Heng Long Leopard 2a6 plastic gearbox broken. What now?
11-19-2018, 02:33 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Heng Long Leopard 2a6 plastic gearbox broken. What now?
I do have an all plastic Henglong Leopard 2a6.
The motor is a standard Heng Long 3:1 motor , 8500 Rounds / min, with plastic gear.
The motors/ gear box do not run synchronous. One gear starts later as the other one. I suspect there is something wrong with the plastic gear.
I want as replacement either a standard heng Long motor metal gearbox, 3:1 8500 rpm, or this one:
The Licmas heavy metal one with 390 Motors, 4:1 22.000 rpm
This one should fit exactly the same way as my existing plastic gear in my Leopard copy.
Or this one:
TAIGEN 5:1 steel flat gear with long output shaft, Stronger engines 17500 rpm
I do not know if this TAIGEN one fits exactly.
Is it true that the 3:1 gearboxes are faster but have less torque while the 4:1 gearboxes are much slower and offer much more torque? The 5:1 even more so?
Are these expensive 4:1/ 5:1 gears not overkill for an all plastic Leopard with plastic tracks and plastic sprockets? How much rpm is enough?
The motor is a standard Heng Long 3:1 motor , 8500 Rounds / min, with plastic gear.
The motors/ gear box do not run synchronous. One gear starts later as the other one. I suspect there is something wrong with the plastic gear.
I want as replacement either a standard heng Long motor metal gearbox, 3:1 8500 rpm, or this one:
The Licmas heavy metal one with 390 Motors, 4:1 22.000 rpm
This one should fit exactly the same way as my existing plastic gear in my Leopard copy.
Or this one:
TAIGEN 5:1 steel flat gear with long output shaft, Stronger engines 17500 rpm
I do not know if this TAIGEN one fits exactly.
Is it true that the 3:1 gearboxes are faster but have less torque while the 4:1 gearboxes are much slower and offer much more torque? The 5:1 even more so?
Are these expensive 4:1/ 5:1 gears not overkill for an all plastic Leopard with plastic tracks and plastic sprockets? How much rpm is enough?
Last edited by Sebas2; 11-19-2018 at 02:37 AM.
11-19-2018, 07:47 AM
#2
Avoid the Standard HL or taigen metal zinc gearboxes, these will wear out just as fast or faster then the one you have now.
Look for steel gears, the HL red gearbox will work. However you will need to tighten and add some liquid CA into the grub screws that are connecting to the drive shaft. If this is not done the fasteners will work themselves loose and the gear will spin without driving the axle.
The Taigen V2 gearboxes are good too and are better IMO. I don't have the Leo 2 so I can't say for certain if it will fit, but I will say that I swapped out a stripped out HL sherman gearbox with the taigen with no mounting issues. The only issue I ran into was the HL sprocket fastener not fitting on the Taigen axle spindle. After some quick work with a drill press on the sprocket or a dremel this was no longer an issue and the tank was up and running.
The HL gearbox with the blue motors are way too fast and put added wear on the stock running gear, however if you swap out the blue motors that come with the gearbox with the stock motors that you have on your plastic gearbox you get the slower more controllable speed, with the smooth running of the steel ball bearing gearbox. The motors are a simple swap with a screwdriver and are done is minutes. The Taigen motors tend to be slower and the motor switch is not needed from my experience
Also you may want to swap out the sprocket and track with metal ones. as they will be next to wear out after the gearbox is fixed.
Look for steel gears, the HL red gearbox will work. However you will need to tighten and add some liquid CA into the grub screws that are connecting to the drive shaft. If this is not done the fasteners will work themselves loose and the gear will spin without driving the axle.
The Taigen V2 gearboxes are good too and are better IMO. I don't have the Leo 2 so I can't say for certain if it will fit, but I will say that I swapped out a stripped out HL sherman gearbox with the taigen with no mounting issues. The only issue I ran into was the HL sprocket fastener not fitting on the Taigen axle spindle. After some quick work with a drill press on the sprocket or a dremel this was no longer an issue and the tank was up and running.
The HL gearbox with the blue motors are way too fast and put added wear on the stock running gear, however if you swap out the blue motors that come with the gearbox with the stock motors that you have on your plastic gearbox you get the slower more controllable speed, with the smooth running of the steel ball bearing gearbox. The motors are a simple swap with a screwdriver and are done is minutes. The Taigen motors tend to be slower and the motor switch is not needed from my experience
Also you may want to swap out the sprocket and track with metal ones. as they will be next to wear out after the gearbox is fixed.
Last edited by armourguy; 11-19-2018 at 07:51 AM.
11-19-2018, 01:09 PM
#3
I do have an all plastic Henglong Leopard 2a6.
The motor is a standard Heng Long 3:1 motor , 8500 Rounds / min, with plastic gear.
The motors/ gear box do not run synchronous. One gear starts later as the other one. I suspect there is something wrong with the plastic gear.
I want as replacement either a standard heng Long motor metal gearbox, 3:1 8500 rpm, or this one:
The Licmas heavy metal one with 390 Motors, 4:1 22.000 rpm
This one should fit exactly the same way as my existing plastic gear in my Leopard copy.
Or this one:
TAIGEN 5:1 steel flat gear with long output shaft, Stronger engines 17500 rpm
I do not know if this TAIGEN one fits exactly.
Is it true that the 3:1 gearboxes are faster but have less torque while the 4:1 gearboxes are much slower and offer much more torque? The 5:1 even more so?
Are these expensive 4:1/ 5:1 gears not overkill for an all plastic Leopard with plastic tracks and plastic sprockets? How much rpm is enough?
The motor is a standard Heng Long 3:1 motor , 8500 Rounds / min, with plastic gear.
The motors/ gear box do not run synchronous. One gear starts later as the other one. I suspect there is something wrong with the plastic gear.
I want as replacement either a standard heng Long motor metal gearbox, 3:1 8500 rpm, or this one:
The Licmas heavy metal one with 390 Motors, 4:1 22.000 rpm
This one should fit exactly the same way as my existing plastic gear in my Leopard copy.
Or this one:
TAIGEN 5:1 steel flat gear with long output shaft, Stronger engines 17500 rpm
I do not know if this TAIGEN one fits exactly.
Is it true that the 3:1 gearboxes are faster but have less torque while the 4:1 gearboxes are much slower and offer much more torque? The 5:1 even more so?
Are these expensive 4:1/ 5:1 gears not overkill for an all plastic Leopard with plastic tracks and plastic sprockets? How much rpm is enough?
The 4:1 gearboxes even with 390 motors and running 9.6v batteries the tank will be slower than stock. Trust me I have gone
down that road
At 7.2v your Leopard would be stupidly slow and not perform any better off road.IMO 4:1 are best suited for WW2 eara tanks, 3:1 are better suited for the modern tanks like the Leopard 2, Abrams, Challenger, T90/ZTZ99
All the photos are of my Leopard 2 running HL receiver, 3:1/390/9.6v combination. A few shown with plastic track and a few with metal/rubber padded track. It has a scale top speed of 53mph (GPS indicated: 3.34 mph x scale) yet retains the ability to "rock crawl" when desired or as terrain dictates.
Last edited by Fsttanks; 11-19-2018 at 03:29 PM.
11-19-2018, 02:18 PM
#4
Hey, Sebas, welcome to the forum. I can't remember if the Leo uses 48 or 58mm axle shafts, but they're the same price, and you mentioned the long ones, which sounds right to me. The Taigen are very good, and these are what I put in my Abrams
https://www.imex-model.com/product/T...9.html?cid=261
They should be a direct bolt in for the Leo. You can get them with 390 motors, the best way to do it is to contact Erik Edwards, who happens to be a forum member (Imex-Erik) and be sure to tell him you just joined RCU and that you have a Leo. His number is 1-800-458-5785. It's usually better to email but I don't have that right at the moment, but you could send him a private message here at RCU.
Let me give you a few Cliff's notes on gearboxes. First, pay no attention to "3:1", "4:1" except for identifying them. The actual ratio in a "4:1" gearbox is something like 39:1, from pinion to axle. It's more accurate to say three shaft or four shaft, as the 3:1 has three reductions and the 4:1 has four, in between the pinion and axle. The "5:1" are more accurately referred to as dual ratio, as there's a neat trick to change the actual gear ratio with the gearboxes still in the tank. Those, however, are not very good with steel gears. Back when they had brass gears they were very, very good, but they're long out of production and impossible to find. They work well in very light tanks, like a Panzer III, but not so good in the bigger models.
Yes, 3:1 are faster and have less torque and usually the 4:1 will give better low speed performance. If you're the adventurous type you might try the "waterpump motors" we played about with a few years ago. I put a set of those in a ZTZ-99, much the same size and weight as the Leo (weight of the model, not sure about the real tank) and I got a scale top speed of about 45 mph. They say that's what the Abrams is governed for, but I've heard lots of stories of guys disconnecting the governor and getting much higher speeds. For the Abrams I've heard as much as 70 mph, but that's been hotly debated. I think at least 60 would be safe to say, but to get that much speed from your model might be a bit much to hope for. Scale 45 is great, though, and I thought it was very realistic. Here's a little video of the ZTZ-99A in action
As for overkill, a good set of gearboxes is usually the very first upgrade you should do, and they should serve you well, no matter how far you go with the rest. You can get pot metal gearboxes super cheap, but you'll be replacing them before long. I've never had a set of these "black steel' ball bearing gearboxes fail on me, and I've yet to hear of anyone that has. In my humble opinion, these Taigen gearboxes are about the best all-around gearboxes you can get. I have a few sets of the old brass gearboxes that I won't part with for all the tea in China, but other than those the black steel ball bearing jobs are all I run (in 16th, anyway, 6th scale is a totally different animal).
So what are your plans for your Leo? Gonna change the paint or add detail or weathering? Maybe metal tracks (and sprockets, of course)? Did you build models as a kid? For some stupid reason you have to have five or ten posts before you can post photos or videos, but I'm hoping we'll see some of your Leo.
Again, welcome aboard, I'm Gary, it's good to see another victim of our addiction signing on.
Oh yeah, I'm not positive the High/Low gearboxes will fit the Leo, but the mid/low will and they're the same ratio. Erik will know for sure, he's a great guy and an avid RC Tanker himself.
https://www.imex-model.com/product/T...9.html?cid=261
They should be a direct bolt in for the Leo. You can get them with 390 motors, the best way to do it is to contact Erik Edwards, who happens to be a forum member (Imex-Erik) and be sure to tell him you just joined RCU and that you have a Leo. His number is 1-800-458-5785. It's usually better to email but I don't have that right at the moment, but you could send him a private message here at RCU.
Let me give you a few Cliff's notes on gearboxes. First, pay no attention to "3:1", "4:1" except for identifying them. The actual ratio in a "4:1" gearbox is something like 39:1, from pinion to axle. It's more accurate to say three shaft or four shaft, as the 3:1 has three reductions and the 4:1 has four, in between the pinion and axle. The "5:1" are more accurately referred to as dual ratio, as there's a neat trick to change the actual gear ratio with the gearboxes still in the tank. Those, however, are not very good with steel gears. Back when they had brass gears they were very, very good, but they're long out of production and impossible to find. They work well in very light tanks, like a Panzer III, but not so good in the bigger models.
Yes, 3:1 are faster and have less torque and usually the 4:1 will give better low speed performance. If you're the adventurous type you might try the "waterpump motors" we played about with a few years ago. I put a set of those in a ZTZ-99, much the same size and weight as the Leo (weight of the model, not sure about the real tank) and I got a scale top speed of about 45 mph. They say that's what the Abrams is governed for, but I've heard lots of stories of guys disconnecting the governor and getting much higher speeds. For the Abrams I've heard as much as 70 mph, but that's been hotly debated. I think at least 60 would be safe to say, but to get that much speed from your model might be a bit much to hope for. Scale 45 is great, though, and I thought it was very realistic. Here's a little video of the ZTZ-99A in action
As for overkill, a good set of gearboxes is usually the very first upgrade you should do, and they should serve you well, no matter how far you go with the rest. You can get pot metal gearboxes super cheap, but you'll be replacing them before long. I've never had a set of these "black steel' ball bearing gearboxes fail on me, and I've yet to hear of anyone that has. In my humble opinion, these Taigen gearboxes are about the best all-around gearboxes you can get. I have a few sets of the old brass gearboxes that I won't part with for all the tea in China, but other than those the black steel ball bearing jobs are all I run (in 16th, anyway, 6th scale is a totally different animal).
So what are your plans for your Leo? Gonna change the paint or add detail or weathering? Maybe metal tracks (and sprockets, of course)? Did you build models as a kid? For some stupid reason you have to have five or ten posts before you can post photos or videos, but I'm hoping we'll see some of your Leo.
Again, welcome aboard, I'm Gary, it's good to see another victim of our addiction signing on.
Oh yeah, I'm not positive the High/Low gearboxes will fit the Leo, but the mid/low will and they're the same ratio. Erik will know for sure, he's a great guy and an avid RC Tanker himself.
Last edited by Crius; 11-19-2018 at 02:23 PM.
11-19-2018, 02:37 PM
#5
The Leopard uses the High/Low, 3:1 gearboxes, with 58mm shafts. You can also use the 4:1 gearboxes as well 
It is a direct fit if using the Taigen gearboxes, though you may have to file down the shaft a hair as our tolerances are a bit tighter than HL's. If you ask in the notes I wouldn't mind filing it down a bit (the same goes for all you RCU members, just ask in the notes, I read every note!) for you.
I will however HIGHLY suggest AGAINST the 5:1 gearboxes in any model besides a smaller plastic tank. We discontinued those here in the US for a few reasons, mainly the lack of power. The "5:1" gearboxes used to be great when they were brass and mainly were for the plastic edition tanks. They were quiet and worked for what they were designed for. However as more and more metal started being added the smaller sized 360 motors just didn't have the torque to run the tanks efficiently. We were doing the V2 steel gearboxes at that time and I requested steel gears and bearings to be added to the gearboxes. The steel gears were added but with the bushings kept the same the gearboxes actually had even less power than before and additional rotational mass as well for the same motor. We ended up ditching that model for the more universal "3:1 and 4:1" type gearboxes as those fit in the same tanks and offer both more torque and speed for the same price or less. So that is the reason I don't suggest the "5:1" gearbox on any current tank. I'm actually kinda surprised our EU counterparts still sell it, they will go up in smoke if you try to run a metal tank on it, not sure if they are putting those warnings in there so people know.... Anyways, hope that helps a bit!
(oh and ACTUAL gear ratios are as follows if you are wondering: 3:1 = 39:1 / 4:1 = 90:1 / 5:1 = 8:1 & 46:1) Even with the 46:1 ratio it has much less torque compared to the 3:1 with the 380 motor instead of the 360 motor with the 5:1 gearboxes
It is a direct fit if using the Taigen gearboxes, though you may have to file down the shaft a hair as our tolerances are a bit tighter than HL's. If you ask in the notes I wouldn't mind filing it down a bit (the same goes for all you RCU members, just ask in the notes, I read every note!) for you. I will however HIGHLY suggest AGAINST the 5:1 gearboxes in any model besides a smaller plastic tank. We discontinued those here in the US for a few reasons, mainly the lack of power. The "5:1" gearboxes used to be great when they were brass and mainly were for the plastic edition tanks. They were quiet and worked for what they were designed for. However as more and more metal started being added the smaller sized 360 motors just didn't have the torque to run the tanks efficiently. We were doing the V2 steel gearboxes at that time and I requested steel gears and bearings to be added to the gearboxes. The steel gears were added but with the bushings kept the same the gearboxes actually had even less power than before and additional rotational mass as well for the same motor. We ended up ditching that model for the more universal "3:1 and 4:1" type gearboxes as those fit in the same tanks and offer both more torque and speed for the same price or less. So that is the reason I don't suggest the "5:1" gearbox on any current tank. I'm actually kinda surprised our EU counterparts still sell it, they will go up in smoke if you try to run a metal tank on it, not sure if they are putting those warnings in there so people know.... Anyways, hope that helps a bit!
(oh and ACTUAL gear ratios are as follows if you are wondering: 3:1 = 39:1 / 4:1 = 90:1 / 5:1 = 8:1 & 46:1) Even with the 46:1 ratio it has much less torque compared to the 3:1 with the 380 motor instead of the 360 motor with the 5:1 gearboxes
11-19-2018, 07:53 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Fsttanks Thank you for your valuable info, I did not know 3:1 gears are better for a big tank like the Leo. Your Leopard is awesome; Beautiful weathered and modified armor, machine gun etc!
Have a nice day!
Have a nice day!
Last edited by Sebas2; 11-19-2018 at 08:04 PM.
11-19-2018, 08:29 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Hey, Sebas, welcome to the forum. I can't remember if the Leo uses 48 or 58mm axle shafts, but they're the same price, and you mentioned the long ones, which sounds right to me. The Taigen are very good, and these are what I put in my Abrams
They should be a direct bolt in for the Leo. You can get them with 390 motors, the best way to do it is to contact Erik Edwards, who happens to be a forum member (Imex-Erik) and be sure to tell him you just joined RCU and that you have a Leo. His number is 1-800-458-5785. It's usually better to email but I don't have that right at the moment, but you could send him a private message here at RCU.
Let me give you a few Cliff's notes on gearboxes. First, pay no attention to "3:1", "4:1" except for identifying them. The actual ratio in a "4:1" gearbox is something like 39:1, from pinion to axle. It's more accurate to say three shaft or four shaft, as the 3:1 has three reductions and the 4:1 has four, in between the pinion and axle. The "5:1" are more accurately referred to as dual ratio, as there's a neat trick to change the actual gear ratio with the gearboxes still in the tank. Those, however, are not very good with steel gears. Back when they had brass gears they were very, very good, but they're long out of production and impossible to find. They work well in very light tanks, like a Panzer III, but not so good in the bigger models.
Yes, 3:1 are faster and have less torque and usually the 4:1 will give better low speed performance. If you're the adventurous type you might try the "waterpump motors" we played about with a few years ago. I put a set of those in a ZTZ-99, much the same size and weight as the Leo (weight of the model, not sure about the real tank) and I got a scale top speed of about 45 mph. They say that's what the Abrams is governed for, but I've heard lots of stories of guys disconnecting the governor and getting much higher speeds. For the Abrams I've heard as much as 70 mph, but that's been hotly debated. I think at least 60 would be safe to say, but to get that much speed from your model might be a bit much to hope for. Scale 45 is great, though, and I thought it was very realistic. Here's a little video of the ZTZ-99A in action
As for overkill, a good set of gearboxes is usually the very first upgrade you should do, and they should serve you well, no matter how far you go with the rest. You can get pot metal gearboxes super cheap, but you'll be replacing them before long. I've never had a set of these "black steel' ball bearing gearboxes fail on me, and I've yet to hear of anyone that has. In my humble opinion, these Taigen gearboxes are about the best all-around gearboxes you can get. I have a few sets of the old brass gearboxes that I won't part with for all the tea in China, but other than those the black steel ball bearing jobs are all I run (in 16th, anyway, 6th scale is a totally different animal).
So what are your plans for your Leo? Gonna change the paint or add detail or weathering? Maybe metal tracks (and sprockets, of course)? Did you build models as a kid? For some stupid reason you have to have five or ten posts before you can post photos or videos, but I'm hoping we'll see some of your Leo.
Again, welcome aboard, I'm Gary, it's good to see another victim of our addiction signing on.
Oh yeah, I'm not positive the High/Low gearboxes will fit the Leo, but the mid/low will and they're the same ratio. Erik will know for sure, he's a great guy and an avid RC Tanker himself.
They should be a direct bolt in for the Leo. You can get them with 390 motors, the best way to do it is to contact Erik Edwards, who happens to be a forum member (Imex-Erik) and be sure to tell him you just joined RCU and that you have a Leo. His number is 1-800-458-5785. It's usually better to email but I don't have that right at the moment, but you could send him a private message here at RCU.
Let me give you a few Cliff's notes on gearboxes. First, pay no attention to "3:1", "4:1" except for identifying them. The actual ratio in a "4:1" gearbox is something like 39:1, from pinion to axle. It's more accurate to say three shaft or four shaft, as the 3:1 has three reductions and the 4:1 has four, in between the pinion and axle. The "5:1" are more accurately referred to as dual ratio, as there's a neat trick to change the actual gear ratio with the gearboxes still in the tank. Those, however, are not very good with steel gears. Back when they had brass gears they were very, very good, but they're long out of production and impossible to find. They work well in very light tanks, like a Panzer III, but not so good in the bigger models.
Yes, 3:1 are faster and have less torque and usually the 4:1 will give better low speed performance. If you're the adventurous type you might try the "waterpump motors" we played about with a few years ago. I put a set of those in a ZTZ-99, much the same size and weight as the Leo (weight of the model, not sure about the real tank) and I got a scale top speed of about 45 mph. They say that's what the Abrams is governed for, but I've heard lots of stories of guys disconnecting the governor and getting much higher speeds. For the Abrams I've heard as much as 70 mph, but that's been hotly debated. I think at least 60 would be safe to say, but to get that much speed from your model might be a bit much to hope for. Scale 45 is great, though, and I thought it was very realistic. Here's a little video of the ZTZ-99A in action
As for overkill, a good set of gearboxes is usually the very first upgrade you should do, and they should serve you well, no matter how far you go with the rest. You can get pot metal gearboxes super cheap, but you'll be replacing them before long. I've never had a set of these "black steel' ball bearing gearboxes fail on me, and I've yet to hear of anyone that has. In my humble opinion, these Taigen gearboxes are about the best all-around gearboxes you can get. I have a few sets of the old brass gearboxes that I won't part with for all the tea in China, but other than those the black steel ball bearing jobs are all I run (in 16th, anyway, 6th scale is a totally different animal).
So what are your plans for your Leo? Gonna change the paint or add detail or weathering? Maybe metal tracks (and sprockets, of course)? Did you build models as a kid? For some stupid reason you have to have five or ten posts before you can post photos or videos, but I'm hoping we'll see some of your Leo.
Again, welcome aboard, I'm Gary, it's good to see another victim of our addiction signing on.
Oh yeah, I'm not positive the High/Low gearboxes will fit the Leo, but the mid/low will and they're the same ratio. Erik will know for sure, he's a great guy and an avid RC Tanker himself.
I am Bastiaan, live in The Netherlands and I intend to buy the Taigen steel gear boxes you mention. Unfortunately I cannot find them yet in my country, nor in Germany, were I intend to buy my stuff, mostly at Heng-Long Panzer.de I will mail panzer.de if I can buy the Taigen steal boxes there and /or do search further.
As for my plans: I intend to weather the tank with pastel chalk/powder and additional washes and dry brushing. Also I would like to buy the steel sprockets and idler wheels from Tagen, but it seems the sprockets do not fit well.
I am a model builder since 30+ years, almost only armored cars and tanks. I do love the 1/35 Tamiya models.
One of the reasons I bought this 1/16 Leopard is photographing and videoing it. Photography is a big hobby and I have made a lot of pictures from The Leopard in rough terrain, and it is really awesome to do! Unfortunately I cannot post them yet.
Have a great day!
11-20-2018, 09:04 AM
#10
Hey, Bastiaan, I thought you were in the U.S. when I recommended imex. I'm afraid they don't ship to Europe. However, there are a couple of good vendors over there, like Dave at Forgebear tanks in the UK, and also Carson at dklm, as well as Dom at rctank.de and any one of those guys should be able to provide you with gear boxes. But I still recommend the the taigen ball bearing gearboxes in 3:1 for your Leo. I think that's where you'll get the most value for your money.
If you need links for any of those vendors I can post them when I get home from work, just let me know.
If you need links for any of those vendors I can post them when I get home from work, just let me know.
11-20-2018, 12:08 PM
#11
Hey, Bastiaan, I thought you were in the U.S. when I recommended imex. I'm afraid they don't ship to Europe. However, there are a couple of good vendors over there, like Dave at Forgebear tanks in the UK, and also Carson at dklm, as well as Dom at rctank.de and any one of those guys should be able to provide you with gear boxes. But I still recommend the the taigen ball bearing gearboxes in 3:1 for your Leo. I think that's where you'll get the most value for your money.
If you need links for any of those vendors I can post them when I get home from work, just let me know.
If you need links for any of those vendors I can post them when I get home from work, just let me know.
11-20-2018, 12:21 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Hey, Bastiaan, I thought you were in the U.S. when I recommended imex. I'm afraid they don't ship to Europe. However, there are a couple of good vendors over there, like Dave at Forgebear tanks in the UK, and also Carson at dklm, as well as Dom at rctank.de and any one of those guys should be able to provide you with gear boxes. But I still recommend the the taigen ball bearing gearboxes in 3:1 for your Leo. I think that's where you'll get the most value for your money.
If you need links for any of those vendors I can post them when I get home from work, just let me know.
If you need links for any of those vendors I can post them when I get home from work, just let me know.
11-20-2018, 01:32 PM
#13
Here's rctank.de and they appear to be the only place that has them in stock. If you still want 390 motors you should send a message to Dom at his web page and see what he says, but the newer 380s are pretty good, IMHO.
https://www.rctank.de/Leopard-2A6-31...long-axles-low
DKLM doesn't appear to carry the Taigen gearboxes, but here's their home page. They're a very good vendor, run by a guy named Carson, and I personally have done business with them several times without incident.
https://www.dklmrc.com/
And Forgebear also doesn't have the boxes you need, but again here's his home page. Forgebear is Dave, and he's a good chap. I've only dealt with him personally one time but he has an excellent reputation and I know lots and lots of guys that have done business with him.
https://www.forgebeartanks.com/store..._Products.html
There's also a guy in Norway, his user name here is Sollie, and at RCTW it's maxmekker, and I believe he's trying to make a go at selling tank stuff. That can be a rough business, and I hear that if you want to start an RC store and have a million dollars by the end of your first year, you need to start with two million dollars. Anyway, he's in Drammen (sp?) and he likes to call it Drammen Rock City, so naturally I have to tease him that Detroit is the Rock City they wrote the song about. 
He takes it pretty good, though, and teases me right back.
I think you'll like this forum, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the Leo. Have you got your next tank picked out yet? You don't really think you're only gonna own just one, do ya?
https://www.rctank.de/Leopard-2A6-31...long-axles-low
DKLM doesn't appear to carry the Taigen gearboxes, but here's their home page. They're a very good vendor, run by a guy named Carson, and I personally have done business with them several times without incident.
https://www.dklmrc.com/
And Forgebear also doesn't have the boxes you need, but again here's his home page. Forgebear is Dave, and he's a good chap. I've only dealt with him personally one time but he has an excellent reputation and I know lots and lots of guys that have done business with him.
https://www.forgebeartanks.com/store..._Products.html
There's also a guy in Norway, his user name here is Sollie, and at RCTW it's maxmekker, and I believe he's trying to make a go at selling tank stuff. That can be a rough business, and I hear that if you want to start an RC store and have a million dollars by the end of your first year, you need to start with two million dollars.
Anyway, he's in Drammen (sp?) and he likes to call it Drammen Rock City, so naturally I have to tease him that Detroit is the Rock City they wrote the song about. He takes it pretty good, though, and teases me right back.I think you'll like this forum, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the Leo. Have you got your next tank picked out yet? You don't really think you're only gonna own just one, do ya?
Last edited by Crius; 11-20-2018 at 01:35 PM.
11-20-2018, 10:31 PM
#14
Thread Starter
To all forum members: I read from various users that the steel sprockets do not run well with the Heng long tracks, they seem not to have the right dimensions/ shapes. Can anyone tell me something about your experiences?
Crius and Imex-Erik , I have found the 380 3.1 pro steel gearbox with long axles from Taigen at rctank.de I am not allowed yet to insert the hyperlink. I have mailed Forgebear about shipping costs.
Crius thanks a lot for providing the email addresses! Well for the moment I will do with the Leopard, I am busy with a project to improve as far as I can and my budget permits it
For the moment, due to budget restrictions I will buy the metal gear box as a temporarily solution and then later the steel ones. I did overstretch the Leopard, first by pacing it one time trough terrain full of grass and vegetation and then running it over very soaky clay, which was just dredged and laid down on the terrain. It was almost swamp like.
One of the plastic sprockets has been completely worn out on one side. I think I must choose more wisely the terrain.
I do also have problems with the tracks tension being too lose. the idler wheels are not firmly attached, so I will experiment with attaching plastic sheet around the idlers, fixing it with superglue and first spraying them with green Tamiya acrylic paint. Another option might be Messing hollow pipe.
At the moment I am busy with filling holes in the hull and turret with Humbrol model filler and Evergreen plasticard.
I am sorry my English is not good enough to properly describe it and I am not yet authorized to attach images from all these yet, but I will do as soon as I am permitted.
After that I will put camouflage foliage at the barrel and turret. Also I will remove the skirts at the sprocket wheels, since one of them is worn out due to excessive build up of this clay... just like they often do with the real tanks
Please all you experienced gentlemen, what are your thoughts?
Crius and Imex-Erik , I have found the 380 3.1 pro steel gearbox with long axles from Taigen at rctank.de I am not allowed yet to insert the hyperlink. I have mailed Forgebear about shipping costs.
Crius thanks a lot for providing the email addresses! Well for the moment I will do with the Leopard, I am busy with a project to improve as far as I can and my budget permits it
For the moment, due to budget restrictions I will buy the metal gear box as a temporarily solution and then later the steel ones. I did overstretch the Leopard, first by pacing it one time trough terrain full of grass and vegetation and then running it over very soaky clay, which was just dredged and laid down on the terrain. It was almost swamp like.
One of the plastic sprockets has been completely worn out on one side. I think I must choose more wisely the terrain.
I do also have problems with the tracks tension being too lose. the idler wheels are not firmly attached, so I will experiment with attaching plastic sheet around the idlers, fixing it with superglue and first spraying them with green Tamiya acrylic paint. Another option might be Messing hollow pipe.
At the moment I am busy with filling holes in the hull and turret with Humbrol model filler and Evergreen plasticard.
I am sorry my English is not good enough to properly describe it and I am not yet authorized to attach images from all these yet, but I will do as soon as I am permitted.
After that I will put camouflage foliage at the barrel and turret. Also I will remove the skirts at the sprocket wheels, since one of them is worn out due to excessive build up of this clay... just like they often do with the real tanks
Please all you experienced gentlemen, what are your thoughts?
11-20-2018, 11:55 PM
#15
To all forum members: I read from various users that the steel sprockets do not run well with the Heng long tracks, they seem not to have the right dimensions/ shapes. Can anyone tell me something about your experiences?
Crius and Imex-Erik , I have found the 380 3.1 pro steel gearbox with long axles from Taigen at rctank.de I am not allowed yet to insert the hyperlink. I have mailed Forgebear about shipping costs.
Crius thanks a lot for providing the email addresses! Well for the moment I will do with the Leopard, I am busy with a project to improve as far as I can and my budget permits it
For the moment, due to budget restrictions I will buy the metal gear box as a temporarily solution and then later the steel ones. I did overstretch the Leopard, first by pacing it one time trough terrain full of grass and vegetation and then running it over very soaky clay, which was just dredged and laid down on the terrain. It was almost swamp like.
One of the plastic sprockets has been completely worn out on one side. I think I must choose more wisely the terrain.
I do also have problems with the tracks tension being too lose. the idler wheels are not firmly attached, so I will experiment with attaching plastic sheet around the idlers, fixing it with superglue and first spraying them with green Tamiya acrylic paint. Another option might be Messing hollow pipe.
At the moment I am busy with filling holes in the hull and turret with Humbrol model filler and Evergreen plasticard.
I am sorry my English is not good enough to properly describe it and I am not yet authorized to attach images from all these yet, but I will do as soon as I am permitted.
After that I will put camouflage foliage at the barrel and turret. Also I will remove the skirts at the sprocket wheels, since one of them is worn out due to excessive build up of this clay... just like they often do with the real tanks
Please all you experienced gentlemen, what are your thoughts?
Crius and Imex-Erik , I have found the 380 3.1 pro steel gearbox with long axles from Taigen at rctank.de I am not allowed yet to insert the hyperlink. I have mailed Forgebear about shipping costs.
Crius thanks a lot for providing the email addresses! Well for the moment I will do with the Leopard, I am busy with a project to improve as far as I can and my budget permits it
For the moment, due to budget restrictions I will buy the metal gear box as a temporarily solution and then later the steel ones. I did overstretch the Leopard, first by pacing it one time trough terrain full of grass and vegetation and then running it over very soaky clay, which was just dredged and laid down on the terrain. It was almost swamp like.
One of the plastic sprockets has been completely worn out on one side. I think I must choose more wisely the terrain.
I do also have problems with the tracks tension being too lose. the idler wheels are not firmly attached, so I will experiment with attaching plastic sheet around the idlers, fixing it with superglue and first spraying them with green Tamiya acrylic paint. Another option might be Messing hollow pipe.
At the moment I am busy with filling holes in the hull and turret with Humbrol model filler and Evergreen plasticard.
I am sorry my English is not good enough to properly describe it and I am not yet authorized to attach images from all these yet, but I will do as soon as I am permitted.
After that I will put camouflage foliage at the barrel and turret. Also I will remove the skirts at the sprocket wheels, since one of them is worn out due to excessive build up of this clay... just like they often do with the real tanks
Please all you experienced gentlemen, what are your thoughts?
The metal Heng Long Leopard 2 sprockets with retainer rings can be found on a number of web sites most of which are in Asia or on Ebay.
Idler wheels? Are you referring to the very front wheels or the small wheels under the side skirts above the main road wheels (as seen in the third photo below)? If so, the correct name for these are "track return rollers". If the front wheels, then the HL Leopard 2 has a method for adjusting these to tighten the track tension. If you are referring to the "return rollers" being loose this is not normally an issue and should not effect track tension. It will not hurt anything to experiment on the "return rollers", I have many times.
Last edited by Fsttanks; 11-21-2018 at 12:17 AM.
11-21-2018, 11:58 AM
#16
Thread Starter
I ment the front wheels. I found in another tread this solution, I do not know how long it lasts but worth a try. The built in adjustment tool does not work well for me.
I could not found track retention rings from Heng Long, only from Mato.
I could not found track retention rings from Heng Long, only from Mato.
11-21-2018, 12:09 PM
#17
11-22-2018, 12:00 AM
#19
Thread Starter
changed my shoppinglist
Reconsidering, I will today order the LEOPARD 2A6 - 3.1 PRO STEEL GEARBOX WITH 380/13.000 RPM MOTORS, LONG AXLES, LOW
and the Henglong 1/16 Scale German Leopard2A6 RC Tank 3889 Metal Sprockets Spare Part with retention rings. Delivery will be in December/ January, so for the moment also ordered the standard plastic sprockets plus idler front wheels.
After this post I hopefully can upload some images. Thank you for all you help, much appreciated!
and the Henglong 1/16 Scale German Leopard2A6 RC Tank 3889 Metal Sprockets Spare Part with retention rings. Delivery will be in December/ January, so for the moment also ordered the standard plastic sprockets plus idler front wheels.
After this post I hopefully can upload some images. Thank you for all you help, much appreciated!
11-22-2018, 08:47 AM
#22
Something else to think about. The new gearbox will be slightly heavier and thus you will have a wieght bias even more toward the rear of your tank than you do now. Consider adding some internal wieght to the front. This will help balance your tanks weight out and provide for both smoother “ride” (less bouncy) and a slight increase in traction. Lastly I would highly recommend adding the drive shaft axle support bearings. There are a number of these on the market for the Leopard 2. They greatly help with track retention by keeping the drive axles from flexing under load.
Last edited by Fsttanks; 11-22-2018 at 08:49 AM.
11-22-2018, 09:59 AM
#23
Thread Starter
Something else to think about. The new gearbox will be slightly heavier and thus you will have a wieght bias even more toward the rear of your tank than you do now. Consider adding some internal wieght to the front. This will help balance your tanks weight out and provide for both smoother “ride” (less bouncy) and a slight increase in traction. Lastly I would highly recommend adding the drive shaft axle support bearings. There are a number of these on the market for the Leopard 2. They greatly help with track retention by keeping the drive axles from flexing under load.
Also I will add some L profile thick plastic sheet on the inner sides of the hull and square hard plastic balks between inner hull sites , to reinforce the hull.
I imagine the greater power of the motors will put more strain on the hull, which is not quite stiff at the moment and hopefully help a bit in trowing off the tracks.
11-22-2018, 11:53 AM
#24
Thanks for the tip. I have already added internal weight in the front hull. The axle support bearings are on my list for further modding.
Also I will add some L profile thick plastic sheet on the inner sides of the hull and square hard plastic balks between inner hull sites , to reinforce the hull.
I imagine the greater power of the motors will put more strain on the hull, which is not quite stiff at the moment and hopefully help a bit in trowing off the tracks.
Also I will add some L profile thick plastic sheet on the inner sides of the hull and square hard plastic balks between inner hull sites , to reinforce the hull.
I imagine the greater power of the motors will put more strain on the hull, which is not quite stiff at the moment and hopefully help a bit in trowing off the tracks.
I would suggest considering holding off on the hull supports until you are further along in your build. You might find you do not need them. That said I just added a few supports when I switched over to DKLM metal/rubber padded tracks. Prior with metal suspension and road wheels running the HL plastic track the supports were not needed.
11-22-2018, 01:00 PM
#25
Thread Starter
Will reinforce the hull after second thought.
'Ok, that's one job less then'
Well after second thought I am reinforcing the hull. It is not that stiff and while I am modding and waiting on the new parts to arrive, now is a good time do to it.
'Well after second thought I am reinforcing the hull. It is not that stiff and while I am modding and waiting on the new parts to arrive, now is a good time do to it.
Last edited by Sebas2; 11-23-2018 at 12:54 PM.