Rubber band suspension in large sets?

[Richard Dower]

is this possible?...has it been explored by builders at all?....when i look at the awesome suspension on 42001 i wonder if a large set could be used with the same system, or would the weight not be possible?

[Captainowie]

I don't know much about suspension specifically, but I can't see why it couldn't work. You might need to play around a bit to get the leverage right though.

[Tamas Juhasz]

Absolutely possible, if you have enough space and points to connect enough rubber bands, you can use them to replace springs. Possible with A-arm suspension, and with many other types. But rubber bands have the disadvantage that you can only pull them, and in most of the cases by big models the suspension requires a spring to push. You can reverse the directions with levers and linkages, but it's one more thing which makes more complicated the MOC, it's much easier to use a shock absorber with the stiffness you want (you choose it). On the other side, rubber bands can help to shock absorbers. In my Porsche 962C, the front suspension is hardened (to get more stiffness) by 2 rubber bands, which pull down the A-arms in the bottom. So, sometimes they can work together well. Rubber bands, as suspension/springs, are used typically when there is no space for shock absorbers, so in compact MOCs. That's why you can't see in large MOCs and sets. A shock absorber with coil spring is more reliable, too. (and for many builders, looks better)

Edited December 7, 2016 by Tamas Juhasz

[Blakbird]

2Legoornot2Lego uses rubber band suspension in all his trucks.  Works great.