European Tow Truck

[GuiliuG]

Hello everybody ! It's long time since I've featured a MOC here on eurobricks. As I have begon some studies I have really less time to MOC than last year. Fortunately, I have one week to relax after exams and so to build with my lego. I have so finished my new model which is an european tow truck. The idea to build such a MOC comes from zoli's truck which is brillant :

Mine is based on a daf truck, with an arm from omars company :

Some pictures before I continue to present my creation :

It owns nine pneumatics cylinders ( 4 old one, 3 news and two minis), two motors ( M and Xl), two La and a lof of gears^^. The steering is the easiest mechanism to explain. There is two reductions 8T/24T ( with a clutch for the first) and then 12T/20T for the second axle and 16T/16T for the first axle. So, the turning radious is different on the two axles. There is also an ackermman effect.This motor control always this function.

The things begin to be harder with the Xl motor.Indeed, via a 4 outputs gearbox it controls :

-Propulsion on the two rear axles

-Compressor

-Turret rotation

-Axle trough the turn table.

There is four switch. The first controls stabs deployment thanks to two mini cylinders. I was surprised how they are weak. They have a hard time to deploy the stabs due to tubes flexion and I'm obliged to put a lot of pressure to fully deploy them.

The second switch permits to lift up the truck with 4 old pneumatics cylinders ( very usefull to create strong stabilizers).The trucks still weights 2kg500.

As you can see, the front stabilizers bend a little due to weight, mainly supported by them. They had to be appropriated to the truck look and it's the best solution I have found to respect the proportions and to support correctly the weight. Attention, they only supporte vertical efforts, I advice you not to push the truck from back to front when it's lifted^^.

The two others switchs allow me to control the rear arm. ( two pneumatics cylinders to lift it).

The third output of the first gearbox controls the turret rotation.

There isn't something on the turret to counter weight arm, so I create a float plan. Same if the turn table bend when the weight to lift is to high, it considerably reduces its torsion.

After you have put the fourth output of the first gearbox, it's time to play with the arm. So, you just had to remove the panel to access the three outputs gearbox.

The first output is to activate the two la.The Xl motor lift easily the arm. The second output is to telescoping the arm and the third output is for the two whinchs. The speed of these two last functions is roughly equivalent, so you can telescope the arm regardless cable length.

To finish, I'm very pleased by this model. The goal was not to lift 500g, if it was my goal, I would have build the truck completly differently. Here are some more pictures :

If you want to see other pictures I took, I advice you to go on my brickshelf galery :

My galery

Again one time, sorry for my bad english. If there is something you do not understand or something I do not say about this MOC, I will happily read to your questions/comments. I will naturally make a video but I do not know when, maybe in three months, maybe more, maybe less, how knows?

[allanp]

Awesome model, well done

And your english is great by the way

[timslegos]

Very nice creation! I really like how many you functions you managed to control with only 1 xl motor. Cant wait for the video.

tim

[Alasdair Ryan]

What a great tow truck,nice job.

[olaf9198]

WOW. good job GuilliuG i didn't expect that from you,more something like a dozer.

[Pauger]

Well done. I'm actually building something like this as well.

[BobBongo1895]

It looks really good, only one little thing as critic. Try to cover the B-pack, it disturb the look a bit.

[GuiliuG]

Thanks you.I forgot to say that two rear wheels are missing. I'm going to seek a solution to hide the BB, same if I have already shearched without finding any acceptable solutions.

Edited January 27, 2012 by GuiliuG

[dhc6twinotter]

Very very nice tow truck. I like the use of two gearboxes. The dual winches are also a nice feature. Well done.

[SeL]

Wow, great creation, Do yo have a video?

Cheers

[Rick]

Wow, great creation, Do yo have a video?

Cheers

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