Hi Guys - hoping someone can help me out. When a spare road wheel is carried on top of the turret of an Abrams tank (see picture) how is it secured down? I can't find any pictures from the top looking down into it.



I know they typically use a spare track guide to secure the wheel to the bustle rack, but can't find anything for the top of the turret. I can't believe it would just sit there on its own, but maybe.

Thanks
Mike

Your kit should have a series of bolts there on the roof. Shave off two and line up the roadwheel to coincide with those shaved off bolts and glue two bolts on the roadwheel.

Ah - ok - its bolted down. My dragon kit does not have those bolts but it suspect I can line it up good enough and use some aftermarket ones.

Thanks for the help.

All the M1 kits have those 4 bolts that Robert is talking about. They are in front of the man hole cover and in front of the "dog house."



When removing the turret from the hull, those 4 bolts are removed and used to attach lifting points.

Are the bolts used to attach lifting points somewhere else or are the lifting points attached to the holes that the bolts occupy? I would assume the latter case but sometimes life surprises me ...
Where is the third (or maybe even the fourth) lifting point?
/ Robin

Robin,
They are attached to the holes that the bolts occupy.

It is 3 points to lift the turret:



I'm not 100% sure, but from what I can see and find, it looks like the 3rd lifting point is right in front of the wind sensor:

Thanks!

I take back what I said. It looks like the 3rd lifting point is in the center behind the TC and loaders hatch, before the blow off panels:

On the M1A1, the spare is sometimes bolted to the circular base used for the CITV on the M1A2.



H.P.

Correct, there is a set of 4 bolts nestled between the hatches, just in front of the center line of the two blow off panels.

I looked at my kit again, and yes sure enough they are there. Not sure how I missed them in the first place.

That's how it was done when I was in the US Army and National Guard.