Idler Wheels For Pz. II Type 2

This is an aftermarket set of idler wheels for 1/72-scale German Panzer II light tank. Why spend the cost and effort of these wheels over those supplied in the model kit? When you want to invest the time and money into a good display model little things like wheels and tracks can make a significant difference. Are not accurate wheels as important as the turned aluminum gun barrels? Based on a photo search, this style of idler wheel appears to have been used on early-mid war Pz II vehicles and not commonly on the Wespe and Marder vehicles. The later Pz II based vehicles appear to have used a wheel with triangular shaped braces on the rim.

This Type 2 Set S72392 comes with six idler wheels on three pour plugs and six etched brass outer rims on a brass fret. (If you buy this set and receive a set of brass rings much smaller than this, you have an early release with the wrong brass parts. Contact OKB and they should replace the brass fret with the correct one.)

Above is a photo of this style of idler wheel on a Pz II Ausf. C at Museum Saumur in the Loire Valley with wedge (my term) braces for the rim. Below is a later style of idler wheel on a Pz II Ausf. F preserved at Bovington Museum with what I call the triangular shaped braces for the outer rim; this wheel is represented by the OKB Grigorov Pz II Idler Type 3 set S72393 and is the wheel I also see on the Wespe and Marder II Ausf. H. These idler wheel sets may also be used with the German heavy Maultier halftrack truck models that use the Pz II track assemblies.

At far right are type 2 and type 3 Pz. II idler wheels that come in the ACE Models Wespe and Pz II models and that match the OKB wheels in size but not in accuracy. Center right foreground is a plastic idler wheel from an ESCI Wespe model kit that is much cruder and significantly larger than the ACE and the OKB wheels. The ACE 1/72-scale Pz II and Wespe models come with both the mid and late (types 2 and 3) style and are seen at far right in the above photo. The ACE idler wheels are closer in scale to the OKB wheels and neither match the OKB wheels in accuracy.

I purchased my OKB Grigorov product at

Article Last Updated: 28 August 2021