wpm

I had good intentions- disassemble and paint an HL tiger I for my buddy and his tyke for xmas- but it's been so long since I disassembled I am not sure how to reassemble, including if I need to put a turn on the springs as I do it. I know you guys can help with this!

Bill

YHR

How old is this tiger. Do you have the thread axles bolts , or the pins?

Slightly differnet approach depending on what you have.

wpm

Ijust bought it. It has axles with threads on the end that screw into the plastic arms. Do I put the washers between the wheel and the arm or the arm and the hull? Ithink I should position the springs so that I have to wind them up 180 degrees to get the axle end into the slot in the hull. Is that correct?

YHR

YEs and the washer should be between the spring and the arm.

thecommander

Hi WPM,

I don't have any washers on my HL Tigers. The axles are not threaded on mine either, but they do have ridges on the end to insure a tight fit. There are right and left side swing arms look before you leap to align them with the springs. You will work from back to front on the right side and the interleaved road wheels are order specific. Be gentle with the plastic arms as the break easily if not supported. Let me know if you need some pix to guide you.
Bob, thecommandernj

wpm

Thanks very much guys- I think I got it back together right. Boy these things can be tricky. One thing I noticed was that the rear idler wheels didn't spin that freely on their threaded axles and running the tracks actually unscrewed the axle from the hull. I found the bushing inside the idler to be rough and the axle screw head dragging on it, even after I milled the bushing end smoother. I added a washer between the screw head and the bushing with grease. Seems to work OK, but only long term use will tell. I also think the smooth shank on the idler axles should be a 32nd longer so it hits the hull before the idler wheel itself. As it is, before I added the washer the shank was flush with the wheel- guaranteeing drag. Also, on one side the track guides bind up slightly on the inside edge of the idler. Finally in testing I found that the drive controls for F/R were reversed.

YHR

Yes I agree with you on the idlers. The screw should tighten up flush, without binding the wheel. On the metal Tiger i just put together, Mato has included a brass insert that you tap into the wheel, and it appears as if they have corrected this issue. You can tighten the idlers down snug, and the idler still spins freely.

Panther G

I don't know if putting grease on any of the running gear is a good idea. This will ultimately atrackt more dirt and grit. Some type of dry lube would better, like a graphite lock lubricant.

wpm

Oh Man! I sent off the package yesterday and NOW I realize I could have milled the idler wheel so it allowed the shank to touch first!