Weight balancing

[mangaroca]

I'm installing Impact spring suspension in my Tamiya King Tiger among other upgrades and the "problem" I'm facing at the moment is the new engine block weights so much it is causing the whole chassis to bow forward. I'm curious what would be the better thing to do when it comes to keeping it levelled. Should I install the front wheels' suspension much "stiffer" from the rest to compensate for the extra weight or is it better to add weight to the back of the tank instead. If so, what is normally used for such purposes? I must admit I'm slowly running out of space inside.. ;P

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning,
I have the same issue with the Taigen lower hull for the KV-1. All of the tank's weight is in the rear so the suspension is lowered there. I had a friend put on his thinking cap and he came up with an idea to add a bar to the torsion bar setup and clamp it to the existing bar with an 'S' clamp in the middle of the torsion bar then glue the ends of the add on bar in place. ( Thanks Alpha! ) This makes one long, thin torsion bar into two short and wide ones and should add resistance to the torque the bar exerts against the weight of the tank. I'm getting components this weekend to do this for the last two sets of road wheels in the rear and will report on how it works.
regards,
Painless

[Marc780]

I admit I have no idea how the Tamiya suspension looks like. Assuming we are talking coil springs the solution may be as simple as stretching the springs to give more tension. If not, rather then add weight I'd reexamine the front springs area...is it possible to add in a couple coil springs up front as booster springs? If you are using torsion bars the solution might be to somehow add more twist to the bars in front, suppose you clamp on one of those round collars with the set screw (the things used in r/c airplanes a lot) then fix the collar to provide more twist. The way I'd do it, could be as simple as epoxying a cut off hex wrench in the screw hole, then position the collar accordingly and tighten, for more torque on the torsion bar. The epoxied hex wrench would be a "stop" that would brace against some part inside the hull and rotated until the desired torsion bar tension attained.
Then the wrench tightened to finish. I'd use at least two collars because it is likely the collar will slip at some point. Ideally you'd file a flat spot on the torsion bar for the set screw to bear against and nor slip-but probably not practical or desirable to file the torsion bar at all...so I'd use two collars.

Possibly it might be hard to add extra springs where they do not show. But if you use two piece of tubing one inside the other, to house the spring you can then add in the springs. You could even use clear tubing as a spring housing the idea being, so the springs don't cant or collapse outward. Then just cut the spring length however long you need it to provide the amount of spring force required. That or perhaps double up the stock springs in front to provide more tension.
Also perhaps it is possible to just shim the springs for more force.

[Edwin]

Tamiya used as springs Leaf springs that twist. This suspension can be difficult to adjust. Since it is necessary to install a different suspension.

Especially when the KV is often a problem, and it does not matter whether it comes from HL, or Tamya. If it is heavier than 6kg are the suspension with only 12 swing arms is overwhelmed. Desahlb I have the KV again at my build in the Hull is a new suspension for greater weights.

[PainlessWolf]

Good Afternoon,
Edwin, your system is steel strong and extremely well thought out. Only time and the expense of shipping a 13 pound lower hull back and forth to Germany kept me from having one. Thank you again for the kind offer, my friend. If you ever sell components and instructions as a set, you should see a brisk business.
regards,
Painless

[Edwin]

Hi Painless,

I'll try it straight out if a friend of mine even comes with the installation cope. If it works I can think about it.

regards Edwin

[ALPHA]

I find you mod interesting Edwin...without seeing your pictures before now... it is the same as the first two solutions I came up with for Painless...but after reading his response to Shaun who was planning on overhauling his Taigen suspension arms... thought it was too much of a major operation... so just opted for a simplification of the assembly ... your's looks very well done though

ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Good Afternoon,
Edwin, your system is steel strong and extremely well thought out. Only time and the expense of shipping a 13 pound lower hull back and forth to Germany kept me from having one. Thank you again for the kind offer, my friend. If you ever sell components and instructions as a set, you should see a brisk business.
regards,
Painless

That was my plan one and two ...didn't think you would want to do that much work...so I scraped them and went with Plan C ... or should I say "s"

ALPHA

[PainlessWolf]

Alpha,
I am excited about taking the time this weekend to drop the extra bars into the last two sets of suspensions. I am positive that the extra resistance at the rear will pull the tank level again. ;o)
regards,
Painless

[ALPHA]

Alpha,
I am excited about taking the time this weekend to drop the extra bars into the last two sets of suspensions. I am positive that the extra resistance at the rear will pull the tank level again. ;o)
regards,
Painless

Good Luck Painless...I'm pretty sure it will work..used a similar technique when I used to hot rod mod cars

Happy Tanking

ALPHA