rollers and sprockets!

[Martin Taylor]

Can a more advanced builder advise as the best way to fit the rollers and sprockets please? Assuming that the tank is best on its side for these stages (??) it seems to me (and gravity) that the roller axles will not stay in place until properly secured by the angles and U bolts. However the manual(p 17) implies that these are not fitted until after the sprockets and idlers are in place . Can the rollers be fully fitted first as might seem to be logical or....?? I am keen to avoid a time-consuming mistake!!
Thanks
Martin (MkIV no. 33)

[Chris Hall]

Martin -

No way am I an 'advanced builder', and others are way ahead of me so their opinion will be more valid. But I've just got to that stage myself, and I'd sort-of assumed that you turn the tank upside down at this point .... then turn it back up again for the 27th roller on the top !

Hope this helps. If I'm about to do something incredibly stupid (which I doubt, as I've already had mine upside down to undercoat the floor panels and put on the track edges around the frames) I'm sure someone will tell me !

Fun, isn't it ?

Chris

[Steve Stuart]

Hi Martin and Chris
I put the rollers in with the Tank upside down (So as to get at every thing more easily.) and the Angle Plates and U Bolts keep the Axles in place. As my previous post indicates it was quite fiddly!

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/viewt ... =15#p45575

Have fun, all I can say is towards the end you get quite expert....
Regards
Steve

[Daniel Scholefield]

I concur, I put all the rollers in with the tank upside down, then fitted the angle plates and u-bolts to secure everything. It is fiddly but even a tank novice like me was able to get them all in with no issues this way.

[Martin Taylor]

Many thanks Steve and Daniel. I have had the tank upside down to do the floor etc but with the "cab" now fitted and the greater weight taxing my physique(!) I was trying to avoid doing it again without risking potential damage to the cab. However I can see the many advantages of inversion so will follow your advice. Daniel can I assume that you have had no problems fitting the sprockets and idlers etc after securing the roller angles which does seem at variance with what Mark has put in the manual??
Martin

[Daniel Scholefield]

Daniel can I assume that you have had no problems fitting the sprockets and idlers etc after securing the roller angles which does seem at variance with what Mark has put in the manual??
Martin

I have to eat humple pie - I was convinced I did it with the tank inverted but a build photo I took at the time shows I clearly did everything with the tank on it's side!
I fitted the idlers then secured them as I went along with the angle and u-bolts.


Not my intention to mislead, sorry!

[Martin Taylor]

No humble pie needed, I've only just realised it was your Forum pic that had ;ed me to assume that the best approach was with the tank on its side, so together we seem to have squared the circle!
Martin