Rescued Abrams build

[Handy Lance]

What’s traction sand?

I will use it to give the walking surfaces on the hull a cool scale texture. I’ll thin some enamel, light coat, sprinkle this on, tap it off, let it dry, prime, paint, weather. Way better look than the molded surface texture.

[SoCalBobS]

What’s traction sand?

[Handy Lance]

Got some action in. Stripped the Abrams almost completely.
Sieved my own scale traction additive. A super fine and a fine. I will do a test to see which one looks best under paint.

Tank is split into 11 sections. I’ll detail each section and move on to the next.

I will be deleting the battery box and hatch to make room for my own lower stiffing tray, battery will be a Spektrum G2 7.4v 5000 mah 100c . The G2 doesn’t need a balance port and it self discharges. It’ll be perfect to “permanently” install. I’ll run a long homemade lead from charger to tank.

[Handy Lance]

Picked up some shims to remove some side to side play in running hardware. Torsion bars and running wheels are way too loose. I can now do a nice precise alignment. Found out I can use a 3x10mm stainless steel flanged screws instead of the oem 8mm steel one for wheels. Should hold better. I put a pic of which ones I’ll be using. They are coarse self tappers into the alloy torsion bars. It’s strong but not as good as reg fine thread, so I’ll put longer in👍🏻

I’m so close to getting cracking, really excited.

mail call!
more goodies
transmissions
paints
magnets
primers
blue-ers

Probably start disassembling today.

[Handy Lance]

Mail Call!
UMM delivered some helpful tools. Some awesome scribes, a sweet precision sanding block, scribe stencils.
picked up some detail wire.
Things are slowly coming together 👍🏻🏴☠️👍🏻

[Handy Lance]

I did talk to Kenny @DAK RC Tanks and he did say he had some TK80SPG2 boards.

Cool!
guess I’ll take a look
messaged him *crosses fingers*

[tank_me]

I did talk to Kenny @DAK RC Tanks and he did say he had some TK80SPG2 boards.

[tank_me]

well ok then 7.1 might be it
I’m going TK80 eventually, can’t seem to find one.

Yeah, looks like Kenny from DAK RC tanks is out of TK80s at the moment. I have dealt with him before, I just shot him an IM to see if he's getting TK80s anytime soon. If you buy 7.1, make sure you buy the one with the Abrams sound set as there are two sound sets. Only one of them has the Abrams loaded on it.

[keilau]

so no recoil in 7.0?

The TK-7.0 does support recoil using the trigger motor. HL markets a recoil system for it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25522683519...Bk9SR6SMofjHYw
The trigger motor recoil allows you to keep the BB shooting too. It recoils as fast as the servo recoil, but the return is not damped (too fast). It is not as realistic as the servo recoil, but a 100 times better than the tank body shaking recoil.

You will have to remove the BB feeding housing from the old unit because the recoil unit does not come with a spare housing. The task of removing the BB housing can take hours because it was glued down very well. Installing the recoil/BB shooting takes only a few minutes. I have the trigger motor recoil on Pershing, T34 and Sherman and like them.

I will install servo recoil and servo elevation on the HL Leopard 2A6. Only servo barrel elevation can simulate the automatic gun loader. The Abrams does not have automatic gun loader.

[Handy Lance]

Yes and no. Stock NO servo recoil, but there is a small add on circuit board sold that can convert the 7.0 to have servo recoil. Servo recoil is very different then BB cannon recoil.

Still it is better to go with the 7.1 because you get A LOT more the just servo recoil and servo elevation options. 7.1 is a much more robust system.

well ok then 7.1 might be it
I’m going TK80 eventually, can’t seem to find one.

[Rubicon99]

so no recoil in 7.0?

Yes and no. Stock NO servo recoil, but there is a small add on circuit board sold that can convert the 7.0 to have servo recoil. Servo recoil is very different then BB cannon recoil.

Still it is better to go with the 7.1 because you get A LOT more the just servo recoil and servo elevation options. 7.1 is a much more robust system.

[Handy Lance]

The 7.0 MFU has an "overload" shut off that engages when the tracks become jammed so I suspect you will find nothing wrong with it. But replacing it with a 7.1 or other aftermarket system is alway a good thing plus you can add servo recoil and elevation.

so no recoil in 7.0?

[Handy Lance]

If you are a huge Abrams fan and plan to drive it a lot and make it a primary rc tank you play with, I would reccomend Tamiya Abrams tracks. While not for the budget printed folks at $250 bucks, the operation of it is superior to every other track available on the market.

Rubicon found a trick with Tamiya Leopard 2 track that it runs very well on the HL Abrams as well and while it doesn’t look exactly right, it runs with far less issues than the metal tracks do., and it’s cheaper than Tamiya Abrams track.

Yeah I’ll wear through these first. Put them on the static model and get a set of Tamiya ones next.

I’ve already begun fabricating a new aluminum front skid to fit in the depression, tow hooks and all. I’ll also be adding HDPE (thin cutting board) under the hull to take the majority of abuse, stiffen things up.

step 1 new front tank skirts (got a sweet way to mount clamped w/ tiny scale bolts) I prefer mechanical over chemical adhesion.

step 2 front skid

step 3 disassemble!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rubicon99]

well I’m fine with that. It’s got a good home now👍🏻

let’s get her apart and check for any aux damage from trying to run with one track wedged. Prob fine but………

The 7.0 MFU has an "overload" shut off that engages when the tracks become jammed so I suspect you will find nothing wrong with it. But replacing it with a 7.1 or other aftermarket system is alway a good thing plus you can add servo recoil and elevation.

[RichJohnson]

If you are a huge Abrams fan and plan to drive it a lot and make it a primary rc tank you play with, I would reccomend Tamiya Abrams tracks. While not for the budget printed folks at $250 bucks, the operation of it is superior to every other track available on the market.

Rubicon found a trick with Tamiya Leopard 2 track that it runs very well on the HL Abrams as well and while it doesn’t look exactly right, it runs with far less issues than the metal tracks do., and it’s cheaper than Tamiya Abrams track.

[Handy Lance]

Probably is the only issue that it was sent back for. Surprisingly a lot of people have no idea how to diagnose a simple issue and take corrective action. Instead they just send it back saying it is broken and they want a new one.

well I’m fine with that. It’s got a good home now👍🏻

let’s get her apart and check for any aux damage from trying to run with one track wedged. Prob fine but………

[Rubicon99]

There was a hub in the drive wheel. I saved over 200$ 🤣🥰. This is fun. Sure enough the bag had a hole in it and a hub fell out and wedged in the drive wheel at some point in transit. If this is the only issue, I’ll be satisfied.

Probably is the only issue that it was sent back for. Surprisingly a lot of people have no idea how to diagnose a simple issue and take corrective action. Instead they just send it back saying it is broken and they want a new one.

[Handy Lance]

There was a hub in the drive wheel. I saved over 200$ 🤣🥰. This is fun. Sure enough the bag had a hole in it and a hub fell out and wedged in the drive wheel at some point in transit. If this is the only issue, I’ll be satisfied.

[Handy Lance]

It’s all in the details! I’m getting pretty excited. I work 1 day a month in a hobby store (need that discount🤣) and we just got a huge new Vallejo display and our Tamiya paint selection is epic. Started on converting front track aprons to rubber.

[Handy Lance]

Mail Call!
axle bearings
speaker
scale spent cartridges for very very last. They are so cool!!

I can’t believe it! It seems brand new. I paid under 250$ for it. I’ll get into it next week. Going to pull it completely apart. Re do any connections/wiring I don’t like, fix any issues with alignments and strength. Full stainless steel Allen head swap is happening as I reassemble. I’ll Get the suspension action more scale. Probably be a long process🥰 it is pretty cool right out of the box!

stay tuned for updates.
thanks for anyone who’s contributed to the info on this Abrams online. I’ve read EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!