YHR

I am doing some house cleaning as I have boxes full of tank parts that I am going to be selling as I do purge of my workshop.

One of the things I was going tot get rid off was a Heng Long Tiger rolling chassis with gear reductions,and metal tracks. As I was preparing this for sale and adding the Torro metal tracks, I noticed one had a broken link. No problem I will just replace it. Unfortunately that broken link was just a hint of what I was dealing with. Zinc rot. As I tired to replace one link, another one cracked. In frustration I took the whole track assembly and gave it slight twist. With little torque applied, all the links cracked and the metal track is useless.

This was my second oldest tank meaning the tracks had 10 years on them, So be prepared for some failures. These tracks were stamped Torro for those that are interested. Instead of selling all the plastic stock tracks I may have to rethink that as I may have to go back to them if more of this zinc rot raises its ugly head.. Plastic is better for battling anyway.

So I am getting rid of stuff, but unfortunately it is going into the garbage and not on ebay.

Cheers

Tanque

Zinc rot is something I foretold years ago...

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-t...nc-alloys.html

If manufacturers are not diligent old problems become new ones...

Jerry

ksoc

Dan, great - just in time to scare us for Halloween!

Jerry - Every time I buy large or numerous cast metal parts I think about your "zinc rot" post. I was hoping wit was a thing of the past.........

YHR

Yes I was aware of it as some of my old 60's slot cars succumbed to this.. This was unpainted track, and I always liked the dull look it had,

Jerry

Do you think painting the track would help with this? Too late for that set, but maybe as a precaution on the other tracks, it is something a person could do,

Tanque

Oh crap yeah, so do I. I've got Asiatam stuff up the wazoo, I'm hoping against hope that they have their alloys correct or some years down the road( and I haven't checked the kits I have in a while) I will be one bellicose bumpkin. Two Famos, Elefant, Berge Porsche Tiger, multiple Opel Blitzes... not to mention tracks.

Yeeeeeeeep I'll be one miffed munchkin if zinc rot raises raunchy rash on my stash...

jerry

Tanque

If it's a basic alloy issue there's nothing that can be done to the surface as far as I know that will prevent the issue. Basically it occurs at the crystalline alloy level.. Not heat treating, painting. Sadly.

Jerry

Panther F

I have even heard/read that moisture or water will accelerate this "zinc rot" and lead to it failing.

I have no way to prove or disprove, just one of the things I knew about early in the hobby.




Jeff

Tanque

Well that would throw quite the damper on running in winter or mud... I ran my original Imai Elefant through all kinds of nastiness
when I first build it and nearly 40 years later it still is holding together so it is possible for zinc parts to hold up.

Jerry

Panther F

Oh well heck then, that's good to know AND hear too.

It must have been a certain manufacturing process they were discussing then as it WAS 15-18 years ago. I don't think I've ever ran any metal in water or snow (not because of that information) just never had any sets early on as metal wasn't really encouraged with the group I once battled with as the church wood floor just wouldn't like that.




Jeff

purgatory

Now you have me both curious and a wee bit concerned. What type of metal is used in the metal tracks on a Taigen tank? (New one, of course)

tankme

You could just sell the zink links as static links for mounting on tanks...

YHR

Yes that is exactly what I am going to do . Static parts, not for service.


Cheers

mcm308

Think of the zinc anodes they use on boats as sacrificial parts to save the other parts from corrosion like the aluminum housings on the drives. Honestly, I hate the fact that these tracks are zinc based but nothing we can do. Its all we got.

Dusty Steppes

What about the other metal parts of the the suspension, drive sprockets, idler wheels, suspension arms, etc?

YHR

I think the issues are some guys are better at this then others. With all the outsourcing going on I think it will be hard to pin this issue to any one brand. I have heard Impact has had a few issues as well, and my other tracks are fine as well. I think all we can say is Zinc rot exists, so don't be surprised if you have an issue or two. I just hope it stays as isolated cases and not the norm. Sounds like if the blend is wrong then you may have issue later on.

Wozwasnt

I've got two pairs of cheap metal Tiger 1 tracks bought in 2006/7 and they're both fine. One set have had a lot of running (sand,snow, water and mud) and the other have been sat in a box (bought 2nd hand).