Italerie/ Zvezda BT-5, 7, kit tracks.

[woodcutter]

Hi all. been a while since I've posted here. Sort of got out of modelling, sort of. Now I'm getting motivated to get going again and I have these two kits on the bench together. I want to know if anyone had to remove links in the kit tracks to get them to math out right. They are the link and length type and way too long. I had to put a wicked amount of sag in the top run to use up length to get them close to coming out right and still had to chop out one link, which i hated to do because these tracks have horns on every other link. I haven't started the tracks on the sister kit(same mold) and want to approach this set differently if I can. Tracks always seem to be where I get hung up.
thanks

 

[Sharkmouth]

Cut the idler and glue to the tracks. The idler, at the front of the tank, was designed to rotate on a off centered axle to allow the track to slack or tighten based on how the axle was rotated in its mount:

Even though this is a BT-7, the principle is the same. Turn the nut and the axle mount rotates the idler wheel's axle thereby tightening or slackening the tracks.

Regards,

 

[woodcutter]

Hi saul. just to be clear do you mean cut the round part of the suspension part off and roll it forward so the idler goes more toward the front? If so, I suppose I should have asked this earlier because the front ends on the second tank are all glued in place, front fenders in place toohmy: I see how this tank was designed now, pretty ingenious even. Could this be why in some pics the idler is below the top edge of the first road wheel because it is maxed out in its adjustment? Or is it weak front springs making the whole vehicle sit low?