2GodBDGlory

Great job on the aesthetic!

Looks more like 75.1 or 76.1 to me, especially when I look at the rear tire up close. If all I could see were the front one, I would guess 70.1, but the back seems to be plainly 75.1 or 76.1

Good eye! I'm pretty sure it is an L-motor for drive, which is good, since it may be cheaper, and it makes about the same power in a smaller package. And the original pent-up demand ought to have dissipated

Either that, or in a similarly stupid move, Lego is now making regular axles in brown... Maybe the 5.5L axle could be brown now? Other axles with stops are. You are probably right, though. You are likely right. A close inspection of that picture does reveal a very slight blue tinge on that pin (to me, at least)

That could be very interesting!

Cool! I didn't know that such a mechanism existed!

Yes, it is great to be able to have intelligent discussion about this stuff! Virtually any time I physically show my stuff to family or friends, they understand very little of the mechanics. They just see a big, incomprehensible car, and think that it's cool, but no more. On here, we have enough like-minded people to dig into technical details. This is one big reason that we should do our best to keep the forum alive!

Okay, thanks for clearing that up!

Another option that might be less insulting to some beginners than a beginners forum could be to split between hugely refined "100% effort" mocs and self-acknowledged "fun" mocs. This would mean that beginners trying their hardest would have their mocs in a more "elite" forum, but it would perhaps still motivate folks to post fun stuff. Also, there has been discussion of the nature of constructive criticism. Too much "fluff" surrounding criticism isn't good, but too little often puts builders on the defensive, and prejudices them against actually making the suggested changes, which is presumably the goal of the critique. The point is this: a certain amount of unnecessary, positive, talk actually increases the effectiveness of constructive criticism.

Wow! Free instructions! That is somewhat tempting, since I never buy instructions. Otherwise, it is quite a cool car! You say that it has rear castor angle. This confuses me, since I thought a wheel had to be steered to have castor. Is this because A. There is a typo, B. There is rear-wheel steering, or C. I don't understand castor angle very well?

Great work! What would you call the front suspension system? It looks like an idea I had a few years ago for a pendular suspension with a four-bar setup to keep the wheels parallel to the ground. Is that what I am seeing, or is it something else?

I can't say whether or not output has been decreasing, since I have only been on Eurobricks for a few months, and comparing it with other websites, such as the then-dying Mocpages probably isn't fair. I do know that I have plenty of ideas left to build, (I have four or five MOCs currently planned out in my head!), and there have been plenty of inspiring new pieces these past few years, in my opinion. I can also agree that it seems that the majority of MOCs are styling-focused, mechanically simple, 1:8 supercars, and that this is likely because that is what the instruction-buying market asks for. This isn't necessarily a problem, since there isn't anything wrong with building that kind of thing with Lego, but it is still, in my opinion, relatively uninteresting to build. I have built at least a dozen 1:8 supercars, but probably only one of them could be called "styling-focused, mechanically simple."

Well, the plug design was changed a year or two ago. Now it is one solid piece, and it is almost impossible to replace the wire. The older plugs came apart relatively easily, and wires could be replaced without too much trouble. The pictured one above is the older design, so it should be possible to fix, though not necessarily easy. I am rather bothered that Lego would change the design of the plug like that, especially since without a supply of new PF, I'll be trying to keep my stuff running as long as possible!

That is a fair question, but at least it doesn't come up much!

I don't think they can be too many years old, since there is the small bulge on the wire end which wasn't there on older plugs. I have had issues with my wires wearing down over time where they enter motors and plugs, so I tried putting hot glue around the joints to prevent it from rubbing around. I don't know if this really helped, and all the hot glue is flaking off now, though. If your only problem is with the wires themselves, you could always replace the wire. If you can solder, it isn't too hard to do. In fact, I learned all my soldering skills from working on Lego motors. Replacing the wires does, of course, require a replacement wire, which could be cannibalized from an extension wire. Alternatively, perhaps it is possible to buy generic wire that would fir PF plugs and motors? One other thought: Would UV light have an affect on the insulation?

I suppose part of the reason for having both themes on one forum is that oftentimes, fan models can be right in the middle of Model Team and Technic, and the split theme setup ought to make this no issue, because a contested model would still go on the same forum either way.

Is there any information on pricing for these motors available yet?

Yep! I doubt I would buy anything new from Lego if they didn't keep making new parts. As it is, my new Lego consumption amounts to about a $100 Bricks & Pieces order each year to pick up new parts.

Good to see you putting your theory into practice! One thought for how you could make the shifting easier would be to remove the 12T gear driven by the lower 24T differential, and replace it with a 16T gear driven by the 16T output of the same differential, and then add either a pair of 8T gears or some universal joints to transfer the drive back into the same spot. Doing so would double the torque on the shifter, at the cost of some friction. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised at all if you already have something like that, or better, in the works, seeing how rapidly you are improving your designs!

Good work! That is a very elegant model of a rarely made, relatively obscure, type of aircraft!

Audi R8 V10 Spyder Here is my latest ultimate supercar, a fully functional Audi R8 V10 Spyder. About this creation This model has a few new-to-me functions, such as working windshield wipers, an advanced convertible roof, and a pneumatic hood. Read on to find out more! (Does that last phrase make me sound professional?) Aesthetics: This car looks like a car. That is good, though I am never that happy with the looks of my cars. I suppose this is due to my function-over-form mentality, which resulted in a bulged rear end. Anyways, there are LED headlights AND taillights, for the first time Opening objects: The hood opens using a pneumatic cylinder (Driven by a compressor I was going to mention later), the doors open using soft shocks and have the usual auto-lock gizmos. The rear engine cover also opens manually and has a stand to keep it up. The same panel opens electronically when the roof goes up, but that's another story. Interior: This car has a fancy-dancy interior. It involves black parts in the floor, doors, sides, rear, dashboard, and footwells. There is a detailed central console and dashboard, and the glovebox opens. The seats can be adjusted forwards and backwards using two small linear actuators, there is a functioning parking brake/emergency brake/e-brake/handbrake, as well as a functioning gas pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel. There is also a gearbox speed indicator at the back of the central console. Suspension: There is full independent suspension, with a full repertoire of springy thingies, such as rubber bands, 8 hard shocks, and torsion bars, all trying to keep this thing's immense bulk off the ground, and succeeding--barely. There is negative camber on all wheels (I recently realized that all my previous cars had positive--how embarrassing!) There is also castor, kingpin, and Ackermann on the front axle, though that has more to do with steering than suspension... Anyways, the suspension isn't really practical, as it is about as hard as the chassis is, leading to a minimal effect. Besides, the chassis is only a millimeter or two off the ground. Still, I like having it for the technical sophistication. Pneumatics: There is a pneumatic system involving a switch-operated PF L-motor running a small compressor, a manometer, an airtank, and two switches at the rear of the cabin. One switch controls the aforementioned hood, and the other controls a small cylinder linked to the rear differential lock. They both work well, though the manometer is pretty useless, except to see if the system has a leak, I guess. Steering: There is a typical Servo steering system, but with a working wheel, Ackermann, Castor, and Kingpin angles. This is a simple, reliable function. Drive: The car is driven with two XL motors through all four wheels (Audi's Quattro system), and there is a V10 piston engine linked to them. A Servo motor on the same channel under the floor rotates a small beam that allows the gas pedal to fall when the motors run and go up when they stop. Drive is VERY slow--almost imperceptible in reverse, but I don't see the point in building big cars for their performance--tiny ones do much better at that! Windshield wipers: This is a nifty little function accomplished using a PF M-motor an eccentric mechanism, and a link. It works very well, and is very visible in its operation. Adjustable suspension: An L-motor for each axle with a 36:1 worm reduction compresses the shocks on each axle to adjust the hardness of the suspension. A beam used as a lever synchronizes the two sides of each axle, and the front and rear are mechanically independent. Adjustable spoiler: The spoiler can be raised using two small linear actuators and a PF M-motor. When it reaches a certain height, a string becomes taut, which then tilts the spoiler down (It is spring-loaded to stay vertical at rest) Another string connected to the braking system pulls the spoiler down when the brakes are on for an airbrake system. Convertible roof: A PF L-motor runs a 24:1 worm drive, which then raises the roof using a 4-bar linkage. As the roof goes up, it pushes its way out from under the hinged cover. When the roof goes down, a linkage pulls the cover up just before the roof goes down, then puts the cover down too. Because of the way this linkage is made, the cover can also be opened manually. There is a little manual lock to hold the cover down in a good looking way, and there are a few small Lego System segments that can be interchanged: A set with gaps for the roof supports that allows the roof to work, and a set without the gaps, that makes the cover look better. Both pairs can be stowed under the hood (I mean the front one, even though there isn't an engine there. Do they call that the boot?)You really ought to watch the video for this one. Brakes: For the disc brakes in this car, I decided to use the new brake discs from the Bugatti Chiron set, but to make them functional. This was hard, but it worked well, looked good, and is skinnier than a typical setup. This is controlled using a PF Medium motor running a large linear actuator. This moves a big chunk of beams which pulls strings longitudionally, which then curve around pulleys to pull down at the brake discs in a more compact and efficient way than the usual 6L links and bevel gears. Again, there is a brake pedal connected to the beam blob, and a string to power the airbrake. Sadly, the brakes weren't as strong as I'd hoped. It doesn't really matter, though, since I doubt this thing could even make 1Km/h! Gearbox: This model has my typical (Lately) 7+R Dual Clutch Sequential gearbox, using Chiron shifters. You can read more about its working principle in the descriptions of my Porsche 918 Spyder and my Ford GT. The shifting mechanism was made more compact in this one by using knob wheels instead of my old bevel gear setup. There is a convenient speed indicator, it still has quad clutches, and an XL motor shifts. The gearbox was unreliable, but when it worked, it worked. In conclusion, this car is easily my most functional ever, and thus my best (I'd say). The convertible roof and windshield wipers were very satisfying, and the huge number of motorized and manual functions makes me feel happy! The looks weren't perfect, but they were at least decent, I think. Make sure to ask in the comments if you have any questions about how it works, and I always appreciate comments (Well, I always appreciate nice ones, but I don't always appreciate every critical one. There is a line somewhere between constructive criticism and destructive criticism). You can check out my video at: Thanks for reading this tome of a post! IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/audi-r8-v10-spyder Mini Cooper JCW GP This model was built along the same lines as my previous mini cars (Focus RS; Veloster N), but with a whole extra L-motor for drive packed in! (For 3 in total) About this creation It was a crazy idea, but it just barely fit, making the car nearly solid electronics. Sadly, I couldn't change the gear ratioto make it faster, so I just put on a better looking, heavier body to use my newfound power. I like how it looks, and it was fast and handled fairly well! You can see a video of it at: [EDIT: This video proved to be far and away my most popular YouTube one, with a stunning 1.2K views to date! I try not to let it go to my head... I guess people like fast, decent-looking cars better than my month(s)-long, super complex supercars] IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/mini-cooper-jcw-gp 1988 Toyota Hilux: A Tribute to a Truck This is a model of a real-life truck I have come to know; a 1988 Toyota Hilux pickup. About this creation Aesthetics: Because this is inspired by a real truck, there are some dilapidated details, such as a gap under the passenger side headlight, a ratty driver's seat, no tailgate, no passenger mirror, rusty sides, mismatched wheels, battered taillights, etc. The headlights work, the doors open, and the hood opens. I like the mudflaps, made from track links. Interior: The driver's seat is made to be ratty, with the stuffing coming out. The steering wheel works. Drive: Two L motors behind the front wheels drive all four wheels. There is an inline four piston engine that I later realized should have been oriented longitudinally rather than transversely [EDIT: How foolish of me! Everyone knows that "real" trucks always have longitudinal engines!]. Performance isn't great. Steering: A PF L-motor steers the front wheels and a steering wheel. Suspension: There is front independent suspension, and a rear live axle that uses flex axles for leaf springs. Gearbox: There is a 5+R manual gearbox. Transfer case: There is a two-speed transfer case as well, controlled manually. RWD/4WD selector: There is a selector to choose between Rear Wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive. Sadly, it often skips back into RWD under stress. Overall, I enjoyed modeling a real truck, but the complicated drivetrain made any off-roading pretty much impossible. You can see my video at: IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/1988-toyota-hilux-a-tribute-to-a-truck

Hyundai Veloster N This is a tiny, speedy, drifting car! About this creation This car was intended to merge the performance of my small Focus RS with the drift ability of my BMW M2. It succeeded! Aesthetics: The car was mostly intended to be light, and it was, but the body was very fragile. Steering: A servo motor rotated a 2L beam with a 1L bar coming from it, which pushed the rack over. There was huge castor, which allowed for the drifting. In fact, while steering one way on flat ground, one of the front wheels would be completely off of the ground! Drive: The car was driven by two L-motors at a 1:5 ratio. This made it super fast! Overall, this car was super fun to drive, and drifted super well, sometimes too well, spinning 180 degrees when I only wanted 90! Still, it was great fun. There is a video at: IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/hyundai-veloster-n Dodge Challenger SRT Demon This is a simpler 1:8 car, but it still has some fair functions. Aesthetics: The model looks pretty good to me, largely because it is naturally blocky, just like my models! It has working headlights and taillights, using 9V lights up front and LEDs in the back. Opening stuff: The hood opens, as does the trunk (There is a full-sized trunk interior, too!) The doors also open, and have my typical locks. Interior: There are five seats, and the front ones have fancy five-point harnesses. There is a working steering wheel, a speed indicator, plus aesthetic stuff like a dashboard and central console! Suspension: There is front independent suspension with camber, castor, and kingpin angles, plus a live rear axle [EDIT: I was under a false impression that this car still had a rear live axle. I was wrong] with no fancy angles. Steering: There is steering with Ackermann geometry and a working steering wheel driven by a PF Servo motor. Sadly, the wheels hardly steer, but who needs much steering on a drag car, anyways! Drive: Two L-motors (in quite different positions) drive this car through an 8-speed gearbox. It has RWD, a limited-slip differential, and a V8 piston engine. Brakes: An M-motor brakes all four wheels. The rear wheels have brakes that pinch the discs on both sides, and the front ones use string to pull on the rubber. Sadly, my brakes are still too weak. Gearbox: This car has an all-new eight-speed sequential gearbox, using Chiron shifters and an L-motor for shifting. It is quite compact, but a couple of gears should have been more reinforced. Overall, though this model wasn't too functional, I liked it, and it could drive in all gears except for Sixth. There is a video of it at: IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/dodge-challenger-srt-demon Dodge Ram SRT-10 This model is built as an anniversary model, commemorating my first real Technic model, made two years old [EDIT: As of the time I made this model], of the same truck, at the same scale, in the same color. About this creation This new truck has opening doors and tailgate, a four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension, a live rear axle, RWD with two L motors, and steering with a working wheel using a PF M-motor. Aesthetics: I think it looked pretty good. As I said, the doors and tailgate open. Interior: There was a basic interior with two seats, the gearbox shifter, and a working steering wheel. Suspension: There was a rear live axle, and a simple independent front suspension with just the springs from shocks on axles. It all worked well. Gearbox: There was a flat-design four-speed manual gearbox. It drove in all gears, but strangely it would only reverse in first and second. Drive: Two L-motors drove the rear wheels. Steering: A PF M-motor steered the front wheels and a steering wheel. My old model had a simple three-speed manual gearbox, RWD with one M-motor, LED headlights, an opening hood, and manual steering. Here are my pictures-- please excuse the poor quality. Overall, I like my new model quite a bit; and it was quite interesting to take a look back at my first model, see how much my skills have improved, and, in the video (at //youtu.be/a4gPBYc7pic) how much my voice has changed! This model was a sort of niche project: putting functions in a very small package, but I like how it turned out! //youtu.be/a4gPBYc7pic IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/dodge-ram-srt-10 Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Trial Truck This model was built to use the same drivetrain as my Land Rover Defender, but have a more sophisticated suspension and a nicer bodywork. It also ended up with a winch. About this creation Aesthetics: The truck looks tough, I think, with a front bar, roof rack with lights, and a spare tire on the back. The doors open, as does the two part tailgate, which has a lock. I like the custom plates: "TOYOTUFF" Suspension: There is full live axle suspension with Lego shocks. I also included a system to allow the shocks to stretch away from the chassis a bit to improve axle articulation. In order to do this I used real-life bolts and small hard Lego springs. Overall, the suspension performed quite well, though the high bodywork made rollovers common. The rear skid plate extended into the bottom of the axles, but flex axles held it together, not pins, allowing for flex. Steering: The L-motor on the front axle steered the front wheels very slowly and strongly. Drive: An XL motor on each axle drove the wheels at a 9:1 ratio with portal axles and no differential. Winch: An L-motor pulled a winch at a 24:1 ratio. It worked pretty well, and had a manual disconnect function. Tracks: I also built tracks to add on. They really hurt performance, but were fun nonetheless. Overall, off-road performance was good, though winter mostly kept me from real outdoor tests. You can see a video of it at: IMAGES AT: https://bricksafe.com/pages/2GodBDGlory/toyota-land-cruiser-70-trial-truck

Cool! I didn't notice that

Yes, this is the ideal, I think, and not only because of shift points; even if you are controlling gears manually, low torque means that the driving rings are far less likely to pop out of a well-reinforced structure. Of course, in larger gearboxes, you may need quite a bit of torque at the input simply to rotate all the dead gears.

If it isn't being steered, why not get rid of the CV joint entirely and just use a normal axle?