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Showing results for tags 'steering'.
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If anybody is interested in tank transmissions and steering systems i have written a very long and detailed article about the Cross Drive CD-850 transmission found in Patton tanks and also went into explaining the Merritt Brown system through Z51R from Centurion and TN.12 from Chieftain and comparing it to the Cross Drive series. It is a bit long around 78000 words and 450 pages but if anybody is interested on such topic here is the link below. Patton Tanks Transmission and Steering Unit GM Allison CD-850 Explained and Compared With Centurion’s Merritt Brown Z51R – Tank Automotives (wordpress.com)
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So, if my sources do not lead me astray, almost every Western tank design since the M46 has used a double-differential steering unit with a hydromechanical steering drive, excepting some low-cost or expedient designs like the Type 61 and AMX-13, and British designs which stuck with triple differential steering until at least Chieftain. At the same time, every Soviet tank design since the IS series has used a two-stage epicyclic final drive to provide geared steering with auxiliary clutch-and-brake steering for tighter turns. How much of a practical difference does this make? This video comparing the M60 to the T-62 mentions that the steering in the T-62 is very abrupt, and tended to throw the gunner off target. American testing of the T95, which had an essentially Soviet-style transmission, showed that the auxiliary clutch and brake steering didn't do well in the mud. Has anyone here driven or otherwise compared tanks with both styles of steering?