Answers.Body: <p>2003 was the first year with all studless odd-width sets.</p>
  <p>Spurred on by the introduction of the <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?pg=1&amp;catString=137&amp;catType=P&amp;v=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">studless liftarm parts</a> in 1996 they were initially used as bodywork or implement parts (see <a href="https://brickset.com/sets/8480-1/Space-Shuttle" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8480 space shuttle</a> and <a href="https://brickset.com/sets/8286-1/3-In-1-Car" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8286 3-in-1 car</a> from 1996), but not as the chassis parts of larger vehicles (200+ part) until a few years later. The first odd-width, all-studless set I believe is <a href="https://brickset.com/sets/8203-1/Rover-Discovery" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8203 Rover Discovery</a> from 1998. Although it only had 38 pieces, all the sub-100 part vehicle sets in the following years were odd-width.</p>
  <p>The change to studless and odd width made more complex angles and mechanisms easier to achieve in smaller spaces. With studded beams (while overall even width) they also had the pin holes aligned to have a center one usually for steering and/or to connect the fake engine.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-09-17T03:09:09.790Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-09-17T06:53:19.917Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2024-09-17T06:53:19.917Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: That_LEGO_Guy
Body: <p>I remember that LEGO Technic vehicles when I was a kid (roughly in the 90s) always had an even width. The small ones where 4 studs wide. There was a standard steering construction that was 8 studs wide, a smaller version of width 6 and some giant vehicles that were 10 studs wide. Vehicles always where even width.</p>
  <p>When building LEGO Technic vehicles with my own kids now (so 2020s) I noticed that most of them seem to have an odd stud width, 5 studs being most common, 7 for bigger vehicles. As longer axles still have even length this often requires an axle extension piece, which afaik didn't exist back in the 90s.</p>
  <p>So when did this switch happen? And why? To me it seems to make various construction more awkward and require special pieces to make it work.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-08-13T03:27:43.007Z
Comments.Text: Have you got some examples (set numbers) for the past and present vehicles you observe? I think you might be mistakenly calling them Technic, as most of them are quite a bit larger than 5 or 7, and not really any standard width
Comments.UserDisplayName: Matthew Jensen
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-08-13T05:07:04.400Z
Comments.Text: @MatthewJensen: the OP is probably referring to the steering constructions of olde based on [Technic, Plate 1 x 8 with Toothed Ends](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4442), of which there was indeed also a [1 x 6](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4262) version.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Sander De Dycker
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-08-13T06:46:42.473Z
Comments.Text: @SanderDeDycker Yes, that piece would be part of the steering. There are a couple more pieces needed of course.
Comments.UserDisplayName: quarague
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-08-13T08:02:52.307Z
Comments.Text: Seems to me a direct consequence of when they switched from even length studded technic beams to odd length technic liftarms...
Comments.UserDisplayName: Michael Verschaeve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-08-13T23:22:37.787Z
Comments.Text: @MichaelVerschaeve That could be the core of an answer.
Comments.UserDisplayName: quarague
Tags: <technic><history><vehicle>
Title: When did the switch from even stud width vehicles to odd width vehicles happen in LEGO Technic?
UserDisplayName: quarague
ThreadText: # When did the switch from even stud width vehicles to odd width vehicles happen in LEGO Technic?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-13)
  
  I remember that LEGO Technic vehicles when I was a kid (roughly in the 90s) always had an even width. The small ones where 4 studs wide. There was a standard steering construction that was 8 studs wide, a smaller version of width 6 and some giant vehicles that were 10 studs wide. Vehicles always where even width.
  
  When building LEGO Technic vehicles with my own kids now (so 2020s) I noticed that most of them seem to have an odd stud width, 5 studs being most common, 7 for bigger vehicles. As longer axles still have even length this often requires an axle extension piece, which afaik didn't exist back in the 90s.
  
  So when did this switch happen? And why? To me it seems to make various construction more awkward and require special pieces to make it work.
  
  **Tags:** technic, history, vehicle
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Have you got some examples (set numbers) for the past and present vehicles you observe? I think you might be mistakenly calling them Technic, as most of them are quite a bit larger than 5 or 7, and not really any standard width  
  > **username_2**: @username_1: the OP is probably referring to the steering constructions of olde based on [Technic, Plate 1 x 8 with Toothed Ends](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4442), of which there was indeed also a [1 x 6](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4262) version.  
  > **username_0**: @username_2 Yes, that piece would be part of the steering. There are a couple more pieces needed of course.  
  > **username_3**: Seems to me a direct consequence of when they switched from even length studded technic beams to odd length technic liftarms...  
  > **username_0**: @username_3 That could be the core of an answer.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-09-17. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  2003 was the first year with all studless odd-width sets.
  
  Spurred on by the introduction of the [studless liftarm parts](https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?pg=1&catString=137&catType=P&v=1) in 1996 they were initially used as bodywork or implement parts (see [8480 space shuttle](https://brickset.com/sets/8480-1/Space-Shuttle) and [8286 3-in-1 car](https://brickset.com/sets/8286-1/3-In-1-Car) from 1996), but not as the chassis parts of larger vehicles (200+ part) until a few years later. The first odd-width, all-studless set I believe is [8203 Rover Discovery](https://brickset.com/sets/8203-1/Rover-Discovery) from 1998. Although it only had 38 pieces, all the sub-100 part vehicle sets in the following years were odd-width.
  
  The change to studless and odd width made more complex angles and mechanisms easier to achieve in smaller spaces. With studded beams (while overall even width) they also had the pin holes aligned to have a center one usually for steering and/or to connect the fake engine.
  
  
  ---
  
  