I just want to be sure I'm on the right track here LOL pardon the pun. On the Sherman M4A3 the Blue area of the picture is a rubber pad and the Red a steel bar? Am I right? Please help!

It was my understanding that it is exactly the other way around. The red in your picture is a rubber pad (when you weather, don't give it a shiny look) and the blue (though I thought was also rubber) is actually a steel plate. It kind of makes sense when you think about it.

Jeff

I can't tell which type of track you have exactly, but the answer is that both the red and blue areas would be the same composition, i.e., either both steel or both rubber.

On closer examination it looks like T48 (all rubber) chevron tracks.

The tracks with rubber/steel combinations would have all steel on the outside (ground) and rubber (vulcanized to the steel) on the inside (wheel).

KL

In recomposing my position on this topic, I will let two links says what needs to be said. The first is a current thread on this topic and the other is a more detailed link given on the thread.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/40412&page=1

http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoelstra/g104/track_vvss.htm

Jeff

These are the Tracks that come with the Tamiya M4A3 105mm Howitzer. I have no Idea of the track model # . So both the pad and the Cheveron may be rubberised?

Take a look at these pictures:

http://www.primeportal.net/apc/jussen/m4_sherman.htm

They show some tracks in use. They will also show stowage and weathering.

Hope this helps.

Don

Those would be the T48 rubber chevron The inside and outside would be rubber The end connectors that hold them together would be steel

Thank you all for the help!

Check out the site below the definitive source for Sherman info next to the Hunnicutt book. Click the top link on the page for descriptions of the different types of track. The one you are using is definitely all rubber.
Sherman Register

That's rubber, both of them. Except the Tamiya's M4A3E2. All of the kit tracks are the T-48 rubber chevy.

Here's a clean pic of it.

The original Tamiya M4A3 with the duckbill rubberbands was steel chevron too.