nico71

Thanks Thirdwig and Lipko ! It is nice to see my building style is recognizable (camera setups help for sure).

I think too !

Yes, compare to my previous 42082 alternate (Offroad Truck), I wanted to place all the controls on one side, without needing to split the gearbox.

I think you are trying to compare orange and apple (Technic build Paave show, and System Build you proposed). But with a rude tone, full of affirmation and command, that was not mandatory. You seems to be good at LEGO system, so why not create a new topic on your version of the Blazer, so everybody can shine in this specific field ? Paave's work is good, it is not easy at this scale to get correct shape, proportion (with color limitation too) and playability / sturdyness (depending of what the builder want). Only drawback would be the side shape of the hood, but I assume it is a compromise that I am sure Paave would have correct if he could. Nico

Yeah it would be cool, but I would have not did these model :) Thanks for your kind words ! I choose the separate the design process now, with a blogpost about it on my website, and the product page more focused on the model, but Eurobricks has the full presentation package ^^. I unfortunately do not have any 1/10 car to show, that is why I use the only close I have in the video (the 1/12 Rally Car V3). but I have design the towing platform measuring various 1/10 Car, so for sure it fits ! (you can remove the rear red bush on the axle peg for low car. Thanks ! I use the small 3l bar to operate the driving ring indeed. I took this idea from Mani91 (he used in a combination with a knob gear to operate laterally the driving ring) which I re-used in a different orientation. It is not perfect in terms of play ability because of small size and that the 3l bar can move and rotate a bit so not for big hand ^^ 1/ indeed, as the original model doesn't have a 20t double bevel gear , I use a simple bevel one which meshes with the 16t gear due to the recessed tooth of the 16t gear. 2/ here is a view of the gearing closer. I use 1 center axle for 1 functions (grey on the picture), and 1 idle gear on each side for the two other functions (yellow and white on the pictures), which share the same articulation axle (in dark pink on the image). 3) Interesting question ! Here is the building process : I use only a single copy of the model, dismantling and sorted, with the stickers applied on parts in a specific tray. I start by the most difficult thing of the project, to verify the feasibility and avoid spending time on project that can not be realized (like starting by the chassis for a supercar while the bodywork is the most difficult parts). Here it was the cabin with the limited red inventory as I wanted the cabin to look nice. Then I proceed to the other determining elements, such the crane and the side panels, again because of the limited parts in color red and grey. When I have validated this, I did the chassis and the gearboxes which were not the biggest difficult to do, mostly iterating to find the correct assembly and functioning, so a sort of brute force try and retry. At this stage, the build is mostly finished and everything is roughly in place. So I continuously improve the design by testing and taker a step back for the design. Then I dismantle everything in sub assembly to create the building instructions in the same way it will be built in real with taking picture because sometime the sub assembly is so dismantled that I do not know how it is build, so I also improve or correct the building while making the instructions to avoid difficult step or non-accessible parts, and voila ! As usual, thanks TLCB team !

After months of work, here it is ! The fourth alternate I did with the 42082 LEGO Technic Set - Rough Terrain Crane, as an Unimog-inspired tow truck, with 4x4 drivetrain, suspensions, 5 motorized functions, and a lot of openable elements. Specs : Based on Unimog U425/435 with towing boom equipment, 50x24x27cm, 3kg, 1/10-11 Scale Four wheel drive connected to the fake L6 engine under the hood (not motorized) Steering with hand of god and return to steering wheel in the cabin (not motorized) Front and rear leaf axle using axle (lock pin available to secure the position for long display) L-motor and battery box to power 5 functions though inversion gearboxes (no need to reverse the on/off button) Color-coded levers for each function with relevant actuation direction (except towing platform, grey lever) Stabilizers using long linear actuators with additional clutches Crane elevation with small linear actuators (internal clutch) Boom extension using rack and pinion with friction joiner as clutch Winch with 24t-clutch (can be swapped with a 24t gear for more pulling force) Synchronized winch and boom speeds to move the boom without changing the hook height Articulated towing platform with a small linear actuator, with removable axle-holder Openable elements for playing : doors, engine hood, side panel to access the gearbox controls, and toolboxes Tiltable cabin with locking battery and levers to hold it (only when the boom is on lower position) Original stickers friendly (included sticker guide in the instructions) See in action (Youtube, 3min41) Design process : I had this Unimog on my todolist for a while, but never find the time to do it. The first thing I did was designing the cabin, that I want to be accurate, homogeneous and smooth, considering the small amount of red parts in the 42082 set (especially connectors), this was a challenge ! The bonus feature is that the cabin is in one piece, so can be tilted, as real. I used for that the battery as a lock, but only when the boom is in lower position for security. Then, I designed the towing crane and side grey boxes with contains the stabilizer mechanisms and the gearboxes underneath, to ensure that I could place every functions I wanted with the limited inventory I had. It was not easy due to the lack of space in the middle because of the crane which can go very low and that 3 functions had to pass though the crane articulation. At final, I am happy with the design of the stabilizers, the synchronized speed of the winch and boom extension, and the small trick to use a 3l bar as a changeover catch for the gearbox to have 5 levers as the original set has only 4 changeover catch. I also paid attention to the playability of the model, with color-coded and relevant actuation direction for the levers. Pushing a lever is raising or extending, pulling a lever is lowering or retracting which make sense to me (except for the grey lever, which works in the opposite way unfortunately). To finish I designed the chassis to connect everything together, adding the suspension on the same basis as my previous 42082 Model E - Offroad Truck, and start refining over and over the model and the assembly process to create the building instructions. It was a long job, for the biggest creation I have ever done in terms of piece count (3471). At final it gives a model measuring : 50 x 24 x 27cm, for about 3kg, so the building time is long ! Overall I am very happy with the functioning of the model, as well as the overall design which includes the original stickered parts for more details. My only two complaints would be the heavy steering without moving, due to the weight and wide tire. And the tiny stabilizers lever which is not the most handy to use, that is why I recommend to switch it, then starting the motor with the battery box. So it is easier to stop exactly where you want with the battery switch instead of the tiny lever. If you want more details : Pictures and Instructions : https://www.nico71.fr/product/42082-model-f-unimog-tow-truck/ Rebrickable link : https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-267088/Nico71/42082-model-f-unimog-tow-truck/#details I hope you like ! Fell free to comment or ask question ! 😃

Not sure about that, as it is quite demanding electronically speaking, so I don't think is it suitable for casual play, but I would love to see more RC model from LEGO too ! Thanks ! It is indeed to limit the play in the front axle when accelerating / braking. The ground of the racetrack as a lot of friction so it can make wobble the suspensions arms. This device help but it would be better to use beam instead of axle+bushes. Thanks ! Indeed the RC motor have a strange shape, but are the best here for speed / torque. I wish LEGO do L motor size with one less planetary gear reduction so better speed, less torque. For some applications, it can be usefull. Thanks TLCB team !

A group-B inspired Rally Car, built for the 1/12 competition at the BuWizz Gathering 2025. Features motorized rear drive and steering, suspensions, fake engine, and openable elements. Specs : Mixed inspirations from Lancia Delta, Peugeot 205 Turbo, Audi Quatro Dimensions : 35 x 18 x 14cm, Scale ≃ 1/11, Øwheel : 56mm Motorized with a BuWizz 2.0 Drive : 2x RC Buggy Motor (LEGO) (fastest output, 12/28 gear reduction) Steering : PFS Servo Motor, Rack and pinion Front Suspensions : double wishbones with trailing arms Rear Suspensions : double wishbones with floating differential Fake engine V6 Openable doors, hood and trunk See in action : Design Process : This model is my third iteration of building a Rally Car from the 90’s, mainly based on my second version (first here). The aim was to rebuilt a smaller version, motorized with BuWizz bricks for the 1/12 Racer competition at the BuWizz 2025 Gathering. So I redesigned completely the chassis and adapted the style of the design with modernize it. You can see the difference underneath below between the V2 from 2016 and the 2025 V3 : Obviously the motorization take some space, but I redesigned the axles with new parts and smaller width. I reused the principle of floating differential that I used on my Honda S2000, with ball joint on half frame, as I did not have new shorter 4l-cv-join which is also better for torque resistance. The two LEGO RC motor drive a 12t/12t bevel gearing on their fastest output, which goes to the 12t/28t differential. This differential is swappable by 20/28t version, if you want more speed, and the lower output of the RC motor can also be used (two gearing to swap, all included). The steering is operated by a PFS Servo Motor with rack and pinion and additional linear guide. You can note that the connecting rods are fixed on the knuckles with axle with stop instead of ball joints which are more reliable in case of race contact but with a loss of precision. There is not return to the steering wheel. The front suspensions are classic double wishbones with additional trailing arms to strengthen the axle and avoid longitudinal movement. The rear are double wishbones with additional springs for the weight, as the BuWizz is located on the back to increase the weight grip. The fake V6 engine is connected to the drivetrain and is decorated with two turbos and exhaust pipe, revealed by the massive openable trunk/hood. The doors can also be open, revealing a simple interior and the front hood enable mechanical access to the steering. Speaking of the style, I took a lot of inspiration of various car from the Group B : Audi Quatro for the front and color scheme, Lancia Delta for the proportion, front wheel fans and the Peugeot 205 T16 for the massive wings, completed by a red interior. Most of the ideas come from my previous iteration, but with modernized design with better proportions, including new panels, surface treatments and better seams between the different body panels. Regarding the performance, with a weight of 1kg and 2x RC motor, it is quite fast (top speed of 5km/h) and responsive but a bit heavy to compet efficiently with smaller car equipped with BuWizz 3.0 and 2x BuWizz motors. On the race, I finished at the 7th place, against 12 opponents. With 03:06 of best lap time where winner’s best is 01:15. There was no functional damage, so reliable drivetrain, steering and suspensions. But I modified the front mudguard with a higher one to avoid wheel contact on bump and race contact (parts and instructions also included on that page). I have only one BuWizz cutoff, due to the 2x LEGO RC Buggy motors I used which drain a lot of current. So for the next iteration, a BuWizz 3.0 + 2x BuWizz motors, fewer details, less weight, more speed ! Links : Instructions : https://www.nico71.fr/product/rally-car-v3/ Partlist : https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-259195/Nico71/group-b-rally-car-v3/#parts

Thanks a lot ! You can learn it by inspiring and practicing :)

Not sure about that, the rubber acts like a damper, not really like a spring. Even if I mounted vertically, the weight will compress it but the suspensions effect will not be very visible because of the small weight and driving force. The rubber liftarm are good in suspensions when twisting so ideal in axle crossing for instance. The best to reproduce here considering the physics is low damping suspensions so a soft spring or elastic band. Yes, the system part help a lot to have a smooth finish, mostly tile and curved parts to fill the hole, as well as thinking about the orientation of each parts, it truly make the difference at a low cost. But it requires to think about all the needed connections and the extra dimensions needed. You can not just put tiles on holes and voila, it is more subtil than that. What helps also the design here is the 1/2 stud constructions everywhere (mostly made with half connector/beam and half axle). In order to have correct alignement and design homogeneity. If I had built only on the LEGO grid, the design would have been bulkier "for sure 😎" Thanks TLCB team !

Basically the cabin in articulated on the front, and resting on the back, the trick is to have narrow connection and enough space to enable the wooble. It is not a true suspension in the way it can not compress, but for sure when you take a fast corner, the cabin move sideway. Thanks ! I personnaly prefer the US version, but this is my inclination for nose truck ^^ The scania is moreover more pleasant to drive with the short wheelbase. Oh, I have to look at it ! (Edit : too late ^^) Thanks for your message, indeed, I like this scale, so why not continunuing with other 1/30 truck for the lineup. I am thinking of classic US cabover like kenworth K100 or european ballast truck in 6 or 8x4 ! Proposing both version is now something I want to propose, it enables to choose the way you want to build and is upgradable, surely it is more difficult to handle the two models but I think this is great to propose that. Thanks for all you messages !

Following my 1/30 LEGO Technic American Heavy-Duty Truck, here is the European version, based on Scania design. Features drive, steering, a tri-axle trailer with fixed or steerable axle, openable doors and tilting cab. Available in motorized or manual version in a single download, all upgradable. Specs : Model inspiration : Scania S Serie (High Roof) Dimensions : 21cm (50cm with trailer) x 10cm x 15cm Øwheel : 37mm Two versions available : Manual or Motorized (Power Functions) Rear wheel drive with a L-motor and differential Small turning radius steering with overhang PFS Servo motor, rack and pinion Battery source compatibility : PFS+Buwizz 2.0 or 2.4GHz battery On manual version, steering operated by Hand of God on the back of the cab On manual version, working L4 engine under the cab All versions are included in a single package and are upgradable from and to each version Tri-Axle Trailer with fixed or automatic steering axle using linkage and a locking pin Landing gear on the trailer with friction gears Openable doors and tilting cab See in action : Design Process : After the good reception of the US Heavy Duty Truck, many asked for the European equivalent, so I did ! It shares the same philosophy with high playability and motorization upgradability with two versions. But with two improvements : a fake L4 engine on the manual version and the placement of the battery in the cabin for the motorized one. The drive is identical to my US truck, except there is only one axle on the rear, and so no suspensions. The differential can be swap for dark bluish grey 28t and 20t to have more speed but less controls. The steering is different, with the servo motor placed in front of the wheel, instead of behind, thanks to the set-back-axle configuration or european cabover. It enables to have space for the fake L4 engine on the manual version in place of the servo motor. The turning angle is the same but the wheebase being smaller, the turning radius is even smaller than the US truck. Thanks to the cabin shape, I placed the battery inside, behind the seats, which avoids to have cables between the truck and trailer, enabling an easy coupling/decoupling when playing. At a cost of a loss of traction on the driven axle, as it has less weight on it. The cabin can wooble sidely to mimic cabin suspensions and can be tilted as a whole in equilibrum, retained by chains to enable the wobble (comparing to a beams solution). A recessed cover panel replaced the battery on the manual version and provide a better access to the steering hand of god placed behind the cab instead on the top to improve stability during play. The trailer uses the same mechanism as my US truck (courtesy of TechniMocer for the original idea), but have a different exterieur design and colors, with longer platform, sideguards, front bulkhead and a different bumper, moslty based on Schmitz Cargobull and Krone trailers. To finish with the design, it is inspired from the Scania S Series high roof, with the iconic front grille and upper cab shape. Which has been recreated with a lof of half stud to get the correct proportion at this smal scale. I changed also some details like the grille and roof light, as well as some colors to fit the LEGO parts to have homogeneous design and color consistency. Links : Pictures and Instructions on nico71.fr Bill Of Material (Motorized) on rebrickable Bill Of Material (Manual) on rebrickable If you want to build only the Truck in motorized / manual version, or the trailer, you can download the dedicated Bill Of Material here in csv format, or watch online Truck Only (Motorized or Manual) Trailer Only (same for both version) Let me know what do you think about !

Thanks ! The scale is very good for that, a compromise between 1/35 (30mm tire) which is too small and the 1/25 (43mm tire) which is too big. I wanted to create the smallest creation to fit all I need to keep cost low and have maximum playibility regarding available space to play (I like big rig, but they need too much space to drive). That is why I came up with that scale (and because I like the look of the tire). In deed, all trailer axles have the same angle, for simplicity. At start I wanted to try to have different angle but as it is composed of linkage which cross on the center, it was not easy to do it without having a side which turn more than the other (linkage effect as you need to choose a side the operate primarily). I have then looking to different length of the knuckle but as the wheel are close together there is not enough space, or I can limit all the wheel angle to small angle but it doesn't make sense for playability if it is too close of the fixed axle setup. The best is to use rack and pinion with gearing but it create too much backlash and play so suitable for back driving. Thanks ! In fact you can not, first because there is no room for the bevel gearing near the servo (it occupy the whole cabin), secondly because there is also the control+ version, which do not have the same form factor and the cross axle in it, and lastly and more importantly, because you can not operate the servo motor by hand, it is too hard to rotate. So I prefer the approach with or without motor. But the true difficulty was to have the same attachment point or at least the same parts to attach all the various motors, there is only some leftover parts for the hog. A way to use the manual and motorized together is to use a system to disengage the servo motor like a clutch, as I did on my Rally Car V1 in 2013/ Thanks TLCB for the featuring !

A 1/30 LEGO Technic replica of an American Heavy Duty Truck with Steering Axle Trailer. Features drive, steering and tri-axle trailer with fixed or steerable axle. Available in different motors configurations (Manual, PFS, Control+) in a single download, all upgradable. Specs : Model inspiration : Western Star and International Truck models Dimensions : 24cm (52.5cm with trailer) x 8.5cm x 11cm Øwheel : 37mm Three versions available : Manual, Power Functions or Control+ Rear wheel drive with a L-motor and differential Small turning radius steering with PFS Servo motor or Control+ L motor, rack and pinion Battery source : PFS+Buwizz 2.0 or PFS+2.4GHz battery or C+ and C+hub or C+ and Buwizz 3.0 On manual version, the steering operated by Hand of God on the top of the cab All versions are included in a single package and are upgradable from and to each version Middle axle with trailing arm suspension to avoid losing traction on uneven ground Tri-Axle Trailer with fixed or automatic steering axle using linkage and a locking pin Landing gear on the trailer with friction gears Openable doors and hood (no fake engine) See in action : Design Process : This model was created for a Truck Exhibition in France to show the possibility of LEGO Trucks in a functional and fun way, either manual or motorized. So I started designing the truck to be the smallest possible with the two motors, that is why I chose the 37mm tire to fit all electronics needed. Plus they have the perfect tire ratio for Heavy Duty Truck looking. Because of the tight space, only the rear axle is powered, and the rack and pinion of the steering is placed in front of the front wheels. Speaking of the steering, I wanted to maximize the turning abilities so I design in a way the range of motion is maximal without colliding with anything, which contributes a lot to the playability. After a few tests, I noticed that the truck could get stuck on small bumps because the central axle was lifted and the rear wheels lost contact with the ground. So I added a rudimentary suspension system in the form of a trailing arms on the central axle, which absorbs bumps that could otherwise cause the rear wheels to lose traction. On the Trailer, I wanted to experiment with steering axle trailer for a while so I was inspired by the Mini Scania R420 and Steering Trailer by TechniMocer which I reused the functioning principle : a lever connected to the saddle operate the trailer axles. Nevertheless, I have improved it with a smaller height for the mechanism, enabling to have the trailer near the rear wheels without any collision. Plus increasing the range of motion of the steering primarily due to extended width. The Truck / Trailer articulation can achieve ±75°. An other functional addition is the locking pin mechanism which enables to choose between two mode of steering for the trailer : fixed or steerable. Simple but effective, as it can be difficult to drive backward the trailer with steering axle mode. For the details, there are quite standard with interior, seats, lights, mirrors and exhausts. The doors can be opened as well as the hood but reveal nothing (no fake engine). The most difficult parts was to reproduce the original form of the cab in a clean look with has many variation in width. For instance the chassis is in 9/11 stud wide, while the cab is only 8 stud, the grill 6 and the mudguard 10, so as you assume there is a lot of half-stud offset inside. I added a minifig inside because I find it funny, even if it is a bit small for the truck (1/43 instead of 1/30). The Rebrickable model do not include it, but the cookie and mug is here ! Instructions are available on my website, as well as rebrickable (3x versions, Manual, PFS and control+), with PDF tutorial for Buwizz and PoweredUp App Profile : 📲 Instructions : https://www.nico71.fr/product/heavy-duty-truck-and-trailer/ 🧩 Bill Of Material : https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-246143/Nico71/heavy-duty-truck-and-steering-axle-trailer/#parts Let me know what do you think about it and if you have questions !

Totally, but the aim was to share the most of the parts between the two versions in order they are upgradable by just adding the motors without the need to all dismantling. The speed is not that bad with a gear multiplication and tiny knob. It also enable to lock the model in position which is important especially in articulated steering when offloading (even by pushing by hand, it avoid an obstacle turning the steering). EDIT : I assume you talk specifically of the manual version