Track Pins

[Rob Beale]

I have made a few using 4140 steel shaft.

(Manawatu boys told me this years ago).

I knocked a pair of these pins out at the Wairarapa Airshow last month to adjust the brakes. They were fitted probably 10 years ago, and have worked fine to date.
Note these are for a LP2, so are plain shaft with lead plug retainers.
Rivetted pins will need heads welded on as described above.

Another long time carrier owner from the Manawatu told me of trying to ream out track to 12 mm diameter, and how hard the links were.
Maybe just fitting new pins will make an old track serviceable?
I have seen pins worn with a stepped shape, so new pins will take up a lot of slack when multiplied by 168 (or 176 on an LP2)

Rob

[Stew Robertson]

Sorry wrong mm should have been 12 MM
the difference is only.035 in which will not weaken the track and will still steer that is on .016 thou per side which is 2 red hairs Not big deal
the tracks are probably worn that much or more and you will have sufficent clearance for steering
The track will still warp with a few thou clearance

[Lynn Eades]

As Kevin has said, A standard track pin is 7/16" = 0.4375" = 11.11mm.
For most of you, to fit new pins made of 4140 at 7/16 dia. that is probably as good as it gets.
If your track is that worn that an oversize pin is needed, its probably too dangerous to use, as you risk the breakage of the link.
Think for a moment about what happens when you loose a track at speed, or on a steep hill.

[Lynn Eades]

a picture to consider

[Marc van Aalderen]

Eventually we will have to look into getting links cast and pins fabricated. More Carriers emerge from the woods, literally, and are without tracks or have completely worn out tracks. Most of these woodlogging carriers were worked hard I imagine till some expensive or hard to find part finally gave in and then they were left to rot. I once looked at one of those and counted just 153 links in the tracks. That is 4 less then what the Army considered worn out!!

I use my carrier regularly and will wear out the tracks one day, same as most of us who use it as what it was made for and not as a static display piece...
With worn tracks it will end as just that!

Cheers,

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

Originally Posted by Marc van Aalderen

Eventually we will have to look into getting links cast and pins fabricated. More Carriers emerge from the woods, literally, and are without tracks or have completely worn out tracks. Most of these woodlogging carriers were worked hard I imagine till some expensive or hard to find part finally gave in and then they were left to rot. I once looked at one of those and counted just 153 links in the tracks. That is 4 less then what the Army considered worn out!!

I use my carrier regularly and will wear out the tracks one day, same as most of us who use it as what it was made for and not as a static display piece...
With worn tracks it will end as just that!

Cheers,

Hello Marc,

Here the same, the tracks will wear out, casting new links should not be that expensive, when the numbers are high enough. There was someone on the forum who has spend some time in looking for casting new links.

Cheers

Hendrik

[Lynn Eades]

His resources, along with his standards, mean that you would never see a carrier of his with track as bad as that.

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

a picture to consider

Lynn, is this a photo of a carrier from down this way that was finished just recently?

[Lynn Eades]

No, not Lews. This was Davids, at MOTATS carrier day.

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

No, not Lews. This was Davids, at MOTATS carrier day.

I was thinking more along the lines of our largest carrier manufacturer in the Manawatu currently.

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by Rob Beale

I have made a few using 4140 steel shaft.

(Manawatu boys told me this years ago).

I knocked a pair of these pins out at the Wairarapa Airshow last month to adjust the brakes. They were fitted probably 10 years ago, and have worked fine to date.
Note these are for a LP2, so are plain shaft with lead plug retainers.
Rivetted pins will need heads welded on as described above.

Another long time carrier owner from the Manawatu told me of trying to ream out track to 12 mm diameter, and how hard the links were.
Maybe just fitting new pins will make an old track serviceable?
I have seen pins worn with a stepped shape, so new pins will take up a lot of slack when multiplied by 168 (or 176 on an LP2)

Rob

You can also just heat the end of the pin and peen it to form the 'rivet' style head. Just don't quench it or it'll go brittle and the 'head' pops off when in use. If you want to fit oversize pins, you'll go through a few drills due to the make up of the track links, but it can be done. Bloke from around here has done it successfully.