Heng Long Tank Mods and Fixes, ... especially those for the M1A2 Abrams
Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 10:41 am
When my small son and I first decided to purchase a Heng Long radio controlled (RC) Abrams tank, we had no idea about the vast array of modding options that existed for it. Rather than a new RC Abrams owner needing to spend months looking through an array of online forums and retailers, I thought I would post much of what I have learned here to save them time and expense. Many of these mods do not only apply to the Abrams but also apply to any Heng Long RC tank. I will arrange the mods and fixes in terms of difficulty to complete from beginner to master level.
Let's get started! .... In this first section, we will look at the beginner mods:
Part I - Beginner Level Fixes and Mods for the HL Abrams - Appropriate for new owners and absolute beginners who have zero modding experience.
Oh My Goodness, ... My Abrams Broke! I Need To Get It Up And Running Fix - It is like the Bobby McFerrin song, ... Don't worry, be happy. Every single item on your Heng Long Abrams can either be repaired or replaced with a brand new item often for not too much expense. Say, the power switch is not working, ... don't worry, you can order a new one for about $3 online. Say, your child accidentally stepped on the upper hull and cracked it, ... don't worry, you can order a new one online for about $35 or so. Every single component in the Heng Long Abrams can be ordered online. If you are unsure, simply join this forum, head to the New Members section, introduce yourself, and then begin asking questions. As long as you are not a dick, people will help you out pretty fast.
Oh My Goodness, ... My Abrams Died Or Won't Start Up! Please Help Me Get It Running Before My Child's Head Spins 360 Like In The Exorcist Movie Fix! - In 99% of cases, this is due to some simple error. Either an electrical connection has come loose or the battery needs to be recharged (or replaced), etc ..... Join the forum, head to the New Members section, introduce yourself, and then pose your problem. Heng Long Abrams tanks are not laser interferometers at LIGO. They are dead simple, hobby machines and the veterans in the RCTW forums will have your Abrams back up and working fine in no time!
Be Aware of Other "Standards" - Heng Long is not the only company which makes radio controlled (RC) tanks. Heng Long makes their own electronics for their tanks and hence their tanks follow the "Heng Long standard." Other brands sell RC tanks as well, including Tamiya, Taigen, IMEX, TORRO, and MATO. For example, Tamiya sells a high-end $1800 RC Abrams model kit (which goes for about $1310 online) that does not come pre-assembled like Heng Long tanks do. Since they use their own electronics, they are sometimes referenced as the "Tamiya standard." Their Abrams is more for the serious enthusiast and also requires that you purchase a transmitter, wireless receiver, and other parts for it. Enthusiasts like it because the detailing of the hull and parts is slightly higher-end than a stock Heng Long. In addition to Tamiya, Taigen Tanks based near Tampa, Florida sells tanks with their own custom electronics inside, ... hence the "Taigen standard." Their electronics packages have custom sound card options that Heng Long does not offer. And you can switch the stock Heng Long electronics to the Taigen standard if you so wish. These other tank retailers also sell some nice parts of their own. For example, Taigen makes very nice steel gearsets for the Abrams which I can highly recommend.
Places to Buy Parts, Mods, and Supplies - A few of the mods and fixes listed in this thread are totally free but most require that you lay out some cash in order to upgrade said part or implement said fix. There are many retailers selling Heng Long Abrams parts and mods online but some are definitely better than others. There are also a few incredibly rare brick and mortar shops that specialize in RC tanks such as the RC Tank Legion shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Shinkenku Tanks in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. (The official Futaba and Tamiya stores are also located proximal to the Akihabara district, and both contain a wide selection of RC tanks.)
As to online retailers, a great list has already been put up here at RCTW: viewtopic.php?t=31032
As to Heng Long Abrams specifically, I have found that Toucan Hobby based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China is the largest distributor of their parts and mods. They are very reputable, ship quickly, and respond to emails and phone calls. These guys have connections to the management of Heng Long and are the first to get new releases from the company. Godfrey, the manager of Toucan Hobby and several staff members also speak English.
The Parental Supervision Mod, .. now, totally free! - Heng Long Abrams tanks are hobby grade, ... not toy grade. What does that mean? It means that if you are purchasing a Heng Long Abrams for a small child, you will need to watch them carefully. Because tracks can come off or the cannon can be destroyed by running the Abrams into a wall, small children need to be supervised. Unless your child is intelligent and mature, I would not give a Heng Long Abrams to a kid younger than about twelve because they will quickly break off the cannon or run the tank down into a creek or out in front of a car, etc .... If you are an attentive parent and have a bit of hobby or modding experience, the HL Abrams will be a good fit. If not, ... consider waiting until your child is about twelve or thirteen years old or so. I know that many adults like to purchase Heng Long tanks as well, but I thought I would throw out this warning to any would-be tank purchasing parents considering an Abrams.
Replace the Stock Battery Mod - Most stock Abrams come with a weak 1800 mAh battery that gives you about 18 to 20 mins of run time. It will likely be the very first thing that most owners will wish to upgrade. My recommendation here is a 5000 mAh NIMH (nickel metal hydride) battery that will give a stock Abrams about 50 mins of run time. This is a longer battery that will not fit in many Heng Long tanks, particularly the smaller WW2 models, but there is room to fit it in the Abrams stock battery box. Some might suggest a Lipo battery but for completely new folks, I do not. Why? Because you need to have a smart charger and know a bit about how batteries work before using Lipos. NIMH batteries are not as dangerous and the beginner has more room for error. A 5000 mAh NIMH battery is about $30 to 70 depending upon quality and brand.
Change this:
To this:
Battery Charger - Speaking of batteries, the stock charger that usually comes with the Heng Long Abrams is cheap and doesn't allow you any customization over how you charge the battery. I recommend for new guys, a Tenergy TB6B, because it is relatively cheap at $40 and can charge most (but not all) of the batteries on the market (including Lipos).
So, change this:
To this:
With the 5000 mAh battery I recommended above, you can use the Tenergy TB6B to charge it slowly at 0.5 amps in a very safe, low heat mode. The Tenergy can also correctly discharge batteries and perform more advanced functions (more on this later).
Loctite mod - The two back wheels of the Abrams (called "the drive sprockets") often come loose on stock Abrams. I recommend pulling off the small center wheel covers, removing the bolts, and placing a tiny bit of blue Loctite on both. Reattach and allow Loctite to dry. A small tube of blue Loctite is about $6.
Anachronistic Figure - The stock Abrams comes with a cheap, plastic, American, WW2, Staff Sergeant figure moving his hand as if he is directing traffic. Obviously, he is not a fit for a modern Abrams. You will want to get a modern, highly-detailed resin figure that is specifically American (or if doing say, an Australian or Egyptian Abrams, a likewise appropriate piece.) A detailed resin figure will run you anywhere from $13 unpainted up to $80 for a highly detailed and painted model.
Change this:
To this:
(It is hard to pick that nose with a glove on, but he has decided that today is the day he's gonna give it a shot.)
Speaker Mod - Many new Abrams owners dislike the small, tinny sounding stock speaker. For beginners, I recommend one of the newer Heng Long speakers, which when mated with a 7.0 MFU (more on this in a bit), will give you four sound levels. Aftermarket speakers are available, and I will discuss these in the Intermediate Section. Price for a newer Heng Long speaker is $8 to $16 and up to $100 or more for high end custom setups.
Change this:
To this:
Misshapen Plastic Parts - Every Heng Long Abrams comes with two parts bags that contain the extra bits for the turret. These are the "model kit" part of the Abrams and include the machine guns, antennae, CITV sight assembly, bustle rack, turret cargo rails, etc ... These extra bits are made of ABS plastic. Every once and awhile, the plastic parts may be misshapen and not line up, like this:
The answer to this is warm to hot water. Take a fairly large kettle filled with water and heat it up below the boiling point. Use a thermometer and start at about 70 deg C and place your part in for about three minutes. Remove and bend to fit more exactly on the turret. If the plastic is still resistant, push the water temperature up to 80 deg C, and try again. The goal is to get the least amount of heat needed to reform the ABS plastic.
Don't Glue the Bustle Rack Mod - In the two plastic parts bags that come with the Abrams, there is a bustle rack. You can see it clearly in this pic:
This rack is used for stowage on the real Abrams. Many new Abrams owners make the mistake of gluing this rack into place as the instructions display. Actually, you don't want to do that. If the bustle rack is glued, you can't then take apart the upper and lower turret at a later date (and you will want to do this at times either for modding or because you might have run into a problem, ... say, BB firing is not working correctly). So, ... the fix is simple, ... don't glue it. Snap it in, and unsnap it at a later date if you need to get into the turret.
More to follow in the coming hours and days .... stay tuned!
Let's get started! .... In this first section, we will look at the beginner mods:
Part I - Beginner Level Fixes and Mods for the HL Abrams - Appropriate for new owners and absolute beginners who have zero modding experience.
Oh My Goodness, ... My Abrams Broke! I Need To Get It Up And Running Fix - It is like the Bobby McFerrin song, ... Don't worry, be happy. Every single item on your Heng Long Abrams can either be repaired or replaced with a brand new item often for not too much expense. Say, the power switch is not working, ... don't worry, you can order a new one for about $3 online. Say, your child accidentally stepped on the upper hull and cracked it, ... don't worry, you can order a new one online for about $35 or so. Every single component in the Heng Long Abrams can be ordered online. If you are unsure, simply join this forum, head to the New Members section, introduce yourself, and then begin asking questions. As long as you are not a dick, people will help you out pretty fast.
Oh My Goodness, ... My Abrams Died Or Won't Start Up! Please Help Me Get It Running Before My Child's Head Spins 360 Like In The Exorcist Movie Fix! - In 99% of cases, this is due to some simple error. Either an electrical connection has come loose or the battery needs to be recharged (or replaced), etc ..... Join the forum, head to the New Members section, introduce yourself, and then pose your problem. Heng Long Abrams tanks are not laser interferometers at LIGO. They are dead simple, hobby machines and the veterans in the RCTW forums will have your Abrams back up and working fine in no time!
Be Aware of Other "Standards" - Heng Long is not the only company which makes radio controlled (RC) tanks. Heng Long makes their own electronics for their tanks and hence their tanks follow the "Heng Long standard." Other brands sell RC tanks as well, including Tamiya, Taigen, IMEX, TORRO, and MATO. For example, Tamiya sells a high-end $1800 RC Abrams model kit (which goes for about $1310 online) that does not come pre-assembled like Heng Long tanks do. Since they use their own electronics, they are sometimes referenced as the "Tamiya standard." Their Abrams is more for the serious enthusiast and also requires that you purchase a transmitter, wireless receiver, and other parts for it. Enthusiasts like it because the detailing of the hull and parts is slightly higher-end than a stock Heng Long. In addition to Tamiya, Taigen Tanks based near Tampa, Florida sells tanks with their own custom electronics inside, ... hence the "Taigen standard." Their electronics packages have custom sound card options that Heng Long does not offer. And you can switch the stock Heng Long electronics to the Taigen standard if you so wish. These other tank retailers also sell some nice parts of their own. For example, Taigen makes very nice steel gearsets for the Abrams which I can highly recommend.
Places to Buy Parts, Mods, and Supplies - A few of the mods and fixes listed in this thread are totally free but most require that you lay out some cash in order to upgrade said part or implement said fix. There are many retailers selling Heng Long Abrams parts and mods online but some are definitely better than others. There are also a few incredibly rare brick and mortar shops that specialize in RC tanks such as the RC Tank Legion shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Shinkenku Tanks in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. (The official Futaba and Tamiya stores are also located proximal to the Akihabara district, and both contain a wide selection of RC tanks.)
As to online retailers, a great list has already been put up here at RCTW: viewtopic.php?t=31032
As to Heng Long Abrams specifically, I have found that Toucan Hobby based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China is the largest distributor of their parts and mods. They are very reputable, ship quickly, and respond to emails and phone calls. These guys have connections to the management of Heng Long and are the first to get new releases from the company. Godfrey, the manager of Toucan Hobby and several staff members also speak English.
The Parental Supervision Mod, .. now, totally free! - Heng Long Abrams tanks are hobby grade, ... not toy grade. What does that mean? It means that if you are purchasing a Heng Long Abrams for a small child, you will need to watch them carefully. Because tracks can come off or the cannon can be destroyed by running the Abrams into a wall, small children need to be supervised. Unless your child is intelligent and mature, I would not give a Heng Long Abrams to a kid younger than about twelve because they will quickly break off the cannon or run the tank down into a creek or out in front of a car, etc .... If you are an attentive parent and have a bit of hobby or modding experience, the HL Abrams will be a good fit. If not, ... consider waiting until your child is about twelve or thirteen years old or so. I know that many adults like to purchase Heng Long tanks as well, but I thought I would throw out this warning to any would-be tank purchasing parents considering an Abrams.
Replace the Stock Battery Mod - Most stock Abrams come with a weak 1800 mAh battery that gives you about 18 to 20 mins of run time. It will likely be the very first thing that most owners will wish to upgrade. My recommendation here is a 5000 mAh NIMH (nickel metal hydride) battery that will give a stock Abrams about 50 mins of run time. This is a longer battery that will not fit in many Heng Long tanks, particularly the smaller WW2 models, but there is room to fit it in the Abrams stock battery box. Some might suggest a Lipo battery but for completely new folks, I do not. Why? Because you need to have a smart charger and know a bit about how batteries work before using Lipos. NIMH batteries are not as dangerous and the beginner has more room for error. A 5000 mAh NIMH battery is about $30 to 70 depending upon quality and brand.
Change this:
To this:
Battery Charger - Speaking of batteries, the stock charger that usually comes with the Heng Long Abrams is cheap and doesn't allow you any customization over how you charge the battery. I recommend for new guys, a Tenergy TB6B, because it is relatively cheap at $40 and can charge most (but not all) of the batteries on the market (including Lipos).
So, change this:
To this:
With the 5000 mAh battery I recommended above, you can use the Tenergy TB6B to charge it slowly at 0.5 amps in a very safe, low heat mode. The Tenergy can also correctly discharge batteries and perform more advanced functions (more on this later).
Loctite mod - The two back wheels of the Abrams (called "the drive sprockets") often come loose on stock Abrams. I recommend pulling off the small center wheel covers, removing the bolts, and placing a tiny bit of blue Loctite on both. Reattach and allow Loctite to dry. A small tube of blue Loctite is about $6.
Anachronistic Figure - The stock Abrams comes with a cheap, plastic, American, WW2, Staff Sergeant figure moving his hand as if he is directing traffic. Obviously, he is not a fit for a modern Abrams. You will want to get a modern, highly-detailed resin figure that is specifically American (or if doing say, an Australian or Egyptian Abrams, a likewise appropriate piece.) A detailed resin figure will run you anywhere from $13 unpainted up to $80 for a highly detailed and painted model.
Change this:
To this:
(It is hard to pick that nose with a glove on, but he has decided that today is the day he's gonna give it a shot.)
Speaker Mod - Many new Abrams owners dislike the small, tinny sounding stock speaker. For beginners, I recommend one of the newer Heng Long speakers, which when mated with a 7.0 MFU (more on this in a bit), will give you four sound levels. Aftermarket speakers are available, and I will discuss these in the Intermediate Section. Price for a newer Heng Long speaker is $8 to $16 and up to $100 or more for high end custom setups.
Change this:
To this:
Misshapen Plastic Parts - Every Heng Long Abrams comes with two parts bags that contain the extra bits for the turret. These are the "model kit" part of the Abrams and include the machine guns, antennae, CITV sight assembly, bustle rack, turret cargo rails, etc ... These extra bits are made of ABS plastic. Every once and awhile, the plastic parts may be misshapen and not line up, like this:
The answer to this is warm to hot water. Take a fairly large kettle filled with water and heat it up below the boiling point. Use a thermometer and start at about 70 deg C and place your part in for about three minutes. Remove and bend to fit more exactly on the turret. If the plastic is still resistant, push the water temperature up to 80 deg C, and try again. The goal is to get the least amount of heat needed to reform the ABS plastic.
Don't Glue the Bustle Rack Mod - In the two plastic parts bags that come with the Abrams, there is a bustle rack. You can see it clearly in this pic:
This rack is used for stowage on the real Abrams. Many new Abrams owners make the mistake of gluing this rack into place as the instructions display. Actually, you don't want to do that. If the bustle rack is glued, you can't then take apart the upper and lower turret at a later date (and you will want to do this at times either for modding or because you might have run into a problem, ... say, BB firing is not working correctly). So, ... the fix is simple, ... don't glue it. Snap it in, and unsnap it at a later date if you need to get into the turret.
More to follow in the coming hours and days .... stay tuned!