Also added the cross torque rods to the TAK-4 suspension units:



These torque rods are an otherwise unseen detail understandably left out of the Trumpeter kit but I added them here because they form a much more visible detail in this open top LHS equipped vehicle.

Man that's looking killer.

Thanks Dustin, glad you like it - just trying to keep it moving forward.

Following Gino's lead I am dressing out the cab interiors and the doors on both trucks:

Thought I would try and improve a bit on those last, rather poor, progress photos:




Forward frame has now been shortened the nine inches. I have yet to add the length back in at the rear.

And this is how my Shapeways parts look like in reality:

Outstanding! Cannot wait for my set to arrive from Shapeways and be added to my 16.5 ton LHS!

That looks very nice Pawel. Great job on designing them.

Just a word of caution - you will have to modify the kit parts slightly to fit the right side forward bracket. There is just no where to put it behind the boarding steps in the kit. But the photo I posted earlier clearly shows that this is exactly where this bracket is. I think that in long frame variants the boarding steps mounting frame is different from that supplied in the kit (which seems accurate for regular frame versions) and that air pipe from the filter is routed differently to the engine... I modified the pipe and the steps frame, but I still think the bracket is attached a bit too far forward... I was not able to find any photos that would show what's behind the steps - there are rubber sheets there, which hide this area. I also plan to add a representation of those sheets, so it doesn't really matter if my modification is any close to the reality.

There is no such problem on the left side - the bracket fits easily behind the fuel tank.

Pawel, I did notice the possible problem with the right side front torque mount. Looks like you have it mounted exactly where the air intake pipe passes thru the side frame. I already have the "wind pipe" mounted on my model so I figure I will simply cross that bridge when I get to it. (Meaning to figure something out when the time comes.)

By the way, in the front corner of that passenger side step structure, near the frame there is also a fairly large vertical cylinder that seems to be some sort of oil filter. Based on it's size and location I would guess it was the transmission oil filter.


(Photo by halftrack - www.steelsoldiers.com)

Great photo of the front end.

That shapeways part looks killer.

Well, this is exactly what I described in my post above yours.



The photo you posted shows how it looks in a truck with a regular length frame, as in the Trumpeter kit. It is not how it is in a long frame truck. Please take a look at the photo below. You can clearly see that the whole passenger step "frame" or "structure" is quite different from that included in the kit. I didn't bother to modify it in my model - with a cab and "rubber" sheets in place it will not be visible. And the bracket for the frame reinforcing bar is right behind it. I have no idea how the air pipe is routed in those longer trucks - unfortunately it was removed from this truck in the photo... For my model I assumed that there is enough space for the pipe left between the step structure and the bracket and modified the pipe to fit there. I don't know if it is corect solution, but it worked for me.



And you are right - the yellow cylinder is an oil filter indeed. But I'm not sure it is attached in the same place in the long frame trucks.

Please note that I made one small error in my bracket design - but very easy to correct with a knife. In real thing the right "rib" of the front and rear brackets is for some reason not curved, as all others, but cut in a straight line. It is only the right rib that is like that - the left one is curved on top, just like the middle one. I made all three ribs identical (i.e. curved on top) on all brackets.
See in the picture below (and you can also see it in the picture above).

That one small alteration to the bracket will be easy enough to make with a file or a knife.

On these longer frame vehicles the air intake pipe may go up and over the frame member instead of going through it. Perhaps the pipe transitions to a flattened oval cross section where it steps over the frame????

(It always seemed to me an awfully big hole to drill through that otherwise solid frame member.)

My thoughts exactly - it would be a considerable weakening of the frame. I think Trumpeter used a bit of "artistic license" here.

I feel foolish now but it never occurred to me that going THROUGH the frame might just have been an easy way out for the MODEL DESIGNERS!

This doesn't prove anything - it is just my personal idea - but I think I will come out of the air cleaner with the pipe, go UNDER the frame and above the torque rod and only then make a 90 degree bend forward and up towards the engine.

This pic shows the area w/o the rubber skirt. It looks as the air intake pipe goes higher, probably over the frame, not through it.



It is almost impossible to find any pics w/o the rubber skirt in place.

Maintenance photo: Changing Transmission Oil - showing right side torque rod assembly plus front, middle and rear torque brackets on extended frame Mk 27/28.


(Photo by MCC Athena Blain)

Good to know I got it right! Thanks for that pic!

Lucked into this one yesterday during one of my frequent MTVR photo searches. Glad I could help and thanks for your assistance and for the parts!

Last night's progress:

- Extended rear frame 8 inches
- Added rear mud flaps
- Added Oshkosh logo to mud flaps
- Added main hinge retainers to LHS
- Built and installed 3/4 of the hydraulic cylinders on LHS
- Added misc hoses

(Italeri is my sub-contractor on this vehicle construction project, they being the manufacturer of the 1/35th scale LHS equipment.) For some reason Italeri chose not to include any form of retainer for the upper hydraulic cylinders. The cylinder bearings kept falling off their pins as I cycle the LHS. Fortunately it is not hard to fabricate these missing retainers.





These particular photos were taken from my earlier HEMTT LHS project thread but the structure and the retainers are identical.

If you are building any form of the LHS . . .

- Odd place to put ejector pins!

BE SURE to remove these mold ejector pins from the inside of the hydraulic cylinders as they tend to block the full travel of the hydraulic rams and the rams often then can't retract fully when assembled.


Remove the ejector pin marks in the small cylinders as well?

Finished cylinders and retainers on the MTVR LHS:

THANK YOU PAWEL!!!!!

Your parts from Shapeways have arrived! And they are beautiful!




A light coating of gray primer has been applied here.

Pawel they fit perfectly and make a quick 20 minute install out of what would have otherwise been 2 - 3 days of tedious scratch work!



Highly Recommended!