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Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
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Track on Tamiya' s M60A3 ride too high?
Bergun
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United States
Joined: February 16, 2014
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 08:21 AM UTC
Have a couple of Tamiya M60A3 kits that I've been sitting on till now. I'm planning on building both a M60A3 TTS and a M60A1 RISE, which I served on from 1980 to 1986... will be building a M48A5 later since I also served on them while stationed in South Korea.

Looking at the kit and reviewing photos of built Tamiya M60s, it appears that the suspension/track system is slightly off and to me, looks like it's sitting too high off of the ground. With that said, is there a fairly easy way to lower the road wheel arm down slightly and still be able to use the supplied vinyle track?

My modeling level is still very basic since I'm just getting back into the hobby after a 30 year break... I bought these kits back in 1988/89 and at the time , they were very good kits... By 1980s standards.

Thanks for looking and for any advice!!
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 09:05 AM UTC
I usually just squash the assembled hull down on the road wheel arms to make it sit lower. The way the old Tamiya kit goes together it's all you have to do. If you rebuild the suspension to make it accurate you'd have to adjust the shocks. But since they aren't attached to anything on this old kit you don't have to worry. So unlike adjusting the suspension height on the Tamiya M48.

There's enough play in the road wheel arms that they'll move without the parts bending. On one I even left the arms unglued until after I lined them up and squashed the suspension.
junglejim
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: February 18, 2003
KitMaker: 1,728 posts
Armorama: 1,629 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 10:20 AM UTC
If I recall the arms are keyed, but it's easy enough to snip a bit off so they can be adjusted. Can't say if the kit tracks will fit after the mod though.

Jim
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 11:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

If I recall the arms are keyed, but it's easy enough to snip a bit off so they can be adjusted. Can't say if the kit tracks will fit after the mod though.

Jim



The kit tracks actually are a lot easier to get on once you've squashed out the extra height. They're super tight if you don't and have a little play once you do.

Make sure you pull the track down so any sag is in front of the front idler. And hard stop and the track is known to sag there.
HeavyArty
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Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 05:11 PM UTC
I thought the Tamiya M60 kits suspensions were fine and the Tamiya M48A3 is too high by about 3mm since it was based on a museum tank w/out an engine in it, making it sit high since it was too light.
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