TANK TRACKS

Yes. The rubber which holds the track pins stretch. Only so many links can be removed and then the track has to be replaced. And if you remove a link from one side, you have to remove one of the other. British army Warriors have 82 links per side and can go down to 80.

Like wise only so many links can be replaced before the whole tracks has to be replaced. Its very rare to remove links (i've never seen it done), but its common to move the rear idler to keep the tension on a track and then replace a track when at full strecth

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And... many modern tracks esp. in West have live track.

That is, the track pins are in rubber bushings which add elasticity to the length.

Ah yes... checking tracks with the tool, busting track, and replacing track shoes... always fun.... not!

stikpusher

Ah yes... checking tracks with the tool, busting track, and replacing track shoes... always fun.... not!

 

We had a really simple tool for checking track tension that every soldier carried. Called a fist.

I used to try and get the REME to condemn a track rather than replace the pads, just about the worse job on the vehicle.

Yes, the 113 family has an odd shaped tool for checking the track. One side was a gauge to measure between the links to see of the bushings were still serviceable, and the opposite side was a gauge to check the sprocket teeth, to see if that needed replacement. 

Replacing pads was only slightly less work than replacing shoes. Then there were places like Ft.Irwin where they did not even bother with pad replacements...

stikpusher

Yes, the 113 family has an odd shaped tool for checking the track. One side was a gauge to measure between the links to see of the bushings were still serviceable, and the opposite side was a gauge to check the sprocket teeth, to see if that needed replacement. 

Replacing pads was only slightly less work than replacing shoes. Then there were places like Ft.Irwin where they did not even bother with pad replacements...

 

It usually took a team of 5 or 6 people about 3 or 4 hours to change the pads on a Warrior. We could do a complete track change in an hour 20.

We just used the Mk 1 eyeball to check the links and sprocket teeth.

THANK FOR THE INFO GUYS.                        ACESES5

As my experience with real AFV's is limited to measuring a few for MILES equipment belts at Ft. IRWIN in the early 80's, I really appreciate hearing about the tracks from some people who really know about this stuff. Thanks to all of you who contributed to this thread. Interesting stuff!

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Dang, I just love it when Rob starts sharing his tanker memories with us here! Thanks a lot Rob!

Paweł

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Rob Gronovius

Checking track tension is a near daily chore, depending on circumstances. In the motor pool, you can literally tap each end connector (that is not on the ground) with a ball peen hammer and tell if the block is dead or not (bad). A high ping is a good block, a thunk is a bad, or dead one.

Walking track is the process of tightening each and every wedge bolt on both the inner and outer track on both sides. It is a time consuming task and you can only tighten them when the track blocks are between the first road wheel and the compensating idler wheel. Hence the need to "walk" the tank forward a yard or so at a time, then tighten the dozen or so end connectors on each track, and then walk the tank forward another yard and so on. You stick a screwdriver in the track pin or mark the first end connector with chalk so you know when you have come back to the beginning. There's around 80 track blocks per side with two wedge bolts per block, so that's around 320 wedge bolts the crew is tightening almost daily.

Once all the end connectors are tightened, you can then check the track tension. You want the track as tight as possible. It will loosen as the rubber bushing wear and the end connectors loosen up as the vehicle maneuvers.

 

It should of course be noted that this process is not universal. What Rob describes here is completly different to what i am familiar with.

T

Yes, the track gauge method is what I am familiar with from crewing 113s and ITVs.

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True, they are not tanks. But other US tanks such as the M41, M551, etc. have used a similar single pin track type. I wonder how those were checked?

Rob Gronovius

I didn't address them to begin with because he asked about "tank tracks", and those types of vehicles aren't tanks. I'm fairly sure a Warrior isn't a tank either.

 

Thats very tru Rob. But, i think in this context, the term tank track can be seen as a generic term. We could use the term Continuous track, but i think thats just being pedantic. Those with a none military background, even if they have an interest in military matters, but not always be aware of some of the finer details and will more often use a generic term. When people used to ask what i did in the army, i would get a blank look when i said i drove a Warrior. If i said its 'like a tank' they had an idea what i was talking about.

All i am trying to point out to people is that the description you gave, while perfectly accurate i am sure, should not be seen as the only way its done, not only with a certain type of vehicle, i.e a tank, but on vehicles of the same type in differant nations.

You are correct, a Warrior is not a tank, but a Chieftan was, and that used the single pin track, as do many Russian tanks. The Challenger however users the double pin track. So i would bet that the metod for checking Chieftan tacks would more cloesly rememble that for checking a warrior than it would for the method you describe. And while the method for a Challenger track would be completly different to a warriors, while it may be more similar to what you describe, i would be its not exactly the same, though i would be happy to be corrected if it is.

Its all to easy on a forum such as this with a largley American membership to get the idea that the American way is the only way and when somone like yourself speaks, people rightly listen. But its all to easy to get the wrong idea and i think its helps for people to understand that there are often other ways of doing things.And i do enjoy reading replies such as yours as it helps me understand that the way's i know are not the only way and its good to learn how others do it.

My apologies for the confusing and incorrect information. I will remove the offending useless information. I was trying to be helpful by showing the original poster how it is done by US soldiers. I didn't bother to show how other nations do it since I am not familiar with their procedures.