Track question

It's clearly a US thing then. Something to note if i decide to build some US armour.

Ditto the M109A3, M577, M548, and M578 "Snoopy"...

I've got just under 30 years of US Army armor experience. All of our tracked vehicles, whether M48/M60/M88, M1/A1/A2, M2/M3/MLRS, M113 FOV and any of our arty have all had rubber pads either replaceable or molded on the outside and all have had molded on pads on the inside.

Other than our civilian bulldozers (CAT), I don't think we have a tracked vehicle that doesn't have rubber on the inner surfaces.

It's "rubber-on-rubber"...  The rubber on the roadwheels ride on the rubber of the track-pad..

T26E4

Bish: I'm not sure what you are seeing...  M3/M5 rubber tracks are just smaller versions of the types of tracks used on M4 Mediums, just narrower.  Each track link is connected to the next by two end connectors.  Of course they are designed to be replaced individually.

 

Also, in P Mitch's photo, we can't tell what type of track it is.  It's inconclusive because everything has been painted.  Certainly the T-16 tracks in Satch's photos have rubber inner pads.  M3/M5s also had all steel versions.  Here is some info:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/Tracks/trackusagefiftharmy2.html

(there is also the steel chevron version not mentioned)

My knowledge of US AFV's is almost non-existant. Its wasn't the links themselves that had me confused but the rubber pads. I have never seen pads on both the inside and outside.

Rob Gronovius

Bish:

From the looks of those photo's, the pads seem to be fitted into a hole in each track link and therefore shows on both the inside and out. Very unusual design. I am not sure how those pads would be removed and replaced. I can only imagine they just replace the whole track rather than the pads.

 

The design of this style of track hasn't really changed much in 40+ years. The design (similar, just bigger with a molded on chevron pattern) was used on the M1/M1A1 original style track and still used on the M88A1/A2 track today. No track pads, the entire block is rubber molded around metal track pins.

The replaceable track pads always come around later as a money saving measure. It is cheaper to have the crews replace individual pads as needed than to replace entire track blocks.

I have never seen this style of track before. German armour in WW2 didn't have rubber pads, with one or two exceptions. And modern British armour, going back to the 432 of the 50/60's users bolt on track pads with the wheels running on the metal link.

Bish

From the looks of those photo's, the pads seem to be fitted into a hole in each track link and therefore shows on both the inside and out. Very unusual design. I am not sure how those pads would be removed and replaced. I can only imagine they just replace the whole track rather than the pads.

The design of this style of track hasn't really changed much in 40+ years. The design (similar, just bigger with a molded on chevron pattern) was used on the M1/M1A1 original style track and still used on the M88A1/A2 track today. No track pads, the entire block is rubber molded around metal track pins.

The replaceable track pads always come around later as a money saving measure. It is cheaper to have the crews replace individual pads as needed than to replace entire track blocks.

Bish: I'm not sure what you are seeing...  M3/M5 rubber tracks are just smaller versions of the types of tracks used on M4 Mediums, just narrower.  Each track link is connected to the next by two end connectors.  Of course they are designed to be replaced individually.

Also, in P Mitch's photo, we can't tell what type of track it is.  It's inconclusive because everything has been painted.  Certainly the T-16 tracks in Satch's photos have rubber inner pads.  M3/M5s also had all steel versions.  Here is some info:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/Tracks/trackusagefiftharmy2.html

(there is also the steel chevron version not mentioned)

I guess you're right satch. Thinking about it it does make sense that the road wheels travel on rubber. Less wear. Thanks for your feedback guys. I will make it to Bengazi after all.

From the looks of those photo's, the pads seem to be fitted into a hole in each track link and therefore shows on both the inside and out. Very unusual design. I am not sure how those pads would be removed and replaced. I can only imagine they just replace the whole track rather than the pads.

It looks like the inside are rubber too in these photos of an M5 at an airshow this summer.

Here you can see the outside pad is worn away but the inside pad remains.

Hope this helps.

Satch

Looking there I'd say no

Phil

Unless there tracks were different to other tanks, then no. Tracks themselves are made of metal, with pads, if any, bolted onto the outside.

I would think so.