[MOC] Zil 130 Mini Trial Truck

[gyenesvi]

Hi Folks!

Let me show you a build that has been sitting on the shelf for a while but I only got around finalizing its presentation lately: a Zil 130 6x6 trial truck built for the mini truck trial challenge in Buwizz camp 2024. The model is actually a predecessor of my Ford F150 built at the same scale and color. As the rules of the competition said that one can only enter with a proper truck (not a pickup truck), I had to build something new, but as I did not have much time to build, I wanted to reuse some of the chassis/suspension setup, and the small blue fender parts. Because of the blue color, the Zil was a convenient choice. However, I decided to make a 6x6 version for better traction and for the challenge of building a dual rear axle, which I have never done before.

 

Features

• All wheel drive with independent rear driveshafts, 2x PU L motors
• 5-link live axle front suspension with coil springs
• Live axle rear suspension with leaf springs by flex axles and support links
• Linkage based steering of front wheels by PU L motor
• Openable doors and removable cargo bed (for more flex in trial)
• Simple but complete interior

Chassis and suspension design

When I started out, I knew I wanted to keep the motor layout and front axle design from the Ford F150, but I also knew the rear axle design had to be changed because the coil spring setup was not a good fit for a truck (too high). So keeping the motor layout, I adapted its rear end to a truck, and also removed the gearbox and its motor to give space for the double driveshaft. The bare chassis looks like this, simple and slim:

Then I started experimenting with leaf spring setups using flex axles, which have been used by many (I especially like the work of @paave in this area), and looked promising. However, the existing designs I found were not completely satisfactory for my needs; they took up too much space for two axles close to each other, and they were a bit stiff for my lightweight truck (I wanted something with a lot of flex). Typical designs start out with a bent (11L) axle in a downward looking quarter circle, and then the axle bends upwards upon articulation, which gives a preload to the flex axles. I found a configuration which starts out with the flex axles flat and then bends them upwards upon articulation, which allows using shorter (7L) axles with a tighter mounting, while still having a soft flex. The rear axles are really slim, consisting of only a main beam and wheel mounts. They look like this installed into the chassis:

To keep the rear axles in position, a row of lower links run underneath, and and towball arms secure it from the top. The two rear axles can articulate completely independently, the are not coupled. I am really satisfied with how this came out, it's very compact and even looks somewhat realistic.

Bodywork and interior

To build the body, I used a mix of technic and system parts. The blue fender pieces are quite a good fit for the Zil, and a few curved slopes around it can fill the holes. The micro panels add nice curvature to the doors, and further sloped system parts can be used for the B pillars and of course the hood. Also, I wanted to have a brick built front face / grille, which I also managed to realize with system parts built in various directions. In general, the technic micro panels and curved system slopes play very well together, I love to mix them at smaller scale!

As for the interior, two small seats are perfect, and I had space to add a dashboard with steering wheel and a gearstick. Running the cables through the cabin was a tough part though..

Furthermore, besides the bare trial version, I wanted to make the model so that it can be a complete truck with a cargo bed, so I made a simple detachable one using a few large panels. A key to this is that the rear section of the chassis is low enough due to the compact suspension.

Here are some more renders and photos as well.

More pictures are available on Bricksafe, and building instructions are available on Rebrickable.

As for the performance of the model, without the cargo bed it is really a cute little agile beast :) The two L motors provide ample power, the suspension has a lot of flex, ground clearance is also quite good for the size. Unfortunately, the turning radius is not so great due to the length and that only the front wheels are steered, which proved to be a disadvantage in the trial competition. Also, the competition allowed for bigger tires (up to 62mm) as well, which I did not max out, but wanted to use these smaller ones instead because they look so cool; that also put me to a disadvantage against other competitors, so I did not place well. But when just playing for fun and making the video, this little truck gave me a lot of joy :)

Let me know how you like it!

Cheers,

Viktor

Edited November 18, 2024 by gyenesvi

[paave]

Nice mini truck! Don't soft axles disconnect with such angle?

[_Electro_]

Wow, looks similar, and light. Really good work!

Edited November 17, 2024 by _Electro_

[N1K0L4]

Clever way to do the rear suspension, do the flexaxles ever fall out?

[gyenesvi]

On 11/17/2024 at 2:39 PM, paave said:

Nice mini truck! Don't soft axles disconnect with such angle?

21 hours ago, N1K0L4 said:

Clever way to do the rear suspension, do the flexaxles ever fall out?

Thanks! No, the flex axles never fell out, the mounting of the axles is constructed in a way that it follows the arc of the axle as it bends, and I think that is key here (also for soft articulation). Here is a close up render of the leaf springs, at the outer end, they are actually inserted into a (black) axle-pin connector, that creates an L shaped mount, and as that rotates it nicely follows the arc of the flex axle.

23 hours ago, _Electro_ said:

Wow, looks similar, and light. Really good work!

Thank you!

[proran]

Oh my…. What a beautiful model! It is instantly recognizable and I really love how it has almost clip art aesthetics thanks to the basic color scheme, no clatter, and these iconic 2x2 printed tiles for the headlines. Absolutely love it!

Show me the render of the chassis and I can tell it’s yours. So clean and simple it almost seems unreal. 
Congrats on a great model! Amazing work. 

[Thirdwigg]

Great job @gyenesvi! It has a fun look. I love the shaping of the grill, and the old headlight parts are a great addition.

Technically, the drivetrain looks very good. I have never tried the leaf spring idea, but I keep seeing them in great builds, so I may need to try them out. Thanks for sharing. 

[Nuts4Lego]

That is such a good looking mini truck. The engineering, simplicity and lightness is remarkable!

[gyenesvi]

On 11/18/2024 at 4:57 PM, proran said:

Oh my…. What a beautiful model! It is instantly recognizable and I really love how it has almost clip art aesthetics thanks to the basic color scheme, no clatter, and these iconic 2x2 printed tiles for the headlines. Absolutely love it!

Thanks a lot, glad you like it!

On 11/18/2024 at 4:57 PM, proran said:

Show me the render of the chassis and I can tell it’s yours. So clean and simple it almost seems unreal. 

Really appreciate this, glad to hear that clean chassis is becoming my signature, I do really strive for it :)

On 11/18/2024 at 7:56 PM, Thirdwigg said:

Great job @gyenesvi! It has a fun look. I love the shaping of the grill, and the old headlight parts are a great addition.

 Thank you, those old headlights seem to resonate with many people who had sets from that era :)

On 11/18/2024 at 7:56 PM, Thirdwigg said:

Technically, the drivetrain looks very good. I have never tried the leaf spring idea, but I keep seeing them in great builds, so I may need to try them out. Thanks for sharing. 

 

Sure, give those leaf springs a try! I think they are especially great for trucks.

On 11/19/2024 at 8:57 AM, Nuts4Lego said:

That is such a good looking mini truck. The engineering, simplicity and lightness is remarkable!

Thanks for appreciating!