Some studies on life of track pin rubber bushes

Track pin, an important component in the tracks of heavy armoured vehicles, is made of steel surrounded by rubber bush. This construction enables the pin to transmit the torsional loads. As the failure of track pin makes the vehicle immobilised, it is important to ensure a specified life for these pins. As the pin is made of rubber and steel, the theoretical studies become difficult. An attempt has been made to find out the parameters that influence the life of track pins. A finite element method is used to estimate the stresses in the rubber. The temperature rise due to the torsional loads, computed using the energy equation, is found to be 64.86 degrees C for 1800 s at a speed of 30 km/hr, close to that obtained from actual field measurements.