My first true Technic MOC!

[OrangeKNight]

Whelp, as the title reads, this is really the first time I did my own thing with Technic(I have a built Mahjqa Intermediate Chassis, but I'm still waiting on my XL motor to come in xD) and lol is it full of flaws, but first the Pic!

Turned out okay, mostly.....it drives around fine(been chasing our cats with it) but there are a few obvious design flaws;

1 - The tracks have very little support

2 - its rather long IMO

3 - Because I used two fo the same size rectangular frames, the whole thing is actually an even number of studs across, which made it odd to try and mount anythng on it(even just the IR reciever was a challenge >.>)

4 - It has practically no ground clearance

5 - Still kinda slow, its running with a 1:1 gear ratio from the M motors, but I'd like to see if I can build something faster....

So I'll likely be dismantleing this guy over the week end and trying something else. I have a possibly wacky idea involving vertically mounted motors....Any tips for building Tracked vehicles?

Mike

[Bricktrain]

It looks like you have made a good start.

My suggestion would be to use the drive sprocket at the end of the undercarriage so that the tracks have the most wrap around them, then they are the least likely to have any chance of jumping a tooth especially over an uneven surface.

A few idlers to help support the track frame would be a help also.

To get an odd spacing when using two rectangular liftarms you could just use another straight liftarm between them.

[DLuders]

If you like tracked vehicles and TANKS, you could build Nightwerty's NJA Tank 102. It has complete, 27-page PDF Building Instructions ! It illustrates what Bricktrain is talking about. Maybe you can get some ideas and modify its design with the parts you have on hand....

Edited February 19, 2011 by DLuders