Kevin93940

My lightly used Unimax FOV 1/24 M4 Sherman has just developed a problem. The track (motor?) on the right side of the tank has become very sluggish, and will only run at about half of the speed of the left track. With the old Unimax system, each track has a separate throttle, so to get the tank to go straight, I need to use full throttle right and about half throttle left. This results in a significant reduction in top speed. The tank batteries are fully charged. I have not switched out the controller battery, but I'm guessing this is a tank issue.

Any suggestions here? It's not immediately apparent to me how to take the tank apart for further inspection. Is there any place to send these for repair??

Thanks, and happy tanking!!

K

Tankhobby

Verify the trim is set correctly, the controls on those tanks are not the best. Also check the suspension for obstructions, like hair wound around the sprocket axle, etc.
To open the tank you need to remove the tracks and there are screws under the sponsons that are a little tricky to get at but with a small screwdriver you can do it.

Crius

I don't think there's any place you can send them in for repair, but one of the guys here might be willing to help you out. Where are you located?

Kevin93940

Thanks, Nick! There was a fair amount of gunk in and around the sprocket and axles. Cleaning that out has improved performance considerably.

Fingers crossed!!

K

Kevin93940

Thanks! I'm in Monterey, CA.

Tankhobby

I have several of these, the later models (Pz IV, Pershing) were designed a little better and operate smoother. The trim controls are very finicky and although I haven't solved the problem having fully charged batteries and not being too far from the model helps a lot. There is also a lot of plastic dust from the tracks or suspension's moving parts as it runs. These weren't designed to run every day and to last for years without replacement parts and maintenance. Use one of those compressed air cleaners on the running gear, do not use oil lubricant, some of them destroy plastic (there's a lot about that some others may chime in). In my opinion if you have to lubricate something use Tamiya's ceramic grease, I believe that is plastic safe.