[MV] Tracks on ice

Andreas Mehlhorn (a.mehlhorn@t-online.de)
Sat, 17 Jan 1998 19:39:21 +0100

Hi list,

a tracked vehicle with rubber pads on the tracks has the same problems
on ice as a wheeled vehicle with rubber tyres.

In Germany all modern tanks have tracks with rubber pads. In winter,
when they have to drive in icy conditions, some rubber pads (say=20
every fourth or fifth) were removed and replaced by "ice claws",=20
made from steel.=20

The other problem is the snow/ice on the inner side of the track.=20
If you have wet snow on the inner side of the track, the running
wheels of the tank will press the snow to hard ice. So more and
more ice builds up until the tanks throws the track. To prevent
building up ice on the inner surface of the track, you must fit
"ice breakers" on one of the wheels. Those are hard metal plates,
whick crack the ice on the inner side of the track when the wheel
with the ice breakers runs over the ice.

On my 1942 Kettenkrad there were used 40 special chains (one at
each second track link) and two ice breaker wheels.=20

Regards and drive carefully with tracks on ice
Andreas


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