Suspension Arms Stuck in Bogey Blocks

[John Studebaker]

I was test fitting LH suspension arms and torsion bars into their corresponding bogey blocks. LH #1 and #2 went in with no issues. I can insert and remove them. However, I have issues with LH 3-4-5-6. I was able to get the torsion bar into the opposing bogey slot, but am now unable to remove the suspension arm and torsion bar assembly. They're stuck. Does anyone have suggestions about what to do to get them unstuck - out? Also, how do I avoid this problem going forward? Do i need to ream out the bogey block holes so the suspension arm will fit better? I am new to AT, so I can use whatever help is offered. Thanks.

[Tom Miller]

Try applying a penetrating oil like Kroil to the stuck parts. Wait about an hour then start wiggeling the parts back and forth until they break loose. Or clamp a vice grip to the torsion bar and tap the vice grip with a hammer.
It would be much easier to polish down the diameter of the suspension arms than reaming out the holes especially if you have access to a lathe.
Tom

[Brian Womersley]

Hi John….. when you do manage to extricate the torsion bars from the blocks you will probably notice the ends of the rods are slightly distorted…. I experienced this and concluded they had been cut by guillotine which caused distortion…. I cured this with a hand file to make them round again…. Problem solved

[John Studebaker]

Tom Miller - I tried using vice grips attached to the torsion bar and a hammer. Didn't work. I'll add penetrating oil to see if this makes a difference. And if this doesn't work, guess I'll try some heat. Any other thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

I have to ask: Is this common with AT models? Things don't necessarily fit perfectly? Probably a naive perspective, but given how expensive these kits are, one would think only minor tweaking is necessary. Suspension arms stuck in bogey blocks is more than a minor issue.

[Tom Miller]

Hi John,
If you remove the suspension arm you could make a jacking device that would screw into the suspension shaft with a cross bar under the screw. Place a small block on each side of the shaft under the cross bar against the hull. When you tighten the screw it should pull the shaft out. I applied a little machine oil to the suspension shaft on final assembly to avoid galling and allow the shaft to move easily.
Issues like this are pretty common with these kits. I would call these kits craftsman kits. They don't just bolt together. Even with CNC machined parts quality control is vital. I have a small lathe and bench mill and use them quite often to get to get moving parts to fit correctly. Armortek machines their parts to be a pretty tight fit. A little looser fit would eliminate most is these issues.
Tom

[Adrian Harris]

Heat is very good at freeing things up, as the aluminium expands more than the steel, which can break the hold between the parts. I've used it to help breaking down older second hand kits, where parts have seized, and it works most times.

The instructions usually have a disclaimer in the General Tips section along the lines of "some fitting may be required" or "some parts may need filing". The machined parts do go through a vibro cleaning process but lathe turned parts sometimes have burrs or parting pips on them.

Adrian.

[John Studebaker]

Success!!! Got them out. WD40, hammer, vise grips, a drift, a heat source and your encouragement resulted in being able to get the suspension arms out of the bogey blocks. What a relief!!! I've been watching Tony's Workshop on YouTube, trying not to make any mistakes. Guess I missed the guidance on filing the suspension arms and bogey blocks. Lesson learned. Hopefully, I won't make any more major mistakes, although i'm sure i will.
As to this AT kit - I knew I'd have to be more careful with their kit. I recently finished a Tamiya 1:16 Abrams tank kit. I had zero issues with it. Oh wel!! I really appreciate your insights and feedback. This forum support was one of the major reasons I decided to go with Armortek.

[Mark Allen]

I think the descriptor of "Craftsmen kits" is a good one. Yes, fitting, filling and fiddling are part of the adventure. I learned quickly that I could expect to give attention to just about every non-hardware piece in the kit. De-burring, chasing threads to make sure they are clear, chamfering hole to ease assembly are all part of it. In my opinion AT does an incredible job with these, especially in low quantity runs. You cant really compare to Tamiya that runs thousands of a model. Embrace the journey!

[Jerry Carducci]

I trial fit everything all the time no matter what I'm doing. I have to say it; I've built or worked on a lot of metal tanks over the years. Kit or built, self made or 'store bought' I never assume anything fits as it should and always question myself first. I've found that as tolerances on some kit parts have become more precise there's literally no room to put pieces together without trial fitting. A shear cut end to a shaft rod is more than enough to give you a bad day, a slight misalignment of holes can try your patience.

Sand, smooth, clean. trial fit. repeat. Repeat until the parts fit as they should. Misaligned parts of a complex structure call into question the foundations of the structure- did I take a wrong turn somewhere? Misalignment of the one part that is an ambiguous enantiomer can cause you to chase ghosts...

Jerry

[John Studebaker]

This "newbie" wants to thank everyone for their feedback, advice and help with my suspension arm problem. Having access to this forum has proven to be invaluable. There are so many experts who have suffered through countless issues and are willing to share their insights. This makes my asking dumb questions painless. And appreciated when I get responses. And I am now committed to trial fitting everything 2-4 times before making final attachments. Lesson learned.