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T29/30/34 Track link Numbers?
Konigwolf
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Tasmania, Australia
Joined: November 06, 2009
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 05:48 AM UTC
After some help/hard data if I could please.

As far as I'm aware the T29/30/34 all used the same base hull, please correct if I'm wrong.

Allocated tracks were T80E1 tracks with 5" extenders designated T80E3

Hobby Boss state to use 113 links per side, The only other piece of information I can find states 102 links per side.

I have two non HB T80E1 track types and both seem slightly to large for the HB drive sprocket which would lean towards a lesser number of tracks of these are accurate sized.

Is either of these numbers correct/accurate?
Konigwolf
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Tasmania, Australia
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 06:03 AM UTC
And to answer my own question, Hobby Boss borked the track count

Found a high res pic and counted the tracks, 102


So another issue with HB's T29 series

Anybody know of aftermarket T80E3 or T84E3 tracks and drive wheels coming soon?
Shellshock2
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: February 07, 2017
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 12:51 PM UTC
I considered buying two sets of fruil pershing/M47 tracks and adding on the duckbills and
I have looked at the AFV club and bronco workable track links.
I have a lot of fruil track wire left and the drill bit to match.It would be tedious work to dill each one out but it would work.And the tank wouldn't weigh 5lbs.
Konigwolf
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Tasmania, Australia
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 02:03 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I considered buying two sets of fruil pershing/M47 tracks and adding on the duckbills and
I have looked at the AFV club and bronco workable track links.
I have a lot of fruil track wire left and the drill bit to match.It would be tedious work to dill each one out but it would work.And the tank wouldn't weigh 5lbs.


I've been checking out options this afternoon. I know from experience AFV Club's T80E1's leave something to be desired, that leaves (in my price range) Bronco's T80E1's which I would need two sets of (about $35Aus+post) plus extenders from shapeways (another $23+post). Has me really wondering if I should bother spending another $60 on what was a $40 kit?

Also considering the extenders available from shapeways may not fit the Bronco tracks as they are for the AFV Club set (I have sent the creator a question about it)
HeavyArty
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Florida, United States
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 07:49 PM UTC
The number of track links on a model and the number on an actual vehicle usually do not correspond. Plus, depending on how worn the suspension is, how tightly adjusted, how worn the track is, etc., the number will vary from vehicle to vehicle by a few as well. Do you think anyone is actually going to count the number on your model and tell you they are off? I would just use the Hobby Boss tracks on it and be done with it.
KurtLaughlin
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Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 10:21 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The number of track links on a model and the number on an actual vehicle usually do not correspond . . . I would just use the Hobby Boss tracks on it and be done with it.


Agreed. Minute variations in the sizes of the model's sprocket teeth and track blocks, when multiplied by 102 can cause significant changes in the number of track blocks needed. For example, if each block was just .001 inch (0.025mm) off nominal it would change the length of a 102 block run by .102 inches or over half a block. Bear in mind that the itty-bitty little mold seams on sprockets and track blocks can be .002 or .003 high, so even nominally perfect model suspensions can be off. Factor into that small errors in sprocket diameters, tooth profiles, suspension position, shrinkage due to cement cure, stretching due to pin slop, and track block thickness and there are a number of minute but tangible error sources.

Track run numbers are only useful for estimating if you have enough links to complete the model. Use enough to get the look you need.

KL
KurtLaughlin
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Posted: Monday, March 06, 2017 - 10:32 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The number of track links on a model and the number on an actual vehicle usually do not correspond. Plus, depending on how worn the suspension is, how tightly adjusted, how worn the track is, etc., the number will vary from vehicle to vehicle by a few as well. Do you think anyone is actually going to count the number on your model and tell you they are off? I would just use the Hobby Boss tracks on it and be done with it.
SEDimmick
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 - 12:27 AM UTC
Normally I'd agree, but an extra 9 track shoes is a bit excessive. In the real world, tracks come in sections of 8 which are about 4-5 feet long (if not longer..its been 20+ years) which is pretty significant. If it was 105 or so shoes, I'd agree.

Anyone count how many tracks are on the Takom kit?
Konigwolf
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Tasmania, Australia
Joined: November 06, 2009
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Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 - 02:03 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The number of track links on a model and the number on an actual vehicle usually do not correspond. Plus, depending on how worn the suspension is, how tightly adjusted, how worn the track is, etc., the number will vary from vehicle to vehicle by a few as well. Do you think anyone is actually going to count the number on your model and tell you they are off? I would just use the Hobby Boss tracks on it and be done with it.



Quoted Text

Normally I'd agree, but an extra 9 track shoes is a bit excessive. In the real world, tracks come in sections of 8 which are about 4-5 feet long (if not longer..its been 20+ years) which is pretty significant. If it was 105 or so shoes, I'd agree.

Anyone count how many tracks are on the Takom kit?


I find myself disagreeing with both Gino and Kurt here, not that things can be off or not to go with the kit tracks but the percentage that thing are off. While I'm not normally a rivet counter a factor of over 10% is a very high margin of error or difference, a factor that for some people out there would be a major thing when building a model, I'm just trying to find out what is or isn't accurate.

If I could replace kit tracks for $20AUD I would, but for $60 I wont be, (though there are people out there that would). For the initial price of the kit having tracks off in link count is far from a deal breaker for me, I mean it's not Dragon Black Label off or anything
KurtLaughlin
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Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 - 04:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

The number of track links on a model and the number on an actual vehicle usually do not correspond. Plus, depending on how worn the suspension is, how tightly adjusted, how worn the track is, etc., the number will vary from vehicle to vehicle by a few as well. Do you think anyone is actually going to count the number on your model and tell you they are off? I would just use the Hobby Boss tracks on it and be done with it.



Quoted Text

Normally I'd agree, but an extra 9 track shoes is a bit excessive. In the real world, tracks come in sections of 8 which are about 4-5 feet long (if not longer..its been 20+ years) which is pretty significant. If it was 105 or so shoes, I'd agree.

Anyone count how many tracks are on the Takom kit?


I find myself disagreeing with both Gino and Kurt here, not that things can be off or not to go with the kit tracks but the percentage that thing are off. While I'm not normally a rivet counter a factor of over 10% is a very high margin of error or difference, a factor that for some people out there would be a major thing when building a model, I'm just trying to find out what is or isn't accurate.


I don't think either one of us is saying that a kit that has the suspension wrongly depicted or mis-proportioned to the effect that there are +/- 10% the correct number of links is acceptable. We're saying that a model with a correct-looking and well-proportioned suspension may have a different number of links than the real tank, and that's OK.

As to the number of links the instructions say to use, I have read so many reviews and build articles where the number is wrong but that I pretty much ignore it.
HeavyArty
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Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 - 07:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text



I don't think either one of us is saying that a kit that has the suspension wrongly depicted or mis-proportioned to the effect that there are +/- 10% the correct number of links is acceptable. We're saying that a model with a correct-looking and well-proportioned suspension may have a different number of links than the real tank, and that's OK.

As to the number of links the instructions say to use, I have read so many reviews and build articles where the number is wrong but that I pretty much ignore it.


Ditto^^

I never trust or pay attention to the number of tracks the instructions "say" is correct. Basically it takes however many it takes.
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