Tiger tracks

[jackalope]

Just found out last night that the metal tracks from H/L are different from the metal tracks from Taigen. Like so different that you can not interchange them! The H/L ones look like white metal where the Taigen are a heavier metal. Then the spacing where the drive sprockets mesh with the tracks is different, the Taigen tracks use a wider drive sprocket then the H/L tracks. They are both the early style tracks but the Taigen tracks look to be a couple mm wider then the H/L tracks. Now I need to get a set of Taigen drive sprockets for my Tiger so the tracks will work. *sigh* this crap is never-ending!

[Tankbear]

I had similar problem with the kv2. In end I filed the teeth on the drive gear so would mesh properly but bloody annoying

[PainlessWolf]

Jack,
When the HL Sherman came out, folks were going through the same thing when trying to use Mato running gear and tracks on the tank. No one was happy with the HL single pin hollow tracks in metal or plastic. They worked well but were a mess sight-wise. You had to do a little filing on the shafts of the gearboxes to make the Mato sprockets work so you could use the other style of tracks. The idlers were differing sizes as well in width and diameter. Eventually, one of the companies caught on , (I think it was Mato ) and brought out metal tracks and sprockets\idlers that were a direct swap onto the HL Sherman. I was one of the guys playing around trying to get the Mato rubber tired road wheels to work on the HL bogies. I didn't like the hollow backed road wheels that came stock on HL's bogie assemblies. I made it work by a slight ream on the Mato road wheel that allowed it to slide over the HL plastic 'bearing'. ( right as I did that, Sassgrunt shipped me a set of fantastic dished late war road wheels made out of the HL wheels and lego parts which I used on my Sherman, 'Maxene'. ) I find it interesting that Taigen's new metal Sherman comes stock with late war dished road wheels. Try to have fun with this stuff, Jack. It's all part of the modeling aspect of the Hobby. ;o)
regards,
Painless

[jackalope]

I think I'll be able to make a shim to go in between the 2 halves of the drive sprockets so that would make the H/L sprockets wider and allow the Taigen tracks to work and no one but me would know its in there. Seriously considering doing this before ordering new sprockets just cause I have plastic and it'd be all of a 10 minute fix and save me the money on buying new sprockets.

Tankbear, The teeth of the H/L sprockets mesh perfectly with the Taigen tracks its just the width is off by a few mm. However with the drive sprockets being 2 pieces, an inner half and outer half, I'm thinking a plastic shim inserted between the 2 halves will yield the width I need. I just need to get the proper thickness for the shims and it should work perfectly. Or thats my theory anyway.

Painless, yup part of the "adventure" I'm just glad I can fix the sprockets without having to order new ones. Waiting weeks to get parts while you're in the middle of trying to fix something gets old fast! But what can I do right? No place close to me sells parts.