Out of Sight

Now I have! That turntable for the wheels is a great idea. I guess this will be my last post on eurobricks..I'll shoot myself now.

WOW, that really shows its accuracy and power, I didn't expect it to work that good Just a silly thought...you know those small pen type laser pin pointers used for presentations etc, maybe strap it on on top of the gun, so you can really aim with accuracy now.

Eric, lubing lego components if done properly will not..again I repeat, will not make the set messy. Lego purist can't tell if I lube the gears of my 8043 or not, but they're wondering why mine performs silky smooth under huge loads . I always apply small amount of RC model car shock oil, the lightest weight such as 5-20wt. It's 100% percent silicone, so plastic (Lego plastic) is impervious to it, meaning totally SAFE Silicone oil is clear in colour and not greasy nor attracts dirt. Cleaning is a simple swipe of tissue paper. You can obtain them at your local Radio Control hobby shops, just ask for 'shock oils'. I also use it for the old style LAs,perform admirably for months, you don't need to dunk them overnight. Retract the LA,submerge the 1/4 length of the LA from the front (shaft side). Leave for 5 mins. Pull it out, have few paper towels ready. Now put the LA in an upright position so the shaft is facing up and the orange axle input facing down. This will allow the oil to flow down inside the LA and lubing the whole component inside without the oil oozing out when the LA is left overnight. Now that's messy. Cycle (retract/expand) for a couple of times. If you do get the silicone oil all over the LA's body,just wipe it with paper towels or facial tissue. It will make the LA clean, greasless..unlike messy olive oil which is greasy. I use small 5mm wide flat artist paintbrush to apply small amount of silicone oil on the gears, pins, axles and friction pins in your case. Tiny amount should suffice since silicone oil has a great capillary effect which ensures the oil is distributed evenly. As for Ni-MH batteries, some come with a charger, any well known brand with 2200mah capacity is good, such Sanyo,Energizer,Duracell etc. Mine is AA Energizer Ni-MH battery 2450mah, with quick chargers. Remember only charge Nimh battery in a Nimh charger. You can't charge Nimh in a Nicd or Lipo charger. So it's safer to purchase battery pack that comes with a charger. A 4x energizer battery + charger packs, will set you around US$15 and $25 for Quick Chargers, you might need to purchase 2 more batteries (comes seperately without charger) for around $5, since the PF battery box requires six of them. A quick charger will see full capacity in less than 2 hours for a 2500mah batteries, which worths around 1 full week of diggin'time If you have cash to burn, than the Lego 8878 Lipo is the one to go..but $70 for a charger and adapter is less tempting for me atm, although some said you can use regular 1A 9v adaptor.

Interesting ..what do those rubber bands do? Are they used to propel/shoot the projectiles like a catapult? How about using compressed air to propel the projectiles...idk maybe, using PF motors feeding a compressor, and let go once the air is filled up. It works in the same principle as detonating gun powder inside a gun..sudden expansion of air forcing the projectiles out. For more accurate aiming, you simply can't use lego bricks as projectiles though..try airsoft BB pellets instead.

Production tolerances I guess....I had found certain friction pin to have more or less grip than others. Anyway, try lubing the friction pins before inserting them, it should ease up the tension a little.

Ouch..hope it's worth it. For something manually operated without any sort of remote controls. Although I'm not saying that remote controls justify high prices nor make a set an instant flagship.

Oh yes...I mispelled it LOL. No prob, doka or not your MOC, let's call it 'MOG' instead is really good. I can't wait to see the end result. An instruction for the cabin would be excellent. Please update regularly on your build

Technical stuff aside...how much do you guys predict it will be priced at? More or less than the 8043? I would expect equal since that Mercedes Benz licensing would take its toll.

There's a green Mog too you know.... The U400 comes in few factory stock colors such as orange, red, silver, white and of course..MB refers it as Traktor Grun if I spelled it correctly. This is the said color on my Shuco 1/43 scale U300 diecast model I agree with efferman...this Lego model is kinda ugly, although I've always thought the real U400 is a looker, a descendent of the legendary 406 implemet carrier, with the former's design characteristics such as short sloped hood. Few wrong things about this set in terms of looks: - The A pillars should be made more curved using flexible hose or axles. - The wheels protrude so much over the fender..this would be illegal for street usage. Some UGN series Mog has a factory installed wider fender on heavier models such as the u400 and u500. This could be fixed by adding extra liftarms on the sides. - Series u400 and above indeed have black wheels and heavy duty axles. The lightest u300 model comes in silver wheels with smaller axles, comprising of just six lugs -Tires...any Unimoog will look ugly with this wide overly squared shoulder tires. Again I agree with efferman, tires should be narrower with more aggresive tread pattern..preferably lug types. Overall this Lego U400 looks like a 'toy'..not a proportional simulation of the real thing..It would be wiser if Lego made a boxier shaped UGH series Mog like the U4000. As demonstrated by efferman, it's more feasible with the squared nature of Lego bricks. Why am I talking about this efferman guy all the time? Well, you should check his thread..compare it to the real thing. :thumbup: Anyway don't mean to rain on your parade..the 8110 is overall a very good Technic set..which is still in my 2011 wishlist, and also will be my new experience with pneumatics which I'm anxious about!

I meant these marker lights...the ones in the corner. Will these be a single cab Mog, are you planning to make a DoKa (Dobel Kabin)? It would be sweet too, considering this will be a work Mog, long wheelbase. Btw efferman, since I have zero doubt about your skills, is there a possibility of making the legendary classic Unimog 406? I would literally kill myself if this could be done using Lego bricks.

Better brands alkalines don't guarantee a better shifting, since alkalines have much lower discharge rate. Anytime the M motor is pulling above 1A, the voltage plumets. Hence my usage of rechargeable nimh. Find good quality ones, preferably those of digital cameras. LOL, i'm currently looking at 10 of these grey old axle pins atm. I salvaged them from my older Technic sets...which dates way back in the late 80's. The older grey and black friction pins have MUCH better grip than the current flimsy newer ones. Maybe kids are not as athletic nowadays, and having trouble pulling the old pins apart.

OMG!! I'm a big fan of Mog...that's a genuine replication of the current UHN heavy duty series cab! When I saw the correct proportion of your earlier pic of the cab, I just knew this would be a superb replica, I guess I was right. Great job! :thumbup: I like how you'd replicated the newer model's grill with MB logo made of steering wheels! Now how about adding an orange marker light? remember this is a newer model, the marker lights are lower in height compared to the previous older model! Suddenly the upcoming Lego U400 becomes less tempting after seeing this!

Exactly!If you operate heavily loaded function such as the boom, you can see the red driving ring is forced to seperate from the clutch gear due to the torque. Having a frictionless pin, will make the driving ring 'self shifts' to neutral. I run rechargeable NiMh batts, which extracts serious torque from the M motors, shifting has never been a problem with mine.. and yes the friction pin is actually there for a purpose.

Very nice review with clear and comprehensive pics to boot..felt like I opened and unpacked the box myself! Your vids are very entertaining too, I also watched your 8043's vid often before I decided to buy my own 8043. This set is definitely on my wanted list along with the upcoming Unimog!

I kinda like the new instructions although I have no problem with the old ones. As some had said, the biggest issue when building any Lego models are distractions which leads to less concentration. I'm a 30+ AFOL..I can manage complex building steps with multiple parts. But as an AFOL, we live in a real world. We don't live in a 'Lego Town', we live in dog eat dog world, no smiley minifigs to greet you. Stressful events and tasks at work usually cause a lot of physical fatigue..which leads to decreased concentration. As for me, I usually build my Lego at night after work. I'm down to 30% remaining physical endurance, but still want to enjoy my beloved Lego hobbying. The last thing I need is complex instructions which require a lot of attention and concentration. Sometimes during the night, my daughter wakes up, asking for a glass of milk or asking where Barney went, and requests daddy to 'find' him..while I'm in the midst of routing a tangled PF motor wires . So 'easier' instruction is less stressful for a multi tasking AFOLs imo and makes it easier to pickup where we left off.

Very nice and informative vid. The instrumental version of Madonna 'Live to Tell' soundtrack definitely makes this a very enjoyable vid too As you mentioned that live axle is more desirable due to better flexibility (which I agree), why does Tatra still uses the swingwarm and backbone chassis for their trucks? Is there a certain advantage of using this suspension in a 6x6 or 8x8 configuration?

To kill the akwardness, I have replaced the 1 x 9 liftarm on the bucket with a black colored one so it looks more integrated..and my MOHC (My Own Hacked Creation )of the narrowed 10 x 18 bucket should further give it a better look overall! I'll post it up once it's done!

Yeah, I noticed that too, I have a feeling that the seemingly 'finished right side' is probably due to the driving gears assembly for the turntable and shifting mechanism. But the chassis itself is pretty solid, especially with that rectangular grey beam on the rear, although I agree it should have been finished better. Maybe LEGO is being cheap about throwing extra bricks or trying to save the environment by producing less plastic. Let me see your pics of the finished left side

Despite this, I'm probably one of very few people who have never considered tearing a built Technic set or any Lego for that matter , so that friction pin and the previously discussed blue axle pin are still there. I have zero issues on shifting however. I'm running rechargeable Ni-MH batteries, so I believe their high discharge rate can extract serious amount of torque from the shifting motor compared to alkalines. A blip of the control stick is all I need to make successive shifts lock to lock. However it's still unclear whether it's a mistake or not..

I thought I'd share this... While others are focusing on their ultimate 8043 with 3 and even 4 IR receivers, and countless motors, I'll give a much cheaper mod for your stock 8043 to make it slightly better, within 5 min without breaking the bank and my what an improvement! My focus was, better rotation point for the oversized 10 x 18 bucket, more proportional boom length, and less saggy butt in the rear. Moved rotation point of the 10 x 18 bucket with a help of 1x9 Liftarm (thanks to few helpful fellows on Eurobricks )The bucket is held in place by 5L axle and technic bushing to give a proper liftarm thickness so it wont wobble. To retain the same dipper arm length, the unused 1x11 liftarms (more on that later) are placed so sandwiching the stock 1 x 15 liftarm. The L 3 x 5 liftarms are no longer used. The lever arms are still stock 1x7 liftarms and 1x5 thins. Rotation angle has improved. This is the best compromise between breakout force and tilt angle. For a more extreme tilt angle, swap the 1x7 liftarms with 1 x 9 bent liftarms but I found this too much leverage hence less breakout force. Next is the boom. Due to the increase overall dipper length by moving the rotation of the bucket, the main boom will be too short. To bring it to a much better proportion and functions, I replaced the foremost 1x11 liftarms and use a 1x15 instead. This will increase the boom by 4 length. The LA is intact but extended with a combination of 1x3 & 1x4 thin liftarms to give an exact 4L extension, so boom-dipper articulation remains. The axle for the LA's bucket is increased from 2L notched to 6L..again exact 4L extension. To give slight added torsional rigidity I placed 1x7 in between. See pic. Next is the saggy butt problem! Due to all the weight being focused as a counterweight on the rear of the hull, the single 1 x 13 has a hard time holding the turntable, and you can almost see it bends because of the weight, hence the saggy rearend, very notable when running heavy Ni-MH battery like mine. I added 1x4 liftarm with studs connector here so the weight of the turntable is now acting on two beams. It helps to support the weight. As you can see the hull is now near level. It also reduces that nodding and buckles of the whole superstructure when the excavator is moving All these for just : Liftarm 1 x 15 (2) = 1.40 Liftarm thin 1 x 4 (3) = 0.24 Liftarm 1x7 (2)= 0.60 Liftarm thin 1x3 (2) = 0.12 Liftarm 1 x 4 thin w/stud connectr (2) = 0.16 Bushing 1/2 (4) =0.32 6L axle (1) = 0.05 3L axle (2) = 0.08 Technic pin long friction ridges (2) = 0.14 2L axle notched (2) 0.08 Total US$3.267..and the improvement shows. The big guy can now REALLY brag over the small guy.. Improved digging depth..I can reach the lower steps now. The whole arm fully extended is almost on par with the length of the 8265..so now they can shake hands from behind..or holding hands while makin' out...or whatever the picture suggests hahahaha :laugh: The mood was set by Katy Perry's hits 'Fireworks' while doing this mod.

I wonder what's with this new trend of making ultra small Technic set? I personally think it's kinda weird, having a Technic as small as Lego City sized model...which would look too small with the rest of your Technic lineup on the shelf..but at the same time too ugly to be displayed in your Lego town diorama But kudos to the designer for making something so small yet 'Technic'-ally functional!

Great, since I believe I was the one who mentioned silicone filled hydraulic actuators first on page 2 of that thread I've rebuilt many 1/10 - 1/8 off-road type RC shocks, (not LEGO RC, but real hobby grade 'adult toy' which tops out 40-50mph). The shocks themselves are also 'hydraulic', which work by dampening suspension rebounds and hard landings by means of fluid resistance going through the piston holes. Here's what I 'drive' LOL 1/10 short course truck. and what the shocks look like, I'm using high performance Traxxas's aluminum bigbore shocks. They come with titanium nitride coated steel shaft for low friction and scuff resistance. ,around 130mm fully extended: Anyway the biggest challenge i think is to make a tight seal..tight enough to retain the liquid inside, but loose enough not to cause any binds. You can start looking for RC shock o-rings. But I do believe it's a LOT easier to modify RC shocks and ditch the springs,since the shafts and pistons are already precisely made to retain oil. Here's a link on RCmart...you can find cheap Chinese made aluminum RC shocks with many sizes to suit the required length. If you need a high-end shocks, that'll cost around USD 50-70 for a set, such as Traxxas Bigbores and Proline Powerstrokes http://www.rcmart.com/catalog/damper-kits-damper-c-389_390.html Here are the o ring seals: http://www.rcmart.com/catalog/damper-kits-damper-accessories-c-389_690.html And no people, silicone is not poisonous

All Lego trucks look like Scania R series now, the 8258 Crane truck, cherry picker and now this. Wonder why...probably due to the distinctive straight slab of Scania grills which are easier to replicate using Lego bricks But I love Scania, especially its distinctive V8 sound with straight pipes. If I were to live in Europe, as an owner-operator, this is my truck of choice, the R730..730hp.

This IS how the 8053 should look like...You need to work for LEGO. Wow..I thought this is a new official set that I have missed! Very nice, I like your subtle use of panels..makes for a smoother looking model, AWS and AWD makes for a solid complexity which is needed for something of this size. Great job!

Guys, just to stay on topic, despite the differing funcionality of LAs and pneumatics..I can see many people mentioned that pneumatic works just like in a real excavator. Yes at certain point, pneumatic actuator works almost in the same principle..a forced compressed medium, resulting in linear force (movement). But the medium is completely different. Real excavators use hydraulic fluid, instead of air..hence the name 'hydraulic'-taken from hydro. Liquid is much more dense than air, which sees why real excavator can move a heavy or light loads with the same precision. Anyway, I can see HUGE possibility of Lego creating an actual hydraulic actuators, where the hydraulic pump is powered by PF motors. The size of the current LAs is almost the same as an offroad 1/8 RC Nitro Buggy shocks, although the body is made of sturdy aluminum. So in theory making a small 'hydro-tight' element is possible. The medium will be silicone oil, which will be safe for the seals. Just picture it as pneumatics with fluid instead of air.. We'll just have to see what Lego has in store for us in the future..