Tank braking

Discussions on the vehicles used by the Axis forces. Hosted by Christian Ankerstjerne
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ZeusEQ
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Tank braking

#1

Post by ZeusEQ » 29 Nov 2020, 01:26

Hi,

I have a generic question about tanks. I was wondering how quickly the average tank could come to a stop if it was driving at full speed? I can imagine that the tracks' grip and the vehicle's weight would allow it to stop quite quickly even just by letting go of the acceleration pedal, but on the other hand, once a very heavy vehicle is at speed, it has a lot of momentum - so I just don't know :-).

I'll put some examples for various types. Let's assume the following vehicles are at full speed and want to stop:
-- Maus (very heavy, not that fast)
-- Panther (quite heavy and good speed)
-- Panzer II Luchs (light vehicle, very fast)

Thanks for any specific or general insights in this!

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Christian Ankerstjerne
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Re: Tank braking

#2

Post by Christian Ankerstjerne » 29 Nov 2020, 14:37

There is no single answer to that question. It depends on both the vehicle and the ground conditions. Tanks do have a much greater contact area than wheeled vehicles, which will provide more friction, and at least modern tanks can brake quite fast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5XUQ2beGfM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW9S1I6pHD0

Tanks are not immune to skidding on slippery surfaces, though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mplt8nsiDzI

While I don't have any concrete knowledge on this, speaking intuitively, since turning a tracked vehicle always requires the tracks to slide across the ground when turning, I would imagine that tanks may be more prone to start slipping than wheeled vehicles.


Yoozername
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Re: Tank braking

#3

Post by Yoozername » 30 Nov 2020, 20:13

Most WWII tanks were not automatic type transmissions. I have only driven a tracked vehicle with an automatic transmission. I can share that when 'in the field', unless there is some urgent need, most of the time the rolling resistance can be used to effectively halt the vehicle. Just doing slight steering turns can scrub off speed.

But in a standard type transmission, I would think that a driver has to be very cognizant of what gear they are in, and what to do if braking. One would at least downshift if doing some sort of aggressive stopping. Perhaps even putting it in neutral to avoid engine damage. The mass of the vehicle can easily strip gears or break components.

I read that when going uphill, you better have the initial speed, and the right gear selection, or you stall out the motor and can risk damage to the drivetrain. In this case, it is best to put it in neutral, apply the brake, and roll backwards before either going in reverse, or trying a low gear to go back up. Of course, the rest of the platoon is laughing.

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