as a whole, to judge the areas of improvement. Then I focus on the specific area and work hard to create a perfect replica of that small feature.  

I promise I will tear this car apart over and over again to create a more realistic build.
I will probably complete this car much faster than other WIP threads, but I thought I would share the building process non the less.

8 hours straight! Wow, interesting way of working.

I have a completely different way of working. I spend most time in LDD, where I do most of the pre-work. Every spare 15 minutes that I have you find me building behind my laptop, for instance when traveling from and to my work. I've learned my lessons when it comes to sloppyness and friction so I more or less know the dos and donts when building in LDD, but still real life building always comes with surprises. I think I spend max 4 ours a week on real life building. Mostly during lunch breaks. I have all my LEGO pieces and my build in a big black bag that I carry around all the time .

Edited December 14, 2016 by Didumos69

[Boulderer]

5 hours ago, Didumos69 said:

8 hours straight! Wow, interesting way of working.

I have a completely different way of working. I spend most time in LDD, where I do most of the pre-work. Every spare 15 minutes that I have you find me building behind my laptop, for instance when traveling from and to my work. I've learned my lessons when it comes to sloppyness and friction so I more or less know the dos and donts when building in LDD, but still real life building always comes with surprises. I think I spend max 4 ours a week on real life building. Mostly during lunch breaks. I have all my LEGO pieces and my build in a big black bag that I carry around all the time .

I think I'd put your approach into the interesting category, ahead of Lox Lego's 8 hours straight!  You are the first person I've heard of that carries their collection around everywhere they go 

[Lakop]

I like this so far and am interested to see the progression. Good video too. A good set up so far, but i'm sure it will evolve as you work on it.

 

H

[Lox Lego]

1 hour ago, Boulderer said:

I think I'd put your approach into the interesting category, ahead of Lox Lego's 8 hours straight!  You are the first person I've heard of that carries their collection around everywhere they go 

+1!   lol

[Didumos69]

3 hours ago, Boulderer said:

I think I'd put your approach into the interesting category, ahead of Lox Lego's 8 hours straight!  You are the first person I've heard of that carries their collection around everywhere they go 

 

1 hour ago, Lox Lego said:

+1!   lol

I know . It feels like I'm Winston Wolf (Harvey Keitel, Pulp Fiction) and could walk in anywhere with my bag full of pieces and speak the legendary words: "I'm Winston Wolf, I solve problems. LEGO problems." 

Sorry for off-topic bull...

Edited December 14, 2016 by Didumos69

[Lox Lego]

Now for the Ugly Phase. These are photos I wish I didn't have to share in a WIP thread but you might find it interesting. Oh the struggle of creating a large Technic build.

It started with the Wheel wells.

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Then the entire left side and side skirts:

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

I take photos from the top, side etc. to get a profile view.

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Then I over lay the crappy bodywork design with the real car in an Iphone app called photo blend. See how the hood and roof is too far back? More on this below...

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

I do a side by side photo of a photo I found on the internet to see how ugly my new car is 

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

I know my hood and roof was in the wrong position so that was corrected. With the overlay I can see how many studs I am off from the real car. Now the roof is too low at the back. I didn't like the lights at all so I removed them. If you have any suggestions please let me know!

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Engine bay. This part looks kinda cool if do say so myself.

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Here is a cool photos of the other side  Its like a section view of a full car!

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

The front grill. 

Update 1 for the SUV - the ugly phase by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

From the over lay below, the slope of the top of the door has to slope upward to the rear end, not downward. This will be challenging.

Much more work to go...

Edited December 14, 2016 by Lox Lego

[trekman]

I'd say you are doing pretty well.  You just need to raise the rear roofline.  I also fear that you are too low at the front bib to be of any practical use, speed bumps beware!  But it is better than I would do, so keep at it.

[letsbuild]

I agree with @trekman.

[Lox Lego]

3 hours ago, trekman said:

I'd say you are doing pretty well.  You just need to raise the rear roofline.  I also fear that you are too low at the front bib to be of any practical use, speed bumps beware!  But it is better than I would do, so keep at it.

Lol thanks. Just to note, that photo of the grill is not in the lowered position...

Edited December 14, 2016 by Lox Lego

[Kmuffin]

Nice progress! For me I see the front like a Ford explorer I found a moc few months ago of an evoque and I liked the headlights and grille design of it.

http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/370116

I have to say most of your things are very well made. Only the front bothers me.

[Lox Lego]

9 hours ago, Kmuffin said:

Nice progress! For me I see the front like a Ford explorer I found a moc few months ago of an evoque and I liked the headlights and grille design of it.

http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/370116

I have to say most of your things are very well made. Only the front bothers me.

Yes, I will be changing the front grill for sure. I beefed up the framework above the rear wheels as it was slightly lower due to the weight of the battery and 4 motors.
Not much progress to post from last night, just the improved roof top. What I like about the roof is in a few click I can have to whole interior exposed so i can work on that separately to the outside. I believe I will be doing a white interior...

Fixed slope on roof and beefed up the rear suspension by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Edited December 15, 2016 by Lox Lego

[BusterHaus]

I'm amazed at how quickly this is coming along. It's very fun to watch it evolve and take shape. 

[Lox Lego]

On 16/12/2016 at 6:45 PM, BusterHaus said:

I'm amazed at how quickly this is coming along. It's very fun to watch it evolve and take shape. 

Thanks BusterHaus! Sometimes I get in a creative funk like I did tonight... 

This is Stage 2 - Trying to put it all together. (on the exterior & features) All the wiring has to happen at this stage before the interior is finished to hide everything. I finally figured out the lights that wrap around similar to the real car. Its at this stage I worry a bit about running out of pieces. The best builds are built when part count is not an issue. Variety and placement of panels is very important at this stage. Currently the motors are able to lift the SUV still. Very excited about that as the SUV feels like its 7 pounds already. My favorite part about this build id definitely the air ride. Due to the weight, the car drops in a second when you lower it.  The back still has some work to do, it is very difficult to create the feature of the rear car around the trunk / wheel well area. 

Stage 2 - trying to put it all together. Add features & shaping by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

  The lower half of the from bumper was modified to produce slightly more curvature without sticking out as far.

White room photos by lachlan cameron, on Flickr 

When lowered the SUV is half a stud off the ground. The torsion bars work perfect for this build! Without them this car would not funtion.

Trying to put it together by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Stage 2 - trying to put it all together. Add features & shaping by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Wiring to hide away

White room photos by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Engine bay

White room photos by lachlan cameron, on Flickr

Edited December 21, 2016 by Lox Lego

[KikoTube]

This car is coming together very well alltough i think these tires would look much better