Truck and Trailer question ?

[AMT4EVR]

GREETINGS truck builders,

I just picked up the older REVELL (ITALERI) Ford aero-max 120 big rig, how well does this go together ? any problems with assembly I should know about.

Also have the ITALERI heavy tanker (BP gas) don't know if we would see that six wheel set up here in america, if I wanted to change that one, what suspension could I replace that one with.

Comments and building tips always welcome.... THANKS John

[kilrathy10]

The Italeri/Revell Aeromax was the first modern big rig I'd ever built....It's pretty straight forward and builds up pretty nice.....I don't know if you've ever built Italeri rigs, before, but I believe the only thing to be ready for is the need to heat a screwdriver tip or something else to assemble the front suspension....Otherwise, You'll find them much better fitting than AMT kits.....They can be very addicting.....

As far as the tanker, I've built that kit, as well, but never tried to replace the suspension or anything, but it goes together nicely if you assemble it box stock....I have converted the six wheel supers they use with tandems and that's not too difficult to do.....

[Force]

I have built some Italeri kits in my day and one thing comes to mind, they are relatively easy to build but not that particulary accurate as Italeri likes to take shortcuts here and there and use the same basic chassis and driveline for several trucks of different makes...and I definately don't like their generic wheels with the large reduction style hubs in most of their kits,

The thing you have to take your time with is the frame and make sure it's straight and square, otherwise you will have lots of trouble later in the build as nothing will fit properly.

I don't have this tanker kit but I did a little research just now and found some pictures of the frame and suspension for the trailer so I got a better view on how I would do a modification for a dual axle setup as it most likely can be done with the kit parts and a bit of ingenuity .
The suspension setup for this tanker is the same as on a couple of other Italeri tanker kits but this particular tanker is a unibody with a subframe for the suspension so some parts included in this kit are not to be used.

Here is what I would do...leave out the axle and suspension parts for the rearmost axle, cut off the frame a little bit behind where the leaf spring for the middle axle ends and would have its mounting point, cut the rearmost spring mounting point off and save for later, mount the modified frame further back on the body so the last of the two remaining axles line up with where the discarded third axle would have been.

You have to make new rear mounting points for the springs for the former middle axle so they have anywhere to sit as the ends now hangs in the air, that mounting point are on the suspension parts discarded for this modification and this new mounting points can be done if you cut off and modify the forward mounting points on the discarded leaf springs from the left over last axle and glue the modified parts in where the springs ends.

You can extend the subframe forward if you want to so the length will be the same as before the modification and you can use parts of the included front frame not used for this kit for this...you will also have to modify the fenders and side skirts too as the cutout is smaller for a dual axle setup than a triple.

If you do this you will have a convincing dual axle setup for your tank trailer

Edited April 13, 2014 by Force

[Edsel-Dan]

You Can leave the Tri-Axle trailer as is if building a Canadian unit!

Watch "Highway Thru Hell" on "The Weather Channel" and see!!

MANY Tri-Axle tailers

Plus another semi we don't see in the US, "B Trains"

2 40 Foot trailers NOT 25-30 footers!!!!

[Q tip]

john, being from michigan you should be seeing all types of multi axle trailers. old a-trains, b's and super b trains as well as tandems , tri's and multi axles. a good source for pics would be from tim at tims trucks. he's from way up north in michigan.

[highway]

You Can leave the Tri-Axle trailer as is if building a Canadian unit!

Watch "Highway Thru Hell" on "The Weather Channel" and see!!

MANY Tri-Axle tailers

Plus another semi we don't see in the US, "B Trains"

2 40 Foot trailers NOT 25-30 footers!!!!

Actually Dan, there ARE B Trains in the US, just not in your neck of the woods in the DelMarVa! In OH, IN, and NY, but only on the turnpikes, they run double 48 footers and triple 28 footer, and even maybe double 53 footer B Trains. I don't know if they actually consider them true B Trains or not, but they do exist in the US. In the Rocky Mountain area of the country, they also run Rocky Mountain doubles, which are usually 48s with a 28 foot pup behind them.

[Thatswhatshesaid]

Turnpike doubles are 45-48 foot trailers and a RM double is a 45-48 footer with a 26-28 pup.

On the west coast Oregon and Idaho run triples, 3 26-28 foot trailers. The LTL companies and UPS/ Fed Ex run them a lot. There are other states that allow them and some states only allow them on certain highways.

I'm pretty sure double 53s aren't allowed in the US. I've only seen them in Canada.

[kwtrucker]

John,

Another great website for trucks and trailer of any type and alot of multi axle trailers is Hanks' Truck Pictures.

Here's the link; http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/

You can get tones of model truck ideas there.