Hi all,

I am truly embarrassed at having to post this question, but maybe someone can help me. I started working on several Dragon Tiger 1 models a few years back and I had a couple sets of Tiger 1 Fruil tracks that I put together and aged. Now, my problem is that I don't know what tracks are which. The Tigers I am working on were both initial builds, and as far as I can recall, the tracks on these tanks were "mirror image" tracks. I think that even earlier Tiger 1s had 'handed' tracks, that is, a right-hand and a left-hand track.

So, now I have 2 sets of Fruil tracks. I believe one set is mirror and one set is 'handed'. I know, at least, which sets go together, that is I know which tracks should be paired up. But I have absolutely no idea what to look for to determine which set is the 'mirror' set and which is the 'handed' set.

Please help a very stupid old person get the tracks of his Tiger 1 done right.

Surely 'Mirrored & 'Handed' are different words to describe the same thing?

Are the 2 sets different?

With regards to which way round they go, try them on a tiger kit?

Not being funny, but a pic would help (I'm not an 'Experten', Tiger or Fruil track fan)

Hi Curt,

Not an expert on Tiger 1 tracks but looking at the Bovington Tiger 1,
the track pattern seems reversed fron the left and right side.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ykWhFw2NoWK2vwoOMz4WbJMiqXm-oxxISDuvt86qzjA_8zgJg7PJKXnYxlfuV-ud-ZtV0j1VE0Xjsf_LlEQaeE7u8DATxQm4E7_Mv7_YhIMPyHmvhnohqmYmheq7J5jLYVU8zMBd_4gqP4XCPIHgX11pDr4UW-Zj9T_rEdqj6d5XjZKcNuJy

Crtl + to enlarge....hope this is of some help.
Cheers.

Take a good look at the Tiger from the front. Observe how the outer sprocket ring does not align with the outer road wheel discs. Hold a ruler against the outer discs and check the distance from the edge of the ruler to the outer sprocket ring.

Now match the tracks to the sprocket wheel. One side of the track extends further out from the sprocket ring.
This side can not be facing "inboard" since it would foul the lower chassis, impossible to mount this way unless the sprocket wheel is pulled outwards.



The front of the sprocket ring is hidden behind the track and the road wheels reach all the way to the edge of the track.


Tiger on the narrower transport tracks which do not extend outside the sprocket rings. The outermost wheel disc has been removed since it would be outside the edge of the track.


Outermost discs of roadwheels are missing (road wheels configured for transport tracks. The line of holes for the sprocket teeth is clearly visible outside the road wheels. (See post by Dave Clark below, he is right of course. Ignore the part about missing road wheel discs, just look at where the sprocket holes are in relation to the edge of the track link)
This image shows how far the track extends outside the sprocket and the position of the outermost wheel disc (not steel wheels this time )




This image shows the track links facing "up" and "down" differently, it looks as if the exact same track links are used on both sides, no mirroring. The track link is turned to ensure that the longer extension faces outwards which means that the track on one side is going "backwards" compared to the other side.

Tips of sprocket teeth marked by red dots,
pattern on outside (ground beating) face of track link marked with yellow

Your track sets:
Check if there is a "left" and "right" track link by comparing how the outside pattern relates to the parts of the link that extends furthest from the sprocket.
If they are all the same they are not handed.
If you can find two different mirror images you have a handed set.
/ Robin

Download this PDF:

Die Sohlen der Tiger, Versuch einer Katalogisierung der Gleisketten für die Tiger-Panzer

It has more information about Tiger tracks than you'll know what to do with.

Thanks for the link! Very useful for those of us who can read German

If you have one set of standard tracks and one set of mirror tracks, you'll have three track runs that are identical, and one that has a stamped pattern on its face that appears upside down. Mate the upside down one with one of the other three, and you have your mirror set.

These tracks were apparently only seen on the first nine tanks sent to the 502nd Battalion outside Leningrad. The first ten tanks sent to the 501st Battalion initially had mirrored track, but apparently this was switched to standard track before they were deployed in Tunisia.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Char_Tigre_de_Vimoutiers_2012-02_tank_track_4.JPG

I believe that this is a steel wheel variant, look at the lack of rubber on the rims... that means that the outside guide teeth are in the correct position and no outer wheels are missing.

I think...

Yep. You're right, I stand corrected. Found another image though to show off how far the track extends outside the sprocket wheel

Ich habe mehr gelernt, als ich jemals wissen musste

Thanks to those who answered comprehensively, I now know more than I needed to...

Page 2, 5 & 11 illustrations should be useful for the original poster

I made a brief list of which Tiger at Leningrad had which tracks...after they swapped them around.

Tiger tracks article

David

I have three sets of Dragon DS track and each set has two of the exact same track. No left and right sides.

Many, many thanks to all of you who answered so far! I haven’t had the chance to study the answers yet, but will do shortly. I know this info is a tired subject for many, but I really want to finish my tank correctly!

That would depend on what kits they came from.

David

Unless you are modeling the first Tiger tanks deployed at Leningrad in 1942, the tracks you have are fine.

Hi,

Only the first 20 Tiger had Mirrow Tracks. So, they had a right and a left track. The problem was that they need L&R spare tracks.

Later the Tiger had only left tracks. Sometimes you see some Tigers with R&R tracks.
The first Tigers of S.Pz.Abt. 502 have these tracks.
No. 100 L,R
No. 122 L,R
No. 102 L,L
No. 111 L,L
No. 122 R,R

You see, when we build Tigers, we need original photos.
But after this, L,L is correct.

The below photo will help me explain my situation, I think. I said I have 2 pairs of Fruil metal tracks. The pairs are clearly obvious, because I weathered each set slightly differently, so know which ones 'belong' together.

Let's start with my first track 'set'. I see that one of the tracks, when oriented the same as the photo, that is, the 'guide posts' to the right hand side on the inside of the track, just like the picture, the first (right hand side of the track) 'trapezoidally shaped piece' looks the same as the photo, that is, the top of the trapezoid is narrower than the bottom. When I orient the other track of that set in the same way, the trapezoid shape is opposite of the photo; that is, the top of the trapezoid is wider at the top than bottom.

The other set of tracks is the same. When oriented such that the 'guide posts' are to the right side on the inside of the track run, these 2 tracks are exactly the same as the first set. So, it looks to me like both sets of tracks are the same, but I'm not sure if I'm looking at Mirror tracks or left/right handed tracks.

So let's go further. When I orient the first track set side by side, next to each other, with the guide posts on the left hand track (as I look at them) to the right side of the inside of the track, and the right hand track (again, as I look at them) with the guide posts toward the left side of the track on the inside, the first trapezoidal figure nearest to where the tank body is if installed, has the top of the trapezoid being wider than the bottom. The other track in the pair ALSO has the trapezoidal figure with the top being wider than the bottom. Doing the same thing with the other track set, the trapezoidal shape is the same on both the left and right hand tracks, the top of the trapezoid is wider than the bottom.

From this, I have determined, again, that the track sets are the same, but I don't know if they are 'mirror' or 'handed' tracks.

I know...I must have confused the living H*LL out of everyone reading this!!!

If you were able to follow my horrible written description (I'll do photos if the description is indecipherable), what are my track sets...'mirror' or handed'?

Ah....one other KEY point that I JUST noticed...neither track set has cleats on the 'crossbar' piece that would come into contact with the ground on the real tank. Where the cleats would normally be, there are very slight indentations, though the indentations are not the same 'angle' as the cleats are on different Tiger 1 tracks; rather they are just 'straight' indentations, no angle to them.

This photos shows what my tracks DO NOT look like. The left hand track on my sets looks like the left hand set in the photo, but the right hand set of my tracks are opposite, that is, in the photo, the first trapezoidal shape has the wider part of the shape at the bottom, whereas with my tracks, the first trapezoidal shape on the right hand track is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

Hi,

Try the tiger 1 information center:

http://www.alanhamby.com/suspension.shtml

So only the first 20 had handed tracks, after this left and right were identical. If I remember correctly this caused the tiger to pull to one side a bit while driving. Especially when later cevrons were added to the link face.

Kind regards,
Pascal

The photo shows the effect of having the same track links in both tracks resulting in one track being "backwards".
Since your track sets do not behave as in the photo you must have one left and one right hand track.

The question now is which of your track sets is the left and which set is the right.
David Byrden should answer this but
I think that the elevated ridge, the ridge which actually touches the ground when the tank stands on a hard surface, should be downwards on the sprocket wheel when seen from the front. The track on the right edge of the photo above, almost touched by the shadow of the barrel, (the tanks left side when driving forward) would be the one mounted the "correct" way. The track beneath the registration plate is backwards.

Quote from Davids web-page
http://tiger1.info/EN/Tracks.html
about Tiger tracks
"The first 20 tanks were shipped with such tracks. This obliged the crews to carry two kinds of spare links, so the manufacturers soon dropped the right-hand links and used the others exclusively on both sides of the vehicle"

I have assumed that "right-hand links" refers to links on the right hand side of the tank as seen by the driver, i.e. track below registration plate above.
The tank in the photo above would thus be riding on two sets of left hand links.

/ Robin

P.S. Waiting for David to tell me if I am wrong or right ....

This photo shows the standard type of tracks installed on all Early Tigers and the first half of the Mid Tigers.

From your description, you have "Mirrored" tracks that are correct for only a tiny number of Tigers that operated near Leningrad in 1942. There are only two Dragon kits that build them, and only one of the kits was not limited-edition.

Dragon's Leningrad Tiger

So you could build that kit twice (it has three decal schemes) :



or you could reassign your track runs to make one standard track set suitable for lots of Tigers, and one weird set that's only ever been seen on Tiger 121 (which that kit will build).



David