This is just weird, I’ve noticed that on the first two tanks in the picture one of the wheels is different. can you tell me why and was that often. [:)][:D]
http://homepage1.nifty.com/gizmo-cafe/tank-photo/t34photo/t34photo_2.jpg
I’ve seen mix and matched wheels. I don’t really have an answer, other than they may have been desperate to get them built that they used older wheels along with newer. Certain factories may have had a limited stock of one or another.
I guess, but did you notice that the size is too big, that even the tracks are a bit higher on that wheel in that place!
Or is there something wrong with my eyes![:)]
is it possible that there this just so much mud and grass clogged into the roadwheel that they look awkward, my eyes might apparently be bad but thats what it looks like to me.
I think the big one is steel rimmed while the smaller ones are rubber rimmed.
wait my mistake i was looking at T-34s picture underneath his posting that i didnt see the link, lol…wow i feel like an idiot.
I am not sure I am 100% right. But I’ve been told that there is a period of time that at around late 1942 to 1943, some Russian T-34s used mixed road wheels of all-steel wheels consisted of rubber wheels. This is because there was a shortage of rubber supply between 42-43. Early T-34(1941-early 1942) has all rubber road wheels, but by 42-43 some wheels had to be subsituded by all steel wheeels. By later 1943, Russian regain rubber supply, that’s why later T-34/85 had rubber tires.
In fact the older Tamiya T-34/76 1942Model & 1943 Model supply both rubber and steel wheels.
[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto] with him, I’ve got squadron/signals book, and it does say that.
They look sorta like expensive suv rims to me lol
Also the Russains used steel wheels as replacement when the others were to chewed up and ready for replacement.You must remember that the T-34 was also design for the road and could remove there tracks to run faster on pavement.Digger
The T-34 series could not run on the road without it’s tracks. The orginal Christie design that the T-35 is based on could since it had some way of transmitting the power to the road wheels. The tracks were stored on the fenders when it was operating on the road at max speeds. As an ex-tanker changing tracks takes a lot of time and work.
All three of the T-34s have the same road wheel replaced with the same wheel. Someone had a plan for some reason.
That makes sense. I had the two Tamiya kits and they did supply both.
It’s not just the same one but they alternate between rubber and steel. It definately looks like it was intentional in this unit and not just a replacement with what was handy.
Did steel wheel T-34s have the same trouble as the Steel wheel panthers, I.E. cracked track links?
O.K. all this conversation made me want to build a T-34 with different wheels. Thanks for the replies guys it was a lot of fun!
What I remember from Squadron’s book is that when they were doing a rubber/steel mix-and-match, they would typically use rubber wheels on the ends and the steel ones in the the middle for the best ride. Given that practice, it makes a certain sense that one might place an additional rubber wheel, when available, in the center position. It looks sort of balanced that way.
On the other hand, barring operational experience to the contrary, I would have thought that two rubber, two steel, one rubber would have made for a slightly better ride and simply alternating them, by placing more rubber in the front.
I just read the other day that the M1942/43 T-34s were supposed to have all steel roadwheels (due to the rubber shortages mentioned already). However, in practice it created a harmonic vibration that was damaging the tanks. The problem was solved by using rubber tired wheels on the first and last spots. I’m sure there were also field replacements where the first available wheel type was used in the needed spot.
Jeff
[#welcome] Lt. Zogg
Any way, if you look at the DML Panther D box art, then you can notince that the T-34 burning has 2 different types of road wheels. Neat, huh? Just noticed that today.
[#welcome] Jeff to the forums.
This has turned out to be quite imformative.
Yup. Matter of fact pretty much over half the pics I have show two or three different wheels on the same tank. And Lt. Zogg hit the nail on the head in terms of the harmonic vibs.