Track tension

[Manny Leung]

Hi all,just spent last night mounting the track on the Chieftain,the manual suggested 94 links but it feels too slack even with the idlers dialled to the max so I removed 1 link. Now I can tighten the track but how tight? Is there a point where the track becomes too tight that it will restrict movement?
Cheers

[John Clarke]

There was a discussion between Mark Heaps and Stephen White on this very subject. The real one though.

"The slots are approximately where the three top rollers would be so are of no use whatsoever for checking track tension. Track tension needed to be checked at the mid point between two of the top rollers ( I seem to remember the first and second ) and I believe the general rule of thumb was that if you could just insert a clenched fist between the track and hull then it was good".

Now, with that in mind you could use a finger or in my case a pinky, because I have fat finger's.

Because I lather my tracks in WD40, and totally respect a new set would cost an arm and a leg, I don't expect too much stretch when that day comes, Next year if I'm lucky.
Some will have created the rusty look, so I expect them to "grind" in pretty quickly. I think it will be a try it and see exercise.

Remember Remember, if the tracks are not tight enough they will have a go at grinding your gearbox housing.

Show us some pictures, more pictures more fun.

[Manny Leung]

Thanks John: I've just figured out how to reduce file size on my photos so I will post some pics soon. I've wired up the tank this morning and got it running,just the lower hull though as I want to iron out any issues before moving on to the rest of the model,but the tank is running fine!

[Mark Heaps]

And if too tight the suspension units will not operate properly. If the track starts spragging, lifting off the sprocket when doing turns and jumping teeth then it should be tightened before the track goes inwards scuffing the hull or outwards throwing the track. On the Chiefy ARV & ARRV, you always knew if you had lost an inner or outer circlip on a track pin.Different sounds if the track pin was drifting inwards and hitting the hull or drifting outwards and impacting the side skirts.

On one recovery job, the track pin on the casualty had wandered so far out, it sheared the securing bolts for all of the side skirts before coming out all the way and the track being shed. The crew got crated,fined a crate of beer, because they tried claiming innocence and did not know how the damage occurred.
If they had said they had heard the warning signs but had ignored them to stay in the batttle as long as possible and accepting the risk, we would not have crated them.

Crate fines could not be enforced, but were generally paid as an atonement for a screw up and had us protecting them when they really screwed up, Friday afternoon "pit parties" in the fitter section lines were normal when we would try to consume all the beer.In my experience those who had "donated" a crate were welcome to join us, as were any crewmen who had assisted our tradesmen during the week.

[John Clarke]

Mark
With the amount of cover ups we have to make for operator's fubar's, I and my fellow techs would be walking around three sheets to the wind almost all the time
Manny,
I always resize pictures on "Paint". Easy to do, just remember to save as something else otherwise you'll loose the originals original size.
The Hull looks good by the way. I really really want to put the wheels and tracks on mine, but once that happens it becomes a weighty monster and has to come off the bench each time it's turned round.

[Mark Heaps]

One exercise in Germany, got called out to a tank early in the morning. Arrived there expecting a coffee but a TDB fault so BV not working.Petrol cooker also had a fault so they gave me a can of Tennants. Another can whilst I was fixing the TDB and a third after fixing it whilst we waited for the BV to boil.
Somehow got back to the fitter section vehicles later. Cannot remember if I fixed another fault that day.