1:35 GAZ-67B sagged wheels

Settled wheels for the GAZ-67B in 1:35 scale

This set of four tires for the Soviet light off-road car is cast with a deformed footprint where it meets the ground. On so small a vehicle the effect is surprisingly pronounced: a light car on hard wheels from a mold looks like a toy, whereas a settled tire gives it weight and sets it down into the terrain. The tread pattern is carried right around the circumference, so it stands up to a view from below as well.

The Soviet vehicle they are intended for

The GAZ-67B followed on from the earlier type 64 in 1944 and became the main light off-road vehicle of the Red Army. Compared with the American pattern it is often measured against, it had a wider track, a simpler construction and a reputation as a machine that would survive treatment that would break another vehicle's axle. It served commanders and signalers and as a tractor for light weapons, and in the armies of the Eastern bloc it lasted long after the war.

Recommended procedure

Clean out the holes for the hub pins with a drill bit dry rather than otherwise, as the diameter after casting sometimes does not match exactly. Fit the wheels only after the running gear has been painted, or the hidden surfaces are hard to reach. Run the muddy deposit from the tread upward along the sides and leave the upper part of the tires cleaner, because that is exactly where dirt holds least.

When to reach for the replacement

• on models standing on soft terrain
• when the vehicle is to look loaded, not empty
• to refine the tread compared with the part from a mold
• as a quick improvement to a finished kit

The wheels arrive raw, without paintwork and without any other chemicals.