Help with Henglong tiger 1 suspension/tracks!

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

Hi guys, this is my first post on here! So i recently received a henglong tiger 1 TK6 for my birthday in early April. Its my first RC tank so I’m totally new to RC tanking, aside from some cheap toys. I dont have much experience with other RC stuff either. My tank has the metal tracks, idler, sprockets, but plastic road wheels. I got it from a company called touccanhobby, and they were selling through Amazon. So when i got this tank i thought it was going to be pretty simple to run based on everything i had heard online and stuff. But so far its just been endless issues. First the running gear started falling off, so i had to loctite them all. Then the tracks started Coming apart (the pins were falling out) so i had to loctite those too. Then the one of the cords pulled out of the battery so i had to get a replacement for that. And now the track tension is the issue. I have had to adjust the track tension two or three separate times, possibly more, since the beginning of April. Every time i tighten the tracks, They loosen up again and are almost falling off within 20 to 30 runs. Since i tend to run it at least once a day, often more, this gives me a week or two of driving before i have to once again take the tank apart and re adjust the tracks. And whats worse, i think the problem is the suspension. If my guess is correct, that means that every time i tighten the tracks it takes some of the travel out of the suspension and is ruining the springs. But i have no idea how else to fix this other than to keep adjusting. I have never heard of this problem before so whats the deal?? Is there some way i could fix this?? Do i need to get stronger springs? Am i completely overlooking something? Any help would be appreciated!

[Rubicon99]

Hi guys, this is my first post on here! So i recently received a henglong tiger 1 TK6 for my birthday in early April. Its my first RC tank so I’m totally new to RC tanking, aside from some cheap toys. I dont have much experience with other RC stuff either. My tank has the metal tracks, idler, sprockets, but plastic road wheels. I got it from a company called touccanhobby, and they were selling through Amazon. So when i got this tank i thought it was going to be pretty simple to run based on everything i had heard online and stuff. But so far its just been endless issues. First the running gear started falling off, so i had to loctite them all. Then the tracks started Coming apart (the pins were falling out) so i had to loctite those too. Then the one of the cords pulled out of the battery so i had to get a replacement for that. And now the track tension is the issue. I have had to adjust the track tension two or three separate times, possibly more, since the beginning of April. Every time i tighten the tracks, They loosen up again and are almost falling off within 20 to 30 runs. Since i tend to run it at least once a day, often more, this gives me a week or two of driving before i have to once again take the tank apart and re adjust the tracks. And whats worse, i think the problem is the suspension. If my guess is correct, that means that every time i tighten the tracks it takes some of the travel out of the suspension and is ruining the springs. But i have no idea how else to fix this other than to keep adjusting. I have never heard of this problem before so whats the deal?? Is there some way i could fix this?? Do i need to get stronger springs? Am i completely overlooking something? Any help would be appreciated!

These tanks tend to mimic the failings of the full size tanks. Your track issue is more or less normal as they “stretch” as the break/wear in. This is normal and how fast it happens depends on a number of factors. It does tend to slow over time tough. You might even have to remove one or two links.

HL usually manufactures the metal tracks one - two links too long as a way I think of not having to include spare metal links with their tanks. They expect people to figure this out which usually doesn’t happen until problems come up.

Try removing one link on each side and then set your tension not to tight yet not loose either. Its a learning curve and each tank is different even tanks of the same type.

Tigers and Panthers do need a bit more attention then most of the other HL tanks, but once you get them “dialed in” then run well.

Stay with it and don’t get discouraged.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

These tanks tend to mimic the failings of the full size tanks. Your track issue is more or less normal as they “stretch” as the break/wear in. This is normal and how fast it happens depends on a number of factors. It does tend to slow over time tough. You might even have to remove one or two links.

HL usually manufactures the metal tracks one - two links too long as a way I think of not having to include spare metal links with their tanks. They expect people to figure this out which usually doesn’t happen until problems come up.

oh ok so its not a problem with the suspension then? I thought that the suspension springs were all getting smushed and losing their “springiness”. Will that ever be a problem in general, for this reason or for others??

[Rubicon99]

oh ok so its not a problem with the suspension then? I thought that the suspension springs were all getting smushed and losing their “springiness”. Will that ever be a problem in general, for this reason or for others??

Oh yes the spring wear out. How fast depends on a lot of factors.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

Oh yes the spring wear out. How fast depends on a lot of factors.

such as what? How long can i expect them to last before wearing out? Also are the Mato upgrade springs worth investing in? Also thanks for the help!! I’m actually in the process of taking links out of the tracks right now!

[Rubicon99]

such as what? How long can i expect them to last before wearing out? Also are the Mato upgrade springs worth investing in? Also thanks for the help!! I’m actually in the process of taking links out of the tracks right now!

How long the springs last all depends on how much and where you drive it. The Mato springs are really no better IMO. Before you buy them simply adjust your current springs to their next setting. There are two settings one soft the other heavy. If neither works well enough add another adjustment whole and this will make them super heavy. If that does not work then try the Mato springs.

When setting up a new tank I immediately go straight to the heavy setting if the tank has metal tracks and wheels. They will soften up a bit and the tanks cross country driving manors will smooth out accordingly as they do. It also tends to lengthen the life of the spring vs driving them in the soft setting then moving up to the heavy setting.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

How long the springs last all depends on how much and where you drive it. The Mato springs are really no better IMO. Before you buy them simply adjust your current springs to their next setting. There are two settings one soft the other heavy. If neither works well enough add another adjustment whole and this will make them super heavy. If that does not work then try the Mato springs.

When setting up a new tank I immediately go straight to the heavy setting if the tank has metal tracks and wheels. They will soften up a bit and the tanks cross country driving manors will smooth out accordingly as they do. It also tends to lengthen the life of the spring vs driving them in the soft setting then moving up to the heavy setting.

i drive it very often over very rough terrain. So I’d imagine they wont last very long. Actually, i had to take off all the springs and such to loctite the bolts holding the spring arms into the hull, and i only remember seeing one hole. I could be misremembering, but is that usual? Also, behind the spring holes on the inside of the tank is a piece of metal that covers the inside of the tank. The bolts that hold the spring arms are screwed through holes in this piece of metal. So I’m not sure I COULD drill new holes for the springs without going straight through this metal rod. What do you think?

EDIT: its more of a flat metal piece than a rod. Also, the loctite on the wheels is now stuck and i cant unscrew them. How do I loosen them? Iv heard heating them up works but i dont want to risk melting the plastic wheels. Would a hairdryer or something work?

[Wrench567]

Soldering iron usually works good for loosening lock tight. If you go with metal wheels get new axle screws too.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

Soldering iron usually works good for loosening lock tight. If you go with metal wheels get new axle screws too.

Well i have plastic wheels so wont the soldering iron melt them?? I dont wanna make the problem worse 😂

[Wrench567]

You will have to be careful and try to heat the end of the screw where it goes into the suspension arm.
. I would not be using locktight on the axle screws. If you used the red stuff, you might as well order new suspension arms and axle screws. I have used the purple (hard to find) on my RC helicopters. Only a dot applied with a toothpick. Nothing on the tank..

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

You will have to be careful and try to heat the end of the screw where it goes into the suspension arm.
. I would not be using locktight on the axle screws. If you used the red stuff, you might as well order new suspension arms and axle screws. I have used the purple (hard to find) on my RC helicopters. Only a dot applied with a toothpick. Nothing on the tank..

.

Well the axles were literally falling off so it was a choice between losing them and loctiting them. Also i didnt use actual locttite it was some off brand stuff sold by an RC store near me. Its still threadlocker just not loctite brand.

[Rubicon99]

You are between a rock and hard place with thread lock. Given you can’t heat the screws I would use some oil (which WILL NOT HURT the “plastic”) and let it soak in for a few days. This should cause the thread lock to loose a good amount of its “grip” and enable you to remove the screws.

Yes I made the mistake many years ago using thread lock on tank parts and adding oil did the trick.

Next time try a small amount of CA glue for the suspension screws not the road wheel screws. It has enough holding strength to keep the screws from loosening yet the suspension screws can still be removed with little effort. Also adding a small amount of enamel paint to the suspension or road wheel screw threads will hold them in place and allows them to also be removed will minimal effort. The paint method is what I use most these days as it has proven the easiest to add and remove as needed.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

You are between a rock and hard place with thread lock. Given you can’t heat the screws I would use some oil (which WILL NOT HURT the “plastic”) and let it soak in for a few days. This should cause the thread lock to loose a good amount of its “grip” and enable you to remove the screws.

Yes I made the mistake many years ago using thread lock on tank parts and adding oil did the trick.

Next time try a small amount of CA glue for the suspension screws not the road wheel screws. It has enough holding strength to keep the screws from loosening yet the suspension screws can still be removed with little effort. Also adding a small amount of enamel paint to the suspension or road wheel screw threads will hold them in place and allows them to also be removed will minimal effort. The paint method is what I use most these days as it has proven the easiest to add and remove as needed.

Ok yeah i might have to try that. Honestly this whole thing has turned out to be such a nightmare i might just say forget it. I never knew this was going to require so much time just to get it to run properly.

[Rubicon99]

Ok yeah i might have to try that. Honestly this whole thing has turned out to be such a nightmare i might just say forget it. I never knew this was going to require so much time just to get it to run properly.

It usually doesn’t take a lot of work with the new 6.0+ generation of HL tanks. You made a small mistake that can be fixed and the knowledge gained in fixing your tank will go a long ways towards enjoying the hobby down the road. Trust me I had to learn everything on my own on the old generations of tanks that were all but crap out of the box and it was very frustrating to say the least.

Now though very little is a head scratcher.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

It usually doesn’t take a lot of work with the new 6.0+ generation of HL tanks. You made a small mistake that can be fixed and the knowledge gained in fixing your tank will go a long ways towards enjoying the hobby down the road. Trust me I had to learn everything on my own on the old generations of tanks that were all but crap out of the box and it was very frustrating to say the least.

Now though very little is a head scratcher.

yeah true and maybe i just picked a bad tank to start with. Iv thought about maybe getting a T 34 sometime. How are those maintenance wise? Also, i saw a site called “RC Tank Legion” online after watching some of their videos on youtube. They claim to have many custom parts designed by them, such as hull braces, braces for sprockets and idler wheels, and i dunno what else, that are very helpful for running RC tanks. Now that kinda seems a little suspect to me since nobody else iv come across has mentioned them being necessary, so what do you think? Does this sound like a scam or have you heard good things about this company, if anything?

[Rubicon99]

yeah true and maybe i just picked a bad tank to start with. Iv thought about maybe getting a T 34 sometime. How are those maintenance wise? Also, i saw a site called “RC Tank Legion” online after watching some of their videos on youtube. They claim to have many custom parts designed by them, such as hull braces, braces for sprockets and idler wheels, and i dunno what else, that are very helpful for running RC tanks. Now that kinda seems a little suspect to me since nobody else iv come across has mentioned them being necessary, so what do you think? Does this sound like a scam or have you heard good things about this company, if anything?

The T34 is by far one of the best running out of the box tanks HL makes. It is one of the tanks I highly recommend as a first tank. Simple and easy.

There are a lot of aftermarket parts and companies that sell them. Some make claims they designed and built the parts which is both true and false. Most just slap their names on parts in an attempt to rebrand them. Now the majority of the parts are decent, but some are gimmicks. Hull braces as an example are needles and a waist of time UNLESS you are converting your tank to use magnets to hold the upper and lower hulls together(This is done mostly to accommodate larger batteries or slightly quicker access to the battery).

Don’t worry about aftermarket upgrades until you find a true need for them. Stick with a stock tank with factory metal tracks, wheels and sprockets. The only way to know what you need beyond the stock items is to drive your tank hard and see where it’s failings are and make improvements from there.

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

Simple and easy.

just like the real one 😂!

Don’t worry about aftermarket upgrades until you find a true need for them. Stick with a stock tank with factory metal tracks, wheels and sprockets. The only way to know what you need beyond the stock items is to drive your tank hard and see where it’s failings are and make improvements from there.

yeah one of the things that caught my eye was a little round metal bit that kept the drive shaft steady where it goes through the hull. However I’m not sure if this would help me as one of my drive shafts has been EVER so slightly bet out of shape. It was so subtle i didnt notice it till i saw the track wobbling a bit when running it. It hasnt really interfeared with the driving of the tank as of now so i dont see a huge problem with it. Is this something that needs to be addressed or is it pretty much fine as long as it isnt causing me to constantly shed track all over the place?

[Rubicon99]

just like the real one 😂!



yeah one of the things that caught my eye was a little round metal bit that kept the drive shaft steady where it goes through the hull. However I’m not sure if this would help me as one of my drive shafts has been EVER so slightly bet out of shape. It was so subtle i didnt notice it till i saw the track wobbling a bit when running it. It hasnt really interfeared with the driving of the tank as of now so i dont see a huge problem with it. Is this something that needs to be addressed or is it pretty much fine as long as it isnt causing me to constantly shed track all over the place?

Those are through hull axle supports usually also include a bearing. These are one of the few really good upgrades one can do to their tank especially if it is a large heavy tank like King Tiger, Abrams, Leopard or other tank of similar size.

Tanks like the T34 or KV1 don’t really need them to work reliability.

If you want to see more r/c tank in action feel free to cost my Instagram @ fsttanks

[IronWarriorWarsmith]

Those are through hull axle supports usually also include a bearing. These are one of the few really good upgrades one can do to their tank especially if it is a large heavy tank like King Tiger, Abrams, Leopard or other tank of similar size.

Tanks like the T34 or KV1 don’t really need them to work reliability.

If you want to see more r/c tank in action feel free to cost my Instagram @ fsttanks

Ok so would those work if the axle is already a bit bent? Or would it just jam the axle? Also is a slightly bent axle something to worry about or is it not a big deal? And would a tiger 1 benefit from them or would it not rlly need them?
Thanks! I dont use instagram tho sorry!

[Rubicon99]

Ok so would those work if the axle is already a bit bent? Or would it just jam the axle? Also is a slightly bent axle something to worry about or is it not a big deal? And would a tiger 1 benefit from them or would it not rlly need them?
Thanks! I dont use instagram tho sorry!

Bent axles are a bad thing and bearings will not solve the issues the wobble brings. If the axles were not bent then the bearings would be very beneficial.