Why Track Shoes Instead of Wheels are Used in Military Tanks?

“Sometimes the only way to peace is war.”

Who understands it better than a military man. They need to fight a war leaving their families behind in order to bring back peace in their country.

In these fights, the only saviour they have are the weapons and tanks. They are their best friends that protect them and enable them to give a befitting reply to their country’s enemy.

This highlights the importance of tanks in a war scenario. And also emphasize on the fact that these tanks need to be made with utmost precision as they have to serve a greater purpose.

That is one of the prominent reasons why continuous track shoe are used in military tanks instead of wheels. Let’s talk about other reasons.

Reason for using continuous track shoe instead of wheels

1. Powerful efficiency of track shoe

“ Powerful is another name for military tanks.”

Wheels don’t bestow power like a track. It is crucial to make the base of the track robust and this can’t be attained through wheels.

Compared with wheels, continuous tracks have high performance and optimized traction system, which is a plus in power delivery efficiency.

2. Traction play a key role

It's no-brainer to understand the importance of traction when it comes to vehicles.

Instead of the wheels having traction on the ground in four relatively small places, a tank has traction uniformly along the entirety of its track, that means there is more surface area for the tank to grip, lessening the likelihood of getting stuck, sinking, or losing traction.

This gives continuous track shoes an edge over wheels.

3. Promising ground impact

A UTV that moves on rubber tracks has a lower PSI on the ground. That means a less impact on the ground, especially when the UTV is heavy.

A tank is covered in thick armour to protect it from enemy weapons. Tanks have tracks that wrap around its wheels to spread out its weight and let it cross rough ground.

A UTV with continuous tracks has a weight spread over the entire surface of the track unlike wheels. This is one of the reasons that a giant excavator uses tracks to support the heavy load.

4. Tracks bestow stability to the tank

No one can fight while sitting in a tank that is shaky and that is why military tanks need a track to have a solid hold over the surface to stay stable.

A solid armor plate covering the sides of the tracks will not allow the tank to move over rough terrain. This is because when the tank moves over ups and downs, the entire track bounces up and down.

5. Tracks bestow an aesthetic appeal to the tanks

Design of military tanks are as important as that of a luxurious car. They are designed to serve purpose that they are expected to serve.

Tanks are for wars and not for civilians and thus, they have that aggressive visual appeal. Wheels beneath tanks will spoil that anaesthetic vibes of the military tanks.

The aesthetic and aggressive appeal of these tracks make them apt for the military tanks. This is one of the reasons that tracks are used instead of wheels.

Summary

“ Weapons and tanks are the unsung heroes of a war and not the villains.”

Continuous track shoes are the best fit for the military tanks. They have the potential to survive the toughest of situations like war, un-leveled roads and unpredictable weather.