Volvo FH16 6x4 scale 1:17 - Build log

[Kio Liex]

Finally I found the time and motivation to continue the work on my Volvo FH16 6x4.

Earlier I got the 2 speed transmission to work by a M motor, raise and lower the rear axle by a M motor, steering by a servo motor and drive back and forward by a L motor.

The last few day I got the fifth wheel to work by a M motor and I also fitted the fake inline 6 cylinder motor.

I have finally began to work on the cosmetics, beginning with the fenders. 

Yesterday I changed fuel tank design, I started on the cabine where the rough outline and design is done.

I have also chosen that I am using the CADA battery, as it is 2.4 Ghz, have 4 channels and has a controller that I can build on. This battery box have been mounted and all the wires have been routed in a clean and controlled way, with bricks on key places to prevent the wires to go into all the gears.

Now all that's missing is the doors, interiors, the front grill and some minor details.

Note about the colours, they shall all be coordinated when I am done, some bricks are not the right colour. I think that the black cabine will make many of the details blend into the cabine, hence I am thinking of making it white or red. What do you think, shall I go with black, white or red cabine?

Enjoy the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by Kio Liex
Changed title.

[1gor]

White cab is my favorite; but I didn't see raisable axle that has dual, only with single tire.

Looks good so far 

[Milan]

19 minutes ago, I_Igor said:

I didn't see raisable axle that has dual, only with single tire

Many trucks have these in dual options. Log trucks often have them like that. Volvo's too.

[1gor]

That means that where I live people save money on tires 

[GerritvdG]

Nice! I think the black cab is the best choice. Lego red will be to much I think. 

[Kio Liex]

During the last few days I have added the following:
 - Rear lights, the red light will have PF in it if I can find the room for the wires.
 - Extended the chassis at the rear, added the airtank and some decoration on the top of the rear.
 - Made a door design, this was really hard a I want to include the opening function of the "cover" of the ladder to the cabine. The challange was to make it as thin as possible.
 - Made a seat, which have a spring function included. I also found my 1:17 figure so he could test it.
 - Added the air intake-duct or what ever it is on the back of the cabine.
 - Added the lights on the roof and extra horns.
 - Trying two different design on the sun-shade on the top of the front window.
 - Decorated the motor as good as I can whitin the limited space.

Please note that the door, seat and other details are only made in one side, this is until I am happy with the design and will choose a color and the order all the parts I am missing.

Another think I can recommend is making a mockup of the surroundings of what you are about the desing, e.g. the cabine frame where the door shall fit into or the bottom and motor cover in the cabine when I did the seat.

Status and the next thing I will make is finally the front. This is the hardest part of it all as is have so many details that are iconic and what really makes it look like a Volvo FH16.

Question: shall I keep posting pictures of my mess from when I building, e.g. like the one from the door design process?

Enjoy the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TeamThrifty]

Its brilliant to see the trial and error and experiments done using real bricks (this is how i work too), so many mocs are presented as renders which leaves me a little cold. Great to this in genuine real lego!! And a great moc too! 

[Kio Liex]

This will be a short one. The overall design of the cabine is done. Please bare with me with all the colors and only haft of the cabine done. At the moment the truck is in a state where I figure out how the design shall be. Next is waiting for alot of ordered bricks og everything will be the right color. I can also tell you all that I went for red for the cabine. At the moment I am also looking into making a few custom stickers, this is completly new for me and I hope that I can do it in the first try.

Enjoy the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kio Liex]

Finally I have had time to look at all the part that I have order for making the cabine red  and all the other parts I have been missing, the grey for the grill etc. The [TC20] competition have taken all my spare time the last 10 days or so.

Changing some of the parts required a disassembly of the rear end, AGAIN.

Lastly I have discovered several parts that I have overlooked, so I have order some more part.

 

 

 

Another think I have been working on is a hauler trailer so I can transport my Volvo L120H frontloader. I am replicating the Kel-berg S300FA.

 

 

 

[Kio Liex]

The color change is done, only think left is the stickers, and the one orange light on the roof (this is on its way)

 

 

Also I have rebuild the trailer with bricks in the right color. The complete trailer you will have to wait and see until the truck get stickers. 

 

 

 

 

[GerritvdG]

Wow, that’s looks really nice. Thanks for showing all the steps in the design and building process!

I have to say red worked out really well. The front looks very good and the front lights are very realistic although I’m not sure about it the grill , I expected more black there…

[Kio Liex]

33 minutes ago, GerritvdG said:

The front looks very good and the front lights are very realistic although I’m not sure about it the grill , I expected more black there…

I totally get what you are saying, I also not a fan of the grill. This is one thing that I will change in the future, for now I will finish up this MOC. Building MOC you alwayes learn something new. I am also not that happy with the speed and power of it. But redesigning the hole frame is also something that shall be for another time.

[Kio Liex]

Finally I have found the time to write another update.

Several things have happened since my last update.

First I got the stickers attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then during a test drive I broke a universal joint.

 

This together with a fealing of disapointment on the speed and puling power of the truck, made me deside to redesign the drive train. Roughly the same day I saw a video on YouTube with a truck similar to mine driving "fast" and was pulling the same as I wanted. I reached out to the owner of the channel and asked what the gearing and motor setup was like. Two XL in direct connection to the differentials. I also asked about the control as I also was driving slow. He uses a BuWizz. I did a little reseach on this and really liked the overvoltage option, however I required more that 4 channels. I learned that this can be done with the SBrick module. 
Then I started redesign the rear and middle of the truck. An early test with the CADA system showned that I had more that enough pulling power and I was also happy with the speed. This ment that I did not have to get the BuWizz, this my wallet was happy for.
I ended up with a much more modular truck, having a rear, a middle/gearbox and a front with the fake inline 6. I also ended up buing two SBricks modules. One sad thing is that the truck now does not have a two speed gearbox, but the fifth wheel and the elavation of the rearest wheel is still remote controlled. The second SBrick is for connection to the trailer.

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that in the picture above I still use the CADA module, this was removed when I got the SBricks modules, and a standard LEGO battery pack have been installed in the cabine.

 

 

Lastly I wasn't that happy with the front grill so it has also been redesigned. I did this in Studio 2.0 and now I am waiting on brick again.

[Kio Liex]

After a little break from LEGO building and waiting for bricks to arrive with the mail, I am finally done with my FH16. Final photo session will come later where the trailer also will be shown.

Heres is firstly a little from the rebuilding of the from:

 

 

 

Here are som pictures from before the last stickers are applied:

 

 

And now for the final truck:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am much happier with how this front turn out. What do you think?

[Rebel_Lego]

I really like this model. Favourite detail is the curled "air hoses" behind the cab. Only thing I don't like are the windscreen wipers, which sit way to high IMO.

[Jurss]

You know how to put bricks together, but that front is somehow too flat. On original it is pretty flat, but not so much.

[Kio Liex]

21 minutes ago, Rebel_Lego said:

I really like this model. Favourite detail is the curled "air hoses" behind the cab. Only thing I don't like are the windscreen wipers, which sit way to high IMO.

I get what you are saying with the windscreen wipers, but with LEGO it is always a trade off... 

14 minutes ago, Jurss said:

You know how to put bricks together, but that front is somehow too flat. On original it is pretty flat, but not so much.

I have designs in Studio that ismore round, but I can only get it to "work" for the top part of the front, the lower part with the lights is a struggle and I could not find a way to make it look good, so again with LEGO it is a trade off...

To both of you, thanks for the compliments.

[1gor]

Now front grill looks the way I would do it (I have plans to make FM hook lift in orange in future)