Heng Long 3958-1 IDF Merkava IV basic version to metal upgrade

[keilau]

I could've made the HL Leopard 1A6 sprocket fit my Hooben gearbox....issue was the sprocket was too wide to fit under the track skirts. The shaft can be easily shortened, but the threads on the end for the screw holding on the sprocket are usually not that deep. Shortening the shaft usually means the hole has to be drilled deeper and tapped.

The Heng Long gearbox motor shaft uses M3 machine screws 8mm long. I replace them with 12mm M3 socket head for better attachment.

The Taigen/Torro gearbox motor shaft uses M3.5 machine screws. I have to drill a larger hole on the HL sprocket to accommodate the M3.5. Otherwise, the HL metal sprocket fits perfectly on the Taigen/Torro Version2 gearbox. I have only a sample of one for this compatibility.

[tank_me]

Since this is just a general HL Merkava post, the folks on Inkor's Discord server pointed out there might be a new metal Merkava chassis from Canshuo and it seems to have the proper spring suspension:



After looking at all the things on the Taobao site for Canshuo, I realized that all those new metal parts for the Abrams and such were made by them. The parts bags have CSxxxx on them...assuming for "Canshuo". The gearbox at the bottom looked interesting.

[tank_me]

I could've made the HL Leopard 1A6 sprocket fit my Hooben gearbox....issue was the sprocket was too wide to fit under the track skirts. The shaft can be easily shortened, but the threads on the end for the screw holding on the sprocket are usually not that deep. Shortening the shaft usually means the hole has to be drilled deeper and tapped.

[keilau]

As long as the OD of the Hooben and the HL motor drive shaft are the same. It is possible, if not easily, to make it work. And I intend to try. Waiting for the Hooben Merkava nylon sprockets.

[cmdrcody]

The HL Merkava MK IV has the H/L 59 gearbox.

[RichJohnson]

He is corect you can make the hooben sprocket slide onto the henglong shaft by filing a second flat spot into the shaft.
the problem that might arise is sprocket backspacing.
if the hooben sprocket fits on the henglong shaft too far out to line up with the track you can file the length of the shaft and drill and tap the screw hole deeper.
if the sprocket sits too close to the tank, you will have to get longer shafts. I don’t know what shaft length HL used in their merk, the 49mm or 59mm
if it’s the 49mm you can get 59mm trans and trim the shaft to fit. If it came with 59mm trannys, you’re going to have to get shaft stock and hit a lathe and make your shafts. I did this for my old DKlM m60a3 because I needed a 4mm longer shaft.

[keilau]

I would just file the shaft down on the HL style gearbox to match the Hooben dual flat sprocket. Would be easy to do on a mill, but for those that don't have a mill...metal file or Dremel.

I tried to discourage this rabbit hole as I've been down it with my Hooben ZTZ-99A.

I appreciate everything you said. This is not my first rabbit hole and will not be my last one either.

One of my rabbit hole was the first Pershing metal track upgrade. It was 15 years ago when I have to get the metal track from Germany. It fits, but the track breaks apart once I started driving the Pershing.

I ended up getting the Heng Long metal track and filled the back side hollow with small rubber blocks. It drives well. But single pin track movement just looks funny.

[tank_me]

I would just file the shaft down on the HL style gearbox to match the Hooben dual flat sprocket. Would be easy to do on a mill, but for those that don't have a mill...metal file or Dremel.

I tried to discourage this rabbit hole as I've been down it with my Hooben ZTZ-99A.

[keilau]

That gearbox uses a dual flatted shaft end. That will fit into a HL sprocket. A Hooben sprocket is dual flatted and won't fit onto a HL shaft unless you make the D shaft a dual flat shaft. The smaller gearbox that HL has shown there looks to be a clone of the HL CNC enclosed version except that it has dual flats and the HL has a single flat. I've wanted to buy one of their larger gearboxes for 1/10th tanks, but they never answered my Email questions about the gearbox.

It sounds to me that Hooben sprocket will not work with a HL motor shaft. My $120 investment in Hooben sprocket and track may be a total loss!

[tank_me]

That gearbox uses a dual flatted shaft end. That will fit into a HL sprocket. A Hooben sprocket is dual flatted and won't fit onto a HL shaft unless you make the D shaft a dual flat shaft. The smaller gearbox that HL has shown there looks to be a clone of the HL CNC enclosed version except that it has dual flats and the HL has a single flat. I've wanted to buy one of their larger gearboxes for 1/10th tanks, but they never answered my Email questions about the gearbox.

[keilau]

A hooben gear box. That all the ball bearings in it and the hooben leopard 1a5 fell apart and had to be replaced.
they will not drop into a henglong tank. I imagine it would take a lot of work to make them fit

According to the Hooben website, their 1/16 CNC gearbox fits ALL Hooben or Heng Long RC tanks. The page has no option to select different configuration for different tank. I really don't know how it works.

https://www.hooben-shop.com/collections/spare-parts/products/hooben-scale-1-16-all-metal-closed-cnc-gearbox-fit-all-hooben-tanks-or-hl-tank

[RichJohnson]

A hooben gear box. That all the ball bearings in it and the hooben leopard 1a5 fell apart and had to be replaced.
they will not drop into a henglong tank. I imagine it would take a lot of work to make them fit

[keilau]

I do not have metal sprockets on my hooben merk. They didn’t make them at the time and may not at all, but so far, I have not had a problem with them. Then are one of the things that have not broke.

It is good to know. The remaining question is whether the Hooben sprocket fits the Heng Xin gearbox. The Hooben nylon track is the only 1/16 Merkava track that looks like a Merkava Mk4 track. I really want it to work.

What gearbox is inside your Hooben Merkava?

[RichJohnson]

I do not have metal sprockets on my hooben merk. They didn’t make them at the time and may not at all, but so far, I have not had a problem with them. Then are one of the things that have not broke.

[keilau]

I know the nylon sprockets on my Hooben ZTZ-99A are not great. Personally I'd go with the metal ones, but that's me. Keep in mind the backspacing of these will probably be different than what you have now which means you might get them and need to put longer or shorter gearboxes in.

After the lesson of incompatibility between the HL sprocket and Hooben track, I am reluctant to invest another $80 on the metal sprockets. If the Hooben nylon sprocket works well with the HL Merkava, I will surely consider upgrading to the metal sprockets.

[tank_me]

I know the nylon sprockets on my Hooben ZTZ-99A are not great. Personally I'd go with the metal ones, but that's me. Keep in mind the backspacing of these will probably be different than what you have now which means you might get them and need to put longer or shorter gearboxes in.

[keilau]

Hi Kei

15usd for the nylon and 40usd for the metal

Best regards
Chris

Which means $30 for the nylon sprocket pair and $80 for the metal pair. I am ordering the nylon sprocket pair.

[keilau]

Good luck with that.

Yes, I need it and is unlikely to get it.

The HL Merkava Mk4 is very well designed and should be pupolar. Sooner or later, there would be correctly layouted Merkava Mk4 track, metal or nylon. I am hoping that other aftermarket Merkava tracks would be more like Hooben's. If so, their sprocket may fit the Hooben nylon track too. The HL tracks, plastic or metal, runs fine, but don't even remotely look like a Mk4 track.

[tank_me]

Good luck with that.

[keilau]

I received the Hooben nylon track on 12/19. It is quite fast from China. Twin-horse use a carrier service that provide detail tracking of each steps which is exceptional too.

The track is very different from the HL track. It represents the 2014 Merkava track when Merkava Mk4 was introduced. It is a double pin design. I will try it later today.

I found Acemodel-1 on ebay selling metal tracks for 1/35 Merkava. They have different sets for various Merkava revision.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225617024570?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110018%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.COMPLISTINGS%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20231016072133%26meid%3D142e2d4e41fb42b586fc0f56cafddef0%26pid%3D101878%26rk%3D18%26rkt%3D25%26sd%3D276047564244%26itm%3D225617024570%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D4406038%26algv%3DPromotedCompV5WithHighAdFeeWithKnnRecallV1PostRankerMode1PBoosterV3a%26fpg%3D1&_trksid=p4406038.c101878.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A225617024570142e2d4e41fb42b586fc0f56cafddef0%7Cenc%3AAQAIAAABIMQ4i4G0TKqdnw2r2UzGDkyandjT6VvGA4c5a09a1jXB%252FtL5ZfSL0e45uSSalrSlRcUgM%252FBdAChBvbEzUqW0PniSQUEfiFVhyv0iqqeuyOicw8HyOQ%252FGtonSmQQB%252FtZU6A5VbC8194BXUA8Fjt2f%252Bvm8kQPxvxJkhipLtNfEYNnIU3nAxX6esUJR87%252BEjh3FZcOZCrW6%252BB94XTT3m5jIBD9cRgT8puwuLvcZxT5cOpS8VHB60tbnN1mbWIWN1z4XEGMWbzfaxGzU06vxCXjavyMrli6P3slI9CZ9jyUhtw4BlbjvL%252FeuqXIJL5%252Be0r1UQtMvXhP6RReBOte0cw3yb1R127l1af9dG7w8GdfIqIulLUs3t76JSe9IuOcbqd2ulw%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A4406038

The AceModel metal track for Merkava Mk4 has the same shape as the Hooben nylon track. If AceModel did the reserach correctly, their listing provide a handy reference for the Merkava tracks.

Now, only if I can find a Hooben Merkava sprocket.................