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Hello EB friends! Today, I'm getting to work on a new project - a 4x4 rock crawler to compete in our upcoming Toronto Truck Trial in August. I've always wanted to try my hand at a rock crawler, but somehow never came around to it until now. It seems like the perfect opportunity to make the best offroad vehicle - faster than a large 6x6 or 8x8 trial truck, but still having excellent offroad capabilities with large ground clearance, huge suspension travel, oversized wheels, and the perfect excuse to omit bodywork entirely and make a light, nimble machine. To make the best rock crawler I can, I'm going to draw inspiration from a couple of my past creations (the parts of them that went well) as well as from some other builders' MOCs. First of all, I'm going to reuse the general axle design I used in my Praga 6x6 Trial Truck, which was inspired by @Attika's design in his offroader: To power this crawler, I want to get the best power-to-weight ratio I can. Since I'm limited to 2 x buggy motors and a BuWizz 2.0 - that's all I've got and I don't plan to invest more money at the moment - the only solution is to keep the truck as lightweight as possible. In my latest RAM pickup truck I was very pleased with the performance it achieved in low gear using 2 buggy motors and planetary hubs. Because I will be using larger crawling tires, I will reduce the ratio further for this build compared to the pickup, using the same 12-tooth bevel gear, 28 tooth bevel gears pairing as in my Praga at the axle, for a ratio of 2.33:1, rather than the ratio with the 20-tooth bevel gear, 28-tooth differential, as on my pickup, which has a ratio of 1.4:1. Overall, because my 3rd party crawler tires have about double the radius of the 62.4 x 20 tires on the pickup, and so double the circumference and double the speed, the ratios will more or less cancel out and the crawler will have the same speed and torque as the pickup, which was plenty. Indeed, it may be a bit faster, but it will also be lighter to account for it. If I got any of that math wrong, please feel free to correct me, but it makes sense to me that the speed is proportional to the wheel circumference and therefore the wheel radius, by the formula 2 * pi * r for circumference. Next, I'm going to just omit differentials entirely. I think the truck should be light enough to not need them, although the grippier tires may slow it down in the corners where diffs are necessary. For the suspension, I want to try my hand at building a four-link triangulated suspension, partly because it looks fun, and partly because it offers the advantage of being able to connect the axle to a small body, that doesnt need to extend all the way over the axle to accomodate a Panhard stabilizer rod. I think I will take inspiration for that from @PunkTacoNYC's awesome Chilli Crawler: In summary, then, here are the current specifications, ideas and goals for this build: 2 x buggy motors mounted in the body for drive, PF servo in the front axle for steering; BuWizz 2.0 for power Lightweight build overall to keep weight minimal and improve power/weight ratio - little to no bodywork, and short wheelbase Triangulated 4-link suspension to enable a smaller, lighter body, using the suspension links on the front axle to create a mild caster angle Planetary hub live axle suspension, as from my Praga truck, inspired by Attika - I just can't think of any way to improve on these, they're so simple, robust, and elegant, and have very precise steering and great ground clearance The first step is to adapt the front axle for this build. I will make it two studs wider to account for the larger tires, and I have to figure out mounting points for the suspension links and shock absorbers. Other than that, I will leave it untouched, as it just has it all. The planetary hubs and bevel gears together create a mechanical reduction of 12.6:1, which is excellent for how compact it is. The hub + defender rim combination keeps the pivot very close to the center of the tire, making the steering more effective. Attika's clever design gives it excellent ground clearance. And, importantly, mounting the servo on the axle gives it excellent precision with return-to-center steering, something rare for a heavy-duty axle, and it is very robust with the double-racked steering mechanism - I can't remember who recommended that to me in the past, but it's brilliant. Here, then, is the beginning of the front axle, widened by 2 studs: I'm excited for this build - I think it's going to have some nice performance! As always, I'm happy to take tips and suggestions from you guys - please pitch in! -Teo -
Hi, Here is my take on rock crawlers – I present to you an unstoppable and fully customizable rock crawler: „Hornet”! I called it unstoppable and fully customizable not without a reason. You can find out why in the video and in extensive list of features, details and links below the video. Instructions can be found HERE, they are free of charge, I hope many of you will be able to build it and have fun playing with it outdoors as I did. Without further talk, please enjoy the video! Details and main functions: • dimensions LxWxH: 36x22.5x19.5 cm • weight: 1.55 kg • 4x4 drive (3xL motors) • steering (M motor) • live axle suspension, front and rear • openable doors • easy removing the whole body with locks hidden in bumpers • it fits Lego Technic Figure Configuration options: 1. Drive and steering • Power version: 3xL PF motors for drive and M PF motor for steering front axle • Agile version: 2xL PF motors for drive and 2xM PF motors for steering on both axles 2. Body • „Hornet” – default body, more build-up, with opening doors • „Red Ant” – alternative body, more open one, 25% lighter than „Hornet” body 3. Suspension • Four independent, clearly visible mounting points available for each shock absorber • Multiple mounting points allow to configure four parameters of the suspension and the whole MOC: - suspension stiffness (from soft to hard) - suspension travel (from long to short) - body height (from low to high) - body style (from rock crawler to monster truck) • suspension can use both long and short shock absorbers Other features (which you may or may not spot on the video): • both bodies are equipped with two seat simple interior with steering wheel and some minor details • both available bodies are prepared in a way to avoid visibility of blue pins • frame is also prepared in a way to avoid blue pins • blue pins in frame are used mostly to high light mounting points for suspension and point out the front of the frame • frame prepared to be allow easy pairing with any new bodies • frame is equipped with simple cable management to avoid damaging motor cables during off-roading • changing connections of shock absorbers to the frame is fast and easy • MOC can be easy carry on both via body or accessable handle at the bottom of the frame • center of the mass is located at the center of the MOC • center of the mass is located low, most of the weight is present in axles • drive doesn't use differentials to maximize off-road capabilities • both axles are secured with panels to protect axles and drivetrain against any dangerous objects (grass, rocks, etc) • high ground clearance for both axles even with using planetary hubs • L motors are connected to planetary hubs without any reduction – this provides both speed and necessary torque • approach angle is 90 degrees, front and rear More photos you can find HERE -
Hey Eurobricks, PunktacoNYC back again with another rock crawler! This time it's called the Rocket Crawler and it is my largest, fastest crawler yet. Youtube video: Features: - 4 L-Motors for drive (one per wheel) - Ackerman steering with custom virtual pivot system to maximize steering angle - Rigid, triangulated 4-link suspension with 100% Lego-legal original, extra large links - Very minimal, light bodywork, and a cute rocket atop the cab - BuWizz for extra power and SBrick for a great custom control scheme - RC4WD 2.2” Bully Competition Tires The initial inspiration for this crawler was twofold; I wanted to build a RC competition super-class-like crawler, what with giant relative wheel size, slim body, and high articulation. I also really wanted to make use of RC4WD's quite large Bully competition tires. This project has been in development for over a year thanks primarily to issues with the front axle. The problem with the front axle was that Lego universal joints simply could not handle the high torque required to spin such large tires. I tried using custom Lego universal joints custom dremeled brass remote-controlled boat u-joints, and even knob gears at the pivot point - nothing worked. So, I mounted the motors directly to the wheels, all within a virtual system to move the steering pivot closer to the center of the wheel for a better turning radius. There is approximately 90° of articulation between the front and rear axles: Easily adjustable suspension height: (high) (medium) (low) The chassis: Wheel comparison: Concept 1: Concept 2 (later): This has been my favorite project. Let me know what you think. P.s. I got a snupps page (nice idea, Sariel): https://www.snupps.com/punktaconyc -
Hi everybody! Today I present to you my first experience of construction Trial Truck! During this year I was looking for your ideal 4x4 chassis. And in the end I came to this building. In the final, which turned this freak on 4 wheels medium size range (80-82 mm). The main idea of this project was the task of the displacement of the center of gravity down and forward is not at the expense of detail, as well as the compulsory use of the portal gears on both axes for high permeability and stability of large CG. The power installation in the form of two twin L motors located in the rear axle, where through the reduction gear torque is distributed to the axle gears back and forth, and then the rotation of spreads on all wheels through a gantry gearboxes. This arrangement limits the transverse rear axle moves up one degree of freedom. Yes, the rear wheels are posted on the obstacles, but discomfort on the track it does not deliver. Servo motor for steering is mounted on the front axle, which also lowers the CG and the sprung mass model. Power - LiPo, management - Sbrick. Number of pieces - 875 pieces Weight - 950 grams More photos you can find on my flickr and blog -
[MOC] Rock Crawler
Dalafik posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Hi, I haven't posted anything here for a long time, because nowadays I build very rarely due to health issues. But finally I managed to complete this model - the Rock Crawler. The idea was to improve the perfomance of the 9398 set while retaining the same power scheme: a L-motor on each axle for driving and one servo to steer both axles. I also wanted to bring model's appearance closer to reality (9398 looked more like a monster truck to me). However I wasn't sure until the last brick placed if fixed gear ratio 5:1 would be enough to achieve rock crawling capabilities. And, as you can see in the video below, it seems that the model is slightly heavy for this setup. Well, at least it looks like a proper rock crawler (note: the overall simplicity of design and heavy use of panels was determined by the effort to keep model strong). Oh, and that black panel 5x11 at the back should be white (no more left in my stock). So, what do you think about it? LDR file can be obtained here (please read notes there before downloading). And some more pics: -
How about that little cross between mud and go on the rocks? Crawler 4x4 always ready for it! Still would! Its wheels are shod with tires RC Rock Crusher X/T 1.9, coupled with portal axles and two motors running by SBrick and LiPo battery box - we have an off-roader with excellent maneuverability, suspension geometry and a low center of gravity due to the unsprung axles. Crawler 4x4 built under the rules of the forthcoming Off-road trial competition in Moscow, at the same time. I tried to build the chassis in such a way as to achieve maximum throughput and maximum flexibility - namely, so this chassis can set the wheels of virtually any size from 62 to 108 mm. The body of the model removable. This allows the chassis to this every body, even though the truck, even an SUV. Get more photos on my blog of flickr
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Hello, Today I present to you my rc Rock Crawler. This machine is almost two years in the making, and it has gone through many revisions over time. The crawler features: two buggy motors for propulsion two speed gearbox (remotely switched) independent front and rear steering linked pendular suspension The body is very similar to a trophy truck, though it is not based off any real life truck. Bodywork is not my favorite, so it took the longest! In order to go around the limits set by the pf recievers, the buggy motors are attached to switches that are then directly attached to the battery boxes. The servo motor shown is used to turn the switch, causing the truck to go forwards or backwards. I stole this clever design from efferman, so all credits got to him. The two speed gearbox takes advantage of both outputs on the buggy motors, with the low speed coming from the slower of the two motor outputs. Though it works well indoors, the high speed does not have enough power to work well outdoors. Below you can see the switching mechanism as well as the gearbox itself. The best part about the crawler is the two axles. Designing the axles was the most challenging part of the build, as I wanted to have a solid base for the rest of the model. In order to slow down the buggy motors, a lot of reduction occurs in the middle of the axle. The process was made significantly easier when I got the new portal axles from the 41999 BOSS Set. In this photo you can also see the turntables. With all the space taken up by the gears, it was difficult to fit in the steering. The linked pendular suspension was achieved by connected the two turntables via a differential. While one side goes up, the other goes down. This setup has the advantage of not needing linkages or suspension, as well as greater travel. Here is the video, with plenty of driving out in the snow! Follow me on facebook for the latest updates and photos! https://www.facebook.com/timslegos More HIGH RESOLUTION photos can be found here. http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=538172 I would appreciate feedback, this is only my second studless creation . tim -
Hi! I made a few crawlers until now, and I wanted to create something new, with more fun. So I decided to add a lot of power in a lightweight chassis to be the crawler fast, but also capable. My goal was to make the most simple and effective Lego rock crawler: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=538615 I used a flexible frame as suspension, this helps to keep it lighter, there is no need for a lot of parts to create a 4 link or other suspension. As you can see below in the video, this "suspension" also works well on terrain. Has LiPo battery, and V2 IR receiver. There are two receivers, two XL motor is connected to each, there are 4 XL motors in total. After the motor's output, a 24:12 gearing (deceleration) is built in, so the wheel spins about 85 rpm, which allows to reach 1,7 km/h. The wheelbase-width ratio is similar to real RC crawlers. I tried to add a big ground clearance, there was no problem with it. It's an advantage of this flexible chassis, there is nothing under the middle of the vehicle. The wheels are RC4WD 1,9" Rock Crusher XT's, their weight helps a lot of the stabilization of the vehicle. The XL motors are placed low, they also help to have a better center of gravity. I added a simple body, with more crawler-like look, than in my previous crawlers. Steering: One M motor steers the two XL motors in the front axle. These motors are connected to mini turntables to be more stable and robust. The steering ratio is 5:1. http://www.brickshel...16_1280x960.jpg I used strong pins from 8842 to make stronger connections in the axles. All the motors and the main parts are connected together with these: Weight: 1105 g. I don't know yet the number of pieces, but it can be about 200. A 720p video: Most interesting parts: 01:11 ; 01:37 ; 03:16 What do you think? -
Hello! I present my latest crawler: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=538333 I wanted to make something totally new crawler construction. During the last months, some variation was made (little upgrades), this wast he first: My goal was to made a very simple and reliable crawler, which is able to take apart in competitions. It was succesful in Malug crawler races. Crawlers are relatively free-made, so the bodywork isn't made after a picture from reality. One important thing: you may noticed, it has a relatively large wheel base. To have the good wheelbase/ground clearance ratio, I also increased ground clearance. All depends on the terrain, it can be as good as short wheelbase. With a long one, it's more stable against falling backwards. It has "no" suspension, the chassis is strong enough but felxible to give articulation for the axles: (this makes it simplier) The next varation (V2) was made with longitudinal strenghtening to prevent the decreasing of ground clearance in the middle: The non Lego tyres: RC4WD 1,9" rock crusher XT. The chassis shows the innovation: It's driven with two XL motors (in the axles), on M motor steers. The additional M motor and ship weight in the front axle is only for weight, they have no functions. More weight on the front axle helps a lot in terrain. The bodywork in not too strong, but who cares with that in a crawler. Lightweight construction was important. In the video below, you can see some high-speed recording about a falling of a piece from the body. More pictures: In competition: http://www.brickshel...ler-No2/019.jpg http://www.brickshel...ler-No2/020.jpg http://www.brickshel...ler-No2/021.jpg Video: This is totally different than my previous videos. Was made with 30 fps (instead of 10) and 1080p HD resolution. I don't say, I will make every video in this way (requires a lot HDD space, sometimes unnecessary), but the more important or bigger mocs will be recorded similar. So the video: Hope you like it.
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As I am running out of money (bought 8110 and 9396 already in the past 3 months) I am trying to find any drawbacks of 41999 that will discourage me from getting one. I have found few: 1. Not so technically complex 2. Expensive (in Poland it will be ~$245 - S@H delivers it "for free" but shipping cost is already there, included in the price) 3. Parts in unique colors that will not easily blend with standard colors in order to build MOCs Anything else? -
Hello from Italy I'm a fan of lego, lego technic in particular. I love build trial trucks and rock crawlers, try to improve them and make them similar to the real models. I have a blog where there are many articles dedicated to my most beautiful creations..
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The Reaper 4 x 4
Doc_Brown posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Hello everyone! I'm proud to show my latest MOC... THE REAPER This model is based on Tim Cameron's "Showtime" and other similar Rock crawlers. The chassis utilizes NXT motors geared down 3:1, and one servo for steering the front wheels only. The NXT motors are connected using adapters that allow connection to regular PF elements. This project started out as a "quick" experiment that soon got out of hand!!! I enjoyed trying out ways of joining liftarms and seeing what shapes I could get out of them. Things that I'm not too happy with are the shortness of the model, and now that I have found some better pics of Showtime I can see it should be 3-4 studs longer, and lower too. The seats were far more leaned back, but due to the rear motor needing more clearance I had to pull them forward making the cab a bit cramped. LOL As for performance, I was amazed, The Reaper will easily go up 45 degree plank of wood, that is quite smooth with no major tweaks. Turning isn't the best, but that is to be expected with no diffs; and I tried to tune it to a nice balance of turning and NON wheel tearing. This crawler has no gear grinding at all, and I am very happy with the new type 2 8t. :thumbup: also I rigged the PF lights to the steering so it kind of flashes when steered! Edit: The shocks were made from combining Unimog and old bike sets, just to keep it black. Weight is 1.320 KG. After I have made a video (prob next week, Wed) I will reuse and tweak this awesome chassis, and hopefully make something a little lower. Please feel free to comment, and ask any question's. If you would like a particular pic please ask soonish as I have the lights set up hahaha. Thanks for looking. -
April Fool's day has passed, so it's time to get serious. After building my large speed chassis with the new hubs, I was so eager to build I disassembled it right away I think I have a video, but not completely sure, because I deleted some... Anyway after a couple days of messing around with various ideas I came up with a solid prototype. Features are: 4 link connections, gear reduction 1:9-using a nifty reduction right before the 5x7 frame(which has knob wheels so I don't break any bevel gears), a telescopic driveshaft which I got from a youtube video-not sure who it was by; new 8t gears, and to top it off, my 1.9 Rok Lox tires Photos: I guess I will build a chassis then the front axle. This crawler will probably use buggy motors considering the reduction. -
4x4 Rock Crawler
Doc_Brown posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Hi Everyone, This year I have started building with stud less design, having not built anything out of Lego for some 15 years. I have just finished my first 4x4 Rock Crawler and thought I would share it with everyone. The first model that actually works well! haha. It features a unique suspension system that allows the live axles to really flex (this probably has been done tho). The downside is the tow-balls pop out. Please check it out on YouTube. Any advice, comments are much appreciated. IMG_59282 by Doc_brown1, on Flickr -
I present my latest crawler: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=545871 It's main concept is similar to my previous crawlers: nothing unnecessary part and weigth, as simple and reliable technik, as it can be. The chassis is enoug flexible to do this: http://www.brickshel...Crawler/021.jpg - so you don't need more advanced suspension in this concept. Two XL motor drive, one M motor steers the vehicle. For power supply there is one LiPo battery and a V2 receiver built in. The front part is heavier, thanks to the small wheels in the front rims and the ship weight. The chain holds the weight in position. This crawler also has the usual rock crusher tires, in my case, from RC4WD. The body is partly from the 8437 official model: http://www.bricklink...em.asp?S=8437-1 http://www.brickshel...Crawler/001.jpg I lookde around my room in the beggining of body building time, and the 8437's body in my showcase just gave himself to connect with the chassis. I wanted to make a tubular body/frame. Has a fake L6 motor in the back too: As video, there is the first part (from 00:40 to 20:55) of this video: (720p) This was an RC track test, for more information see this topic: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=97879 I made it in LDD, this is the instruction: http://www.brickshel...crawler-no4.lxf Feel free to ask or comment.
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Hey Everyone, I see that the crawlers are a big hit on this site. Just wanted to share one that I built a while ago and made a recent new video for. Pretty good climbing skills. Aesthetically, not much there, but I tried to keep the overall weight down to enhance functionality. http://mocpages.com/moc.php/368692
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Hello! I wanted to build something small and powerfull, and most importantly, without the micromotor. So I built this thing in about 2h, and you can probably see that in the bodywork (I don´t have more red connectors). 2 Link live axles L motor for drive geared 0.36 M motor for steering geared 0.2 Video: If you want I can upload an LDD file, but someone has to tell me how to do that. Maximum articulation The springs keep the axles straight The IR receiver doesn´t fit inside the bodywork -
Hey Everyone! Here is the successor to my Lego Technic Chili Crawler, the Cactus Crawler It took about half of a year of design and revision to reach its current state, of which I am proud of. THE VIDEO: youtube Features: - 3 L-Motors for drive (two in the rear axle, one in the front) - M-Motor and a small linear actuator for front steering - Rigid, triangulated 4-link suspension for the front axle, with large, soft, black shock absorbers - Extremely rigid 2-link rear suspension with ball-joint pivot point on top of the axle, similar to that found in the RC "Mantis" crawler - 100% Lego-legal custom curved rear links that, with how the main cab is shaped, provide exceptional ground clearance towards the rear of the crawler, allowing it to climb up relatively large vertical structures such as street curbs - Very minimal, light bodywork - BuWizz for extra power and SBrick for a great, custom control scheme Note: By the time I finished designing the cab and it's battery enclosure, BuWuzz had not yet come out with the update for their iOS app that allows a single joystick/slider to control multiple outputs, so I was forced to use an SBrick with the BuWizz, providing the extra power from the BuWizz, but with the ease-of-use and great custom control profiles of the SBrick. When used with the SBrick, the BuWizz does in fact still provide more power than the standard Lego 8878 LiPo battery box. - RC4WD 1.9" Krypton scale tires - Two green pieces so that I can call it the Cactus Crawler ;) LXF hopefully coming soon, the tires can easily be found with a quick google search of their name. YES, I know, there is no body. This is meant for performance, meaning I made the cab as small, light, and rigid as possible. I will be able to reply intermittently throughout the day. I figured I'd put this up now anyway! pt
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