I am using 40 Pitch table top chain on the M113. It's been pretty reliable
using a single chain down the center, but between all the time I spent in
Afghanistan and now working a lot I haven't run the M113 in years. The
chain has a lot of help since it runs between all of the road wheels on the
M113. The new PVC chassis for the M113 is still sitting in my garage
un-assembled. It threw a track once, but that was also the time when the
motor mount let loose inside the tank and broke. Been looking for other
track options for it, but it's tough because the steel track I want isn't
small enough, but I think I could cut it down some and get it to work.
Derek
On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 10:57 AM, Frank Pittelli
wrote:
> I don't think I've heard or seen anyone using 2040 chain for tracks, so
> not really sure how well or not that design would work.
>
> Back in the early days of the hobby, Mike Blattau used #40 attachment
> links with riveted plastic track pads to build a track for a lightweight
> vehicle. He used a single chain for each track, with standard #40 drive
> and idler sprockets. Unfortunately, he never tested the completed vehicle
> in battlefield conditions, so we can't be sure how well it performed. My
> conjecture is that the track would have been reliable with the proper
> tension on fixed axles with double road wheels. A suspension system starts
> to complicate things and I'm not sure if the #40 sprocket teeth alone would
> keep the track from coming off in a hard, bumpy turn.
>
> Welding pads to a 2040 link would be roughly the same design, so my best
> guess is that the track would work fine on fixed axles and would be
> questionable on a suspension system.
>
> In general, the main concern when using chains as a track drive mechanism
> is to ensure that the chain is well-aligned even when turning. Large links
> like #2060 are so stiff that they don't need any road wheels at all to stay
> aligned (Will's SU100 runs around quite well with missing road wheels).
> Smaller #40 links, however, have enough lateral flexibility that the road
> wheels need to keep them aligned. On fixed axles, the proper track tension
> with dual road wheels usually works effectively to keep the chains aligned
> with the sprockets (which is why most heavy tracked vehicles use fixed
> axles). On suspended axles, track tension varies dynamically, so the road
> wheels alone are needed to keep the chain aligned. Unfortunately, #40 chain
> links aren't really tall enough or have the right cross-section to do the
> job properly. The addition of guide teeth can solve the problem, but now
> the "simplicity" of the chain design is lost. Tracks with two drive chains
> make the matter even worse, providing twice the probability of throwing a
> track.
>
>
> On 11/28/2015 3:08 PM, Aaron Stern wrote:
>
>> Frank, I saw your comment on experience with different roller chain.
>> Have you seen anything regarding using 2040 single chain (double
>> pitch #40) with metal flats welded across the chain faces (for an
>> effect similar to the super expensive 2040 flange chain)? My plan
>> was to use a lathe to turn the wheels so that the metal flats will
>> rest againt the wheel and the chain will ride inside of a groove in
>> the wheel...
>>
>
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