Torro 1/16 Tiger 1 Kit Build

[adm]

So I introduced myself in the newbie section, asked a few questions and now am about to start my kit build.

First off. I am a complete newbie to model building and RC tanks in general! I haven't touched a model kit in around 40 years or so.

So I thought it eminently sensible to jump straight in at the deep end. I bought a Torro/Taigen 1/16 scale Tiger 1 (Early) kit from Tankzone in the UK. This was the "Pro" Torro kit with lots of metal parts and included a radio, smoke gen, speaker, motherboard, all cables etc.... I wanted to get the whole lot right up front. The price was decent and it was delivered in 2 days.



Opening it up, all the boxes are marked Taigen, so I guess the Torro and Taigen are both the same thing:

The first thing that struck me was how well packaged everything was. Multiple boxes of parts, all clearly labelled to correspond to the instructions. The instruction book is full colour and pretty comprehensive - although I would prefer an electronic version on line to be able to zoom into some of the details a bit more.

After a couple of days pondering and reading, I finally got started today and built up some of the lower hull. There's quite a lot of small screws, nuts and bolts and thread locker will be your friend. Luckily, I own Harley Davidson motorcycles, so have plenty of blue Loctite to hand!

The first step of the instruction manual tells you to build the track tension adjusters - but they came already assembled. Maybe that's because most people don't own c-clip pliers?



Next up, installing the "axle guides"? I don't know what to call these, but I guess that's what they do.



16 of these in total, so 32 small screws, all threadlocked. I used a head magnifier to make this easier. I also installed the adjustment posts for the track tensioners.



Now the.....umm..."torsion bar mounts" perhaps? I guess that's what they are:



Then I screwed the metal "tub" to the plastic external hull and assembled the track torsion adjusters.



And that's it for tonight. I'll post more as I continue in case anyone is interested, but it will probably be a bit stop-start due to other stuff in life.

So far, I am quite impressed with the kit. It all seems to line up well and is well made. The manufacturer has also helpfully included some spare parts - so if you need 16 of an item, there tends to be 17 in the bag....

[square4]

Good start, all looking good, will watch out for updates with interest.

[adm]

OK, so first question, and I don't have pics right now so shall try to explain it well.

I am fitting the torsion bar suspension. The key parts are the axle that comes through the tank hull and then through a plate. The torsion bar itself, the retainer mounted on the other plate on the opposite side of the hull, the copper cover sleeve and the very small retaining clip.

Axle has a slot in it. As does the torsion bar retainer part on the other side of the tank. The torsion bar has a u-shape on one end and an l-shape on the other.

The instructions are somewhat unclear - but the gist of it is to fit the axle, then slide the u shaped end of the torsion bar into the slot on the end of it. Then slide a collar over the bar. Fit the l-shaped end of the bar into the slot on the torsion bar retainer on the other side of the tank, then slide the collar over that and retain with the clip.

So far so good. But the bar ends are quite hard to get into the slots. I can push them into the axle slot with a pair of needle nose pliers, but to get them into the slot on the retainer is quite a wrestling match, resulting in the bar being bowed. I am sure this is not right and they are meant to be straight and only really under tension rotationally?

Anyway, has anyone who has done this before figured out a good way to fit them? I am considering are filing/dremelling the axle slots out a little bit so the bar fits without bowing.

I haven't had a proper go at this in anger yet - just had a trial fit of a couple and thought "that's going to be a bugger....wonder if anyone knows an easy way....".

The instructions seem to say that there should be two of the copper collars per torsion bar - but I have 16 torsion bars, 16 collars and 16 retaining clips....so I am pretty sure at this point that it's only one per torsion bar!

[midlife306]

Do all the bits fit together out of the tank on the bench?


Sent from my bunker using a carrier pigeon

[Kaczor]

Looks like stock Taigens have also bowed bars:
https://www.rctank.de/Tiger-I-Unterwann ... all-Taigen

[adm]

Do all the bits fit together out of the tank on the bench?


Sent from my bunker using a carrier pigeon

They do - with suitable application of force to get the torsion bars into the slots.

[adm]

Looks like stock Taigens have also bowed bars:
https://www.rctank.de/Tiger-I-Unterwann ... all-Taigen

Thanks - that's very helpful! I looks like a suitable application of force and leverage is the way to go then....

[General Jumbo01]

You should have no slack in the joint as this will adversely impact the suspension performance but if it's tight but fits just smear a film of light grease on the bar end to make fitting and removal easier.

The torsion bar shouldn't bow but we are dealing with hobby 'budget' materials so we have to suffer this or have replacements custom made bars using such materials as chromoly steel, not budget!

[adm]

You should have no slack in the joint as this will adversely impact the suspension performance but if it's tight but fits just smear a film of light grease on the bar end to make fitting and removal easier.

The torsion bar shouldn't bow but we are dealing with hobby 'budget' materials so we have to suffer this or have replacements custom made bars using such materials as chromoly steel, not budget!

A little bit of light grease - good idea. And it's going to be easier to assemble the torsion bars to the axles outside of the tank to make sure they are fully home, then I just have to mess with the retainer end of the equation inside the hull. Not what the instructions say, but needs must when the devil drives.

[General Jumbo01]

Don't forget you can adjust the preload on the bars to adjust the individual ride height of each wheel. Have fun