splitting track

[cheesesoup]

I have recently upgraded my tank with metal tracks .
Track keeps running off the rear sprocket (similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-RzzdCNDrw&) ,
intuition and looking abot the 'net tells me it is the track tension have wound the track tensioner all the way out yet the track still seems a bit tight.
I thought I had nothing better to do than split the track and put a new tread in and put the track together again .
All the youtube videos I had watched made this look very easy , Knock the pin out with a spare pin a la https://youtu.be/8CzNpC9CdkQ?si=pMeCgo-jlVE9HWBs&t=55. But for the life of me I cannot get the track pin out, allI succeded in doing was bending the spare pin.
Does anyone know an easy way of getting the pin(s) out ?
Or indeed have any different ideas?

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I have had the same problem often. If I find a track pin immovable, I go to another track pin, but I also try drifting out the pin the opposite direction; that is, if I am trying to drift the pin from the center of the tank outward, I reverse and try again.

[ColemanCollector]

I'm surprised that a gizmo like they use to remove watchband pins hasn't been sized up to take tracks links.
Million dollar idea! Or maybe not...

Mike.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Another two cents idea: a suitably sized tool of the type used to split bicycle (and other types) of chains. The tool would need different pin sizes to suit different track pin diameters.

[Meter rat]

Do you know if the the tracks are single pin, or duel pin? Can you post a picture of the tracks to help identify them? They need different methods of taking them apart. If they are single pin they should come apart by knocking out the pin. I use a very small wood nail. And drift out the pin, just far enough to get purchase with pliers on the protruding pin. They are hard to do by design. Make sure you are knocking out the pin from the connector, and not the fixed side. I’ve done it myself. For duel pin tracks. You need to pull off the end connectors, using two pairs of pliers. One to hold the inside connector, and the on the outside. These again will be very tight and will pop off quite forcefully. Be careful not to loose the guide tooth in the middle.
Modern tanks run the track tight. If you have the tensioner right out then slackening it will loosen the tension in the track. Easier if you remove the upper hull. Another thing to consider is the tracks may be a mismatch with the sprocket. Some aftermarket metal tracks are a couple of mm wider than the plastic tracks, so don’t mesh properly with the sprocket. An O ring between the two halves of the sprocket can sort this out. I’ve taken the liberty of highlighting the end connector on mine. If I am teaching you to suck eggs then accept my apologies.

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[Herr Dr. Professor]

I cannot speak for cheesesoup, but I know that Herr Doc. is watching intently. I've split tracks often with success, but each time seems to be a learning experience.
Do you find that the knurled end of the track pin is almost always to the inside, so one drifts the pin out from the outside to the inside?

[Meter rat]

Do you find that the knurled end of the track pin is almost always to the inside, so one drifts the pin out from the outside to the inside?

The odd time I have had to split a single pin track. The knurled end has been on the inside.

[cheesesoup]

Hi all. I am not ignoring you , I have had computer problems and have been off-line for about two weeks.

Thanks for all the suggestions about how to split track.

What I ended up doing was:-
1)taking a small vice type thing and mounting the tracks in that . Hanging them over the end of a workbench left everything a bit loosey-goosey
2)Then I used one of the track pins that was SLIGHTLY too short to designate the unknurled end of the pin [1]and hit it (as hard as I dared not as hard as I could just dared) with a small picture hook pin , this started the knurled end out of the link.
3)Then I used a small drill (reverse mounted) in a pin vice to slowly knock from the unknurled end the knurled end totally loose.
4)Then I pulled the pin out with a pair of fine needle-nose pliers.
Voila the track was split.

This was the vice, pin vice etc that I used.

https://i.postimg.cc/Y9CjqhzS/Screenshot-1.png

[1] The pin being slightly too short and being shoved in from the knurled end meant there was a small 'hole' at the end of the pin

[Herr Dr. Professor]

You are starting me to think about using my old, small drill press vise. I need to stew on this one for a while.

[Ziptar]

I'm surprised that a gizmo like they use to remove watchband pins hasn't been sized up to take tracks links.
Million dollar idea! Or maybe not...

Mike.

One has! I've tried tiny finish nails, tiny screw drivers and punches, and track pins. They work but it's fiddly and kind of a PITA, usually drop the tool or tracks 2 or three times trying to get everything lined up right. This thread got me thinking so I started looking around.

Most watch band tools I looked at didn't list any maximum width and those that did were all ~30mm wide, including the type that look like pliers, I would think those would be wider. I eventually found one listed on ebay as "Watch Link Remover Jumbo" it's description said "Will accommodate watch bands up to 1 3/4" (45 mm) wide".

Here it is on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/134076649516, the same seller also sells it on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBXPYLNY

I ordered one from ebay, It got here today.

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With the press screw barley threaded into the base the maximum width to the pin is 42mm. The widest tracks I have are HL M1A2 Abrams metal tracks they are 39.8mm wide. The plastic are 39.6. I also have plastic Chally II tracks they measure 38.5mm.

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The tool comes with 4 pins 2 small and 2 large. The large fit the HL track pin hole perfectly.

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The base has a threaded turn table thingy to adjust height making it easier to align the pins. Really helps with metal tracks that haven't been split yet and are stacked. Almost like having a third hand.

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Let's give it a try shall we?
Took all of 20 seconds to line everything up once I'd adjusted the height using the handy dandy turntable thingy.

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5 turns of the knob on the press screw later...

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Just for grins, I grabbed a small screw out of the jar I throw small screws and hardware into that I save from old laptops and such before they get pitched. Used it to press the pin back in. Granted I can do this in 5 seconds with the tip of needle nose pliers. Just pointing out bonus added functionality.

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Conclusion: This little tool makes splitting tracks a breeze. Absolutely no doubt about it! No fiddly bits, no bent pins easy peasy, it's well worth the ~$15.00 it cost with shipping.


I love it and it would be absolutely 5 Stars Review perfect except...

I do have one problem with it, at least the specific one I received. While using the tool there were quite allot aluminum flakes falling out of where the press screw threads into the base. After trying it out about and splitting different tracks about 10 times I decided to unscrew the press screw, clean the threads and lightly grease them. When I unscrewed the screw from the base I found that there was a void in the cast aluminum base where the press screw is threaded. When the press screw in threaded in enough so that the press pin meets the Abrams track pin the screw's threads only engage 4 or 5 threads in the base thanks to the large gap left by the void in the casting, without the number of threads would be double. Even with just 4 or 5 threads the little tool had no problem pushing track pins out at all, turning the knob was almost as if it were pushing nothing. The tool would probably be just fine and useful for a very long time. At the same time, even for $15 item I prefer it not have one with a defect, one that could eventually cause the screw to strip the threads in the aluminum housing.

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I've contacted the seller and asked for an exchange if he handles it well he'll be opening up a whole new market for himself and his Big Belt Link Tank Track Pin Remover Tool, I'll report back how that goes.