[WIP] US Style Dump Truck based on 9397

[theozboy]

Evening all, thought I would show you all my first proper MOD and ask for some ideas and opinions. Please forgive the odd colours on the body, need to order more panels!

I spent ages looking for dump truck to go along with my 8043 (and the new 2H Volvo loader when its released) but could't find anything I liked the look of until I saw 9397 and figured it would be a good base for one. I've fitted an XL for drive and 2 M's, one for steering and the other for the dumping. I've also used Designer Hans double drive twin wheel mod too.

So I need a bit of help, not sure how to finish the front top of the body, I want ideally a smaller verision of the black bit below. Or do any of you have any ideas how to make the lip some other way?

And I need to make a tailgate somehow, but a normal 5x11 panel doesn't properly, any ideas without using lots of 5L beams to extend it either side?

I'm pretty happy with it so far, have got lots more things to do yet - need to remake the cab steps, would like to improve the bonnet, might fit the V8 engine from 42009 (which I have remade into my Ultimate 8043) and going to improve the mudguards at some point.

I might have another look at how I have fitted the dump body, not sure if it sits a bit too high from the chassis?

Edited April 21, 2014 by theozboy

[Lakop]

Thats a nice moc. Why not add another linear actuator and add more panels to the tipper section so it can take more load. You need another black curved panel for the lip, or use normal beams and lift arms. Just improvise.

H

[krtwood]

I had the same idea but I went a lot further with the changes. I decided to do the bed with bricks instead of technic for a better looking truck and my lack of technic parts. I designed it around the 6x5 panels since they seemed to be the best compromise for looks and keeping the weight down. I got rid of the power functions since it's either going to sit there on the shelf or sit there while the 8043 or the new front end loader have all the fun anyway. This is my first technic moc/mod so I wanted to keep it simple on the technical side anyway. I got the mechanics of the lift axle from the 9397 B model, though I reworked it to make it more compact. The lift axle there really made it more complicated to do everything else. I didn't like the openness of the front end so I filled that all in. It's the same width as 8043 now, not counting the mirrors. Increasing the width might solve your problem with the lip, but it's a lot to rework. I think it really helps with the proportions. On the technic parts side I mostly used 9395 as the source of extra parts but there were a number of others including more wheels and the second linear actuator. Still missing a few parts here and there. I ended up tearing apart my first go at it where I had the linear actuators mounted up higher on the frame. They were bending the frame and it was too hard to raise the bed. Maybe with the redesigned frame it would be okay now but I didn't want to chance it, and the angle the bed is able to get to is good enough for me.

Click on the picture for more/larger pictures.

[grum64]

Very nice.

[theozboy]

I had the same idea but I went a lot further with the changes. I decided to do the bed with bricks instead of technic for a better looking truck and my lack of technic parts. I designed it around the 6x5 panels since they seemed to be the best compromise for looks and keeping the weight down. I got rid of the power functions since it's either going to sit there on the shelf or sit there while the 8043 or the new front end loader have all the fun anyway. This is my first technic moc/mod so I wanted to keep it simple on the technical side anyway. I got the mechanics of the lift axle from the 9397 B model, though I reworked it to make it more compact. The lift axle there really made it more complicated to do everything else. I didn't like the openness of the front end so I filled that all in. It's the same width as 8043 now, not counting the mirrors. Increasing the width might solve your problem with the lip, but it's a lot to rework. I think it really helps with the proportions. On the technic parts side I mostly used 9395 as the source of extra parts but there were a number of others including more wheels and the second linear actuator. Still missing a few parts here and there. I ended up tearing apart my first go at it where I had the linear actuators mounted up higher on the frame. They were bending the frame and it was too hard to raise the bed. Maybe with the redesigned frame it would be okay now but I didn't want to chance it, and the angle the bed is able to get to is good enough for me.

Click on the picture for more/larger pictures.

Nice looking MOC there, looks like I've got a long way to go before mine looks as nice as yours! I quite like the proportions of mine, so probably won't widen the cab or bonnet, might widen the dump body by a stud or 2.

Need to really rework the gearbox tho :( I used 2 8t gears to drop the drive down under the XL motor and they tend to slip when trying to drive around. Also the gears for the body tip LA tend to jump... would be better with 2 LA's but dont think there will be enough room.

I think I will end up stripping it all down rebuilding it... oh well, cheaper than buying more sets I suppose! Its a whole lot trickier building your own than following legos instructions.

Next must do thing is some kind of set of drawers for organising my parts, fed up of spending longer hunting for that last UJ I know I've got somwhere!

[Lakop]

krtwood,

Love the raised axle.

theozboy,

look forward to your developments.

H

[krtwood]

Nice looking MOC there, looks like I've got a long way to go before mine looks as nice as yours! I quite like the proportions of mine, so probably won't widen the cab or bonnet, might widen the dump body by a stud or 2.

Need to really rework the gearbox tho :( I used 2 8t gears to drop the drive down under the XL motor and they tend to slip when trying to drive around. Also the gears for the body tip LA tend to jump... would be better with 2 LA's but dont think there will be enough room.

I think I will end up stripping it all down rebuilding it... oh well, cheaper than buying more sets I suppose! Its a whole lot trickier building your own than following legos instructions.

Yeah. Apparently the "It'll be easier to leave as much as possible the same as the original model" approach leads to us building it twice :) I originally got the drive for the linear actuators to the knob via umpteen 16T gears running along the frame, because I thought that would be easier than two right angles or something. It was a mess. Both ends of the axle holding a gear should be supported or you get that slipping.

As long as it's the gears driving the linear actuator and not the linear actuator itself that is slipping then you're okay with one, I should think.

[theozboy]

Yeah. Apparently the "It'll be easier to leave as much as possible the same as the original model" approach leads to us building it twice :) I originally got the drive for the linear actuators to the knob via umpteen 16T gears running along the frame, because I thought that would be easier than two right angles or something. It was a mess. Both ends of the axle holding a gear should be supported or you get that slipping.

As long as it's the gears driving the linear actuator and not the linear actuator itself that is slipping then you're okay with one, I should think.

As this is my first proper mod, i've found i've got a lot to learn and an awful amount of respect for the lego designers and moc'ers! It was hard to know where to start with it all, so I ended up building the dump body, then had a go at the chassis, this building from the inside out is tricky... I had to persuade(!) some parts cos I didn't want to strip loads to fit a part cos i'd probably forget how it went back together! I thought I had braced the gears sufficiently but evidently I haven't as its the gears slipping for the LA and drive. Was pleased with how the steering worked tho, used a worm drive meshing to a clutch gear and it works really well, need to speed it up a touch tho, have used a 20 and a 10 tooth bevel gear to transfer the drive 90 degrees from the worm.

What do people think is the best gear sizes for the drive, i've used a 8 and a 24 tooth for a 3:1 reduction and I feel its a bit slow, but then don't want to speed it up too much and loose torque. Biggest problem I need to fix at the moment tho is figuring out a way to drop the drive down without using 2 8 tooth gears which tend to slip. Might move the drive shaft from under the XL to the side of it, then drop it with some 16 or 24 tooth gears. The gear reduction is currently done in the gearbox.

[Pat-Ard]

Cool design, reminds me of "Die Hard Part 3" :)

[legosamigos]

Thats a nice moc. Why not add another linear actuator and add more panels to the tipper section so it can take more load...

H

I think one linear actuator is enough. 9397 set is my one of the favorite set, so my first MOC it was

based on 9397 of course :) In second

I needed two LA, but tipper section was bigger and heavier

[JohnnyPopper]

The black part does exist. Making one like this but it's fully rc.