RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Today was the day the UPS man finally delivered my Mato metal early Tiger road wheels and metal suspension arms along with the metal idler wheels! I carefully opened the box and found it packaged VERY neatly so I quickly grabbed my Tiger and went to the work bench (kitchen table ) and started my 1st round of upgrades! GOODIE GOODIE!!! Hmmmm..... These wheels are off a little, errr this ones axle hole isn't drilled all the way thru, WTF these couple won't even go together!? Ok so maybe I placed to much hope that this was all simple bolt on stuff like my RC cars and model railroad stuff had been over the years but no big deal for I has a drill, and a drill press, and Dremmel tools and all sorts of bits and sand paper I'LL MAKE this stuff work!

3 hours later..... YEAH IT WORKS!!! And the new idlers seem to be just what the DR. ordered and the metal arms, no more flexing wheels to thro the tracks out of alignment!! (insert Homer Simpson going WOO HOO!)

So the test run on the front porch is next, out I go tank in hand noting that its picked up some weight and set her down and start the testing. So far the tracks seem to be staying on the idlers (insert Homer Simpson again WOO HOOING). But then I notice some thing odd (Homer now says DOH!) it seems the problem ALL along was the right side transmission has WAY too much play in the final drive gear and axle that the sprocket bolts to. Worse yet after removing the transmission from the tank for further inspection I found the brass bushings on 2 of the gears axles were egged out allowing the gears to move where ever and when ever they wanted! I tried drilling a couple holes and adding more screws to help secure the transmission 2 halves together better and it seemed to work, untill I tried running the damn thing again and then I could plainly see the drive sprocket moving. It was then that I also noticed the floor of the tank would flex while it ran so even if the transmissions were as tight as a drum the tracks would STILL get out of alignment. Now poor Homer doesn't know weather he should yell DOH again or cry like all the DUFF in the fridge was gone.

So this whole nightmare leads me to my next round of mods and MORE questions! YIPPY!! Does anyone know if the 3.1 MATO brass transmissions are any good? Also I now plan to get the MATO full metal hull, the water proof one again does anyone have any feedback? Are they decent parts? Are they junk and I should buy (insert suggestion here). Now I have seen the other metal hulls out there but I kinda like the MATO one cause its water proof and that means fun in the mud! Also it looks pretty damn strong and I'm about tired of stuff breaking on this tank so I figure I may as well get what looks like its a decent part.

On a side note I broke off the machine gun (grrrrr) but the metal parts are pretty! I'll try to get some pics posted ASAP but I started a new job and things are a little crazy so sorry guys

Hey Jack...glad you are enjoying your adventure lol.............if it is your upper gears moving..no problem they should have play...the lower final drive shouldn't ... so how much play does it have and which direction does it move? side to side or back and forth? ... side to side can be cured by soldering your bushings...and shimming... back and forth is a little trickier..soldering helps... but closing the tolerance between the hull and the axle is probably the best fix...this can be done with nylon bushings ... or they sell a metal gadget with a bearing in the center

ALPHA

No the brass bushings that the gears axles go into are no longer round they're egged out allowing the whole axle to move causing terrible growling sounds. Its gotten worse since I put the rest of the metal parts on making it heavier.

Nope the transmission is done. TIGER DOWN!

Well at least for a couple weeks till I get the new transmissions then I'll see if them and a steel plate will get me up and running for a bit or if it'll just have to wait about a month till I can get the metal hull as well.

jackalope wrote:No the brass bushings that the gears axles go into are no longer round they're egged out allowing the whole axle to move causing terrible growling sounds. Its gotten worse since I put the rest of the metal parts on making it heavier.

Nope the transmission is done. TIGER DOWN!

Well at least for a couple weeks till I get the new transmissions then I'll see if them and a steel plate will get me up and running for a bit or if it'll just have to wait about a month till I can get the metal hull as well.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! ....The reason for that is that the tracks ran too tight..If you can center the bushings.... tape them in place and solder around them the solder should fill the gap... another method is try stuffing some JB weld ...even two part epoxy putty in the gaps to help center the bushings

Other than that ... new gearboxes brother...

Try to have a good weekend Jack...good luck

ALPHA

Hmmmm....epoxy you say? I wonder if that steel putty stuff would do the trick too? I'd have to fill in the whole brass bushing and re-drill the hole for the axle to run in but I guess it should work.

Now I just need to figure out how to get the road wheels aligned properly as they seem to ride up on the center teeth of the track at times. Guess its just sanding and filing to get the in line.

And I was right the factory installed the right idler cocked forward which caused the track to walk off, I corrected (at least I hope I did) this when the metal idlers got here as they came with larger diameter screws then the stock ones were.

Well its off to the store to get some of that putty stuff to try to fix the transmission till the new ones get here.

Alpha, any input on the MATO parts I mentioned? I tried to PM you but it says you don't exist.......

My transmission is drying now I epoxied the bushings to the frame to stop them from moving and I filled in the egged out bushings with metal putty that I'll re-drill to fit the axles. This is only a temp fix until I get my new transmissions in sometime next week, I figure this will give me time to adjust the road wheels and idler wheels and tracks to make them work perfectly for when the new parts get here.

Next up.... a full metal hull! I'm not playing games with this plastic stuff that has anything to do with the running gear! I plan to eventually piece by piece turn this into a full metal Tiger.

Stay tuned this should be fun!

jackalope wrote:Hmmmm....epoxy you say? I wonder if that steel putty stuff would do the trick too? I'd have to fill in the whole brass bushing and re-drill the hole for the axle to run in but I guess it should work.

Now I just need to figure out how to get the road wheels aligned properly as they seem to ride up on the center teeth of the track at times. Guess its just sanding and filing to get the in line.

And I was right the factory installed the right idler cocked forward which caused the track to walk off, I corrected (at least I hope I did) this when the metal idlers got here as they came with larger diameter screws then the stock ones were.

Well its off to the store to get some of that putty stuff to try to fix the transmission till the new ones get here.

Hi Jack... the steel putty stuff ...I don't think will work well....putty is more of a filler and doesn't really bond...something with a catalyst is much better...as most catalyzed agents have a bonder in it
Something you could also do is to " Peen" the cage around the bushing holes..what that will accomplish is "flare" the metal...just a fraction of an inch around the hole..should close it up a little... not enough to take up the gap...but maybe enough so that it's easier to center the bushing

'Good luck

ALPHA

jackalope wrote:Alpha, any input on the MATO parts I mentioned? I tried to PM you but it says you don't exist.......

My transmission is drying now I epoxied the bushings to the frame to stop them from moving and I filled in the egged out bushings with metal putty that I'll re-drill to fit the axles. This is only a temp fix until I get my new transmissions in sometime next week, I figure this will give me time to adjust the road wheels and idler wheels and tracks to make them work perfectly for when the new parts get here.

Next up.... a full metal hull! I'm not playing games with this plastic stuff that has anything to do with the running gear! I plan to eventually piece by piece turn this into a full metal Tiger.

Stay tuned this should be fun!

Not sure why the PM didn't work....Pros and Cons to a metal hull... it will make your tank heavier ... that translates to some limitations on the terrain you will be able to run on...A light tank is easier on both your gearboxes and your battery... the extra drag will drain it very quickly.... I'm not sure you read that I changed my tracks on my Jagdpanther...thought it would be better tracking...as on my other tanks metal tracks have worked very well.... but on that tank ...I'm not sure if it's the tracks themselves (as they are very grippy) but going through heavy grass turned out to be a pretty formidable task... with the plastic tracks that tank would plow through it with no problem
I think it's a combination of a few factors ...the added weight ...the added grip from the treads..the tread base (wheelbase) ...and normal battery.... It's the reason I haven't changed much on my Tiger ... as it happily runs over just about everything lol
Anyway something you might consider before ordering the metal hull...especially since you already ordered your gearboxes ...as I think the steel sets run at a 3to 1 ratio
The metal hull would probably benefit from something lower like the Waltersons 4to 1 ratio boxes

Again Good Luck Jack

ALPHA

The metal hulls do run better with low ratio gears I use them in mine. The Taigen steel gears are available in standard ratio and low ratio. The standard ones have 4 gear wheels and the low ratio ones have 5. The low ratio ones are usually referred to as 4-1. Welsh dragon has them.
They are really good gearboxes, pretty much bombproof and pretty quiet too.

Do those 4:1 gearsets really slow the thing to a relatively scale speed as well Mr Scalawag ?