Should I leave off the track adjusting arm and idler wheel until the track is assembled to make sure the track fits properly?
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Usually that’s my method for anything tracked, but for that old Tamiya kit it’s not necessary. The track is just right - you just need to create the sag. I used brass pins throught the hull to give it the correct sag.
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Do you
Mean the newer 2023 release?
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Yes the latest release, with the link and length track.
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My bad. I was thinking of the old one ibn my stash. Yes - I’d save those for last.
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The Tamiya kit is link in length with some sag molded in. I was curious if the normally perfect fitting Tamiya carried over to the track. If I glue in the idler wheel as directed and the track “almost” fits, I am grumpy. If the engineering is perfect, I can glue the idler wheel in place and build the track later. i didn’t know if someone has built the kit before and knew if I should glue the idler now or wait till later and tweak the position of the idler.
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My experience with L&L tracks (not on this Tamiya kit, but on others from them, and from other brands) is that the sprocket must be fixed in place (non-rotating). This prevents the track from moving, even slightly, which inevitably leads to problems.
It doesn’t have to be glued on when building the track, a pin or key that lets you remove things for painting will work, but the sprocket can’t rotate during track assembly or reassembly of the suspension, if you go that route.
Newer L&L kits are designed with the idler in a certain position; you probably don’t need to make it adjustable. In fact, if you are not careful you can put it in a position that is impossible in real life and unworkable with the tracks.
Wheels that do not engage the track holes or teeth can be left to spin on their shafts because this won’t change the track geometry.
KL
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Having built the kit, I can say glue with confidence! It’s the usual Tamiya fit and the tracks fit perfectly.
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