I know the answer must be simple, but what are the pros & cons of having the drive sprocket at the front as apposed to the rear?


Yours Simon M.

I think at the front is more practical in a mud/loose terrain type environment, like the german tanks with the driveshaft from the motor going along the hull floor to the transmission/final drive in the front which also gives a little more "armor" in front of the crew (IDF Merkava has its whole powerpack in the front to increase crew surviveability), but having the whole powerpack modular and removable as one in the rear (like WW2 russian/american tanks and now modern stuff) is obviously better for maintence/overhaul work.

Sprocket at the front: mud/gravel/crap has time to fall off as the track passes over the return wheels - obviously large rocks will have a hard chance getting jammed this way
Sprocket at the rear: crap goes off the bottom of the track and straight into the sprocket. Large rocks/metal bars etc can be lifted into the sprocket causing havoc

If we are talking about smaller than life size scales then having the drive sprockets in front is better as far as grass goes. My Pershing and Leo will eat some grass but my Sherman, Tiger, King Tiger, Pzr III, Pzr IV usually do not.

Same, my Pershing snips the grass as it goes along, but has a nasty habit of picking up leaves and even twigs in the loose stuff, T-34 is not so bad, but my Tiger and KT have no worries.

Thanks for the info!

Yours Simon M.

On a 1'1 type, rear sprocket is better as the engine-tranny pack is at the rear and not prone to damage by HE strikes. Also, the double pin chevron track is designed to shed mud and debris before it gets over the sprocket....hence the "backward" appearance of a track which looks like it should be a scoop design to dig in, but has the outer chevrons or cleats pointing up.. The Merkava has everything up front but that is the only tank in the world that was ever designed as a defensive tank = tanks are offensive weapons. Many Sherman and Lee based tanks were put out of action by HE rounds on the transmission casing, damaging the gear box, so the M-26 and beyond moved the tranny to the rear.