Hrafn

Probably nothing, just a few odds and ends from Bricklink - but the upcoming non-technic "Mixels" line is supposed to have some new mini towball parts that could be very good for suspensions. Then again, the full details on the 2014 releases aren't out yet...

No steering, 4WD with a PF-M geared up 20/12, and a winch? Hm. Is it part of a trailer? If it weren't for the lack of steering I'd think maybe it was going to be an airport tractor / tug.

Would it be possible to print a flexible axle that didn't have the stops on the ends? That is, a flexible axle that could actually transfer drive to gears and wheels? Or are all the material options too fragile?

Very nice! Will you have any opportunities to integrate it into a minifig-scale diorama, at a show or something? It would be the perfect blend of Town, Train, and Technic!

Nick, Much obliged, thank you!

Do you have any photos of it from other angles? I'm having trouble understanding how it works. Thanks!

Doc, Thanks, that's a great idea! Often it seems like photos of vehicles are only front 3/4 shots - I hadn't thought of looking at walkaround videos. For now I think I'll have to put this one on the back burner and focus my energies on my current project.

Thanks, that's good info! I've been looking at the feasibility of doing a Truck Trial version of one of the highly decorated Pakistani trucks ("jingle trucks"), and longnose Bedford J series seem to be the most common foundation for those. RWD with leaf springs is not really Truck Trial material, though. It doesn't look like the MKs and RLs were ever used as commercial vehicles in South Asia, sadly. Oh well. I'll keep looking to see if there are any 4x4 or 6x4 jingle trucks out there.

I missed this topic the first time around, or I would have posted then to congratulate you on your model. This is really an extraordinary creation, packed with more features than I would ever have guessed could fit in such a compact package.

Great, thank you! When you say multi leaf springs, do you mean that both front and rear axles were suspended on one longitudinal leaf spring per side? Are both axles powered, or just the rear? Thank you, that would be great! The main things are - wheel and tire diameter - tire width - wheelbase (not absolutely needed but helpful as a check) I think I can estimate the other dimensions from photographs.

I've checked the-blueprints.com and was unable to find blueprints for this truck. Bedford has been out of business for a long time, so I can't download technical data sheets, and there appear to be no electronic copies of manuals for the truck(s) available online. Does anyone know where I might find blueprints, or at least some dimensions (tire size, wheelbase) and basic information (suspension type, gearbox, etc.)? Thank you!

That's the way I would go. It's got great visual impact now, as a huge unbroken wall of orange panels; launchers etc. would detract from that.

If you're using any normal-length (2L) friction pins, make sure none of them are the old ones (the ones without center slots)! Those are hard enough to pull out one at a time.

Who wouldn't? I think Burf is going to be surrounded by kids and adults wanting a turn on it, if he takes it out in public.

In both cases, I applaud the effort but can't say I much like the results - though the Prowler without its bumpers is much better than the stock one.

Me too, though I don't like the term "dark ages" - I spent my teens and 20s and early 30s doing many things, and the lack of Lego hardly made them "dark". When I get access to a proper workshop or another hands-on engineering job, I'll probably put the Technic away again - but for now it's a way for me to get to tinker when my day-to-day life doesn't offer much opportunity to do so. That said, 8043 was technically brilliant and complex, but the M-motors were really inadequate for giving the model much play value. Building it was a good learning experience, but I took it apart again quite quickly for parts.

I like it a lot, you've done a great job of capturing the shape. The two things that stick out to me as areas for improvement - besides the front quarter panel - are the top of the trunk (which is higher in the real vehicle) and the fact that the model does not have a ground-hugging fender below the front bumper. Still, excellent work overall.

I believe the new owner of BrickLink is soliciting ideas for changes, and as Conchas said this should be a simple one to implement. If you want it as a feature, now is a good time to contact BrickLink about it.

Maybe a Technic Disk or a 36t gear in black would work? Or a 3-blade thin liftarm?

The wheelbase looks long to me, too. Most cars seem to have a wheelbase approximately equal to 4 wheel diameters; this looks more like 5 or so. But if it's what you want (and if it turns OK!) then it's not an issue.

Is it this one?

Do you have a particular real-world vehicle in mind? If so I'd try using whatever that vehicle uses for center suspension. Otherwise, pendular suspension is relatively straightforward and robust, especially if you use turntables for the central pivot. Take a look at the Unusual Locomotion site, too - they have pages for 6x6 trucks, both medium and heavy, plus a lot of other information about different kinds of vehicles. I'd also take a look at some 6x6 armored personnel carriers, though the ones with 2-axle steering seem mostly to steer the front two axles.

Are you looking to do 6x6 or 6x4? 6x4 would be easier, since integrating steering, suspension, AND power into a robust front axle can be tricky. There are a number of possible suspension types out there: Tatra (swing-axle), live axle, etc. Some real-world trucks (like my favorite ugly duckling, the Scammell Explorer/Pioneer) have a "walking beam" suspension for the rear 4 - on each side, a beam is mounted on an axle, and the wheels are then mounted at the ends of the beam. This allows for considerable vertical motion, but then the wheels aren't independent. Sariel's book (The Unofficial Lego Technic Builder's Guide) has some good instructions, and his site (sariel.pl) is good for inspiration.

That's a beautiful space, and excellent photography. I love the spare, modernist lines.

I agree - the thread is a good idea but problematic in the implementation. It's already becoming hard to follow the different topics.