Armortek

I've not really thought about this before, but after assembling my Panther track, and having looked at some photos in one of my books ('Panther in Detail' by Culver & Feist), I'm wondering what is the 'right' direction for the track to travel.

In the photo on the instruction book cover, it looks like the track is travelling so that the grouser is 'trailing', along the top run IYSWIM.

Yet in the photos of 'Panther in Detail', page 54, shows the grousers 'leading' on the top run.

To confuse matters further, the top l/h photo on page 56, shows the grousers 'trailing'.

There are a fair few track photos in this book, between pages 54 & 65, with many showing the track fitted either way.

I can find no ref. anywhere concerning this subject, so does it not matter which way round the track was fitted?
And does it matter on the model?

TIA

Darryl

An answer completely devoid of science or formulae (or, this was the bit of my tank course I never really understood......)

Newton said something about equal and opposite reactions, I believe. So when the sprocket turns to make the tank go forward, it tends to push the length of track which is in contact with the soil to the rear. To minimise movement of the track in loose soil, you need to increase its resistance. One way is to create a surface which protrudes below the track link and creates a shearing effect in the soil. That's the grouser. So to work, it has to be at the rear of the link when the link is on the ground. Does that make sense?

Most grousers stick out a bit from the sides of the link to increase the area in contact with the soil. To stop them bending under compression, a little fillet is often cast to reinforce the ends. As you look at the track from the front of the vehicle, the triangular fillets should be above the grouser.

So, I lied. Here's how it works but don't ask me, I haven't a clue:


where:

H = soil thrust
b = track width
l = contact length
c = coefficient of cohesion (a soil property)
h = grouser height
W = gross vehicle weight

One more bit of trivia. To a British tank man, the grouser is known as a spud. That's because when they appeared on the first tanks in the First World War, the plates looked just like the small shovels used to dig up potatoes. Which is why in the UK, potatoes are known as "spuds". Sad knowledge.

Regards

Stephen

Darryl,

I had the same issue with my PZ IV "which way does the track goes?" but with further reasearch, lookng at other peoples models, books, video clips and then finally asking Bovington the answer was both ways and they was no real reason why.
I would just have a look at the real thing or drop an e-mail to Bovington they are very helpful.

Chris

Darryl.
I have not had a look at my track links yet, but i guess they are the same as the original Panther issue. If they are you will find that the grousers are cast pointing the wrong way round, This is not realy a big deal and i guess it means that whichever way you fit the tracks you will not be far out.
Not much help i know but the best i could do.
Regards
Steve

Thanks for all the replies guys.

From the evidence I've got so far, it would seem that the direction the track faces, does not seem to matter.
Although Stephens answer suggests that the grouser should trail.

It does intrigue me though, I have to say.

Hi Darryl,

Came across you question late. Stephen is right, the cast webs were there to counter the thrust and soil resistance under forward acceleration.

Shermans are even worse as you will see wartime photos with one or more track pads hastly mounted the wrong way up to effect a battlefield repair and get the vehicle moving again.

Strangely all the Jagdpanthers I can find wartime pics of the tracks were deliberately mounted the other way round. The only reason I could arrive at was that they were often required to rapidly reverse out of an ambush positions in battle and hence the superior bite of the grouser/spud was required for going backwards and a broken track to a tank with no turret is a K-Kill rather than an M-Kill, ie a total loss.

Cheers, Fabrice

Thank you Stephen & Fabrice,

I shall be fitting the track the 'correct' way, due to your answers.