LEVEL/VERSIONS
Heng Long tanks are delivered in five levels or "Editions" of running gear. The "running gear" include five elements:
1) The gears in the gearbox
2) Drive sprocket
3) Idler wheel
4) Road wheels
5) Tracks
Essentially, the more of these elements that are metal, the higher the Edition, and thus the higher price. The five Editions of 1/16 Heng Long tanks are:
Original Edition: All five of the Running Gear elements are plastic
Upgrade Edition: Original, except the gears in the gearbox are upgraded to steel
Upgrade A Edition: Upgrade, except drive sprocket is upgraded to cast metal
Pro Edition: Upgrade, except the drive sprocket, idler wheel, and tracks are upgraded to cast metal. Note: Some tanks' Professional versions also include metal road wheels. See notes below.
Pro Plus: Pro, plus a metal lower hull, CNC machined gearbox housing, torsion bar suspension, smoke/LED/recoil barrel, 360 degree rotation, dual smoker, dual speaker, onboard charging (Note: As of 11/2019 this version is only available via special order for specific types) --The Pro Plus will be omitted from the remainder of this article, given its rarity
The four mass produced Editions have been further subdivided into two primary Editions - "Upgrade" Edition and "Professional" Edition. As of 1/2020, Motion RC will be stocking the Upgrade and Professional Editions only, the reasoning being that the Upgrade Edition now includes steel gears, so it is a worthy upgrade to the Original Edition's plastic gears. The Professional Editions, meanwhile, are suitable for the majority of drivers who prefer heavy weight and higher durability in exchange for higher cost and shorter run times on the stock battery. We believe that the Upgrade Edition and Professional Edition will likely satisfy the majority of most new RC tankers, so we're starting there. If you want to save a few bucks, let us know and we can stock the Original Edition.
GENERAL UPGRADES
General Upgrades, produced by both Heng Long itself and by the aftermarket industry, are organized into three types:
1) Durability -- Improve material durability, reduce wear, extend lifetime.
2) Performance -- Improve functional performance, realism, speed, etc
3) Cosmetic --Improve scale fidelity
In general, most Heng Long tanks generally do not require further durability upgrades, assuming they're operated within the recommendations of their level/version:
Original: Ideal for running indoors and occasional light use outdoors on hard surfaces
Upgrade: Ideal for the above, plus more aggressive use on light gravel, short grass, and short carpet
Upgrade A: Same as Upgrade, perhaps with lower risk of spitting a track during aggressive spins
Pro: Same as Upgrade, except perhaps lower risk of breaking a track, and higher road traction in certain conditions. Note: The heavier weight of the tank will reduce running time.
It is important to note that all versions of tank, regardless of their metal content, are not recommended for use in mud, water, wet surfaces, tall rocks, or sand. RC tanks are *not* RC crawlers or off-road trucks; most if not all of the tank's tracks are recommended to be contacting the ground at all times, just like a real tank.
Motors:
380, 390, red and blue motors are still being evaluated. Red motors produce higher torque, blue motors produce higher speed. Both consume more amps than the stock 380 motors.
Speakers:
The Abrams, Challenger II, Leopard 2A6, and King Tiger can easily accommodate larger double speakers. Verify the plug and voltage match your TK6.
Smoke Systems:
Testing in progress.
LED Lights:
Heng Long's TK6 MFCB includes 8 powered LED ports that correspond to different functions. Two or three of these ports are used in the stock tank (headlights, tail lights, and machine gun), but the other ports are unused. Do not exceed 5V per port at 100mAh constant.
SPECIFIC UPGRADES
For users wanting to enhance specific aspects of their tank, the following upgrades have been tested and verified as being worth their cost. NOTE, this list will be updated over time, based on continuing testing, user feedback, and new products brought to market. Post your input in this thread, then we will verify and edit the list below:
Heng Long 1/16 Tiger I Early, TK6:
Durability and Performance: Not necessary, but helpful. Main Shaft Bearing Collar -- This stabilizes the main shaft with a wider collar and a steel bearing, which leads to reduced vibration and wear, and also slightly improved battery life due to lower rolling resistance. Installing the MSBC requires ten minutes to remove the track, unscrew the drive sprocket, install the MSBC (press-fit into existing shaft hole in the hull), then reconnecting the drive sprocket and track.
Heng Long 1/16 Challenger II, TK6:
Durability and Performance: Not necessary, but helpful. Main Shaft Bearing Collar -- This stabilizes the main shaft with a wider collar and a steel bearing, which leads to reduced vibration and wear, and also slightly improved battery life due to lower rolling resistance. Installing the MSBC is not a simple drop-in task like the Abrams. Rather, the Challenger II requires about 30 minutes of work with a dremel to remove the main shaft collar that is glued on at the factory (without a bearing), then replacing it with the aftermarket MSBC which does have a bearing in it.
Heng Long 1/16 M1A2 Abrams, TK6:
Durability and Performance: Helpful. Main Shaft Bearing Collar -- This stabilizes the main shaft with a wider collar and a steel bearing, which leads to reduced vibration and wear, and also slightly improved battery life due to lower rolling resistance. Installing the MSBC requires ten minutes to remove the track, unscrew the drive sprocket, install the MSBC (press-fit into existing shaft hole in the hull), then reconnecting the drive sprocket and track.
Heng Long 1/16 Panzer III and IV, all variants, TK6:
Metal Sprocket is a recommended upgrade when running on grass
Heng Long 1/16 Panther G and Jagdpanther, TK6:
Heng Long 1/16 King Tiger, TK6:
Heng Long 1/16 T-34, TK6:
Heng Long 1/16 KV-I, TK6:
Heng Long 1/16 T-72, TK6:
Heng Long 1/16 T-90, TK6:
Heng Long 1/16 T-72, TK6:
COMBOS TO AVOID
1) Never install a metal track onto a tank with either plastic gearbox gears and/or plastic drive sprocket
2) Never install an upgraded motor/gearbox combo (i.e. red motor or blue motor) without first
3) When purchasing motor/gearbox/speaker/smoker upgrades, ensure they match the version of MFCB in your tank. All Motion RC's tanks use the latest TK6 MFCB. Earlier versions such as TK5.3 use different motor connections and wiring connections, so older TK5.3 upgrades are not drop-in fits with TK6 version tanks.
GENERAL TIPS FOR INSTALLING UPGRADES
1) Run your tank in its stock form to evaluate if it meets your needs. Tanks are easy to upgrade, so consider upgrading slowly over time, if/as the need arises. You may begin with a living room runner, then gradually find a club to IR battle with, at which point you may choose the Performance Upgrade path for your tank, or you may end up using the tank as a display, in which case the Cosmetic Upgrade path may be a better investment. We don't think every out of the box tank needs to be upgraded with hundreds of dollars of doodads. For most users, the Upgrade version and the Pro version will likely be the best balance of cost, durability, and performance.
2) Much like always checking an airplane's CG after a power system upgrade, you must always check your tank tracks' tension after changing anything to do with the running gear (Motor/gearbox/shafts/drive sprocket/idler/road wheels/tracks). Click *here* for a tutorial to adjust track tension for ideal traction, reduced wear and noise, and longer life on your tank's running gear.
3) The stock 7.4v 1800mAh Li-ion battery provides ~20-25 minutes of use on Original and Upgrade tanks. The heavier Pro versions can experience a shorter driving time due to their higher weight. For Pro versions, we recommend purchasing a spare stock battery, or investing in a higher capacity battery. All Heng Long 1/16 tanks except for the T-72 and T-90 can fit a 2s 4000mAh battery with ease. Measure your battery bay beforehand to account for adequate strain relief for the wiring and large Tamiya connector.
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