gyenesvi

Hi @imurvai, do you still make smaller changes to the BC2 app? For controlling Buwizz units, it desperately needs current limits, at least a default value of around 2A to stop the unit from shutting down. The BW app proves that current limits work quite okay to prevent this, but it would be great to have it in BC2 as well. Would that be doable?

This turned out really nice! I also thought about building an AWD car with live axle suspension at this scale, but hadn't gotten the time for it yet. I like your implementation, the torsion bar is a good idea here and it's nicely done, I like how the upper link acts as the spring mechanism as well, and the way the torsion bar is fixed at an angle. The bodywork also came out cool!

Of course, but RC cars can get away with it because they can just easily change gears while stopped. And indeed, I never thought it's a good idea to change gears while running a heavier model. That's a very nice case study of the effect of weight on the change smoothness, and indeed, you have me convinced with this. One thing I'm curious about is whether the car keeps rolling when you switch gears while driving?

All of these, exactly my thoughts :) Nice one! Only a bit too fast for us regular alt model builders out there...

That's a nice mechanism packaged in a neat body! I like the placement of the Buwizz motor, I always wondered whether such a placement is possible, looks cool and even somewhat realistic. Too bad it's only possible for RWD. The clutch system is interesting, though wonder if it's necessary. I have seen people change gears without clutch under the load of 2x Buwizz motors, so it seems the gearbox parts can take it. But for the challenge of making this clutch mechanism I completely understand why you went this way.

That is some badass trial truck in a large scale! Very well made, I like the simplicity of the hardcore functionality and it also looks great, especially with those RC tires (I can see many people are using them in the trial race as well, and I understand why, very good ones). And I like those portal axles and that front axle steering with that huge gear :) The competition sounds like a great fun, great looking builds all over the place, so many huge and powerful trucks!

That was my guess, but then using the yellow diff could solve that problem, no? That's only about 10% faster than the current solution, which could even be beneficial for engine speed.

Sets 42099 and 42129 don't have portal hubs. They have planetary hubs, quite different, but Unimogs have portal hubs. You mean there's a specific reason? (I guess not just that you could not build it or did not have the parts). I'm curious what it is. Do all Unimogs have portal axles, or only some specific types? Maybe this specific one does not have portals in reality? That's a different build from a different person of a different Unimog :)

Great looking model and nice functionality! Where is that exactly? I cannot find it, neither in the description nor in the video.

True that they stack tighter, but I have good eyes :) I think fragmentation is worse / more visible when lines that break the surface go in all directions and positions; it's less noticeable when they line up nicely. But thin liftarms usually introduce extra fragmentation lines that don't line up with the surrounding full beams. That said, yeah, having 6L thin liftarms is better than nothing, but they exist in much fewer colors than regular beams.

You could, but.. For one, it's more flimsy, especially when used structurally and connected by friction pins or axles. Second, it looks worse; and when things already look fragmented enough even when full beams are stacked, then making it look even worse is not something we're looking for.. Remember the motto of Lego: Only the best is good enough.. So why make it worse when it could simply be alleviated with parts that would be super useful in many areas?

Can you share why the rear diff needs to be on a half stud offset? Why is it not possible to use red diffs with 12:28 gearing on both axles, centered? There seems to be enough space inside the rear axle frame for the locking ring even if the diff would be centered, no?

Interesting what he says about them not being able to design hollow wheel arches that would allow the wheel to go underneath as the suspension works; since the Defender's wheel arch is just like that :D I think the problem is not the wheel arch, but most Lego wheels being too wide in proportions and resulting in overly wide axles sticking out from underneath the body. In my Volvo alternate that uses the same wheel arches as the Defender, I was surprised how well the (steered/suspended) wheel can pass under the wheel arch even with much bigger wheels. Although that uses pendular axle, which pulls the wheel inwards as it articulates, while the independent suspension with its basic geometry pushes it outwards.. Furthermore, brick built wheel arches are not buildable for circular shapes, and even when buildable, look very much out of style due to all the pinholes. So I'm still waiting for nice wheel arches for off-roaders :) I don't exactly get why the rear diff had to be offset by half a stud. Both axles could just use red differentials with 12T pinion gears (or the yellow diffs if the red results in too much speed and friction), if the rear diff was also centered; the space for the locking ring would just be enough on one side of the frame. Another thing that's not clear to me is why the model does not use Audi hubs in the front to increase the steering angle and to get more of those parts out? I guess cost, but we are talking about a $250 model.. Nice that he discusses some issues that people have been commenting on, like the fragmented doors. I don't know if anybody said specialized parts should be made for doors, what I proposed is smaller panels like 5x7 or even 5x5 (and 4L / 6L liftarms). Those would be very useful elsewhere as well, so definitely not specialized. Pity that Lego never made the flat panel system more systematic, it could be very well used to build good looking continuous surfaces of any size; one could even build larger surfaces from smaller flat panels, but the large panels are not useful for smaller surfaces.. I like the amount of articulation, very nice! Yeah, let's all design Unimog alternate models out of this set; seems like everybody had the same obvious idea :D

Thanks!

Just to use the new suspension arms? I think it's large enough..

I wonder how those headlights are constructed. I guess that the inner piece is this 2x2 plate with round bottom but is the outer circle this 3x3 dish? And then how are the two joined together? With a 1x1 round plate in between? In that case, the inner one seems to stick out more than on the pictures. Or is it something else?

Oh, that's interesting to know! I don't have the old part so I was just guessing. So, looking at the pictures, I guess it was made of a longer and a shorter ring that were slid (and glued) together? Anyways, I guess similar new parts would follow the slotted principle, to allow for cheaper production.

How could they have used it? The new one is 7L and already the current 6L is too long here as it does not allow the diff lock to be fitted. Instead they should have used 5L ones and made a 5L steering link to accompany it.

Maybe that's why they changed the mold? :) I guess it is stressing the pin a bit as it is keeping the end contracted all the time, and it would loose its clickiness over time. And also, as it does not click in and grab that little edge, it can also slide apart easier. I'd like that too, but that's just the way the system works for now.

Well true that those parts have that shape in them, but if you look closely, all of them have a cutout from one side, or even all the way through, that is to make the wider hole where the end of the pin clicks in. And I was thinking that if only two perpendicular pinholes would be connected like that, it would be structurally weak, but in the bigger shapes it is okay because of the surrounding material. However, I realized that this piece is made exactly in that manner with the cutout, and has proven strong enough: So you convinced me, and here's how I think this part could look: And for sure it would be a useful one!

I think that is impossible to mold. In general, pinholes must have both ends free, otherwise the slightly wider section in the end where the pin clicks into could be molded, as the mold could not be pulled out from the pinhole.

Interesting, though for non-racecar models only in fairly unconventional ways.. I think the most realistic off-roader one could achieve without such awkward / funky building tricks is an RWD buggy with independent suspension.. which is almost like a racecar.. So far this hub has not convinced me to buy it..

Yes, but this one has 3L axle instead of 2L, I suspect that for its 'regular' use as a connector, the 2L would be needed more often..

Great that we are getting a fairly good amount of parts in this new color. Agree that the Defender's olive green parts are pretty hard to use for any MOC-ing, haven't seen many in that color except for the alternate models. About the wheel arches, I always wondered if the Defender's fender parts were designed for the Defender itself, or rather for the Volvo, or actually both in mind, as the release time difference is not that much. But I always felt that it is a better fit for the Volvo, than the Defender; it is just too large for the Defender in every direction. Those wheel arches actually work quite well with 95mm tires, with good steering geometry the wheel can turn under the arch and does not get caught up in it because it has no edges on the inside. It could also look better with the new 87mm tires, the Defender's 81mm tires are just too small for them and look ridiculous. This; it's true that the shape in general can be built, but the style of these fenders built from liftarms is so unrealistic (and old-shool). It just does not match the modern paneling system. I am still waiting for lego to come out with some better fender parts for off-roaders. Something that is just 1 stud wide and can be mounted in two points at the top, so that the bottom can end smoothly so the wheels don't get caught in it. Circular and angled variant.. in different sizes of course :) And let's just start with black.. that can be matched to many body colors.

That's interesting to know, thanks! I guess for a small model like this, such a technique could work fairly stable, but in case of larger forces I'd be more worried about the parts wearing out unevenly due to the slack (uneven spacing) in the support of the CV joints. That's a nice trick, though I suspect you won't be able to take the tube out of it. Have you tried already?