Dear fellow LEGO builders,

	Aluminum LEGO's..... Now that I have your attention, I will be starting work on the 
manufacturing of some differant LEGO parts. Some might say "HOW DARE YOU?" or "THATS 
TAKING ALL THE FUN OUT OF IT". These parts under normal building criteria perform well, but 
under a minimal amount of torque or stress (referance the U-joint) or (universal joint) they show 
fatigue, cracks and or simply break into a couple of pieces. If the U-joint is before the system of 
gears that are configured as gear reduction, the U-joint performs as designed. If the U-joint is 
after the stack of gears configured for reduction as if it was in the front steering axle spindle 
(area between the diff gear and the wheel/tire assembly) the amount of torque that the U-joint has 
to channel on through to the wheel/tire far surpasses its design. The design of these parts 
integrity matches the amount of torque that the motors put out. The motors from almost 15 to 20 
years ago worked well for what we where building back then, but now, the motors of today are not 
only fast they have massive amounts of torque, they are teeth shearing, chain snapping, U-joint 
breaking "POWERFUL". Do not misunderstand.... I'm greatful for the powerful motors that are 
offered of todays LEGOs.

	I think it is in our nature to push things to the limit (INTEGRITY OF THE MACHINE). We 
do it all day every day with everything like .... how we drive our automobiles, our jobs and even 
our bodies.  That is the name of the game in any automotive sport ....drag racing, road course, 
off-road racing, rock crawling, nascar, formula 1 racing, etc.... the mission is the indurance of
integrity of any and every part that makes the racing automobile what it is, from the tires to the 
suspention on through to the power train. If one part fails none of the other parts no longer matter,
you are out of the game.

	TRUCK TRIAL Fans, I do not know the rules of the competition, I can only imagine that 
you are only aloud to use LEGO parts..... but if that is not the case, an aluminum U-joint 
replacement is going to simplify the build as a whole in referance to the steering drive line let 
alone the drive shafts themselves.

THE DIFFERANT PARTS I WILL BE MACHINING
	
	I am going to build 99 percent replicas of the original U-joints and a couple other variences 
like a 3 stud long and possibly....(POSSIBLY) a 2 stud long U-joints. I have other ideas of making 
them with axles machined onto one or both sides and of course in axle lengths of 2,3 studs on up.
Other parts that I will be machining are a couple differant sizes of cog drive wheels for the new style
conveyor tread links that are in relivent size to the gears. I am unsure at this time and would like 
your input, to make the drive wheels/boggie wheels look like the LEGO ones or machine them to
look like the ones you would find on a bulldozer or a military tank. I also want the 24 tooth sized
pulley to have just a round hole so that if I put several side by side, they all spin independantly of 
one another, like the configurations in building craines or tow truck booms. I have already messed 
around with the threaded axles and threaded half bushings too, and those are a done deal.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OR WHAT YOU NEED OR HOW MANY.
I CAN BE REACHED AT:

DREW BRADLEY 1 (260) 414 - 0973

EMAIL    MAJORPAINX2@HOTMAIL.COM

 http://www.lugnet.com/~3079/

http://www.lugnet.com/people/members/?m=3079