Looking to see if anyone in this group has a tamiya kv1 and done a hull brace for the front idler. I've see multiple posts online of people's hulls bending without one. Anyone here actually have experience with it? My kv1 kit will be here in a few days and I found one on shapeways but it's expensive so just wanting to see others opinions on the kv hull without one

Having built both a KV1 and a KV2 I can say that it's the crappiest idler positioning setup of all the Tamiyas, even worse than the KT imo which of course I ditched in both KTs with the Henntec. So if you have found a front brace for one I would recommend using it. Not sure if HennTec does one for the KV1/2.

I have a HennTec adjustable idler in my KV1, and it's been solid for the last 9 years.    
Got it from ETO Armor, not sure if they are still around though.

They are but there site is very limited and it's not even listed on it.

I believe ETO is finished. Henntec has a JS2 one for Tamiya on his site

https://www.henntec.de/produkte/kettenspannsysteme-f%C3%BCr-tamiya-panzer/

Also RcTank.de and Dave at Forgebear also deal with HennTec. Knowing how Tamiya works I would not be surprised if you could get the JS-2 one to work with the KV chassis

I believe the JS-2 and the KV's use the same lower hulls.

That's what I was thinking too as that would be typical of Tamiya as far as how they used to introduce new models. Panther/Jagdpanther, KV1/KV2. Panzer IV/JagdpanzerIV/70 4 roller all sharing lower hulls

Well I messaged Dave at forebear. I need a decent order of HennTec idlers. Maybe he can help. I'll see if the js2 hull is the same. That's definitely one of the tanks on my list