No Steve, no sister but she does have a brother. He can't cook but he sure knows how to eat:ergh:
Colin!

Blimey Kevin you read my mind. When I took that photo yesterday I got to thinking...That bracket with the three holes must be for something like a mud scraper, and I was just about to post the question. Anyone got pictures or drawings or spare ones. Ron

Hi Richard,
According to the manual you start with 168 links (8 pieces of standard 21 links) and a new sprocket. After a run in period of 50 to a 100 miles the teeth mesh properly with the track and you remove 1 link. After that you can remove 10 more links and the useful life of track and sprocket are over. So 157 is the lowest limit of links. My Mk2* still has 163 links in them and the tracks lean in to the hull on both sides. I think they always lean in. I noticed this on more Carriers if my memory is correct.

Cheers, Marc

Marc
 

I would guess that this "rimmed" sprocket, was introduced to help the track chain run a little better to try to alleviate this uneven wear. The book says that the track should be removed, and the sides balanced. This might include swapping the track from one side to the other, to get optimum life from it.

track support
 

Hi Lyn,
We had track support rings here in Australia that were fitted to our later carriers, they bolt onto both sides of the sprockets and give a much wider area of support I always fit them to my carriers, I reckon they must take a lot of weight off the ends of the sprockets, Regards Ron.

Ron
 

Can you show us a picture?

Lyn
 

OK Mate will I will take pics and post in the morning,
Regards Ron

Track support rings
 

Hi Lyn just gone through a few pics and found this one showing a track support ring fitted to the marmon herrington carrier conversion that I found some time ago it is only fitted on the one side as the large diameter round plate takes the weight on the other side,I will take pics of the ones on my carriers tomorrow, as you can see there are a large number of bolts holding it together regards Ron

Australian Track support rings
 

Hi Lyn here is a pic showing a set of track support rings fitted, as you can see they give a lot of support to the track and take all of the weight, these would be very easy to reproduece, Regards Ron

Do you think maybe the support rings were used for a large fan belt to run stationary machinery? with the tracks off?
Aidan

Track support rings
 

Hi aiden, No mate they are army surplus and the carriers were fitted with them at the time they were manufactured,over the years I have bought dozens of them, but not any more like all parts in our hobby things are getting harder to get, Regards Ron

Hi Ron , yes I noticed alot of Lp1's are poping up all over your country. what would be the % of carriers Now, since that video of "Year of the carrier came out". I recieved a copy of that Video at a Military show in New York last year. Great stuff. Aidan

carriers
 

Hi Aiden
THe boys who keep the records of the carriers could better help you with the % of carriers still around, the L P 1s are as rare as rocking horse s,,t there are a fair number of LP2 and LP,A,s still around, but maybe not much more than a 100 or so but what I mean with the 100 or so is I am refering to 100% complete, I dont count the chopped down ones and the many incomplete ones, to me just a pile of cut up metal with a number on it does not make it a carrier,( YET) I do not aim to insult anyone with this comment its simply my opinion right or wrong, Regards Ron

Thanks Ron for the info. Aidan

Talking of sad sprockets,there is nothing sadder than one of mine disintegrating into 5 pieces on removal! On examination the casting had been cracked for years leaving about 1/16th of an inch undamaged. This probably explains why the later sprockets had the additional rib cast into them

Has anyone got a suitable drawing I can use to get some re-manufactured please? Any leads would be gratefully received.

regards
Paul

Hi Paul, there must be some members over there with some NOS sprockets. I have some here in aust but I think the postage would be rather expensive.
Regards
Colin.