Making One Tire Into Two.

[Eagleview]

This thread may prove them wrong.

They were way wrong .

Even if you cast some Aluminium drive drums to take the place of the tyres with the grooves needed or ridges that the tracks normally run on and some carrier rollers for the tracks to sit on , it wont steer . The front tyres would never be able to overcome the traction of the tracks to bring the front around like a half track does . Build them a buggy with what you have .

 

[MarkV]

What about two rotary mower tail wheels with a spacer built between them. I think all the chemical mixes being suggested are going to be expensive.

MarkV

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I think all the chemical mixes being suggested are going to be expensive.

MarkV

I've come to the same conclusion that you have. The cost of any pourable epoxy or resin eliminates it as an option.

I'm down to two options: build up some kind of lip around the existing tires or re-fabricate something completely. I'm going to start with the rubber lip on the existing tires. I have all the stuff I need for that except the glue, and if it doesn't work I can always fabricate something else later. I may opt to bolt the strips around the outsides of the tires and then go with tubes in the tires. The bolt heads may provide a little extra traction between the drive wheels and the tracks.

Now, I have a question for all of the naysayers... What's different from this design vs. the old WW2 half tracks? I know they had steering brakes for very sharp turns, but for normal driving they just steered with the front wheels just like a truck. I can accept the notion that this small scale halftrack will not turn on a dime, but with the differentials for the tracks and most of the weight (engine) over the steering axle I still think this toy will be steerable. I'm sure enough to give it a try.

 

[quarencia]

Love the idea. Hope to see a finished product in the future.

I do agree with Iron Horse's conclusion on steering. Military half tracks had notoriously poor handling. Most had to have differential braking or power to the tracks to steer efficiently. Without a way to apply more power to the outside track the front end will have to be very very heavy to steer. You would also want to get the front wheels as far out in front of the tracks as possible to get better leverage for turning. Differential braking wouldn't be too difficult to implement.

Also, are the chain links missing or are the teeth broken off. I only see two teeth missing on the tracks. If the chain is still intact and there are only two teeth missing, you should still be able to pull the tracks with a drive gear. The drive gear will engage more than two teeth. Your load will be significantly less than they were designed for, so it should still work with the missing teeth. That's if the chain is intact and only the teeth are broken.

 

[GLyford]

How about this:

Get a section of old flat conveyor belting. Cut out as many sections as you need to make up the thickness you want. Cut the ones for the "groove" sections to a diameter suitable for the bottom of the groove, and cut the rest to your main diameter. Then cut out the centers to your rim diameter.

Now here comes the fun part: cut them all in half (or if the belting wasn't wide enough, start with twice as many semicircles). Stack them on your rim, staggering the joints (90 or 60 degrees, whatever makes you happy). Then fasten together. Possible with a few carriage bolts or sections of threaded rod through the whole stack, maybe some construction adhesive or something like that. You might even be able to simply nail them.

And you'd be able to make up a smaller diameter than the original tires if that's what you want.

As an alternative, I saw a nice scale "army jeep" at a tractor fair someone had made up using an old mower chassis, he even kept the mower deck!

 

[Eagleview]

Now, I have a question for all of the naysayers... What's different from this design vs. the old WW2 half tracks?

About 25 feet longer , about 11 ton heavier , about 200 horsepower more , engineered to do the task .

 

[alltoys]

I have seen custom made tracks for vehicles, quads, tractors, they use conveyor belting wrapped around the OEM tires. On the inside of the tracks there is a plastic guide that keeps the tire in the center of the belting. As the track stretches the slack is cut out then respliced to fit.

For quads the back end is extended with another axle like that of a half track. It turns very easy has a good buoyancy on mud.