2GodBDGlory

Now is the time to make my final presentation of this model. If you've been following the WIP of this model, you might be wasting your time reading this, but I want to add a more concise summary of the final model. I finished it and took it apart weeks ago, but am prone to procrastination in posting stuff. The only change made since the last update was the addition of a couple black stiff hoses to shape the seat cushion. As most of my contemporaries will know but future viewers may not, this model was built for EuroBrick's TC19 motorcycle contest. I decided to go for an all-in complexity approach because: A. I like building extremely complex stuff, and B. There's no way I can compete with the masters in the fields of appearance and refinement. In the end, I settled on making a model of Suzuki's wild 1987 Nuda concept, and stayed fairly true to its mechanical features. My model had the following ones: -Dual Swing-arm suspension -2WD, with shaft drive -Hub-centered steering, with a bit of a virtual pivot -6-speed sequential gearbox (pedal operated, no ratchet) -Clutch (lever-operated) -Front disc brake (lever-operated) -Rear disc brake (pedal-operated) -I-4 piston engine More details follow! Aesthetic: I was pleasantly surprised with the final model. It had a tubular frame, because, and I quote (myself) "It is using a more skeletal approach, since I couldn't see how I could fill it in without: A. Using more System slopes than the "no Model Team" rules allows, B. Using my painted light blush grey panels, which is not allowed, or C. Making it ugly." Suspension: Both wheels had a swing arm suspension, with the front one sprung by two 6.5L hard shocks, and the rear one sprung with one shock. Unfortunately, both sides ended up requiring a vertical axle to prevent the wheel from tilting side-to-side. The suspension ended up being stiff, particularly in the front, where the semi-rigid hose for the front brake worked as an additional, unintended, spring. Drive: Both wheels are driven by shafts. The rear wheel was simple, with merely a pair of bevel gears, but the front had to use bevel gears, two universal joints, and a sliding section of axle, to drive it. After going through the clutch and gearbox, the wheels drove the I-4 piston engine. Steering: Steering was meant to be hub-centered, and used a virtual pivot setup. In the end, though, after I added the axle to stabilize the suspension, the working pivot likely ended up being around this axle, which was at any rate very close to the wheel. The handlebars pushed a 6L link, which moved a beam forwards and backwards, which moved a 9L link forwards and backwards, to steer the wheel. Transmission: The model had a 6-speed sequential gearbox, with three driving rings controlled by a single rotary shifter, thanks to unusual spacing. The shifting mechanism was very simple, though, with a simple pedal that would rotate 360 degrees to shift through all the gears. It was also very easy to shift the gearbox into multiple gears at once, because of the tight spacing of driving rings.

Yeah, I agree about sticking to the boxy. It lets me put in less effort, while still having a better-looking result!

Here a couple pictures of the two Audis together:

Well, there are pros and cons to each. The old hubs are good on models where the steered wheels need to be driven, especially when ground clearance is important. The tiny hubs mentioned are especially handy in tight spaces, but make drive nearly impossible, and steering more challenging and imprecise.

Yes, thanks a lot!

This small-scale model was meant to pack as much functionality as possible into a small-scale model. It came about when a friend and I decided to each build a model of the same vehicle at the same scale. Quite naturally, this grew into a technical arms race! Functions: -Independent double-wishbone suspension front and rear -All-wheel-drive using a buggy motor, with three differentials and a micro V8 piston engine -8-speed sequential gearbox, shifted via Servo -Basic brake with M-motor -Pneumatic compressor with L-motor -RC LED lights -Suspension height adjustment (independent left/right, controlled by two Servo motors) -Four-wheel steering with M-motor and pneumatics -Pneumatic opening front doors -Manual opening rear doors -Pneumatic opening hatchback Here are some more details and images of the car's features: Aesthetic: I was pleased with the appearance, but it was undoubtedly boxy, and the exterior was greatly constrained by the space the mechanics took up. Suspension: The suspension is of a double-wishbone independent design, as far as the wheels are concerned, but the drive is more complicated. The differentials are inside ball joint frames, which attach them to the chassis. Directly out of this frame come the CV joints that drive each wheel. Because my width only allowed for these two CV joints, the driven part of the axle resembles a solid axle, but each end of the axle hooks up to a double-wishbone system which attaches to the wheel. The system would have worked fine, but in practice the model was fresh out of ground clearance once all the cables were routed underneath, so it was more a novelty than anything else. Drive: Drive was done with a buggy motor, in a bid to get tolerable performance in a package smaller than a pair of L-motors would have been. After drive went through the gearbox, it drove a 16/24T differential, which then went to the two axles, where new HD differentials took the drive to the four wheels. There was also a micro V8 piston engine in the front. Performance was shockingly good when tested partway through the build, but in the end, the addition of bodywork and cables that scraped the ground severely degraded performance until it would only drive, grudgingly, in the lower gears. Gearbox: The gearbox for this model was lifted straight out of my Ram Rebel TRX model, and was as such seriously overbuilt for such a small model. (Not that an underbuilt one would be much smaller). Rather than controlling it with PU, as in the Ram, it was controlled using a PF Servo motor with a ratcheting mechanism. As with drive, early tests were promising, but the cramming in of hoses and wires ended up causing the motor to jam all too often, though it did work fairly well.

Was it ever considered to make the top and bottom attachments of the Ducati shocks rotate relative to each other, like the old adjustable-hardness ones? This would have some advantages, and seems like it could have been implemented easily, but would perhaps cause unnecessary wiggle when used in motorcycle forks.

I think that is one of my favorite ones so far! It has a good mix of complexity and appearance, and I just have a soft spot for those knobby tires. Good job!

I don't have any AAA battery boxes, but I will say that my 8878 battery has been excellent, far better than my AA ones. Although the AA/AAA boxes offer higher voltage when using non-rechargeable batteries, voltage drops significantly as the batteries are used up, while the 8878 box offers a steady, reliable 7.4V. I do realize, though, that 8878 is getting to be stupidly expensive used, and I probably wouldn't buy a replacement if mine died.

Interesting! I have had only a few blue 3L pins break, but about half of the 20 or so old black ones I have are broken one way or another! I still use them, though.

Nor Canada

Thanks!

I wonder if any of that has to do with the fact that the similar 9398 Crawler existed to fill the market for play value

Yep, the old 14T gears work just fine inside chain, making them the smallest working gear!

Wow! I am surprised they were available that recently! $3 is a fair price for such a rare part. I bought an old cylinder a while back, but it leaks on retraction, so I think the upper seal is bad. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to fix that, or on a similar thread?

Interesting! Do those mesh with the rounded, plate-based gears they came out with recently?

I think they were shown; I tried to go through all the functions, but it has been a few months since I filmed it, so I am not sure. Thanks for the comments, guys!

That's fun! It would be interesting to know how long motors can run at such high voltage! I wonder what purists would think of doing a similar thing with only official Lego power supplies. It would only use Lego, though certainly not in a way Lego expects it to be used!

This massive model was built last fall over a period of about three months, which is extremely long for me. It was intended to be a rough successor to my enormously complex 1:7 Bugatti Chiron, and although it is at a smaller scale, a pickup truck like this has a lot more internal volume than a supercar, so all things considered, it has about the same volume. I chose to build this particular truck because I was fed up with spending so much time trying to replicate swoopy supercar bodies, so I figured I would just stuff similar functionality into a boxy truck with easy bodywork, and have a much more enjoyable building process (I wish I didn't have to build bodies. I know I could just forget it, but then I would have no space constraints for my mechanics, making the mechanics much less challenging). So, I chose the Ram 1500 pickup truck in Rebel trim, because I wanted to replicate an air suspension on an off-road focused model. Before I had gotten too far on the model, though, the ridiculous 702-hp desert-running TRX version of the truck was revealed, and I knew I had to replicate it, even though its fender flares messed up its boxy attributes, and the air suspension, barn-door tailgate, and transfer case would no longer be accurate to real life. This model was also designed to integrate both PU and PF into the same model, using PU for drive, steering, and a semi-automatic gearbox, and all eight PF channels for other functions (well, two of them were on an auxiliary model). To do so, I put my little lithium-ion camera battery inside the hub, connected it to the contacts, while running a PF extension wire off of the same battery. I could surely have found room for a small PF battery box in the truck, but my only rechargeable battery was used on the auxiliary model. This auxiliary model was a to-scale Suzuki LT500R quad bike, and there was also a trailer to allow the truck to tow the quad. Adding the extra models was rather interesting, and impressive to behold. Perhaps most astonishing of all was that this massive model used literally every single friction pin I own! The trailer, which was built last, was forced to use 3L pins or frictionless 2L ones in many areas! Functions: -Drive with V8 piston engine-2x PU XL motor -Steering with working wheel, Ackermann geometry, kingpin inclination, and castor angle-PU L motor -8-speed sequential gearbox-PU L motor -Pneumatic compressor with automatic control (small pneumatic cylinder and PF switch)-RC Buggy motor -V8 piston engine with idle mode-PF M-motor (Engine is controlled with an adder between a constantly running M-motor and the two drive motors, causing it to rev up when the truck drives) -Transfer case with 2H/4H/4L-PF M motor -Rear differential lock-PF M motor -Windshield wipers-PF M motor -Front anti-roll bar disconnect-PF M motor -Disc brakes-PF L motor -Opening hood-PF L motor -Distribution gearbox motor controlled by switch-PF L motor -Synchronized opening of both right doors while running board deploys-distribution gearbox -Synchronized opening of both left doors while running board deploys-distribution gearbox -Raising/lowering tailgate-distribution gearbox -"Barn door" opening tailgate (didn't work, needed more gear reduction)-distribution gearbox -Trailer landing leg-distribution gearbox (from truck) -Trailer ramp deploying-distribution gearbox (from truck) -Independent front suspension with pneumatic shocks-pneumatic -5-link live rear axle with pneumatic shocks-pneumatic -Opening rear window-pneumatic -Leaf-spring live axle suspension on the trailer -Sliding front seats fore and aft-knobs and worm gears -Tilting front seats-knobs and worm gears -Folding rear bench -Opening glove box -Opening center console (Reveals manometer) -Tilting steering wheel -Manual pneumatic pump -Front and rear anti-roll bars -LED headlights, fog lights, hood scoop lights, and taillights On Suzuki LT500R -Steering with moving handlebars-PF Servo motor -Rear-wheel drive-RC Buggy motor -Front independent suspension -Rear trailing arm suspension Now I will add some details, where it is not already self-evident. Most images are hidden. Aesthetic: I was pleased with the aesthetic, but I know my standards are low. The boxy profile was certainly easier to model, though! Interior: The interior was quite detailed, with a tilting steering wheel, opening glove box, opening center console, and multi-way adjustable seats. Drive: The two PU XL motors could move the extremely heavy truck in most gears without too much drama, but it was certainly not fast enough to drive around for fun. Steering: Gearbox: The gearbox was my oft-used 8-speed sequential design, with certain reinforcements necessary for such a big model. Shifting was done by a PU L motor through a worm gear. I did some fairly complicated programming in the Powered Up app to make a semi-automatic gearbox. There were both manual and automatic modes that were triggered by pressing a button to turn it on and off. In manual mode, speeds could be cycled by pressing a + button to go up a speed, or a - button to go down a speed. There was also a virtual speed indicator. In the automatic mode, the speed of the drive motors was constantly monitored, and if the average speed over six intervals of a fraction of a second each was above or below a certain parameter, the gear would shift up or down. In practice, this didn't work when the truck was driving, likely because of the inefficient drivetrain, but I would like to try the PU semiautomatic gearbox with a smaller, more efficient model with a simpler 4-speed gearbox. If anyone is interested in the details of the program, I could provide more details. Compressor: Transfer case: This transfer case had a separate 2-speed gearbox and a disconnect for the front axle. Both were controlled by shift levers through a PF M-motor. In order to make them shift sequentially, the system worked as follows: The motor (after gear reduction) rotated a short connector (with the towball on the end), which pulled a rubber band, which pulled a 2L beam, which engaged 4WD. When the M-motor continued rotating, this rubber band stretched more, but did not affect anything. This continued rotation caused the towball to bump two 4L black half-beams which were held back by more rubber bands. These half-beams, when pushed, shifted through the speeds of the transfer case. Differential lock: Because I desired a small, realistic-looking rear axle, and also because I cannot figure out a way to drive a HD differential perpendicularly while locking it, with enough strength for my needs (even 7x11 frames allow the gears to skip under torque), I housed only a number of knob wheels in the rear axle, with two half-shafts making their way to the chassis and an inboard HD differential, with the lock. Wipers: This used a similar design to ones I have used in the past, with a number of linkages allowing the wipers to cycle back and forth, though not as far as they should have. Front anti-roll bar disconnect: This feature, present on some real Rams and Jeeps, allows the front anti-roll bar to be disconnected remotely to increase axle articulation off-road. My solution split the anti-roll bar into two halves, which were normally only connected by a Lego bar, allowing them to rotate freely relative to each other. However, when an M-motor with a simple friction clutch moved a linkage, an old transmission driving ring slid along one half of the anti-roll bar and meshed its inner profile with the second half, strongly and efficiently locking them together. This made no performance difference whatsoever on the model, but was an interesting, and, I believe, unique in Technic, function to include. Disc Brakes: The disc brake system was driven by a PF L-motor, which split into a number of different axles using bevel gears. These eventually ran four small linear actuators, one for each wheel, which pressed rubber axle joiners against rubber track inserts on the brake discs. The front LAs were atop the upper wishbones, and proved to be minimally effective, but the rear ones on the solid axle were extremely strong. Opening hood: The hood could be opened by a PF L-motor which drove a worm gear, drive, which eventually drove a rack to push the hood up. The rack-based solution fit the space well, and seemed rather retro. Originally the rack was fixed to the hood, but then I realized that I would never be able to open the hood to turn the truck on or off, because if the model was off, I couldn't open the hood, and I couldn't shut the hood if the model was off. I then modified it so the rack merely pushed the hood up, allowing it to be manually opened as well. Distribution gearbox: Doors and running boards: This mechanism used large linear actuators and many linkages to allow both doors on a single side to open together. At the same time, a long black running board slid about one stud out of the side of the truck, providing a step up into the high cab. Tailgate raising/lowering: This used worm gears and levers to lower each side of the tailgate independently (because of the barn-door style opening, they could not be connected) Tailgate "Barn Door" opening: This function also used worm gears to rotate the two parts of the tailgate outwards, through universal joints along their tilting axis. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of not gearing the function down enough, so it only worked with great coaxing. Trailer landing leg: This simple function on the trailer was driven from the truck through a universal joint, and worked using a worm gear. Trailer ramp deploying: The ramps on the trailer which would theoretically allow the quad bike to drive up onto it would slide out of the rear of the trailer, and were driven by small tires that forced them to slide. This was also driven from the truck through a universal joint. Front suspension: The suspension on the truck was pneumatic, which allowed for long travel, great stiffness, and some damping, but leaked air incessantly, forcing me to pump it back up all the time, which was very annoying. There was technically adjustable hardness, because there was a valve controlling it. If it was left in the extend position, all of the air in the airtank would be part of the system, causing the overall pressure to increase less for a given compression of cylinders than it would if the valve were closed. Closing the valve really just caused air to leak if the suspension was pressed all the way, though. The front used XL cylinders. Rear suspension: The rear suspension was a 5-link live axle, with four longitudinal links and the fifth transverse one, the Panhard rod. It used medium cylinders. Opening rear window: A long, thin V2 pneumatic cylinder hidden under the roof slid a square, System window piece sideways, as if the central rear window on the real truck were being opened. It was quite a smooth function, and impressive to look at, but it used up my stored air, so using it meant a lot of pumping. Trailer suspension: The trailer had an extremely basic live axle, with flex axles serving as leaf springs. The trailer appeared to have a lift relative to a regular trailer, a not unheard of practice in the world of towing with lifted trucks. Anti-roll bars: There were two anti-roll bars, a disconnect-able one in the front, and a fixed one in the back, which had curves similar to those evident to anyone looking at the rear axle of a modern Ram, helping it to avoid the simulated differential housing. Suzuki LT500R Quad Bike This extra little model was a model of one of the most extreme Quad Bikes ever, which packed a 500cc two-stroke engine, for an amazing power-to-weight ratio. I believe it was (perhaps still is) the world's fastest production quad bike, with speeds, if I remember correctly, approaching 80 mph (130 km/h, or so). Mine had an interesting lime-and-purple aesthetic, which I consider decent for my first attempt at a quad bike, particularly since I was very limited in what lime and purple pieces I could use. Performance would have been acceptable were it not for an issue with my V2 receiver which cuts power to drive motors under even minimal stress, emitting a squealing sound. (I couldn't replace it, because I only had four receivers, and I couldn't swap it with one in the truck because of my V2's other idiosyncrasy, namely that the red channel only works with servo motors and LEDs, and there were no servos in the truck to power off of it). Trailer images: I hope I have made this very long post legible enough, but it is rather hard. I believe image quality may be up since I started taking pictures with my phone rather than my digital camera, and my video now has a much less obnoxious watermark. More images can be seen at: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/ram-rebel-trx, and the video is here: Overall, I think the model was a success, with a greater percentage of working functions than usual, a greater number of functions than usual, and an exterior that isn't a disaster!

The front steering is an interesting, elegant design! I also like the simulated electric motor.

I've got a friend who likes to run his PF off of rechargeable 9V batteries (rated at 8.4V). He found that the setup was burning out receivers, so we grabbed a circuit board from a spare AA battery box and hooked it up to the 9V battery, figuring that we would then get the benefit of the factory protection. It worked great, but we are now wondering whether the whole board needs to be retained to keep the protection. There is an external resistor and what appear to be a small, embedded resistor and an embedded capacitor. Could the protection be retained by just using the external resistor, or should we keep the whole board?

I like your innovation in pneumatic engines! Good work!

That is a very interesting steering mechanism!

Certain front-engine rear-drive sports cars will have the transmission mounted at the rear, usually as a transaxle around the differential, in order to help with weight distribution. No sport sedans with such a configuration come to mind, but it is a real solution.

The Hummer EV is a cool vehicle to model, with the car-marketing tie-in, but thanks to its being electric virtually all the components of the Defender's drivetrain (gearbox, transfer case, piston engine) would become unrealistic, leaving us with a very basic model, which wouldn't really be the Defender successor it has been speculated to be.