Unimog

Second Real Truck Trial. I do like the way the truck turned out, as it looks very close to the CAD drawings on which I based the model. The model does well over different terrains, though the tires limit its over obstacle performance.

The truck has some issues with the steering radius, and the vertical movement of the wheels was not as good as expected. This seems to be caused by focusing too much on the look of the Unimog, and not on the performance. Next truck will take the best of this, and make it a little more mobile. I do however like the suspension set-up as it is pendular, with direct connections to each axle. I find this keeps the wheels of the truck more planted as it drives over different terrain. Suspended pendular axles seem to make the body of the truck roll more than it should. That said, having the axles connected front to back takes a lot of room, and forces the PF Battary Packs further outside and mounted vertically, which is not optimal for weight and ground clearance.

Interest in Chicago Truck Trial email thirdwig@yahoo.com.