I am building the dragon M4A1 75mm sherman. The directions say to paint the tracks steel. I thought that the pads were rubber! What is the correct color to paint these.
Thanks
Recon

US Sherman tracks were sometimes all steel, sometimes rubber blocks with steel connectors. If the track shoe is a plain, flat rectangle or has a fat, angular chevron molded into its outer face, it is a rubber block. If it has a skinny angular or curved chevron or three straight bars molded into its outer face, it is a steel block.

It looks like the fat one.
Thanks
recon

Hi Mike: Look here:
Kurt's Article

I'm pretty sure you're describing the all rubber T48 tracks.

Gary:
Not all the Sherman tracks had rubber. These were the composite ones you mentioned -- T47E1 and T74. However the T49, T54E1 and T54E2, T54, T62 T56 were all steel. (Source: Harlem's MMIR Sherman guide)

Hi Gary: According to Hunnicutt and K Laughlin's article here:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/Tracks/trackusagefiftharmy.html

prewar tracks were all rubber, then to conserve on this vital material, all steel tracks were made. Although the all steel tracks didn't wear out much, it was rough on the suspensions. Lastly came the composites. My guess is that these are what you've seen. Nowadays, one would only see all steel tracks on monuments as they would tear apart asphalt. Any runners or even most museum pieces would have T48 or T51 rubber faced tracks.


My earlier post lists all rubber, all steel and the composites.

Here's an old Firefly VC (Brussels) with T49 tracks. Note the rusty inner surface (as compared to the greyish roadwheel rubber)



Here's an M4A1E9 with extended T49 tracks (the interior surface has the three dimples) @ Ft. Lewis, WA