Wedico Peterbilt Day Cab

[PilotJesse]

I've always wanted to build a Wedico Peterbilt, but have found out recently that the Peterbilt kits are not available from Wedico anymore. So I started my search for a previously owned one. Ric at Precision Model Distributers graciously gave me the opportunity to buy one of his. After a long wait, here's the starting point. I have a lot of plans for this truck, with lots of custom parts and lots of modifications!

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[PilotJesse]

First Step: Start rear-end disassembly

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[PilotJesse]

Ordered and installed Wedico quarter fenders. I like the look of these over the full fenders. They need some modification, but they'll do for now. The stock spring suspension isn't very realistic... it will have to go!

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[PilotJesse]

Well the stock spring suspension had to go! I ordered a walking spring suspension from Ric at PMD. When it arrived, I did a quick test-fit. YIKES. Not what I had in mind. Might be suitable for trucks in Europe, but did not look at all like a Peterbilt suspension. Another item that needed to go was the stock Wedico fifth wheel. A lot of stock Wedico/Tamiya trailers sit up too high for my liking, and do not look right to me. I want this truck to look as realistic as I can, while still functioning. So I ordered a ScaleArt fifth wheel. Waited a long time for it, but I am very happy with the reduced height and quality of the engineering of this one. More on the fifth wheel situation later!

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[PilotJesse]

I tried and tried to convince myself to buy a suspension that was already designed, built, and ready to install. Nothing that I could find fit the bill. I decided on an airbag suspension, and the only one I could find out there was from Lesu. Can't be putting Chinese junk on a fine piece of German engineering! I was left with only one option... design and build it myself. This project is already turning into more than I bargained for, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Came up with this design based on the Peterbilt Low Leaf air ride suspension. The parts will have to be 3D printed, but with the high quality of metal (yes, I said metal!!) printing, I am not worried about putting poor-quality printed parts on a high quality model. Lots more to do!


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[PilotJesse]

Well the first run of parts look amazing. I could not be happier with the quality of these printed parts. They are printed out of brass.

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[PilotJesse]

The excitement is building. Cannot believe how well these parts turned out. I only ordered enough for one axle, just in case I messed up with my design.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51604163373_a2ba92fc82_z.jpg

[9W Monighan]

What does something like that cost for printing? I have some parts that if I can get time to draw, that need made.

[Lil Giants]

Printed metal, that looks awesome! :cool:

Wonder what the ratio is compared to actual brass?

[frizzen]

That truck is looking a lot better already.

Cool looking printed brass parts

[PilotJesse]

I had these 10 parts (half of the total rear suspension) printed for total cost of around $200. I'm not sure what percentage of the part is actual brass, I will weigh the spring hangar and figure out density, and compare. They are heavy so I would say they are mostly (if not 100%) brass. I ordered some brass flat stock and it arrived today, so I cut and bent the lower leaf springs. I am not a machinist and this was my first time bending metal. Took me a few tries but I'm pleased how they turned out. They still need a little bit of finishing.

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[PilotJesse]

And of course, had to do a mock-up... I think it's going to look great! Disregard the Wedico walking spring hangar, that will be removed.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51612446241_fcbd0803ff_z.jpg

[Lil Giants]

I forgot a word in my last post, wonder what the strength ratio is compared to actual brass?

The detail that came from the print is incredible, I can't recall any cnc machining that good on something so small. It's great to see how much technology has improved this specific hobby over the last 26yrs.

[trilliwilli]

Hi Jesse, nice to see a Wedico model again. You are serious about the detailing, so it is going to look very nice.

On the German forum there is one that build a Wedico Peterbilt years ago, and is currently rebuilding it. He has put all the original photos back in the topic, and one of the outstanding things he is currently doing in placing ribbets on the model. He has drilled 1500 holes and placed all the ribbets in there. You can see pictures of this on the last pages of the topic.

https://www.modelltruckforum.de/forum/index.php?thread/34234-mein-peterbilt-von-wedico/

About the 3D printed metal, the strength and density is almost the same. We have tested with vacuum parts, and the results are very good. There are some materials already certifeid for medical implants, the demands are very high here.

For instance reconstruction of the jawbone after an accident. They make a 3D scan of the face and reconstruct missing bone with printed implants.

The development is already on a very high level, we are printing in Stainless steel 304 and Titanium. We have two metal printers, but the process is cumbersome and expensive. Results are very promissing though.

Good luck with the build, your air ride suspension is very nice.

[Zabco]

Are these parts you had made from Shapeways? I have had several brass pieces made by them. If you are not aware of it, they are not 'printed' brass, they are cast using the lost wax method. Shapeways uses the 3d file (.stl) you send them to print the part in wax then use the wax print to make a plaster mold. Brass is then melted and poured in the mold to make the part. While Shapeways does print some metals, their brass parts are cast.

[trilliwilli]

As far as I know all brass parts are made with the lost wax method, not just at Shapeways.

Printing copper and its alloys is very difficult, as is laser cutting and welding it.

[skeeter]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51574536118_0fb44cf33a_z.jpg

That replacement 5th wheel looks a lot gooder than the stock 5th wheel plate did!

They are printed out of brass.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51603936696_fb29f96b28_z.jpg

Did you have to get a special noxxle to 3D print those? Would you please share a link to buy that brass filament. What temperature does it print at? Can a standard 3D printer print with this material? I'm very interested in experimenting with this stuff!

[PilotJesse]

Thanks guys. The parts are from Shapeways, and sure enough, they are lost wax cast. Did not realize that until now! They are very high quality, and I am excited to use them. I plan on using parts like this to really hone in on the authentic Peterbilt look. This will be a slow build but I want to do it right!

[PilotJesse]

Well... things don't always work out the way I plan! Designed and had "printed" a more realistic Peterbilt tow hook for the front bumper. Doesn't look proportional at all. Like all the other parts, I used pictures from Google and scaled the parts based on known dimensions, and looks like I was slightly off on this one. Going to go find some real dimensions, and back to the drawing board.

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[PilotJesse]

Started looking at it closer and did some more scaling from pictures I had saved. Actually seems to be about right based on real dimensions. I was a few hundredths of an inch off, but I'd say that's within the margin of error. Test fit it on the truck with the old bumper still installed. Tow hook will eventually be painted black and will have a tow pin installed. What do y'all think? Let it ride or re-design? I'm on the fence.

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[jerry56]

I guess it would depend on how much it cost to remake, and how perfect you want it to be.
But with it sticking out from the front bumper like that it is in full view and your eye will go right to it ....If it were hidden or partially hidden I would probably let it go..... but it's front and center on the truck...

[frizzen]

It looks pretty good, but I might see if it looks like you could adjust the size with a file and caliper before sending for a reprint.

Plus sometimes we have to make compromises for durability and ease of use over staying absolute purely scale. If the smaller pintle won't hold atleast the weight of truck, it's likely not worth the effort to have it redone.

[Espeefan]

The tow hitch looks fine to me! Your other cast and or printed parts look great too. You are off to a good start on making this Wedico look much better and more scale. Keep it up.

[PilotJesse]

Thanks for the feedback guys. This is a comparison of what it looks like vs. the goal. It's just the slightest bit big. Might be passable but I want to do this truck right! Going to make it just the tiniest bit smaller and see where that gets us. Lots of trial and error with this truck.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51635496582_7c6ba3c042_z.jpg

[skeeter]

Personally, I'd let er ride!
If you remake er, will the tow point be string enough to be functional?

[PilotJesse]

We're going to let the front tow hook go for now. I think it will look smaller once it's painted. It's been a while since I've worked on the truck, but started some disassembly tonight. Lots and lots of wires! Glad I have all the wiring diagrams, they're going to be a big help!
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[PilotJesse]

What have I done!!!
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[PilotJesse]

Been working a lot recently, and haven't had time to work on the truck. Started test fitting the airbag suspension and realized that the leaf springs are too short. Luckily that's an easy fix.

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[PilotJesse]

Went ahead and did a test fit of the axle and airbags to see how it would look. I know I'm missing some pieces, but I think this rear end is going to turn out great when I'm done!

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[PilotJesse]

Not much progress on the truck as of recently, but did some more tinkering. Next step is going to be lowering the front end to make it more realistic. As everyone knows, the front ends of these Wedico trucks sit up way too high. It's amazing how much more modern the truck looks without the dated visor and fender turn signals. Both will be left off the truck. Now just waiting for parts!

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[Claus]

Nice work Jesse. The trick is getting the truck to sit level once you lower the front end. Also to keep the front wheels from rubbing fenders or bumper. Remember these trucks are 359s not 379s or 389s! I kind of like them being the older 359 myself.

[PilotJesse]

Nice work Jesse. The trick is getting the truck to sit level once you lower the front end. Also to keep the front wheels from rubbing fenders or bumper. Remember these trucks are 359s not 379s or 389s! I kind of like them being the older 359 myself.

Thanks Claus, I designed the rear suspension so that the truck will sit level once the front end is lowered to an acceptable height, so it should work out just fine.

[PilotJesse]

Small update: little details make a big difference. Changed the mesh in the air cleaners to a photo etched round hole design instead of the woven wire mesh that came with them. I think that they look a lot better! Hoping to have some bigger updates soon.
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[egronvold]

Nice upgrade.

[frizzen]

That mesh looks awesome

[jerry56]

I just love the attention to detail you guys have..... amazing..

[bigpipespete]

Where did you buy the photo etch screen for your air cans . Youre not kidding that makes a big difference.

[PilotJesse]

Thanks guys! The photo etch round mesh is from amazon (link below). They have lots of different patterns and designs. I ordered a few different styles for various parts on the truck.

https://www.amazon.com/Madworks-Spirit-AW-119-Photo-Etch-Upgrade/dp/B07MX1LWVJ

[PilotJesse]

Started some work on the grille. The stock Wedico grille isn't bad, but it's not what I want. I love the OEM Peterbilt grille design with the oval pattern, and couldn't find anything off the shelf that would suffice, so just like a lot of other things on this truck, time to design my own. I printed out a mock-up of my design, and I think I'll be happy with it. Off to be laser cut!

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[PilotJesse]

Also got the cab disassembled, and stripped. Have a couple of modifications to the cab while it's raw.

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[bigpipespete]

That grill will look a lot nicer than the old one. What mods will you make to the cab ?

[PilotJesse]

That grill will look a lot nicer than the old one. What mods will you make to the cab ?

Nothing major, some extra holes... and a "few" rivets. I've been studying the Modelltruck forum thread that trilliwilli sent. I love the way the rivets make the Wedico cab look more realistic on his truck.

[PilotJesse]

Following in Espeefan's footsteps, I got the front axle milled down by a local machine shop to lower the front end. Wish I had the equipment to do it myself, but unfortunately I just don't have the space right now.
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The front of the truck had a better ride height, but still was a little bit too high, so I made an adjustment with the front leaf springs and I think we've got her!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51863695503_c6cc572bd2_z.jpg

Ran into a little snag with the grille design, turns out the company that was going to cut it for me didn't have a machine that was precise enough for those little tiny holes. I did design it to be almost exactly a scaled down of the OEM grille, and I'm thinking that it might not have looked good anyway. Some design aspects don't scale very well. Still going for the OEM look, but will have to redesign.

[PilotJesse]

Started toying around with an idea of a lift axle... I would obviously need to switch out the under-cab tool box with a fuel tank with steps if I went this route. I'm not a fan of the stock Wedico toolbox/steps anyway. Disregard the Wedico fifth wheel, I just put it there to mock up the design. What do y'all think?

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[bigpipespete]

Looking good , but i think you need a longer frame if you use a lift axle. Is it just me or does the cab look a tad bit too tall for the scale of the truck ?

[PilotJesse]

Looking good , but i think you need a longer frame if you use a lift axle. Is it just me or does the cab look a tad bit too tall for the scale of the truck ?

Yeah, I decided against the lift axle. Glad to see the forum is back up and running!

[bigpipespete]

What happened , at least now i can see how your build turns out.

[trilliwilli]

The forum crashed and was offline for one month.

I am also glad to see this build continue, i really like the daycab style on this one.

[PilotJesse]

Well guys, I am back! It has been too long. I have finally had time to get back to working on the truck and given the rear suspension a lot of thought. I tried a few different options and none of the options would give me the reliability/durability that I really wanted from this truck. So it's back to the Wedico spring suspension for now. I hope to revisit the Peterbilt airbag suspension at some point. I have lots of parts on order from Germany, and can't wait for them to get here. Hope to provide some updates (with pictures) soon!

[PilotJesse]

Working on sorting out the electrical system. Not sure why, but the motors only go in reverse. The transmitter is indicating that it is going forward and reverse, but with either selection, the motors go backwards. Also trying to untangle this spaghetti! (don't worry, the fenders/truck are not going to be green, that's just primer)
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[PilotJesse]

Also received some goodies in the mail. I've been warned against the dual motor setup, but I wanted to try it anyway. I think it looks cool. If it really doesn't work, I'll go back to the single motor. The drive shafts are the new and improved ones from RC4WD. They'll have to be trimmed to fit correctly.

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[PilotJesse]

So I've done all the troubleshooting that I know to do, including adjusting all of the ESC settings. I have heard good things about the Servonaut ESCs so I went ahead and ordered one. I hope that will fix my problem. I am going to continue to try to see if I can get this one to work. If anyone has any advice or suggestions, let me know!

[frizzen]

Reverse / reverse is weird. What are your motors?
Post #50, i see 3 things that could be motors. They don't look like a normal 540/550 brushed motors. looks like there is something extra, maybe a sensor/encoder thing on the brush hood of one. Some kinda gearmotor looking one with maybe 7 wires in? Then another can which could be fuel tank or a motor?

If you just hook up straight from a battery pack to motor leads, then swap connecting polarity can you make motors run forward / reverse?

[PilotJesse]

Reverse / reverse is weird. What are your motors?
Post #50, i see 3 things that could be motors. They don't look like a normal 540/550 brushed motors. looks like there is something extra, maybe a sensor/encoder thing on the brush hood of one. Some kinda gearmotor looking one with maybe 7 wires in? Then another can which could be fuel tank or a motor?

If you just hook up straight from a battery pack to motor leads, then swap connecting polarity can you make motors run forward / reverse?

The motors are brand new 12V Wedico-Buhler Motors and the original Wedico ESC (this is located inside the fuel tank). For testing purposes I used the old motor (in the wiring picture). The extra white wires are for the sound / light system. The motor does the reverse/reverse with them disconnected as well. I did hook up the motor to the battery, and it operates correctly (forward, reverse) which leads me to the bad ESC conclusion.

[jerry56]

If you haven't already you could try just hooking up the motor no sound wires or lights and see if it works... it almost sounds like it's feeding back thru that stuff....That's a strange one for sure...

[PilotJesse]

If you haven't already you could try just hooking up the motor no sound wires or lights and see if it works... it almost sounds like it's feeding back thru that stuff....That's a strange one for sure...

I did try that. The Wedico system is very complicated so I figured that I would try to isolate the problem by connecting just the motor. Still reverse/reverse.

[frizzen]

I'm having a lot of trouble reading your background in post 50, which schematic is that?
https://www.manualslib.com/brand/wedico/
Or post up a better pic.

If i were correctly reading the wrong diagrams: Esc fuel tank is the top chrome one, Speaker fuel tank is chrome parallel to motor
I can't find any drawings with White wires going to motor? Looks like they come off black thing with white/green wires?

Fully charged 12v battery?

What happens if you *only* hook up Battery, Esc, Rx, Motor?

Now i think i see why people used to like to swap these Wedico electronics for industry-standard parts.

[PilotJesse]

I have attached a better picture of the wiring diagrams.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53082812238_1f558afdf7_c.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53082510194_2251c2d7a1_c.jpg

[frizzen]

Seeing a couple areas of concern to double check in your wiring monster:

Between the Diesel noise and Motor, there is black thing with Green(black?) / White in and White/White out. Not seeing on diagrams, verify it has all wires

Sound unit has atleast 2 wires that are unterminated? Green and either Red/brown

Also Motor to Pcb has white pair of wires into a terminal strip

Esc has red/black that needs hooked up to pcb

[PilotJesse]

Well, once again, it has been a while but I'm back at it! Finally got all the electrical problems worked out, and starting to reassemble. I have painted the frame and crossmembers, and also replaced most of the screws with new black ones. I temporarily put it together just for fun.
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https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53478216847_7c9aa438e5_c.jpg

[PilotJesse]

I also just received a trailer for it. I will be customizing it (spread axle, upgraded wheels, wood deck, US style bumper, lights, etc) but I did put it together as soon as it arrived. It will do just fine for a while until I get around to working on it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53478154957_627d8286d5_c.jpg

[PilotJesse]

A little mockup... just because!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53478154907_a39fd7d30e_c.jpg

[wedicotrucker]

Any updates on this build?

[PilotJesse]

No picture updates as of right now, I am trying to work on it a little every night, but the painting is a slow process because there are lots of details.