Ball bearing for KT turret.

[Peter Quambusch]

Howdy fellow modellers,

I installed a ball bearing system for the KT turret. In case anyone might be interested, send my a PM.

[Peter Quambusch]

For the technically interested modellers:

I used heavy duty ball bearings which are normally installed into injection moulds. They are only 1.8 mm higher than the brass turret ring (see drawing: h=4,8 mm), thus barely visible when the turret is mounted. Each ball can carry 10 kgs. As the complete turret weights around 32 kgs, I installed 12 bearings (I know... we Germans have the tendency to over engineer things, but just in case and to make good for any tolerances….).
Here is a drawing so you have a better understanding how they work:

[Adrian Harris]

A very elegant solution Peter.

In the cut-away diagram, is the larger ball sitting on smaller ones ?

Adrian.

[Chang]

Hello Peter, PM sent.
Regards,
Lerh Chang

[Peter Quambusch]

Hi Adrian,

Yes,it does. Material of the balls and the casing is hardened steal, thus there should be little to none wear and tear...

Regards
Peter

[Mark Bennett]

Howdy Peter,

The bearings are a nice modification. Does the turrent rotate smoother now or use noticably less power? I'm not that far on my build, but it's something I'm considering.

Like your "Howdy"

Mark

[Peter Quambusch]

Howdy Mark

the "howdy" comes from me visiting the US and friends in Michigan quiet frequently...

The reason why I installed the bearing was my dissatisfaction with the turret rotation and the strain it put un the drive motor. Even grease didn´t help much... Thus I checked into a ball bearing ring the size of the brass + x.... Finding nothing in an affordable price range ( € 600,- and up...) I decided to run some tests at a friends tool maker shop. Having in mind that teh turret brass ring only is 3 mm high, the sollution had to be something slightly higher... After some experimenting I ended up with the ones I finally installed....

As some of you fellow builders asked me about selling the kits (which I hadn´t in mind when I posted the pic)I calculated the price for some orders....
The 12 pcs needed for the KT would be about € 100,- plus shipping (which I would have to figure out with the local post office.) The weight and size isn´t much, thus I figure a rough estimate for shipping will be € 10 - 15 per parcel.

So, if anyone else is interested in buying, send me an e-mail and we´ll figure it out.

Chears to the Lone Star State!!

Take care and have fun

Peter

[Peter Quambusch]

Sorry Mark,

I forgot to answer your questions...
Yes, the turret rotation is a lot smoother, the strain on the motor is a lot less and I think the battery life will be extended... (I don´t know yet, as I took the rebuilding to change from 18 Amps to 30 Amps batteries).

Chears man!!

[Brown Hawkins]

Peter,

Do you make the bearing assemblies? I had just figured I'd live with the strain of the friction on the turret motor until I saw your solution. Do you have any pictures of the turret in place so we can see how they look in use?

Cheers,

Brown

[Geoff Pipprell]

Hi Peter,
Would this be a viable solution for the Mid-Production (2010) Tiger 1?
I haven't received my tank yet, however I am starting to prowl the Armortek forums looking at modifications being undertaken.
Regards,
Geoff.

[Peter Quambusch]

Hi Brown, Hi Geoff,

To answer your questions:
I think it is a good solution for all tanks which don´t have a ball bearing system for the turrets. One only has to keep in mind the dimensions of the bearings... For smaller tanks like the Sherman or the T 34 I think you would not need as many bearings as for the Tiger 1 or 2. Can anyone let me know the weight of their turrets (Shearman and T 34 etc.) I would let you know how many bearings would be advisable....

I have the bearings made by a friend of mine who´s running a mould maker shop.

Regards

Peter

[Brown Hawkins]

Peter,

Please put me down for a set.

Thanks,

Brown

[Peter Quambusch]

Thanks Brown, I´ll do that.

For a better understanding of how it looks when installed, I posted a new pic at my other post: "Tiger ready to mess with the Russians". It includes also a pic which shows the turret prior to installation of the bearing.

In case you guys have any more questions, lps let me know.

Have a nice weekend!!

Peter

[Chang]

Hello Peter,
Thanks for informarion provided.
Can we have a closer photo to show more details of how was ONE bearing system locked on the deck? (It looks like by several very small screws/bolts.) Thanks in advance.
Best regards,

Lerh Chang

[Peter Quambusch]

Hello Chang,

Currently I do not have a "close up" pic. Next time I take tzhe turret off, I´ll take one and post it....

What I did was, I drilled holes into the deck, took Mr. Dremmel to smooth any edges, Nitro to clean the bearing housings and superglue and a little pressure to fix the bearings in the deck. Process was accomplished in under one hour.

Regards

Peter