Half-track

[rusticdave]

I am working on the half-track at the museum where I am a volunteer and need to remove the actual track. It appears from studying the layout that it may be necessary to relieve the spring tensioning, does anybody know if if this needs to be done and if so, how??
David

[Dandy Dave]

As with all track machinery, yes, you will need to release the track tension. There should be a large adjusting bolt, or sometimes two, one on each side, attached to the Idler that you can turn to take the tension off of the track to remove a master pin. Quite often these bolts are rusted and will need some heat to get them to turn. Also, there should be a lock nut that will need to be loosened before the bolt will turn. Posting Photos would help. Dandy Dave!

[brockwood]

Hi there is a tube under both back axles facing ford holding a spring with tensioning nut on front to wind off to ease pressure rear of spring presses on cranked [to clear pto]idler wheel axel there is numbers on this and a hole in shaft to indicate how tight these match a travel limiter behind cranked axle often because of track wear the springs have a spacer slipped over them [ mine had an inch and a half ]to increase length and and the rear frame where it bolts to the back of the tractor had similar in shims the tracks are totally different to any thing else and are handled differently for a start they drive under compression and are self supporting supposed to lock in the curve of a 20 foot wheel at bottom and the slack spot were you brake track is just above ground level at front of sprocket the pins just float freely in chains with retainer plates bolted on side to hold them in as a quick fix I broke mine and found the pins worn to 3/4 and the holes stretched 1 1/8 shafting slipped straight in my tensionlers were undoable and I undid the ring of bolts on end of tube [danger] spring tension I slipped a pipe over shaft and drove against shed post to hold while undoing one at a time now driveable b