Greasing tracks

[Deathwing]

I have to confess following advice I recently greased the tracks of my FV432 - not where the wheels run but where the links join and rub between each other at the sides and on the sides of the teeth where they run in the links. The internet is confusing as there are articles on soldiers greasing their tank tracks. The plan was to reduce wear (as the wear is visible in the shiny metal).

However, I got a friendly telling off as someone in the industry told me I shouldn't do that as it actually increases wear with grit sticking to the grease. I am now facing 5+ hours removing grease, so before I embark on that adventure I thought I'd just double check on here if grease is indeed a bad idea, i.e. should I go ahead and remove it all again?

If it makes any difference, the vehicle is exclusively driven on road (I don't drive it on fields/off-road).

[John F]

I'm certainly no expert, but if you do decide to remove the grease I imagine if you go for a long-ish drive to get the tracks warm you should be able to jet-wash the vast majority of it off easily enough.

[Richard Farrant]

1 hour ago, Deathwing said:

I have to confess following advice I recently greased the tracks of my FV432 - not where the wheels run but where the links join and rub between each other at the sides and on the sides of the teeth where they run in the links. The internet is confusing as there are articles on soldiers greasing their tank tracks. The plan was to reduce wear (as the wear is visible in the shiny metal).

However, I got a friendly telling off as someone in the industry told me I shouldn't do that as it actually increases wear with grit sticking to the grease. I am now facing 5+ hours removing grease, so before I embark on that adventure I thought I'd just double check on here if grease is indeed a bad idea, i.e. should I go ahead and remove it all again?

If it makes any difference, the vehicle is exclusively driven on road (I don't drive it on fields/off-road).

Definitely no requirement to grease your tracks, even on the road you will pick up grit and this with the grease will end up as a grinding paste. Not needed.

[Deathwing]

Thanks all; I will proceed with de-greasing before the next run!

[Chris Hall]

If you can get it into the places it’s needed, graphite grease could work. We use it at work on some high heat area where normal grease burns off. Its a dry powder and gets everywhere but it’s an idea.

[Richard Farrant]

The track links on FV432, CVR(T) and other modern tracked armour have hexagonal pins that pass through rubber bushes. No lubrication is required as the links just flex, unlike dry pin tracks as on crawler tractors or Bren Carrier, etc.

 

[Deathwing]

Interesting; the links do rub though (you can see the shiny metal where they rub)

[terryb]

The horns should be shiny as they pass between the inner and outer wheels (the wheels have a steel rim on the inner edge) and the sprocket teeth will shine a small patch fore and aft of the rectangular holes in each link. You should NOT have metal to metal contact where eack link pivots ie where the track pin goes through. This is a sign the track metallastic bushes have failed. Get the grease out. In time the grease will destroy the track bushes!

Terry