sd kfz 232 technical details (steering)

I wonder if anyone can help?

I have just come back to modelling after 20+ years and have bought the Tamiya sd kfz 232 8 rad as my first project and I would like to finish the model with the wheels turned. I know the steering and suspension was all-separate on this vehicle and I have seen video and pictures of all the wheel steering but non of just the front 2 sets turned.

My question is could this vehicle come to rest with just the front 2 sets of wheels turned or would I have to model it with all 4 sets turned opposed?

No doubt I will be back to ask some fairly basic questions on modelling techniques as this have moved on some what in the last 20 years.

Any body know of any modelling clubs in the Goole/East Yorkshire area?

Hi Ian and welcome to the site...and of course welcome back to the hobby ...I believe that all eight wheels worked in unison so if you want the front ones turned you're going to have to turn the rear as well ..

Rick

Thanks Rick,

The reason I asked was because the handling must of been a bit weird at speed if all the wheels steered. At low speed it makes sense but at high speed? ? And I have seen a model with just the 2 front wheels turned. Confused! Did the Puma have the same running gear?

Yep, the Puma had the same running gear. The model you seen with just the two front sets turned was wrong I'm afraid. Both of the driving stations were connected to all eight wheels, although the front steering wheel (the one at a funny angle) did impart more leverage than than the rear. The front wheels during a turn would be more angled than the second pair, with the fourth pair angled in the opposite direction.

Vinnie

I'd agree with Vinnie about the steering, but I seem to recall somewhere I have a photo of an Sdkfz232 turning left in snow, in which not all the wheels seem to be turning. So if they are all geared together, perhaps slight changes of direction don't noticeably affect all the wheels? Conversely a radical change would cause the rear wheels to go onto "opposite lock" to prevent the vehicle from "crabbing"? Is this a similar arrangement to the half tracks, where slight steering adjustments affect the wheels, but radical ones bring the track brakes into play? I'll have to check tonight. BTW I believe I read somewhere that the Horch 1a had a similar 4 wheel steering/drive arrangement, but the rear steering was disabled on later models because the vehicle "side-slipped" on muddy going with it engaged.

You could be right Steve. I recall a radical car introduced in the 80's that never really took off, in which at normal 'motorway' speeds, only the front wheels steered, but because of the geering arrangement, at slow speeds all four wheels steered. It was designed this way to allow easier parking! Imagine four wheel steering at 80 mph??!! Yikes!

Vinnie

Yikes indeed Vinnie! Fortunately the 1a couldn't do anything like 80mph!!
I'm home now & have checked the book, the old John Milsom/Peter Chamberlain "German Armoured Cars of WW2". On page 102, there's an Sdkfz232 steering to the left, but only the REAR wheels appear to be steering! On p109, there's part of a well known sequence of an Sdkfz263 shot in Warsaw, in which the front 4 wheels are slightly steered, but the others aren't. But best of all is a shot on p90 of the bare chassis, which clearly shows the front 4 wheels locked left, the next 2 straight, & the rear ones locked RIGHT! So it looks as though they are all geared, but a slight turn of the fronts (or the rears) is acceptable.

Thanks Guys. Now I am really confused.

No seriously (do we do serious on this site?) thanks very much. I guess some times you just have to go with what you can find, or keep all the wheels in line.

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse! The results of my research would seem to imply that front 4 wheels slightly steered is OK, but if steered radically, you need to put "opposite lock" on the rears. Clear as mud!

Ok got it. Thanks very much.