Hi! It's been a while since I've posted here. I am currently reworking on my cat ct660 and I've decided to not do it RC. I've decided to make it a 4 axles and made the second one retractable but the problem I'm now facing is how to lock the steering on this axle. If you have any ideas don't hesitate to post something!

Here are some pictures:

 

Thanks in advance for any reply and have a great day!

You mean how to lock the steering of the 2nd axle when it is raised?

I was walking by a parked tractor truck the other day, which had its 2nd axle raised and the wheels in almost full steering lock. I noticed that the raised axle was also turned! It was quite obvious when you were nearby, but from a distance you don't really see it because it turns into the mudguards.

I think real trucks don't lock/unlock an steering on raised axles, so maybe don't bother about it 

(Maybe someone more knowledgeable can attest, but the complications of lock/unlocking steering on such big vehicles seems enough of an argument for not to do it...)

On 7/14/2018 at 9:37 PM, Ludo Visser said:

You mean how to lock the steering of the 2nd axle when it is raised?

I was walking by a parked tractor truck the other day, which had its 2nd axle raised and the wheels in almost full steering lock. I noticed that the raised axle was also turned! It was quite obvious when you were nearby, but from a distance you don't really see it because it turns into the mudguards.

I think real trucks don't lock/unlock an steering on raised axles, so maybe don't bother about it 

 

That is interesting because I had this dilemma long time ago. This makes also sense because usually rear axle can steer less than front ?

@Technivor so far your progress looks good despite I'm not fan of studfull chassis anymore

Edited July 16, 20186 yr by I_Igor
Autocorrect on stupid phone

You can use a gear selector mechanism just like in the transmission, between the HOG and a u-joint.

Edited July 16, 20186 yr by pagicence

Thanks for the replies and i think I'll choose to not make it lockable! It will make the build much easier and lighter.

@pagicence I thought about that but there would be too much play in the second axle' steering.

Ok, then how about this; use a #2 3L axle connector (32034) to bridge the 2L gap. When it's connected you will have 0.5L in each end of the connector, then you just move it to one side and the other side is free, and you won't get any play, lag or free movement in the second axle steering.

Not loking the axle is definately the simplest way to go. I've seen some designs that use two technic knob wheels (32072) that seperate when the axle is lifted. That way the steering stops.