Sd Kfz 251 front end custom

[normandy]

21st Century Toys German half-tracks have a great amount of detail, the front wheels spin
and move up and down but don't turn. This is how I solved the problem....

First remove the front end. Carefully use a small screwdriver pop the front end out from between
the two tabs that hold it in place, then pull the "y bar" out of the hole its in.



Drill as shown using a 1/16 drill bit. Mark the wheel left and right. DO THIS FIRST BEFORE CUTTING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY.



With a HOT exacto knife make 3 cuts, top bottom and last side. TAKE YOUR TIME.







I made small (PEZ sized) tabs. These are 1/8" x 1/4" x 1/2" and glued them onto each wheel.



Slide the bit into the holes already drilled in the wheel assembly and drill through the tab.



Next cut and drill a piece of 1/8" plastic square tube just over 3" long.



I've used #16 x 5/8" brass brads to hold it all together.





Two of the brass brads need to be snipped a little and a small dab of glue put on the ends.
This will help keep the square tube in place; the 5/8" brad in the 1/16 hole should be enough.



Pop everything back in place.

[normandy]

1/8" - 3.2 mm Square tube. brand used Plastruct.



1/8" thick Styrene Sheet. brand used Evergreen.





Cut tabs and a piece of square tube.



#16 x 5/8" Brass brads.

[YT]

WOW!

[tmanthegreat]

Beautiful work, Normandy! I also like your Ambush Camo schemes as well

[pickelhaube]

GREAT CUSTOM !!!

Very clever.

What are the parts for at the end of your post ?

[normandy]

Thanks for the comments guys, just wanted to show how to make a great "toy" look more like a model.

Pickel, I have to thank you for a fantastic 251 backdate kit. It"s an amazing custom kit...well thought
out, well designed and on scale....perfect fit. Your one of the guys who have made collecting 1:18 fun!
If your referring to the small white tabs and gray square tube, I have about 9 more 251's that need
to be modified.

I think it was former member smittyrob64 who did some of the best custom 251's I've ever seen. One
of the biggest things that struck me were the front ends of these vehicles....the front wheels turned
Unfortunately it seems his pictures were lost like the photobucket situation. So I came up with this solution,
not scale but functional. It just adds to the look of 21st Century's 251's.

[PanzerArm]

Excellent work!

-Kevin

[normandy]

Thanks Kevin, just one of those things I had to do. The 21st 251 just needed that detail.

[pickelhaube]

I have used this mod on 3 251s and it was a great idea Normandy.

I did not use your heated knife idea , I used a thin drill bit to cut the differential nub out chuked in a Dremal.

On one of them I did get a little wild and had to use a plastic shim to tighten up the gap I created , that worked out fine.

Great idea !!!

[pickelhaube]

Once again this is a very clever modification.