Lixander`s lodge - W.I.P.`s and MOC`s

[Lixander]

1 hour ago, Aurorasaurus said:

I was looking back on this thread and saw this, did you see gooberreboot's model of this vehicle?

https://youtu.be/XteYm7UqNvg  https://youtu.be/_tIindMXeAI

I saw the model from the BrickGarage`s page ( https://youtu.be/XteYm7UqNvg?si=KYgfW5_TGetOJ2BH ), but yeah, I have seen it. It is interesting that the videos are made before the ”FJ Bruiser”, this project being made by Toyota themselves for the 2023 edition of SEMA show (a car exposition held annually in U.S.A.). But I know the model made by Goober Reboot is based on another custom-built Toyota FJ.

Also, ”fun-fact”: my first Lego off-roaders that I have built were made by Goober Reboot. His red trophy-truck is the only model that I bought pieces to keep it built and in the same colors - black chassis with red and white body-work. Now, that model became a test-bed for Lego models with RC hobby-grade electronics.  

1 hour ago, Aurorasaurus said:

Nice work making it so quickly. How does it drive in reality?

Well, the question was put right in time :))

I built it already ahead of the new renders, but the model is extremely simple. The most complex parts are the front-frame and the motor-frames, but both have few parts (in my opinion). Also, the build is somehow modular; when it will be finished, it will have 6 main sub-models - front frame, motor-frame, tubular chassis, hood, body-work sides and probably front-end body-work.

I took it for the first test-drive today actually. It has decent speed and good suspension, even on some snow or a little bit of ice. Also, I managed to install the side-bars before taking it out and there are still attached.

Still, I need to do some proper tests though (most likely I will do them tomorrow).

Edited January 25 by Lixander

[Aurorasaurus]

12 minutes ago, Lixander said:

I took it for the first test-drive today actually. It has decent speed and good suspension, even on some snow or a little bit of ice. Also, I managed to install the side-bars before taking it out and there are still attached.

 

Still, I need to do some proper tests though (most likely I will do them tomorrow).

Glad to hear it all worked out :)

 

Also, could you show some photos of that trophy truck? Im curious about it..

[Lixander]

10 minutes ago, Aurorasaurus said:

Glad to hear it all worked out :)

;)

10 minutes ago, Aurorasaurus said:

Also, could you show some photos of that trophy truck? Im curious about it..

Now it is a mess that smells like W40 and it is put somewhere in storage. These are some older photos (2nd ”fun-fact”: this is one of the few models which I took photos of it).

Also, here is the video.

 

Edited January 25 by Lixander

[Aurorasaurus]

Looks really good. Im curious where you got the instructions, when I looked i couldnt find them... though that could be due to geolocked content or my inability to understand Russian. Thanks for sharing the photos

[Lixander]

11 hours ago, Aurorasaurus said:

Looks really good. Im curious where you got the instructions, when I looked i couldnt find them... though that could be due to geolocked content or my inability to understand Russian. Thanks for sharing the photos

His Rebrickable account was blocked or deleted and because of the "situation" in the area, he can't use PayPal, so he can't use Rebrickable anyway. 

So he moved to Boosty - a russian platform similar to Patreon. Even if it is pretty uncomfortable to browse such a page without knowing the russian language, it is more advantageous because you pay around 5€ for all the instructions and some bonuses instead of paying 5€ on instructions for only one model.

 

Edited January 26 by Lixander

[Lixander]

I just ended the 2nd test-drive some minutes ago for the BBX replica.......conclusions: 1.the model is good and 2. don't run servo's in the snow for too long :/

As you can see, I reached 9km/h with the replica with the MouldKing electronics.

Edited January 26 by Lixander

[Aurorasaurus]

Interesting, I would have expected higher. I guess the MK 4 port unit doesnt give enough power to each motor, and the smaller wheels are probably limiting you.

[Lixander]

1 hour ago, Aurorasaurus said:

Interesting, I would have expected higher. I guess the MK 4 port unit doesnt give enough power to each motor, and the smaller wheels are probably limiting you.

Yeah, probably.......I forgot to put 2x hubs at once, so the motors could draw more power.

But also, in my city it has snowed and the snow started to melt.......so it is that "perfect mix" of snow and water that makes it extremely difficult to fully enjoy the Lego models outside.

Edited January 26 by Lixander

[Lixander]

New renders with the updates and modifications I made a few days ago on the test-build model - new front frame with bigger wheel-hubs and 2x hard 9.5L shocks, added 2x 6L links for the motors frames with 2x hard 6.5L shocks and modified the front-end.

Edited January 27 by Lixander

[Aurorasaurus]

Why the bigger wheel hubs? Otherwise everything looks pretty solid.

[Lixander]

23 hours ago, Aurorasaurus said:

Why the bigger wheel hubs? Otherwise everything looks pretty solid.

Because the newer and bigger wheel-hubs have more mounting possibilities.

Also, I am glad to hear that everything looks solid enough.

Edited January 28 by Lixander

[Jurss]

Can you give more detailed view, how the steering rod is connected at the hub? From distant view looks something incorrect.

[Lixander]

1 hour ago, Jurss said:

Can you give more detailed view, how the steering rod is connected at the hub? From distant view looks something incorrect.

Yup, sure.

[Jurss]

OK, from closer look it looks better

[Lixander]

1 hour ago, Jurss said:

OK, from closer look it looks better

Out of curiosity: what looked incorrect?

Edited January 29 by Lixander

[Jurss]

Looked like different part is used for holding that ball/bar part.

[Lixander]

2 hours ago, Jurss said:

Looked like different part is used for holding that ball/bar part.

Oke.

Edited January 29 by Lixander

[Lixander]

So, i really like to my make my life harder.........the 4x4 truggy will be replaced by a new model, based on the ”old” 4x4 truggy but with a completely revamped chassis and body-work.

So I already put the last updates I made for the original truggy on its Rebrickable page and also there I subtly announced the new 4x4 truggy REVii.

And the old W.I.P. topic, with the 2 W.I.P. photos:

Now, about the new REVii. It retains the 4x buggy motors, the 1x servo-motor and the overall wing and body-work shapes of the first truggy but uses the fast output of the motors, has independent suspension on all wheels, narrower wheel arms on rear and front, more compact structure and a unusual servo-motor position. The strange way to install the servo and to attach it to the wheels makes more space and mimics the steering mechanism of the  ”real” RC models. 

All these come in a pretty new body-work and with the wing attached to the chassis as most of the RC truggies have the rear-wing, opposite to the original 4x4 truggy, which had it on the body-work.

Moreover, a ”fun fact” is that, while with 20g (about 0.70 ounces) heavier, the REVii is cheaper with with 40€ (or around 40$), even if it adds full independent suspension and pin-holes for a light system.

You can find the Studio file of the both models on the REVii`s Bricksafe page.

 

Edited January 31 by Lixander

[Aurorasaurus]

In my experiences, those wheels are a struggle to turn without gearing with 4 buggy motors. I built a 4 buwizz motor vehicle using the same diameter wheels and the slow outputs and ran into issues with torque because of the weight and wheel size. Looks fun though :)

[Lixander]

55 minutes ago, Aurorasaurus said:

In my experiences, those wheels are a struggle to turn without gearing with 4 buggy motors. I built a 4 buwizz motor vehicle using the same diameter wheels and the slow outputs and ran into issues with torque because of the weight and wheel size. Looks fun though :)

Interesting. I tested a little the ”old” project and the only problem I got was the steering - small space, Lego parts couldn`t manage the angle too well. So the connections to the front wheels will pop-out or just fall apart due to the loose connection. 

So I decided to put the new CV joints on both ends on the REVii.

Also, speaking of the wheels - I will test the new truggy as the ”older” one, meaning that I will test it with the 1.55” tires fitted on the smaller 43.2 d x 26 mm rims too (the ones I showed in the pics of the Goober Reboot`s red trophy-truck), because they are about the same size of the ones in the renders (56 d x 34 mm rims with the 94.8 x 44 R mm balloon tires).

And yup, it surely going to be fun to run in a park with one of these :)) (I got around 7km/h with the ”old” one and, as I said, it had problems with the front linkage to the wheels).

 

Edited January 31 by Lixander

[Lixander]

Quick update: the REVii front-frame and body-work are already built in real-life.

The body-work didn`t had any design errors, but the front-frame..........I worked at the steering on the front-frame for at least 1 hour straight and made also some small structural changes.

Anyway, if you didn`t understand from the last renders how the steering works, here it is a better explanation: the servo is connected to only one wheel hub trough a kind of a lever mechanism; then, both wheels are connected trough a ”steering rack”, for making the other wheel-hub to steer too, but the ”steering rack” are just some lfitarms that keep the same distance between the hubs (instead of the 7L or the 13L toothed liftarms made for that). This enables to make the model more compact, as it doesn`t need any space for the axle and gears of the servo. And, as a bonus, it takes away the need to center the steering rack and the centering problem that might occur.

Also, I modified just a little the CV joints in the front. Now, the linkages seem to hold, even if the model steers and takes a bigger bump at the same time at full speed.

 

Edited February 3 by Lixander

[Lixander]

I updated (again) the REVii.

Now, it has 2x servo-motors, because the slack of the system was so big, that the wheel that wasn`t connected directly to the servo-motor wouldn`t steer at all under weight. Also, I had to add a gear system so that the wheels turn normally and also won`t have any toe (in or out).

Moreover, I made the battery-hubs frames (for the MouldKing 4.0 hub I also made a remote frame), modified the body-work so that the front wheels wont touch it (even if the model steers and takes a larger bump at the same time), reinforced and modified a little some other parts and tested multiple positions for the springs of the suspension so that it will be smooth enough, without any excessive sagging or excessive hardness (even if now the rear has 2x hard 6.5L shocks, the rear suspension is even more smoother and responsive than the front).

Side note: the steering system seems pretty much a wasteful way to use the servo`s, so I think modifying the whole front frame for fitting a ”conventional” steering system.

And, if you want to see it, here is the steering system:

Spoiler

 

Edited February 7 by Lixander

[Lixander]

I remembered - the first 4x4 truggy had a weight of about 1 kg and 173 g / 2.58 pounds.

The first version of the REVii weighted about the same, at 1kg and 190 g / 2.61 pounds.

Spoiler

Now, the last version of the REVii (the one with 2x servo-motors) is a lot heavier, with around 1kg and 351 g / 2.97 pounds. Also, because of the 2x servo`s, the estimated price is even higher :/ 

Spoiler

 

Edited February 6 by Lixander

[Jurss]

16 hours ago, Lixander said:

the steering system seems pretty much a wasteful way to use the servo`s, so I think modifying the whole front frame for fitting a ”conventional” steering system

Servos as such are not bad, but that gearing used is not good for steering. There also will be slack. Something needs to be improved for shure.

[Lixander]

2 hours ago, Jurss said:

Servos as such are not bad, but that gearing used is not good for steering. There also will be slack. Something needs to be improved for shure.

Yup :/

But why the gearing isn't good?, as the slack is mainly due to other parts.