Tiger 1 QA and QB tracks advice please

[Sam Hough]

Hello all,

Before I make 200 mistakes is it reasonable to:
* File off the square bit where the outer sprocket goes? (I think this is in the instructions)
* Dremmel off the small round casting marks
* Bench grinde any large bumps on the round bit?

(two QA at the top then two QB at the bottom)

Any other tips before I get stuck in?

Thanks

Sam

[Adrian Harris]

The last instructions I have (2010 Mid) say to file the edges of the sprocket rings, to ease how they enter the tracks, but I've never seen any instructions to file the track links themselves.

Assuming this Tiger will be a runner, driving the tank on a hard surface will wear away the casting marks pretty quickly where they touch the ground. You could file off the other parts but they'll be covered in muck soon anyway

On the very earliest Armortek Tigers, there was a fault with the moulds which meant that part of the link which was supposed to be round came out squared off, but that hasn't been the case for ten years or so. Something to watch for when buying an old second hand Tiger, but not a current one.

Adrian.

[Sam Hough]

Thanks Adrian,

This is a 2013 Tiger so it has that fault.

Cheers

Sam

[John Fitzsimons]

I have 2 2007 Tigers. Never had an issue with the track. Just took the edges off the sprockets as Adrian says.

[Adrian Harris]

> This is a 2013 Tiger so it has that fault

2003 Tigers would have these tracks, not 2013.

Adrian.

[Greg Stephens]

I have been puzzling over this and other issues myself.
1. Do you file both sides of the sprockets? Some of the drawings and photos online seem to indicate you do.

2. My sprockets do not fit the hubs. Is it best to file the sprocket or the hub?

3.How do you orientate the idler arms.I thought I had it but the orientation is reversed in the model builds I find online.

Thanks in advance.

[Sam Hough]

Adrian,

Doh. I have the 2003 Tiger, sorry.

I'm leaning towards just removing the square bit mentioned in the instructions. It is definitely going to be a muddy tank.

My Dad and I have been lusting after Armortek tanks for years so I'm a bit anxious before making the first cut.

Thanks

Sam

[Adrian Harris]

I was looking through my old pictures to try and find a picture of the step, but now I can see it in your original posting

I've ringed the part I was talking about in my earlier post - you will need to remove this for the tracks to work properly.

DSC_3481.JPG (30.83 KiB) Viewed 6862 times

The good thing with Tigers is that, if you do mess anything up, Gill has a warehouse full of spare parts and will happily sell you a replacement

Adrian.

[Sam Hough]

Thanks Adrian,

That is the bit I'll attack first. On some of them there is a big bump on the other side too that I might reduce.

Presumably the steel sprocket will grind away any bit and pieces, hence the need to smooth the sprockets.

Thanks again

Sam

[Sam Hough]

Some failed links that didn't have the square bit removed:

http://www.rcpanzer.de/apboard/thread.php?id=22277

(about half way down)

Of the ones I've done so far some are quite stiff and don't have limited movement. I might work on those more if there really is a chance of them snapping.

[Sam Hough]

Hello,

Is the Bovington 131 track typical of early production Tigers?

I know late production Tiger's tracks were very different.

Thanks

Sam

[Steve Norris]

The very first tigers had left and right tracks that looked like 131,s tracks but one side was a mirror image of the other.
The tracks were then changed early in the production run so that both left and right track were the same (one side was thus fitted in reverse which caused the tank to pull slightly to one side).From the mid production tigers onwards the tracks were fitted with ice cleats and so looked somewhat different, just to add a little bit of confusion some very early mid Tigers had the same tracks as the Bovigton tiger.
Hope this is of help
Steve

[Sam Hough]

Thanks Steve,

I didn't realise the later tracks were altered for ice.

The outer edge of the track seems very elaborate. Presumably they wanted maximum surface area and grip for for minimum weight.

Cheers

Sam

[colin fairweather]

late ice cleats and early/mid

[Sam Hough]

Thanks. So is it just the cleats that changed? The 131 tracks seem much more worn than those in your first picture. It looks like the casting is actually really square.