Since my latest project is a M60A3 during a REFORGER exercise (and therefore loaded with a lot of stuff) I was running into a few “attachment”-questions:
How are/were spare wheels, spare track links and such attached to the stowage basket or the handles of the tanks ? There are many pics around, but most of the time, all these items seem to be fixed by a miraculous “magnetical power” or they are simply hooked to the handles in a way that can’t be realistic … . I’ve seen pics of spare wheels with a guiding tooth of a track link screwed to it on the outer side; but what would be the counterpart ? Are there standarized “mounting kits” or are all these things fixed with whatever was at hand ?
Here are pics of my M60A3 (and others) back in the day. Equipment was strapped, metal banded, or bolted on to parts like the infantry rails on the turret.
M60 question- where does the engine exhaust vent? The rear doors on models are always molded solid, but on the vehicles where does the exhaust exit the hull?
The rear grills opened into the engine compartment. The exaust from the engine was located near the upper, outer edges of the grill doors. Because of that those areas of the grill doors were usually a soot black color.
Great shots, thank you! I had seen some models where the doors were really sooted up almost evenly. Looks like it just needs to be the upper edges and vertical seam.
The road wheels and spare track usually use what US tankers call a center guide not a guide horn. The bottom piece hooks nicely on the rails the bolt goes through the wheel and the guide part is on the outside. It works very well. The exhaust gases pass through the rear grill doors along with the exhausted cooling air. The air is pulled in through the top side grill doors under the engine and up through the top fan towers and out the back.
Thanks a lot for all the information. Very helpful, the “problem” with the spare wheels and track links seems to be resolved … . My (hopefully) last question: the 40mm ammo boxes: how where/are they attached ? And, BTW, the spare wheel on this Abrams seems to be simply bolted directly to the turret, right ?
When seen on the side rails or on the rear turret bustle rails, they are bolted to the rails with a plate and a couple bolts that go through the can. The rails are sandwiched between the can and the plate, like below.
