The suspension is really impressive and warrants a closer look. It features steel shafts mounted on ball bearings. The suspensions uses coil springs which are fully adjustable for height and strength. The idler wheels are adjustable for optimum track tension.
Typically, these vehicles are powered by two 110W 12 volt electric multi pole motors that can provide enough power even at slow speeds. This would enable the Puma to do neutral turns in the most difficult off road conditions. The picture below reveals a better shot of the Puma's undercarriage (gasp).
The gearbox on the SdKfz 234 is fabricated from cast aluminum with 16 thermo treated steel straight cut gears of various sizes running on steel shafts and ball raced bearings. The gearbox is fully enclosed, water and dirt proof as well. The sprockets have replaceable bronze teeth and all road wheels are made from cast aluminum.
It should be noted that the 75mm gun elevates and is mounted in the turret with full rotation. We will also be adding an upgraded smoke generator and smoke module for a more realistic effect.
As mentioned earlier, there are aspects of this vehicle that really need improvement such as surface features, tools and accessories. The side storage bins are not functional and the interior lower and upper hulls need to be reinforced for greater rigidity and stability. However, this is a very unique vehicle and the drivetrain really is impressive. We hope to "raise the bar" on the PUMA during the next year 2009.
