Friction Drive, Suspension, and the M-60.

[William and Melissa Johns <gizmology-at-gizmology.net>]

Hi all,
   This morning I just happened to drive past the Clifton Park VFW and 
discovered that they've got an M-60 sitting in their front yard.  Since I 
had the kids, the urge to pull over and climb all over the thing was 
irresistible.  Boy, you tend to forget just how BIG those damn things 
are!  And I discovered something very interesting while looking over the 
suspension.
   The front road wheel is connected to the idler in such a way that the 
idler is shoved forward when the road wheel is pushed up.  I suppose this 
is to keep the track tight.  I sketched out a little drawing of it 
(attached) - the red drawing is the normal position of the road wheel and 
idler, and the yellow drawing superimposed on it is the position of the 
road wheel and idler when the road wheel is pushed up.  I've got all the 
proportions wrong, but the principle is the same.
   I thought this might help those of you who are looking for a way to use 
friction drive with a suspension.

Bill



At 08:11 PM 7/13/2004, you wrote:
>Will,
>  I was wondering about your suspension...I know there had been discussion 
> about suspending a track that uses a friction drive and I was wondering 
> if you were able to actually get the suspension to work and if so about 
> how much travel was there???
>
>Kurt (???) G
>
>
>

--

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one 
persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on 
the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate 
(1856-1950)

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