Track pins

[Ron Pier]

Not according to the NOS pins I have Richard. One end has a fairly large domed mushroom head. The other end has a hole for a split pin, with washer first of course. Ron

[RichardT10829]

is that not to put the sections of track together ? so a 20 link section would be put together with that type of pin, and each indevidual link within that section is fixed with the end of the pin being peened over as stated ?

Rich

[Ron Pier]

Yep! your right there Richard. I've just been looking at my track, which has a mushroom head on one side and a sort of pressed formed head on the other side. Must have been done in the factory with a large press? I would think that any pin removed in the field would be replaced with a split pinned link pin. Interestingly the 3 foot length of track that I just disassembled had all split pinned pins. That's what through me off track( No pun intended) Ron

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

is that not to put the sections of track together ? so a 20 link section would be put together with that type of pin, and each indevidual link within that section is fixed with the end of the pin being peened over as stated ?

Rich

Richard...
You don't want hard track pins..you want"soft" track pins...You want the pins to wear..not the track..If the pins are harder than the track ,the track will wear and then you WILL be in a world of hurt..Keep the track pins tough ..but not hard..

[RichardT10829]

agree with your comments Alex but it must be a fine line, too soft and as soon as a hard turn is made "PING". i have a theory discussed at length with an engineering lecturer at local university we agree'd the way forward is hard track pin and track as is but the lugs machined out and threaded to take a soft insert which can be unscrewed and replaced when worn. in theory saves the pin and saves the main body of the cast on the track. problem was we didnt have any examples to see if there would be enough material on the lugs to do this, but it was non the less a good idea in my humble opinion.

Rich

[Lynn Eades]

The track pins with the double heads, are designed so that a few blows with a hammer will cause the heat to fall off, allowing the rest of the pin to be driven out with the track pin punch. This only works on one end, as the heads on each end are different. This pin would then be replaced with the joining pin, that is retained with a washer and split pin.

[tankbarrell]

There are other things to consider in this problem. Manganese track work hardens so the pin holes will not wear as much as might be thought after settling in.
Much of the hole and pin wear is to do with the grit getting in and acting as a grinding paste. Relative hardness is less important than a tough pin.

There is not much material in the link to fit a bush and I would have thought the work involved initially as well as at the point of fitting new bushes would be greater than having new track cast.

[Ron Pier]

Thanks for that explanation Lynn. I was assuming that one end of the pin would have to be hacksawed off. My carrier came to me with perfect track and wheels, and I've never had to remove any so far. Ron

[Perry Kitson]

Some years ago when I was restoring my MK II carrier, I had the same problem with the pins. I had a few NOS pins checked for hardness and they came up at 54-56Rc. The original pins are induction hardened to prevent warping ( oven or flame hardening would produce banana like pins unless they were held in a fixture ) while leaving the center portion tough. The pins are cold headed to shape the end, the same process as making bolts. From the factory, the track sections were cold headed on both ends, with a joining pin with the cotter pin hole to assemble the sections. I have used .4375 dia. Class 60 shafting cut to length and then welded on the heads to replicate the original pins. One last point, T16 pins are slightly shorter than the pins used on UC track, Canadian track anyway.

Perry