[MOD] 42122 4x4, Suspension and Fake Engine mod

[Zerobricks]

After building the 42122 for the review, I just knew there has to be a way to give it a proper functionality.

It took me some 5 hours of fiddling in LDD and in real life to come up with this MOD, whic adds the following functionality:

• 4x4 wheel drive with differentials
• Live axle suspension with shock absorbers on both axles
• Working minature V6 engine
• Improved steering system coupled to the spare wheel

I tried to keep the looks as close to the original:

The balls joint were used as the abse for both axles:

Proper soft shock absorbers give it a full live axle suspension:

A 90°V6 has been squeezed in the front, driven by both axles:

With the old HOG gone and the steering connected to the spare wheel, the rear bench was tidied up:

 

I of course built the real one in parallel too, there will be photos and a video following soon.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Zerobricks

[Gray Gear]

Very nice, now it is the way it should have been to begin with 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Gray Gear

[JintaiZ]

It's great to see all these updates! I think some of the red pins could be replaced with black pins though.

[lmdesigner42]

Very impressive! Hope it works just as smoothly in real life. Now I want to get the set just to mod it. If only something could be done to improve the winch too...

[Bartybum]

Now THIS would be worthy of a $90AUD RRP, good job

[1gor]

Well what can I say other that you made maximum what is possible. Perfect 

[rm8]

Cool! How many pieces in it?

[Jundis]

There really is plenty of room for improvements on the 42122 and it is so cool to have a community here that tinkers around, great job! :-)

8 hours ago, Zerobricks said:

A 90°V6 has been squeezed in the front, driven by both axles:





Just to avoid trouble: I tried this fake engine with exactly this pins as pistons before and it didn't work that smoothly... Have you tried to build this?

[Sariel]

Zerobricks: making the LEGO company look lazy again ;)

[MajklSpajkl]

Great job as always  I wonder how much more expensive this version would be.

Regarding the fake engine - I find use of the part 6575 smoother due to its eliptical shape and takes up same space as 2L thin liftarm while rotating.

Edited December 8, 2020 by MajklSpajkl

[JunkstyleGio]

@Zerobricks Excellent job. You should be the one designing the models!

[Zerobricks]

14 hours ago, rm8 said:

Cool! How many pieces in it?

The piece count has been increased to 725.

12 hours ago, Jundis said:

There really is plenty of room for improvements on the 42122 and it is so cool to have a community here that tinkers around, great job! :-)

Just to avoid trouble: I tried this fake engine with exactly this pins as pistons before and it didn't work that smoothly... Have you tried to build this?

Like I said I built the real one too. Yes the engine can be a bit jumpy when going slow, but it's nothing too hard to overcome.

6 hours ago, MajklSpajkl said:

Great job as always  I wonder how much more expensive this version would be.

Regarding the fake engine - I find use of the part 6575 smoother due to its eliptical shape and takes up same space as 2L thin liftarm while rotating.

Good idea, thank you.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Zerobricks

[sirslayer]

Awww.. You beat me to it!! Great job Zerobricks!!!

[2GodBDGlory]

12 hours ago, Jundis said:

There really is plenty of room for improvements on the 42122 and it is so cool to have a community here that tinkers around, great job! :-)

Just to avoid trouble: I tried this fake engine with exactly this pins as pistons before and it didn't work that smoothly... Have you tried to build this?

I've just been messing around with Micro piston engines, and I agree that that particular solution.  doesn't work that well. A better solution, in my opinion, would be to place the 5L half-beam at the end of the 2L axles, over the half-bushes, and then invert the half-pins, to allow the cams to mostly just touch the stud on the pin.

[Zerobricks]

Just now, 2GodBDGlory said:

I've just been messing around with Micro piston engines, and I agree that that particular solution.  doesn't work that well. A better solution, in my opinion, would be to place the 5L half-beam at the end of the 2L axles, over the half-bushes, and then invert the half-pins, to allow the cams to mostly just touch the stud on the pin.

I ahd the same idea, about flipping pins, but than there is nothing holding the engine from spinning sideways... I will give it more thought though.

[2GodBDGlory]

Otherwise, though, I congratulate you on giving this set the functionality it deserves on such short notice!

[Zerobricks]

Thank your for the positive feeback, guys.

I managed to fiip the engine and now it's perfectly supported at the sides so it can't spin:

The model runs much smoother now

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Zerobricks

[syclone]

Welp, great as always. to eliminate bumpiness in the piston engine, why not use a cam?
Wasn't expecting a MOD to pop-up so quickly, still don't understand what stopped Lego from using balljoints in the first place considering they've already done it in 42005 

 

[johnnym]

Nice work @Zerobricks! The question now is, can this be motorized somehow? Maybe drive motor where the fake engine is and steering behind (in the cabin) and power and control on the rear seats.

[Zerobricks]

As promised I made a short video about the mod:

For those interested here is the link to the LDD file (please not, I'm using an upgarded version with some new eleements added):

https://bricksafe.com/files/Zblj/42122-4x4-suspension-and-fake-engine-mod/42122 4x4%2C suspension and steering MOD.lxf

I hope community here can use this as a base to do even more mods, functional and aesthetical to trully perfect the model.

[Mechbuilds]

Just a matter of time until somebody RC's it. 

[sirslayer]

After watching the video, this is my favorite mods of all mods!!!

[howitzer]

Only 60 parts more and SO much more functionality than the official set.

Sometimes I feel like this lackluster design is deliberate, though I can't really think of a good reason for that...

[Polarlicht]

THIS! This is how the set should be!!

[Kostq]

1 hour ago, howitzer said:

Only 60 parts more and SO much more functionality than the official set.

Sometimes I feel like this lackluster design is deliberate, though I can't really think of a good reason for that...

1. Economy of parts, lighter cargo to ship around /by the thousands/
2. They know we exist and are going to customize it anyway.
3. Free advertisement after the set's release /by us modding it/
4. It actually makes you BUY more Lego in some form. Or locks you in with the brand further.
5. Makes more expensive sets seem dull as they do not contain that much functionality besides looks /911 RSR, new Ferrari/.
(okay, suspension, steering, fake engine are features, but we've been dulled to them so far) 4x4 on this small scale is a big feature...
42037 didn't have 4x4 too. And it looked hella lot uglier :D

So why not.
As for the 60 parts more - the mod is great, but the ball sockets aren't cheap.
How much extra cost does the mod add?

I love all the functions crammed in. It's technic as it should be. And is looking nice.
As for Zerobricks's post - I'm a bit jelaous having to wait another MONTH to get to that set here in Bulgaria...

Edited December 11, 2020 by GTS