Bauer66

Dirt,Gravel,Grass, Mud,Snow Etc. Either Tam's or Hl's 1/16th. What are you guy's running your Tanks through? What are you seeing for realistic running and reliability on Different terrains? What do you find for your best results in Tracks or suspension set up's? I ran my King T through garden dirt last summer and jammed it all up tighter than a ......Well tight anyway[>:] I ran my Tiger 1 through some shallow snow and locked her up just as tight[:@][:@] If I run them on firm ground I can run them all day long with out a problem. I went so far as the Wecohe Suspension upgrade and Tracks on one of them and still,Not having much luck. I know it has to be an adjustment I am not getting right. What say you all?

GD Dave

Ran my KT through just about everything (except snow), never had a problem once the tracks were adjusted properly.

Chow_Hound

I'm just taking a couple spitballs at a guess.
1. Have you checked the road wheels and idlers for jammed rocks? I was in Danville one Battleday
and that happened to me.
2. Are your gear boxes dirt free? Even a small amount of dirt can be hurtful.

You probably have check that already but it's all I can think of for now.

As for the Wecohe suspension upgrades. I have them on both my KT and T1. I'm really happy with both.

I have run my tanks in grass, ball fields, and some sandy areas.
May also want to check your track alignment and such. Makes sure it's set right.

Bauer66

I have checked all those things. My thinking on the matter is I either have them to tight or to loose. That or I am expecting to much..........Did I just say that
Not me, Never.
I have my Tracks set up according to the Instructions as a start point. Not sure where to go from there?

Wozwasnt

If you look in the tank photo gallery you'll see people drive their tanks through all kinds of stuff. There's even a video of one being driven underwater somewhere.

Chow_Hound

The only other thing I can think of is the road wheels themselves. My Tiger has recently started jamming of two wheels together that can gum up the works tight. after picking up they worked them selves loose and everything was ok. (Side note: Also noted one swingarm was slightly drilled differently than all the others. Think a bad one slipped through QC.) That was the closest I've had to jams.

Bauer66

I think I will double check my road Wheel alignment. In using Kit parts I just assumed it was all OK, Might not be the case.
Thanks Guys for all the Input.

edoubleaz

My Feedback: (1)

A rare moment of true realism in this thread. The real vehicles become bogged down in loose material all the time. The tiger was notorious for getting its interlaced road wheels clogged with mud. The solution later in the war was to remove the front outer roadwheel to free up the suspension. The allies were dependent on roads to move as the european fields became quagmires of mud.

My tanks have worked flawlessly on packed dirt and prepared surfaces. Loose rocks and grass have clogged and jammed my tracks but careful driving always avoids damage in combat.

Bauer66

I think you hit that one about as accurate as it could be hit. I do tend to push it a bit. Thanks for the reality check.

swathdiver

Exactly, both Tigers' suspension designs were not optimized for rough terrain and they performed poorly as a result. This is just as true with our 1/16 scale versions. Conversely the Pershings and Walkers go through the nasty stuff pretty easily. A VVSS Sherman had a reliable suspension but the narrow treads got it in trouble because its ground pressure was more then the Tiger!

pantiger man

I have droven mine over the top of rocks through sand and water its a hl bulldog.

Turbobearcat

Mine has done well on everything except with wet sand...plastic tracks and wet sand are a BAD combo!

I broke a few tracks this way in Sept...but other than this issue..sand made things look really realistic!

navspook

For what it's worth, I have problems in snow with my 1/8 KT when the snow melts and re-freezes in the idler track guides (See photo). Wet snow is the worst - shouldn't stick to the tracks like it tends (See photo). I need to experiment with cold-soaking it first by putting the tank outside in the cold for about an hour, then running it in the snow. Theoretically, if the steel idlers are the same temps as the snow, then the snow should not stick.

On another, related note -- keep in mind the scale size of the stuff you're running the tank through. Sand, for example, would actually be the size of a small fist -- grass would be the size of bamboo, and so on. So, to crunch and munch debris that may be larger in scale than in real life, may be too much for the tank to handle.

Cheers...

swathdiver

Man I see that tank and I expect to see German crewman standing around it. I say to myself that's a fantastic color shot from WWII! It looks so real!

Bauer66

Scale realism, be it in the form of ships or tanks, is something I really strive for. I understand about terrain not being to out of scale for scale operation. You bring up some very good points though. I also would think that if the running gear was as cold or close to the outside temps, Snow operations would be a bit easier.
Great looking winter Camo on your Tank. I can't wait to get my 1/8 KT here and get to work on it.
Thanks again Nav.

Trev.

navspook

Thanks again -- I was hoping the brush strokes would give some realistism to it - I used a scale brush (about 1/4 inch wide).

Trevor: Can't wait to see your 1/8 KT under construction. You should have a great time with it!

Cheers...