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TAT 2017: 1987 Freightliner FLC


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Lets get this started.

First I haven't built a car model or Semi Tractor since I was a kid in the 70's. That was until 3 yrs. ago, then I built a 1974 Roadrunner for my mother in law as a Christmas present. I have to admit it was fun, but I went back to armor and aircraft. In that time I had thought it would be fun to build one of the trucks I used to drive. So I picked up this Italeri Freightliner FLC kit. The Inspiration come from the first trucking company that I liked driving for. The name of the company was Rose Way Inc. based out of Des Moines Iowa. The photo is of a mid 80's Freightliner with the stem headlights. It was what my first truck with them was. After a few weeks I got a newer version with the heavy fiberglass hood it was around a 1987 model. I have searched and searched for additional pictures of these trucks but I don't have any, they got lost in a divorce. So the only picture I have is this one from Hanks Trucks Pics. I do remember my truck number was 1536. So I will build it to the best of my memory. I haven't built a semi since I was 10 or so. Hopefully my skills have improved a little. I remember what hey looked like they weren't pretty.

Courtesy of Hanks truck Pics:

FLC1.jpg

 

Obligatory box shot:

IMG_4870.jpg

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Edited by steel_tiger1
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Frame rails have a lot of holes to fill and useless details to sand off.

IMG_3118.jpg

Holes filled rails sanded if I was to do over I would have used .005 styrene on the inside rail to cover holes less sanding. Most of it won't be seen anyway, but hard to get it smooth enough to suit me.

FLC4a.jpg

Installed front axle. I don't like the molded on attempt at U-bolts so I rolled my own. Drilled through the flange and ran them all the way through. I used the smallest brass nuts I could find. It looked ok at the time.

FLC5.jpg

I used some magnet wire I have for projects as the U-bolts.

FLC6.jpg

Then I remembered I had the Meng nuts & bolts sets. Off came the brass nuts and on went the Meng ones. I like them muuucch better.

FLC6a.jpg

I need to take picture of lousy fitting parts before instead of just after. The rear suspension parts didn't fit well to the frame at all. I had to do surgery to them to get them to fit against the frame rails. Also had to work the airbags to get them to fit as well. They were molded with really thick attachment points to the frame. I guess to compensate for the crappy fitting suspension arms.

FLC9.jpg

Shocks have been dry fit here had to use some styrene to fill the gap in the axle. Also molded on u-bolts are gone. rescribed the spring leaves to give them definition after removing the molded on ones. Filled the notch where the axle is supposed to go. Added more meng bolt heads. More to add yet, there are 8 per hangar.

FLC8.jpg

 

Thanks for looking

 

 

 

 

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Work continues on the frame rails & rear suspension. I have downloaded and looked at so many photos, I am sure I could build a real one by now.

FLC11d.jpg

Here I have mounted the rear differential to the suspension arms. I made my own u-bolts again with Meng NBW casting and styrene hold down plates.

 

FLC9e.jpgFLC9f.jpgFLC9g.jpg

 

This picture with flash to highlight the weld lines I made. The kit gives you a square rib so I just used that. I didn't really like the way it turned out as it made it so wide and tall. Next time I will sand it off and use thinner strip styrene to get it closer to the right size. Did I mention this is my first semi in decades? Live and learn.

 

FLC11e.jpgFLC10a.jpgFLC11f.jpg

Here I have installed more Meng bolt for the airbags. I will be building the leveling valve and hardware for this as well.

 

FLC10.jpgFLC11.jpgFLC11a.jpg

FLC11b.jpg

I also drilled out all the yokes on the driveshaft. Not overly happy with it but won't much be seen when the fifth wheel plate goes on so I wasn't going to rebuild it. The main driveshaft will be another story but I am quite aways from that.

 

Well that's all for now I need to build a few thing to continue on here. I will be building the brake valves, the suspension leveling valve, brake slack adjusters. Then I need to start plumbing the rear suspension.

Thanks for checking in.

Tom

 

 

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So yesterday was spent trying to make the slack adjuster problem go away. First I cut 4 pieces of styrene and laminated them together with canopy cement. This stuff is great if you haven't used it. It provides a strong bond yet is water soluable when you want to remove it. It is made by Pacer Technologies it's called Formula 560. Anyway I carved and sanded away on the block until I got something that looked like what I wanted.

.IMG_4944.jpg

So I then tried to size it to the brake assembly and wouldn't you know.......

 

 

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To short.:angry: So start process all over again. This time I used longer pieces as my idea showed potential, I was headed in the right direction anyway.

 

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This time I am more successful. I have found some left over etched pieces to use as the connectors to the brake rods. I have sanded the tops down to try to get the taper to a thinner at the top look too.

 

IMG_4947.jpg

 

IMG_4948.jpg

 

Here everything is mounted up on the front set of brakes. I set the brake rods to appear in a non-applied position. A piece of styrene from my punch set to look like the actual actuator arm sticking in the slack adjuster.

 

IMG_4949.jpg

 

Also shim of styrene to raise it to clear the bracket and the rod bracket.

 

IMG_4951.jpg

IMG_4952.jpgIMG_4953.jpg

 

These picture show the finished assemblies. The rear brakes are made to look like they are in an applied position with the parking brake engaged and the spring brake active. Safety First! I am not 100% happy with them but they are far and away better than what the kit gives you. The molded on detail isn't even close to the real deal. And the brackets were about twice as long as they should be. Again I really need to learn to take before pictures so you could see before and after. I hope that some day a 3d cad guy will have them up on Shapeways so I can just buy them, as I am not a sculptor. So an ideal set up would be a set of slack adjusters, brake cans, brackets to hold the cans to the differential (could be printed on the cans), and the and the actual actuator arms that go to brakes themselves.Just in case any of you 3D guys are reading this. :D

Oh and if the DOT guys stop by I did not check the travel to make sure they were adjusted properly. LOL

 

Again thanks for dropping by next time I will have coffee on.

Tom

 

 

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