Realistic Shocks Built With Lego

[Junpei]

Today I decided to use my 11.5L shock absorbers for something, and when I was bored I thought of making slightly damped shocks as you would see on real RC cars. I have a friend that has a perfect example of an RC-grade car, so I studied the way the suspension moved and tried to replicate it with Lego. After a few minutes of tinkering, I came out with this:

The yellow bushings are where it can attach to the control arm in the picture above. I think it might be a bit too hard even for a fast car, but it is adjustable with pneumatics of course. You would probably need to build it to test it out to see if it works well, because pictures don't exactly do it justice.

Of course, questions, concerns, comments, criticism, etc. is welcome!

[ManInATopHat]

Very cool! If you could get a video to show us how the shocks look in action, that would be great.

May I add, very creative idea by the way.

[Junpei]

Thanks! I still need to find something that takes even slightly tolerable quality video though.

[clarkdef]

Pretty awesome idea, you could use those older smaller cylinders to act as dampers.

You know a lego chassis has to be pretty stiff to need a damper, I have a video here to demonstrate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-J3_RTCfvo&feature=youtu.be

The point of a shock or damper is to absorb the energy from the spring so it doesn't go boing boing boing! The spring is actually the shock absorber, it absorbs the bumps the shock/damper just dampens it, otherwise you get this happen

Haha love that video and I desperately want to try it one day! All the give in the plastic does the same thing, it absorbs the energy from the spring, so do the tyres.

[D3K]

Those shocks look strangely familiar!

[sergiuparaschiv]

Problem is you need to build in 1:8 scale (or even less) with power puller or unimog wheels for that to look OK.

I'm really interested what model you're planing on building :)

Edited October 29, 2013 by sergiuparaschiv

[Junpei]

I wish I was planning on building a model, however I don't exactly have the parts or the budget.. Maybe someone else could use it though, but sometime I want to make an R/C car that scale with 2 'modified' XL motors...

[Rishab N]

Looks nice but it would be expensive with all the springs and pneumatics

[DrJB]

Are you aware of the damped shocks that came up in 8454, 8448, 8466, and the Mars Rover? ... Those may offer the same functionality you're after.

[Junpei]

I was thinking that too, but I have no idea of how they compress as I don't have any. Also, this is a much harder spring and can be adjustable.

[z3_2drive]

I have finished my Large RC Chassis V4, which has the best handling of all my versions, but is very heavy and has reduced acceleration. For both front and rear axles I used these 'dampers', along with tubing and switches, to give a 'soft' and 'stiff' setting, which is pretty useful I may post pictures here soon or make a new thread!

[Junpei]

Awesome! Sorry if it seems like I copied your design, I had no idea you did the same thing!

[z3_2drive]

Awesome! Sorry if it seems like I copied your design, I had no idea you did the same thing!

Oh, Don't worry, I was building the suspension and trying out all my shocks/dampers at the same time as you made this thread, no copying And I agree with sergiu - the scale of the vehicle needs to be very large and heavy or if medium then used in a rear live axle.

[nicjasno]

Put the springs inside the piston.

[Junpei]

I know you use that; however I am trying to find a purist solution for that.

[MrNumbskull13]

As long as its lego springs it's purist ;)

[Junpei]

I guess that's your opinion, but I like not to take my Lego apart And then you also have 11.5L shocks with no springs in them if you don't use non-lego springs, if I were to use this I would use non-lego ones.

[clarkdef]

I know you use that; however I am trying to find a purist solution for that.

Bah! Who cares about being a purist, Lego is a toy designed to stimulate the mind, if you gotta cut something to work or watever then do it. I have taken an angle grinder to my Lego in the past, I did it once I'll do it again!

[nicjasno]

Bah! Who cares about being a purist, Lego is a toy designed to stimulate the mind, if you gotta cut something to work or watever then do it. I have taken an angle grinder to my Lego in the past, I did it once I'll do it again!

Precisely.

Edited November 6, 2013 by nicjasno

[Rockbrick]

you can make pretty good adjustable shocks with the pheumatic piston

from adding stiffer springs or pairs of springs hard/soft combo etc... to even capping them off and filling them with oil for damping (even go as far as drill small holes in the piston seal to control the flow of fluid for damping)

very versatile and non visible non lego modifications which stimulate the mind indeed

http://www.carbibles.com/suspension_bible_pg3.html

[Boxerlego]

Put the springs inside the piston.

This can have a double use if the proper spring inside the piston is able to be compressed by the air system pressure then the piston could maybe used as a

.

you can make pretty good adjustable shocks with the pheumatic piston

from adding stiffer springs or pairs of springs hard/soft combo etc... to even capping them off and filling them with oil for damping (even go as far as drill small holes in the piston seal to control the flow of fluid for damping)

very versatile and non visible non lego modifications which stimulate the mind indeed

http://www.carbibles..._bible_pg3.html

Sounds great. Until you got to drill the small holes in the piston seal. This part would require testing but due to the fact that your making shocks that means you got to make at least four shocks the same and it is all internal modification so if you wanted to test another size hole you would have to distinguish that shocks between other hole sizes. How small does the hole haft to be for this to work as desired?

[nicjasno]

Oil is unnecessary. The pistons are extremly hard shocks as they are. Why do you think i drill the inlets for my engines? Even the pistins i use as shocks have drilled inlets, and they are plenty good enough.