1:35 Merkava Mk.4 Workable track set late type w/Sprockets (2 pcs) and idler wheels (2 pcs) for Meng/HobbyBoss kit

The running gear of the Israeli tank in its late form

The tracks of the Merkava went through several changes over its service life, and machines from later batches carry different links from those built at the start of production. The difference lies in the shape of the guide horn and in the arrangement of the bearing faces, which is exactly what is visible on the model from the side. The set matches the later form and adds the toothed drive sprockets at the front and the idler wheels at the rear, so that the whole running gear makes one matching assembly.

What workable track means

The links are not joined into a single rigid ring. They are assembled one by one and the result can be bent, so the track on the model really does hang over the return rollers exactly as it does when the machine is standing. A rigid plastic track or a rubber band track cannot do that: the first will not bend and the second holds its shape only where something presses on it. The assembly is two evenings of work, but the result shows at first glance.

The accuracy that only casting and printing can give

On the real link the guide horn has a sharp crest and between the horns runs an opening through which the tooth of the drive sprocket passes. In a molded link that opening is usually blind, because the mold cannot be split in a way that would let the part be pulled out. Here it goes right through and the horn ends in an edge rather than a radius. Before building, check that all the links are free of the thin flash, otherwise the track cannot be assembled so that it lies straight.

The running gear is painted separately. First a dark metallic base, then a layer of dust matching the landscape you set the vehicle in, and finally polished edges where the metal rubs against the ground.