Track life on Half Tracks

[Buggy Man]

Hello
I know this subject has came up before. I did a quick search and came up empty handed. So here's my question: What are HT owners getting in the way of milage out of a set of tracks? I understand that it varies but a ball park figure would do. If this helps, what kind of milage can one expect out of a set of tracks when used on paved roads vs off road?
Regards,
Matt

[mark m uk]

Obviously it depends on many factors,

Harshness of road,
temperature,
Dry/wet of roads
age of track
speed
straight or roads with corners

and mostly........how you drive.

Whole host of variables, but I would say 1,500 - 2,000 miles

Personally, I have done about 1 - 1.5 K miles, on a new set of Israeli tracks, and they are 2/3 or 60/70% worn

Regards Mark.

[G102]

I HAD A CUSTOMER IN THE EAST COAST DRIVE ON A SET OF NOS FRENCH MADE TRACKS AND HE DID ROTATE THEM EVERY 500 MILES WHEN HIS WORKERS FORGOT HOW TO USE A BROOM WHEN BUSINESS WAS SLOW.

HE WAS UP TO 4500 MILES ON THE SET AND SOLD THE VEHICLE. BACK THEN HE DROVE IT TO HIS SURPLUS BUSINESS EVERY DAY

FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SOME OLD TIMERS 6000 MILES SHOULD WEAR THEM OUT,
GARY

[Drew M.]

Gary,

Any ideas on the future of HT tracks? My young son dreams of getting a HT someday. Will replacement tracks be available in 20-30 years? I know old NOS rubber has problems and I imagine it would be cost prohibitive to manufactire new HT tracks once the 1980's manuf. stuff is gone. Is there another application of track that may be used for a HT? It would be a shame for the HT's to become static displays out of fear of track brakage. On an aside, it is great to see new M29 tracks are being made that are superior to the original types.
Thanks.

[G102]

HI DREW,
20-30 YEARS FROM NOW? IF THEY ARE THEY ARE STILL AVAILABLE THEY WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE AVAILABLE FROM ME, HECK I WILL BE GLAD TO STILL BE ALIVE IN 30 YEARS, LOL

I HAVE NOS NEOPRENE MFG TRACKS IN STOCK AT THE MOMENT. THEY ARE IN GREAT CONDITION, NO CRACKS AND STORED UNDER A ROOF AND THE PRICE IS AS LOW AS IT HAS BEEN AS FAR BACK AS 30 YEARS AGO.

IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO PURCHASE A SET NOW AND PUT THEM IN A CORNER. THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF THEM LEFT IN MY WAREHOUSE ANYMORE, 1295.00 EA.

I HAVE A PICTURE OF A SET IN MY WEB SITE, WWW.HALFTRACKS.COM

GARY
630-257-1100

[Buggy Man]

Guys
Thanks for your replies! I know the question I posted had a lot of variables to it but all I was looking for was a "ball park" figure to go by.

Drew M.
In 20 or 30 years I wouldn't doubt that there would be someone out there reproducing HT tracks. Or maybe a track with a replacable rubber pad that would work on them. I can remember a time when I was told by dealers in this hobby that "they'll never reproduce body panels for the MV market, there's not enough interest/ money in it." Look how much stuff is repoped now and not just panels. I'm not saying that they are going to or that they will repro HT tracks, I'm just saying that in 20 or 30 years who knows?
Matt

[autocar925]

I have 1953 dated tracks on my HT that were essentially unused when I got the HT. I have put 400 miles on them and they are about 20% now. I estimate that total life of the tracks will be 500-600 miles. I have swapped tracks side to side once and I don't make sharp turns-I always make 3 point turns. My mileage doesn't match anyone elses; however, I have rebuilt my suspension and everything is aligned and in good working order, the tracks show even wear, no scuff marks, etc. so I know that my mileage numbers are valid normal wear. I am guessing that the difference is in the pliability of new rubber vs old hardened rubber. New rubber flexes, old rubber grinds. After driving the HT for 15 minutes, the tracks warm up and the top speed increases about 6 MPH. Another thing that leads me to believe that old rubber is the difference is that I had 1953 dated tires on the front and recently put new ones on. The difference in steering effort was astounding-it was if I had added power steering!

[Nickathome]

Gary,

Any ideas on the future of HT tracks? My young son dreams of getting a HT someday. Will replacement tracks be available in 20-30 years? I know old NOS rubber has problems and I imagine it would be cost prohibitive to manufactire new HT tracks once the 1980's manuf. stuff is gone. Is there another application of track that may be used for a HT? It would be a shame for the HT's to become static displays out of fear of track brakage. On an aside, it is great to see new M29 tracks are being made that are superior to the original types.
Thanks.

Drew;

To comment on the M29 tracks, My son and I were at the Gilbert Pa show a few weeks ago and a man with a set of them was giving rides in his weasel. We hopped in and he really put them through their paces with hard turns, drove them over grass, hard gravel road, weed, etc. He told us that with NOS, or original tracks he would never have done such a thing for fear of breakage. I'm sure if a reliable set of new manu HT tracks were to come into fruition there'd be more than one track making offroad excursions that wouldn't be possible with the current crop of tracks.

The good thing about the M29 tracks is the metal grouser shoes. I'm sure they wear alot better than that of rubber contacting tracks.

[Humbermk4]

One of my club members sent me this link just yesterday.
http://www.robertsarmory.com/track.htm

Although the article is about Stuart tracks, the rest seems relevant for HTs.

Essentially, they found a polymer liquid that can be "painted" or trowled onto the top of eaten-up rubber track pads that take the wear instead of the original rubber.

Although it seems to be needed once a year at the start of the season, the cost vs/ replacing worn out track seems to be worth the experiment.

Personally, I have had good luck patching gouges in the rubber of my Bren Carrier bogie wheels with a black compound used to bond windshield glass. I got it by the tube at my auto glass wallah. I built up a dam with masking tape, squeezed in the compound (not a 2-part mix, btw) smoothed it around with a popcicle stick. After it cured, I took a grinder wheel to it and dressed the patch even with the rest of the rubber. Never had it break loose with over a year on the vehicle.

If the stuff the Robert's folks are using is similar to my compound, then the gallon can is more cost effective. The tube was about 22.00 a tube (like a standard caulk gun tube from Home depot)

I plan to use this method on the tracks I am getting on the M2A1 I am picking up this weekend.

Anyone else out there tried this?

Cheers,
Jim
15 Recce

Humber Mk4 Armoured Car
1/4 a White M2A1

Previous
CMP C-15A
Universal Carrier Mk1

[mark m uk]

Less than £1300 - $2600 for a set of tracks is the bargain of the century.

Just look at the darn things, imagine what the real cost of tooling up and making these are. I dont believe any individual private company will ever be in the position to remanufacture these.

Unless they are made by governments, or on surplus manuacturing equipment it would be prohibative and just will never happen.

My advice for any HT owner is buy em up while they are there. I bought a HT with good wartime tracks, at the same time I bought four new israeli tracks...............I have two left, and a set of 30% good on the truck. At 50 years old, I figure that will do me !

Without tracks I would have 8 ton of M16 green flavored scrap........not a position anyone would relish.

Just my opinion, no I am not affiliated to any surplus dealers that have tracks for sale.

Regards Mark.

[Kim Sievert]

If you buy tracks, but dont need them for a few years or decades, store them in a non oxygen enviroment. Aka package them big suckers, in a airproof box or container and purge the oxygen / ozone out with nitrogen or some other non oxidizing gas. Even in a closed box, remotely airtight is better than just letting them sit out in the open air.

[TopKick]

Well, if someone ever does remanufacture tracks for half tracks, I hope they make the track so it links together like a tank track. This way, a bad section can be replaced without the cost of an entire new track. Goodyear made a killing on the Government with the original design. I would also like to know if old boggie wheels can be re-rubbered. Seems like an easy enough process. The track and boggie issues are the main things that stop me from buying another half track.

Best Regards,

[G102]

WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE COMMING UP WITH ON TRACKS AND BOGIE WHEELS

A TANK TRACK AND A HALF TRACK TRACK ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TRACKS.

SURE YOU CAN REPAIR A TANK TRACK. AFTER ALL YOU CAN REPLACE EACK PAD.
A HALF TRACK TRACK IS ONE PIECE. YOU CAN GO THRU ALL THE WORK TO MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY WITH ALL THE NEW MATERIALS AVAILABLE TODAY ---BUT---

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR PRETTY LOOKING REPAIRED HALF TRACK TRACK OUT ON THE ROAD THE THE GOOD OL TRACK BREAKS IN HALF FROM THE ROTTED 50-60 YEAR OLD CABLES INSIDE?

IT WILL JUST LAY NICE AND FLAT ON THE HIGHWAY AND YOU WILL HAVE THE PLEASURE OF DRAGING IT HOME OR BREAKING YOUR BACK LIFTING IT ON A TRAILER OR PICK UP. YOU CAN SAVE THE TRACK GUIDES BUT WILL PROBABLY NEVER NEED THEM SINCE YOU WILL END UP INSTALLING A NEW TRACK OR ANOTHER OLD TRACK. THE OLD TRACKS WORK WELL TO PREVENT EROSION IN A DITCH. I HAVE PLENTY ON MY SHORE LINE AND THEY WORK GREAT FOR THAT.

I SPOKE WITH AARON THE FORMER OWNER OF SOUTHERN PARTS SOME TIME AGO. HE WAS SHOCKED THAT THE TRACK PRICE IS SO CHEAP NOW. HE SAID THAT HE SOLD TRACKS FOR MORE 25 YEARS AGO THEN WHAT I AM SELLING THEM NOW.

SURE YOU CAN HAVE BOGIE WHEELS RERUBBERED, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 100 REBUILT SINCE THERE WERE NO MORE BOGIE WHEELS AVAILABLE AND TO THE LUCK OF ALL OF US SOME POOR GUY HAD TO DIE AND HE HAD A BUNCH OF THEM STORED. SO WE ALL GET TO BENEFIT FROM HIS SAVING THEM FOR SO MANY YEARS.

YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AROUND 150.00 TO 165.00 EA. FOR A RERUBBERED BOGIE WHEEL.

YOU CAN NOW BUY A PERFECT NOS BOGIE WHEEL FOR 125.00 EA.

NOS HALF TRACK TRACKS FOR 1295.00 EA.

IF YOUR GOING TO RESTORE YOU HALF TRACK AND PLAN ON KEEPING ONE YOUR REBUILDING OR THE ONE YOU FINISHED THAT HAS 50/50 TRACKS ON IT I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY YOU WOULDNT BUY A SPARE SET FOR THE FUTURE OR REPLACE WHAT IS GOING BAD NOW WHILE THESE PARTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE AND AT A LOW PRICE.

I KNOW IT ADDS UP TO A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WEASELS. IM SURPRISED THAT THE TRACKS FOR A WEASEL ARE PRICED WHAT THAY ARE NOW. IT TAKES A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND TIME TO BUILD A TRACK LIKE THAT ONE.

WELL I WOKE UP EARLY AND COULDN'T SLEEP SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE YOU MY 2 CENTS WORTH WHILE IT IS STILL EARLY

HAVE A GOOD ONE, GARY
630-257-1100

[G102]

WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE COMMING UP WITH ON TRACKS AND BOGIE WHEELS

A TANK TRACK AND A HALF TRACK TRACK ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TRACKS.

SURE YOU CAN REPAIR A TANK TRACK. AFTER ALL YOU CAN REPLACE EACK PAD.
A HALF TRACK TRACK IS ONE PIECE. YOU CAN GO THRU ALL THE WORK TO MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY WITH ALL THE NEW MATERIALS AVAILABLE TODAY ---BUT---

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR PRETTY LOOKING REPAIRED HALF TRACK TRACK OUT ON THE ROAD THE THE GOOD OL TRACK BREAKS IN HALF FROM THE ROTTED 50-60 YEAR OLD CABLES INSIDE?

IT WILL JUST LAY NICE AND FLAT ON THE HIGHWAY AND YOU WILL HAVE THE PLEASURE OF DRAGING IT HOME OR BREAKING YOUR BACK LIFTING IT ON A TRAILER OR PICK UP. YOU CAN SAVE THE TRACK GUIDES BUT WILL PROBABLY NEVER NEED THEM SINCE YOU WILL END UP INSTALLING A NEW TRACK OR ANOTHER OLD TRACK. THE OLD TRACKS WORK WELL TO PREVENT EROSION IN A DITCH. I HAVE PLENTY ON MY SHORE LINE AND THEY WORK GREAT FOR THAT.

I SPOKE WITH AARON THE FORMER OWNER OF SOUTHERN PARTS SOME TIME AGO. HE WAS SHOCKED THAT THE TRACK PRICE IS SO CHEAP NOW. HE SAID THAT HE SOLD TRACKS FOR MORE 25 YEARS AGO THEN WHAT I AM SELLING THEM NOW.

SURE YOU CAN HAVE BOGIE WHEELS RERUBBERED, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 100 REBUILT SINCE THERE WERE NO MORE BOGIE WHEELS AVAILABLE AND TO THE LUCK OF ALL OF US SOME POOR GUY HAD TO DIE AND HE HAD A BUNCH OF THEM STORED. SO WE ALL GET TO BENEFIT FROM HIS SAVING THEM FOR SO MANY YEARS.

YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AROUND 150.00 TO 165.00 EA. FOR A RERUBBERED BOGIE WHEEL.

YOU CAN NOW BUY A PERFECT NOS BOGIE WHEEL FOR 125.00 EA.

NOS HALF TRACK TRACKS FOR 1295.00 EA.

IF YOUR GOING TO RESTORE YOU HALF TRACK AND PLAN ON KEEPING ONE YOUR REBUILDING OR THE ONE YOU FINISHED THAT HAS 50/50 TRACKS ON IT I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY YOU WOULDNT BUY A SPARE SET FOR THE FUTURE OR REPLACE WHAT IS GOING BAD NOW WHILE THESE PARTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE AND AT A LOW PRICE.

I KNOW IT ADDS UP TO A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WEASELS. IM SURPRISED THAT THE TRACKS FOR A WEASEL ARE PRICED WHAT THAY ARE NOW. IT TAKES A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND TIME TO BUILD A TRACK LIKE THAT ONE.

WELL I WOKE UP EARLY AND COULDN'T SLEEP SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE YOU MY 2 CENTS WORTH WHILE IT IS STILL EARLY

HAVE A GOOD ONE, GARY
630-257-1100

[yd328]

Does anyone know what happened to Pioneer tire in Tampa Fl that made replacement tracks at one time for Southern Parts? Gary