Introduction: K'nex (or Knex) 4wd Truck [5/09 Video Added]
![K'nex (or Knex) 4wd Truck [5/09 Video Added]](https://content.instructables.com/FVA/68O4/FITUPO0Z/FVA68O4FITUPO0Z.jpg?auto=webp&fit=bounds&frame=1&height=1024&width=1024auto=webp&frame=1&height=300)
![K'nex (or Knex) 4wd Truck [5/09 Video Added]](https://content.instructables.com/FZJ/FZSG/FIRYJT86/FZJFZSGFIRYJT86.jpg?auto=webp&fit=bounds&frame=1&height=1024&width=1024auto=webp&frame=1&height=300)
I'm only struggling with the hood because my other hand is holding the camera. Note the door.
Step 1: Intro
I made this truck roughly a week after I first started playing with K'nex. At first, having been raised on Lego, I was reluctant. In time, however, the possibilities of K'nex became very appealing. This design is based on the second 4wd chassis design I've come up with (which is pretty much a larger version of the first).
Parts list is as follows (numbers such as 45, 180, etc refer to degrees of connecting span):
Tan locks: 11
2 1/4" gears:2
small friction gears (usually gray):4
locking small gears (usually gold):2
small black connectors (will connect to length of rod but not to end):17
Orange 180 connectors:28
Yellow 180 connectors:29
Green 135 connectors: 45
Gray 45 connectors:11
Blue 360 interlocking connectors:24
White 360 connectors:18
Red 90 connectors:39
Purple 180 interlocking connectors:36
One-rod gray connectors:39
General purpose small connectors (any connectors smaller than gray one-rod, like tan lock):13
Blue spacers or length equivalent (may use small connectors for 2 blue sometimes):42
Gray spacers:9
Wheels (of choice):5
Smallest wheel (steering):1
Gray rods:17
Red rods:12
Yellow rods:17
Blue rods:29
White rods:76
Green rods: 102
Orange flex rods:4
Ball joint balls:4
Ball joint sockets:3
Red panels (longest length yellow rod):4
Black panels (longest length red):1
power pack:1
Step 2: Main Chassis
Pic 1:
Make two sets of these.
Pics 2 and 3:
Join the pieces like this, slide on a gray one-rod connector onto one of them as shown in pic 3. This will be the left side of the chassis. The left side of the picture denotes the front of the chassis.
Pic 4:
Prepare four rods as shown. The black rod is the longest, a gray will work too.
Pic 5:
Join the two chassis halves with the four rods as shown. This is the underside of the chassis.
Pic 6:
Make these. These are the front axle mounts.
Pic 7:
Attach the front axle mounts to the front of the chassis as shown.
Pic 8:
Make these. These are the rear axle mounts.
Pic 9:
Attach the rear axle mounts to the chassis as shown.
Pic 10:
Attach a blue rod and yellow connector to the middle of the chassis as shown. This is now the top view of the chassis.
Step 3: Drivetrain
Pics 1 and 2:
This is the rear of the chassis, view from top. Slide a red rod, two gray spacers or the equivalent, and a yellow gear oriented as shown through the white connector on the left side of the chassis. Continue sliding it through the other connector, and then use two small connectors to keep it from sliding. I used tan locks. Note however, that the yellow gear NEED NOT be locked onto the red rod, they may spin independently.
Pics 3 and 4:
Make this. This is the driveshaft and its mounts.
Pic 5:
Attach the driveshaft to the chassis as shown.
Pic 6:
This is the motor mount. Take the power pack and make this.
Pic 7:
Mount the motor mount onto the chassis as shown.
Pic 8:
Turn the chassis over and slide a red connector through the white connector as shown, force it through the motor unit, and insert a yellow gear next to the motor unit. While doing this line up the hole on the yellow gear with the hole on the motor unit and mesh it with the gray gear.
Pic 9:
Continue sliding the red rod through until it meets the other white connector. Place a tan lock to lock the yellow gear onto the red rod.
Step 4: Chassis 2nd Layer
Pic 1:
Make this. This is the "gear shift".
Pic 2:
Make this. this is the "steering wheel".
Pic 3:
Mount the gear shift onto the chassis as shown.
Pic 4:
Make this.
Pic 5:
Attach the part from pic 4 as shown. Repeat for the other side (the two joints not seen).
Pic 6:
Make two of these.
Pic 7:
Attach the part from pic 6 to the back of the chassis as shown. Repeat pics 6 and 7 for the other side.
Pic 8:
Attach the steering wheel as shown.
Note: At this point you pretty much have a rolling chassis, you may skip to step 18 and 19 if that's all you want, if you want to add your own design for looks. HOWEVER, you must stiffen the second layer of chassis in order from the drivetrain to work properly. The gap in the middle of the chassis, meant for the seats, is a major source of chassis flex. Also, cross bracing (using an eight connector and four rods in the square sections of the chassis) will help.
Step 5: The Bed
Pic 1:
Make 10 of these.
Pic 2:
Attach 5 of the parts made in pic 1 onto a yellow rod, slide a gray connector (one rod end) over it, and then attach the other 5.
Pic 3:
Slide a yellow rod through the other end.
Pic 4:
Attach the yellow rod to the two red connectors in the back of the chassis.
Pic 5:
Attach the other yellow rod to the purple connectors in the middle of the chassis as shown.
Step 6: Seats
Pic 1:
Make 2 of these. These are the seats.
Pic 2:
Slide a red rod partially through one of the seats as shown.
Pic 3:
Attach two yellow connectors and one orange connector as shown.
Pic 4:
Slide a yellow connector over the red rod as shown.
Pic 5:
Slide the other seat over the red rod as shown.
Pic 6:
Connect two yellow connectors onto the red rod as shown.
Pic 7:
Connect two blue rods to the connectors on the red rod as shown.
Pic 8:
This is the underside of the truck, with the bottom of the picture being the front. Lower the seats into the chassis from the other side (the upper side, of course), and attach two blue rods onto the underside as shown.
Pic 9:
This is the top of the chassis again, the left side. The left side of the pic is the front of the truck. Lift the seats as shown, and attach the blue rod sticking out of the chassis to the yellow connector in between the seats as shown.
Pic 10:
Attach the blue rod sticking out of the chassis here onto the green connector on the DRIVER'S seat. This will appear crooked, but it is to prevent driveshaft rubbing.
Pic 11:
Attach a yellow rod to the two gray connectors in the center of the truck, in between the seats, as pictured.
Step 7: Door Hinges
Pic 1:
Make this. Note the orientation of the tan pieces. That's 5 blue spacers.
Pic 2:
Make these.
Pic 3:
Slide the left piece from pic 2 onto the blue rod on the piece from pic 1.
Pic 4:
Slide the remaining piece from pic 2 , black connector side up, through the red connector, and the two lower gray connectors.
Pic 5:
Attach the finished hinge assembly onto the truck as shown. This is the left side of the truck, just in front of the seating area.
Repeat this step for the other side. Make sure to mirror the appropriate parts.
Step 8: I Don't Know What to Call This Step
Pic 1:
Make this.
Pic 2:
Make this.
Pic 3:
Attach the red rod from pic 1 onto the blue connectors as shown. Attach the part from pic 2 onto the blue connectors as shown. The purple connectors may partially come off of the red rod. This is to be expected. The lowest two attach notes are connecting the red connectors onto the blue rods from the hinges.
Step 9: Installation of the Front Grille and Other Front Parts
Pic 1:
Make this. This is the grille.
Pic 2:
Make this.
Pic 3:
This is the front left of the truck. Attach the part from pic 2 as shown.
Repeat pics 2 and 3 for the other side.
Pic 4:
Attach three short (black or white, 2nd shortest) rods as shown.
Pic 5:
Attach the grille to the short rods mentioned in pic 4 in the locations shown. Insert 2 white/black rods in the left and right white pieces as shown.
Pic 6:
Snap the two purple connectors from the pieces made in pic 2 on the rods inserted in pic 5, behind the grille, as shown.
Pic 7:
Make these. For the top piece, fill up the yellow rod with green pieces.
Pic 8:
Attach the pieces made in pic 7 together at the gray connectors.
Pic 9:
Attach the piece completed in pic 8 to the truck as shown, first to the purple connectors, then to the grille.
Step 10: Headlights
This is the front of the truck. Attach two gray gears to be the "headlights". You may substitute with those translucent yellow/green round pieces if so desired.
Step 11: Attaching the Front Bumper
Pic 1:
Make this.
Pic 2:
This is the front right of the truck. Attach the part from pic 1 onto the chassis as shown.
Repeat pics 1 and 2 on the other side.
Pic 3:
Attach a red connector as shown.
Pic 4:
Make this. This is the bumper.
Pic 5:
Attach the bumper as shown.
Step 12: Installation of Front Side Panels
Pic 1:
This is the front left side.
Pic 2:
Make this.
Pic 3:
Attach pic 2's part in the places indicated.
Pic 4:
Slide the red connector from pic 3 behind the outermost hinge rod as pictured. Also slide the green connector over the green rod as shown.
Pic 5:Slide a gray connector over a red rod, and attach one end to the red connector from pic 4. Use another small gray connector to keep the red connector from sliding off. Attach loose gray connector to red rod protruding from chassis as shown.
Repeat this step for the other side.
Step 13: Installation of Cab, "roll Cage", and Part of Rear
Pic 1:
This is the left side of the truck, focusing on the rear. Attach three orange connectors as shown.
Pic 2:
Make this.
Pic 3:
Attach pic 2 object to the orange connectors mentioned in pic 1.
Repeat pics 1 through 3 on the other side.
Pic 4:
Make this. This is the "roll cage", although it's mainly there for chassis support.
Pic 5:
Attach the roll cage to the chassis as shown.
Pic 6:
Make this. If you do not have the flat pieces you may substitute and improvise. This is the cab.
Pic 7:
Attach the cab as shown.
Step 14: Installation of the Rear Sides and Fenders.
Pic 1:
Attach two small black connectors as shown.
Pic 2:
Make this.
Pic 3:
Attach item from pic 2 as shown.
Pic 4:
Attach two small black connectors as shown.
Pic 5:
Make this.
Pic 6:
Attach the object from pic 5 in the one spot as shown.
Pic 7:
Attach the rest of the fender as shown.
Repeat this step for the other side.
Step 15: Doors
Pic 1:
Make this.
Pic 2:
Install it onto the hinge in the places indicated. You may add spacers in the place indicated, the door will work better this way. Place a red connector onto the door as shown. This is the rear view "mirror".
Repeat this entire step for the other side.
Try the doors out! I really like the biasing mechanism here.
Step 16: Tailgate Installation
Pic 1:
Make this. The ball joints on either end may be substituted for any small connector.
Pic 2:
Slide one end of the gray rod into the red corner on one side, then the other, while ensuring the green stop in note 1 is under the yellow rod. Center it, then clip the two extended orange pieces to the gray rod.
Pic 3:
Clip a 45 connector or similar small connector to either side of the gray rod to keep it from sliding.
Pic 4:
Assemble two ball joints. Connect one to a red rod. Attach both to either side of the tailgate as shown. This will be the tailgate lock. Design a better one if you can, it's not very... realistic.
Pic 5:
Flip the tailgate up while the two protruding green rods get inserted into the left and right yellow connectors of the tailgate. Lock by connecting the red rod from pic 4 to the other ball joint mentioned in pic 4.
Step 17: Spare Tire Installation
Pic 1:
Make this
Pic 2:
Turn truck upside down and position tire like so (this is the back of the truck).
Pic 3:
Insert the white rod into the tire (it should also be in between the long gray rods) and clip the yellow rod into the blue connectors as shown.
Step 18: Axle/Gear Installation
Pics 1&2 :
Use a gray/black (long) rod as the rear axle. Insert it with the spacers and gold gear as shown. Lock the gear down with a tan lock.
Pics 3&4:
Use another gray/black (long) rod as the front axle. Insert it with the gold gear as shown, then tan lock on one side and use a small connector (shown as another tan lock) to keep it from sliding on the other side.
Step 19: Wheel Installation
Pics 1 and 2:
Use spacers or small connectors to make the equivalent of 5 blue spacers, or one grey and two blue spacers (I know there are only enough pieces for the equivalent of 4 blue or one gray and 1 blue on the rear, pic 2. I was running low on spacers, but it works as well.) After the spacers, put on one tan lock, preferably oriented opposite the one on the other side of the axle, but it doesn't really matter. Pin outwards of course.
Pic 3:
Insert wheel, ensuring the pin on the aforementioned tan lock goes into a hole on the wheel. You may use different wheels from the type depicted.
Pic 4:
Place a tan lock or other small connector to lock the wheel on.
Step 20: Enjoy!
Flip the switch and watch, as all four wheels turn at once! Don't expect the little 130 size k'nex motor to make this four wheeler climb anything--errrr--big, especially with the gearing (hrmm, I'm getting ideas already ;D). Still, there are a few things remaining to be shown.
ANGRY MODE:
This makes the truck look angry (lol). In pic 1, press up from under the cab in the spot indicated to loosen part of the black triangle piece. Flip it down as in pic 2, and insert the loose part into the orange part as shown in pic 3.
HOOD ACCESS:
In pic 5, press up from under the hood by reaching in from the sides at the points located, and loosen part of the red triangles in a similar fashion to the angry procedure. Flip the triangles up as shown in pic 6. Press down on the spot shown in pic 7 to loosen one end of the blue rod, and do the same thing for the other one. In pic 8, orient your thumb and forefinger as shown, and press them together. do the same thing for the other side. A large piece will have come loose, and will be able to hinge upward. Do so, and you should end up with pic 9.
The rest of the pictures are just more shots. I'm welcome to feedback, there are a few things I don't like about this design myself.
