Weasel track repair

[ozm29c]

David,
Is the "weasel Track" that is supporting your Carrier track being set aside for your next project
Cheers
John W.
PS Your carrier is an 110% restoration effort. Well done

[horsa]

Hey John,

The tracks in that shot are the mid-production pattern Weasel tracks that had rubber cable on the outer edge as opposed to the later style with a rectangular band with cables inside.

Our M29C had the later style tracks on it until my brother threw one off playing Dukes of Hazard with the vehicle. It has taken awhile but I've completely rebuilt the earlier set of track in that shot and planned to get them mounted onto the vehicle. Problem is that pattern requires the earlier and slightly smaller diameter drive and idler wheels which I still need to source.

Shot attached of the tracks for reference even though it is off-topic.

[ozm29c]

David,
Cool I see that you have the Snake river track belts. I have opted to repair my tracks using the same method. I also see that you have the weasel owners universal tool kit A large angle grinder and air chisel.
Fellows I do apologise for hijacking this thread but track repairs/restoration (for whatever vehicle) do present their own unique problems and I find it really interesting to see how restorers overcome their track problems.
Cheers
John Wilson

[horsa]

Didn't know there were many Weasels in OZ....

Yep. the bands are what Tom provides along with backing plates. Took a really long time to tear the old tracks completely apart and then to wire wheel them on the inner side. Primed and then painted them a semi-flat black to complement the new rubber color. Then bolted everything up with stainless steel button head socket bolts that I was able to source here in Austin, Texas.

Assembly really took little time at all using an impact driver. Probably was less than an hour per band and there are eight between the two tracks. I'd be done with the project if I had researched the driver and idler issue prior to reverting to the earlier pattern tracks. Our later pattern tracks that were busted had a long life and were without road pads and most of the metal central blades on the outer side were rubbed down for the most part. So we really had no choice on doing a complete restoration on the earlier set that you saw in the rolled up shot. They still had original bands but 70 years of corrosion meant the cables wouldn't have lasted long so wouldn't have been worth installing as they were.

But I'll get it sorted out. More or less a back burner project now that we are entering summer here. The weasel lives down in south Texas and is used as a ranch run-about since it can maneuver over deep mud and cattle and hog wallows without getting stuck. Plus it can't get a flat.

Shots attached show my father driving with my wife and kids in the back. Name on the side is Pickle Boat. The nose art is a pickle with a "Tommy" helmet standing in a row boat with a Vickers mounted up front.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by ozm29c

Fellows I do apologise for hijacking this thread but track repairs/restoration (for whatever vehicle) do present their own unique problems and I find it really interesting to see how restorers overcome their track problems.

John,

No problem, I moved the relevant posts into a separate thread.

HTH,
Hanno
Forum moderator

[Lynn Eades]

Maybe you can do the same where we have hijacked Davids T16 thread, discussing Phillips Scout carrier...... and then delete this post. Thanks.

[ozm29c]

Hanno,
thanks for allowing this thread to continue as a separate discussion.
David,
I am led to believe that the outer band on the track is used to stabilise the grouser plate. There should not be any difference between the early and later outer bands. If you are running a 56 grouser track the outside daimeter of your sprocket drive wheel should be about 298mm. When the track was reduced to 55 grousers the outside diameter of the sprocket drive wheel was increased to 304mm. So it depends on how many grousers in your track as to what the diameter of your drive wheel should be. The change has to do with the timing of your sprocket teeth to your grouser plates as the distance between the grouser plates was increased from 57.15mm (track pitch of 114.3) between centres to 60mm + 57.15mm(track pitch = 117.1mm). The other critical dimension to consider is the height your sprocket drive wheel is offset from the grouser plate. The original inner band measured about 25.4mm thick but Toms inner bands (like mine) are only 20mm thick. This means that the drive tooth is engaging the grouser plate by another 4.5mm. From the feedback I get from Tom this does not appear to present any timing problems.
That's about all for now.
Cheers
John Wilson

[horsa]

Hey John,

I haven't done much research on the problem yet since the vehicle, and now the rebuilt tracks, are down at the ranch so I can't stare at them. We had the later type 55 grouser tracks on the vehicle and the set I rebuilt to install is the earlier 56 grouser track. I haven't laid them side by side but did the math when I got home after failing to get the new tracks installed. The 55 grouser track should be roughly 4 inches longer than the 56 grouser track if I recall correctly. So that is part of the problem. Searching the archives on the Weasel forum I ran across multiple discussions in theory but only sketchy references to there being smaller diameter drive and idler wheels for the earlier 56 grouser tracks. Haven’t seen much about there being different sprockets but that could also be an issue.

All this being said, I still haven't called Tom or any of the other people that might know for sure what the best course of action would be. Figure at this point since the tracks are rebuilt and the old ones really aren't useable, I need to proceed with changing out whatever other hard parts need to go. Hopefully it will be minimal but my luck isn't usually that good.

The way I change a track is to completely compress the suspension by jacking up a paired set of bogie wheels and then blocking the leaf spring so it can't relax. Takes awhile going back and forth with the jacks but eventually I get one side flattened out. The rebuilt tracks are about half an inch short of fitting with everything compressed. Likely more tension could get them on but then the suspension would still be compressed so I know it’s not right that way. Using this method, I can install or remove the old 55 grouser track by myself. Although it’s a bit of a strain. Course this time the track was already off since it had broken and come off while the vehicle was running. Guess my brother will later take credit for helping me remove the old track….

[ozm29c]

G'day David,
The easiest way to work out the difference between your 55 and 56 grouser tracks is to compare the track lengths. Imagine cutting your track in half and laying it out on the ground as you have done with your T16.
56 (Grousers) x 114.3 (pitch) = 6400.8mm (or 252inches in the old measurement) and 55 (G) x 117.1(P) = 6440.5 (or 253 and 5/8ths inches again in the old measurement) so you are only looking at an overall difference in lengths of 39.7mm or 1inch and 5/8ths. I am not sure where the 4 inches came from. Other than that the only difference I can make out between the 55 and 56 Grouser track is the outside diameter of the drive wheel. As you are most probably aware there are many discussion topics relating to this on the weasel forum. I will see if I can find more information on the track differences and get back to you. I too learn something new everyday and I can admit that I am wrong .
I do think that the T16 track has a lot of similarities to the weasel track when comparing problems.
Cheers
John Wilson

[horsa]

You may be right with it being a more simple issue of the sprocket and how it is engaging the track. I hadn't been actively doing anything about it yet since the project is remote and I won't be able to get down there again for about another month. But it would be fairly easy to compare how the old track sat on the sprocket and then lay the new one back up onto it. I left the suspension compressed so at least I won't lose that time again when I can work on it.

The old track was really worn and so it could also be I'm just used to it being easier to take it on and off compared to the new track being tight with new bands and exact spacing now.

[Philliphastings]

If it's green, and has tracks then I'm interested in seeing and hearing about it...

Cheers

Phill